James E Foote

US Patent:

8277890, Oct 2, 2012

Filed:

Apr 7, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/918009

Inventors:

Hubertus Von Der Waydbrink - Dresden, DE
Georg Laimer - Meissen, DE
Siegfried Scheibe - Dresden, DE
Ricky C. Powell - Ann Arbor MI, US
James Ernest Hinkle - Lambertville MI, US
James B. Foote - Toledo OH, US

Assignee:

First Solar, Inc. - Perrysburg OH
Von Ardenne Anlagentechnik GmbH - Dresden

International Classification:

C23C 16/00
B05C 13/00

US Classification:

42725523, 118500

Abstract:

The transporting device according to the invention, in particular for transporting sheet-like substrates through a coating installation, comprises transporting rollers which are rotatably mounted on both sides and horizontally arranged transversely in relation to the transporting direction, the uppermost surface lines of the transporting rollers defining the transporting plane, and is characterized in that the end parts of the transporting rollers have a smaller diameter than the middle part of the transporting rollers and in that baffles which are mounted displaceably in the axial direction of the transporting rollers between a first position and a second position are arranged between the end parts of the transporting rollers and the transporting plane. The fact that the baffles are mounted in an axially displaceable manner has the effect of considerably extending the cleaning intervals of the transporting device. At first the baffles are arranged in a first position, in which the end of the baffle lies underneath the substrate and, in the horizontal direction, as close as possible to the middle of the transporting roller Vapor-depositing material that gets beyond the edge of the substrate hits the baffle.

US Patent:

20130056333, Mar 7, 2013

Filed:

Sep 7, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/606050

Inventors:

Hubertus Von Der Waydbrink - Dresden, DE
Georg Laimer - Meissen, DE
Siegfried Scheibe - Dresden, DE
Ricky C. Powell - Ann Arbor MI, US
James Ernest Hinkle - Lambertville MI, US
James B. Foote - Toledo OH, US

International Classification:

B65G 13/06
B65G 13/00

US Classification:

198788, 198780

Abstract:

A transport device and method of transporting a substrate using a rotatable shaft and baffles may be used to extend cleaning intervals for the transport device and reduce deposition of a vapour deposition material upon the transport device.