Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for using chemical vapor deposition to coat a large article having a pair of faces and which is relatively thin between said faces so that the object is subject to breakage in the presence of surging particles, the method comprising Providing a vertical coating chamber having a pair of opposed endwalls and a pair of opposed vertical sidewalls which are configured to generally parallel the faces of the article when the article is centered between said sidewalls, said sidewalls having a horizontal dimension between about 2 and about 10 times the horizontal dimension of said endwall, suspending said article within said chamber with said faces centered between said sidewalls, charging said chamber with particulate material to provide an appropriate surface to volume ratio within said chamber, flowing a carrier gas upwardly through said chamber at a rate sufficient to fluidize said charge of particulate material, creating a fluidized bed extending above the suspended article, mixing suitable vapors with said carrier gas, and heating said chamber to a temperature whereat chemical reactions produce a coating on the suspended article.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
180 words
A method for using chemical vapor deposition to coat a large article having a pair of faces and which is relatively thin between said faces so that the object is subject to breakage in the presence of surging particles, the method comprising Providing a vertical coating chamber having a pair of opposed endwalls and a pair of opposed vertical sidewalls which are configured to generally parallel the faces of the article when the article is centered between said sidewalls, said sidewalls having a horizontal dimension between about 2 and about 10 times the horizontal dimension of said endwall, suspending said article within said chamber with said faces centered between said sidewalls, charging said chamber with particulate material to provide an appropriate surface to volume ratio within said chamber, flowing a carrier gas upwardly through said chamber at a rate sufficient to fluidize said charge of particulate material, creating a fluidized bed extending above the suspended article, mixing suitable vapors with said carrier gas, and heating said chamber to a temperature whereat chemical reactions produce a coating on the suspended article.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 1, suspending said article within said chamber only by its upper end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 2, suspending said article by its upper end, coating the article, resuspending the article by its opposite end, and recoating the article.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 1 providing a chamber matched to said article so that parallel faces of said article are spaced from said sidewalls between about 1 cm and about 5 cm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 1 providing a chamber matched to said article so that lateral edges of the article are spaced from said endwalls between about 1 cm and about 5 cm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1 providing a chamber having a generally rectangular horizontal cross section and coating an article having a generally rectangular horizontal cross section therein.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1 providing a chamber having a horizontal cross-sectional area between about 5 and about 10 times the horizontal cross-sectional area of the article.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said vapor is selected to decompose to coat said article with carbon, silicon and mixtures thereof.