Method of and apparatus for electrodepositing a metal on a conductive surface

Claim 5

The method defined in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said space is held at a subatmospheric pressure.

Claim 6

The method defined in claim 2 wherein said space is held at a superatmospheric pressure.

Claim 7

The method defined in claim 4 wherein said pressure ranges between 2 and 5 atms.

Claim 8

The method defined in claim 2, claim 4 or claim 6 wherein said harmless gas is an inert gas.

Claim 9

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said inert gas is at least one gas selected from the group which consists of argon and nitrogen.

Claim 10

The method defined in claim 6 wherein said electrode is a tubular electrode having a fluid passage formed therein and an opening at a forward end thereof communicating with said fluid passage and open to said room at least partially with said inert gas, further comprising the step of passing said electrodepositing solution through said fluid passage so as to flood it from said opening into said gap under a pressure not less than 5 kg/cm 2 .

Claim 11

An electrodepositing apparatus, comprising: a substantially hermetically sealed receptacle for accommodating therein a workpiece having an electrically conductive surface to be electrodeposited; means for supporting said workpiece in said receptacle; means for supporting electrode means in spaced juxtaposition with said workpiece in said receptacle; means for flooding an electrodepositing solution at least in the region of a gap between said electrode means and said workpiece within said receptacle; power supply means for passing an electrodepositing current between said electrode means and said workpiece to electrodeposit a metal from said solution at least predominantly on a limited area of the workpiece surface juxtaposed with said electrode means while permitting gases to be electrolytically produced from said gap and, possibly together with a mist of said solution, to be collected as a gaseous effluent in a room within said receptacle; drive means disposed within said receptacle; drivingly connected with at least one of said workpiece and said electrode means for relatively displacing said workpiece and said electrode so as to cause said limited area of at least predominant electrodeposition progressively over said workpiece surface within said receptacle; suction means connected with said receptacle for withdrawing, under suction, said gaseous effluent being collected in said room from said receptacle into a space outside; and ventilator means associated with said receptacle for communicating said room within said receptacle with the atmosphere to cause fresh atmospheric air to be introduced into said room under suction withdrawing said gaseous effluent from said receptacle into said space outside.

Claim 12

An electrodepositing apparatus, comprising: a substantially hermetically sealed receptacle for accommodating therein a workpiece having an electrically conductive surface to be electrodeposited; means for supporting said workpiece in said receptacle; means for supporting electrode means in spaced juxtaposition with said workpiece in said receptacle; means for flooding an electrodepositing solution at least in the region of a gap between said electrode means and said workpiece within said receptacle; power supply means for passing an electrodepositing current between said electrode means and said workpiece to electrodeposit a metal from said solution at least predominantly on a limited area of the workpiece surface juxtaposed with said electrode means while permitting gases to be electrolytically produced from said gap and, possibly together with a mist of said solution, to be collected as a gaseous effluent in a room within said receptacle; drive means disposed within said receptacle; drivingly connected with at least one of said workpiece and said electrode means for relatively displacing said workpiece and said electrode so as to cause said limited area of at least predominant electrodeposition progressively over said workpiece surface within said receptacle; suction means connected with said receptacle for withdrawing, under suction, said gaseous effluent being collected in said room from said receptacle into a space outside; and ventilator means associated with said receptacle for communicating said room within said receptacle with the atmosphere to cause fresh atmospheric air to be introduced into said room under suction withdrawing said gaseous effluent from said receptacle into said space outside.

Claim 13

The apparatus defined in claim 9 wherein said ventilator means is adapted, in conjunction with said suction means, to hold the pressure in said room at a subatmospheric level.

Claim 14

An electrodepositing apparatus, comprising: a substantially hermetically sealed receptacle for accommodating therein a workpiece having an electrically conductive surface to be electrodeposited; means for supporting said workpiece in said receptacle; means for supporting electrode means in sapced juxtaposition with said workpiece in said receptacle; means for flooding an electrodepositing solution at least in the region of a gap between said electrode means and said workpiece within said receptacle; power supply means for passing an electrodepositing current between said electrode means and said workpiece to electrodeposit a metal from said solution at least predominantly on a limited area of the workpiece surface juxtaposed with said electrode means while permitting gases to be electrolytically produced from said gap and, possibly together with a mist of said solution, to be collected as a gaseous effluent in a room within said receptacle; drive means disposed outside said receptacle and drivingly connected with at least one of said workpiece and said electrode means for relatively displacing said workpiece and said electrode means to cause said limited area of at least predominant electrodeposition progressively over said workpiece surface within said receptacle; suction means connected with said receptacle for withdrawing, under suction, said gaseous effluent being collected in said room from said receptacle into a space outside; and means disposed outside and connected with said receptacle for pumping a harmless gas into said room under pressure.

Claim 15

An electrodepositing apparatus, comprising: a substantially hermetically sealed receptacle for accommodating therein a workpiece having an electrically conductive surface to be electrodeposited; means for supporting said workpiece in said receptacle; means for supporting electrode means in sapced juxtaposition with said workpiece in said receptacle; means for flooding an electrodepositing solution at least in the region of a gap between said electrode means and said workpiece within said receptacle; power supply means for passing an electrodepositing current between said electrode means and said workpiece to electrodeposit a metal from said solution at least predominantly on a limited area of the workpiece surface juxtaposed with said electrode means while permitting gases to be electrolytically produced from said gap and, possibly together with a mist of said solution, to be collected as a gaseous effluent in a room within said receptacle; drive means disposed outside said receptacle and drivingly connected with at least one of said workpiece and said electrode means for relatively displacing said workpiece and said electrode means to cause said limited area of at least predominant electrodeposition progressively over said workpiece surface within said receptacle; suction means connected with said receptacle for withdrawing, under suction, said gaseous effluent being collected in said room from said receptacle into a space outside; and means disposed outside and connected with said receptacle for pumping a harmless gas into said room under pressure.

Claim 16

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said pumping means is adapted, in conjunction with said suction means to hold the pressure in said room at a subatmospheric level.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 11 wherein said pumping means is adapted, in conjunction with said suction means, to hold the pressure in said room at a superatmospheric level.

Claim 18

The apparatus defined in claim 11, claim 12 or claim 13 wherein said harmless gas is an inert gas, said pumping means including a source of said inert gas connected with said room through a wall of said receptacle.

Claim 19

The apparatus defined in claim 14 wherein said electrode means comprises a tubular electrode having a fluid passage formed therein and having an opening at its forward end thereof communicating with said fluid passage and open to said room filled at least partially with said inert gas from said source, and said flooding means comprises a reservoir disposed outside said receptacle for furnishing said said electrodepositing solution and a further pumping means for drawing said solution from said reservoir and delivering it through said tubular passage to flood it into said gap from said opening under a pressure not less than 5 kg/cm 2 .

Claim 20

The apparatus defined in claim 9 or claim 11 wherein said drive means is isolated from said room in said receptacle by a pleated expansible or accordion-pleated partition means secured to a wall of said receptacle.

Claim 21

The apparatus defined in claim 16 wherein said partition means has an elongated opening for accepting a sleeve member which slidably guides said electrode means to allow the latter to move in the direction of a first axis towards and away from said workpiece.

Claim 22

The apparatus defined in claim 17 wherein said partition means is pleated in the direction of a second axis of perpendicular to said first axis.

Claim 23

The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein said elongated opening is fitted with a deformable split fitting member through which to slidably accept said electrode means so as to allow the latter to move in the direction of a third axis perpendicular to said first and second axes.