System and method of coating substrates and assembling devices having coated elements

Abstract

A system and method of coating curved substrates and assembling devices having coated elements. The system and method are of particular utility in the manufacture of lamps having a coating formed on the hermetically sealed light emitting chamber of the lamp. The system and method includes, inter alia, an improved uniform coating process and apparatus, improved throughput in the coating process, a reduction in bad coating losses, improved baking processes, and an improved method and apparatus for aligning the filament of a halogen lamp achieved by performing the step of coating of the light emitting chamber prior to the step of sealing the chamber.

1 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . In a process of depositing a layer of material on an array of elongated substrates in which the array is moved past one or more sources of deposition material on a carrier while simultaneously rotating each substrate about its longitudinal axis, a method of improving the vertical density of the array comprising the steps of supporting one or more substrates on a single rod and rotating the rod to thereby rotate the substrates supported thereon about the axis formed by the rod.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  including the step of resiliently binding adjacent of the substrates.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the rod has a deformable surface in contact with each of the substrates supported thereon.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein each of the substrates is internally supported on the rod.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the carrier is a drum and the rod is vertical.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the rod is frictionally engaged with the internal surface of each substrate supported thereon to thereby prevent relative rotational movement between the rod and each substrate.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the rod is horizontal.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 17  in a sputter deposition process.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 17  including the step of masking the substrates so that 
 the deposition material will not be deposited on selected portions of the substrates.    
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the substrates are lamp burner envelopes.  
   
   
       27 . In a process of depositing a layer of material on an array of elongated substrates in which the array is moved past one or more sources of deposition material on a carrier while simultaneously rotating each substrate about its longitudinal axis, a method of improving the vertical density of the array comprising the steps of supporting one or more substrates on a single vertical rod and rotating the lowest one of the substrates to thereby rotate all of substrates supported by the rod about the axis formed by the rod.  
   
   
       28 . In a process of depositing a layer of material on an array of elongated substrates in which the array is moved past one or more sources of deposition material on a carrier while simultaneously rotating each substrate about its longitudinal axis by supporting each substrate on an axial rotation means, a method of improving the horizontal density of the array comprising the step of alternating the vertical position of adjacent axial rotation means.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the carrier is a cylindrical drum rotatable about its longitudinal axis wherein the longitudinal axis is vertical and one or more of the axial rotation means is a vertical rod which rotates each substrate supported thereon about the axis formed by the rod.  
   
   
       30 - 39 . (canceled)  
   
   
       40 . In a process for assembling a halogen lamp having an IRR coating on the lamp burner envelope, the step of determining the optimum position of the filament relative to the burner envelope by measuring the electrical resistance of the filament.  
   
   
       41 . In a process for aligning the filament in an IRR coated burner envelope in the assembly of a lamp, the step of determining the optimum position of the filament relative to the burner envelope by measuring the power applied to the filament to maintain a constant temperature of the filament.  
   
   
       42 . In a process for aligning the filament in an IRR coated burner envelope in the assembly of a lamp, the step of determining the optimum position of the filament relative to the burner envelope by measuring the temperature of the filament while maintaining the power applied to the filament at a constant.  
   
   
       43 . A method of aligning the filament in an IRR coated burner envelope in the assembly of a lamp comprising the steps of: 
 a. positioning the filament relative to the burner envelope;    b. applying power to the filament;    c. measuring the temperature of the filament;    d. adjusting the power applied to the filament to attain a predetermined filament temperature;    e. changing the position of the filament relative to the burner envelope;    f. measuring the power applied to the filament;    g. adjusting the power applied to the filament to maintain the temperature of the filament at the predetermined filament temperature;    h. determining the optimum position of the filament relative to the burner envelope by repeating steps (b) to (f) as necessary to determine the position of the filament relative to the burner envelope wherein the minimum power is applied to the filament to maintain the filament at the predetermined filament temperature.    
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the predetermined filament temperature is about 1500° C.  
   
   
       45 - 48 . (canceled)  
   
   
       49 . A coated lamp burner envelope comprising a generally tubular unsealed section of light transmitting material having one or more materials deposited on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof to form a coating.  
   
   
       50 . A coated lamp burner envelope comprising (i) a generally tubular section of light transmitting material suitable for forming the light emitting chamber of a lamp burner by sealing the end portions thereof, and (ii) a first coating formed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of said section, whereby the end portions of said section are not sealed.  
   
   
       51 . The coated lamp burner envelope of  claim 50  further comprising a second coating formed on one or more selected portions of the exterior surface of said section.  
   
   
       52 . A sealed lamp burner having a first coating formed on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof and a second coating formed on the portions of the surface of said burner adjacent the end portions of the burner, said second coating being suitable for preventing the exposure of the first coating to temperatures greater than a certain temperature when selected portions of the end portions of said burner are exposed to temperatures greater than the certain temperature.  
   
   
       53 . A section of light transmitting material suitable for forming a lamp burner, said section having a coating formed on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof, said coating comprising (i) one or more oxidized and unoxidized materials and (ii) sufficient unbonded oxygen dissolved therein so that the unbonded oxygen will oxidize some or all of the unoxidized material when exposed to high temperatures.  
   
   
       54 . A generally tubular section of light transmitting material suitable for forming a plurality of lamp burner envelopes by transversely cutting the section at selected locations along the length thereof, said section having a coating formed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of said section, whereby the coating is formed before the section is cut.  
   
   
       55 . In an apparatus for uniformly depositing a layer of one or more materials on an array of elongated substrates including a carrier for carrying the array past one or more sources of the material to be deposited and a means for rotating each substrate about its longitudinal axis, the improvement wherein the axial rotation means comprises one or more elongated rods each having one or more substrates supported thereon for rotating the substrates supported thereon about the axis formed by the rod.  
   
   
       56 . The apparatus of  claim 55  wherein the carrier comprises a cylindrical drum which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis, said drum carrying a plurality of axial rotation means spaced apart about the circumference of the drum.  
   
   
       57 . The apparatus of  claim 55  wherein the rod is frictionally engaged with the internal surface each substrate supported thereon.  
   
   
       58 . The apparatus of  claim 55  wherein the carrier comprises a flat surface which is linearly transported past the sources of the material to be deposited.  
   
   
       59 . In an apparatus for determining the optimum position of the filament relative to the lamp burner envelope of a halogen lamp, said apparatus including a means for positioning the filament relative to the lamp burner envelope, the improvement wherein the apparatus further comprises a means for measuring the electrical resistance of the filament.  
   
   
       60 . In an apparatus for determining the optimum position of the filament relative to the lamp burner envelope of a halogen lamp, said apparatus including a means for positioning the filament relative to the lamp burner envelope, the improvement wherein the apparatus further comprises a means for measuring the temperature of the filament.  
   
   
       61 . An apparatus for aligning the filament relative to the lamp burner envelope in an IRR coated halogen lamp comprising: 
 a. means for positioning the filament relative to the burner envelope;    b. a source of electrical power operably connected to the filament;    c. a temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the filament; and    d. an electrical power measuring device for measuring the electrical power applied to the filament.