Gap jumping to seal structure including tacking of structure
US5820435A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 12, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 12, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J2329/00
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A structure, such as a flat-panel device, is sealed together by a gap-jumping technique in which an edge (44S) of a wall (44) is positioned near a matching sealing area (40S) of a plate structure (40) such that a gap (48) at least partially separates the edge of the wall from the sealing area of the plate structure. The gap usually has an average height of 25 .mu.m or more. Energy is then transferred locally to material of the wall along the gap to cause material of the wall and the plate structure to bridge the gap and seal the plate structure to the wall. The energy-transferring step is typically performed with light energy provided by a laser (56). Local energy transfer can also be utilized to tack the plate structure to the wall at multiple spaced-apart locations (44A) along the wall. The tacking operation is typically performed as a preliminary step to sealing the plate structure to the wall.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.