Patent ID: 11946141
Assignee: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus comprising:
a chemical vapor processing chamber to treat articles with surface-smoothing chemical vapor;
an article loading chamber to receive the articles pending treatment by the chemical vapor processing chamber;
an automated conveyor to move the articles between the article loading chamber and the chemical vapor processing chamber;
an air lock to connect the article loading chamber to the chemical vapor processing chamber, the air lock comprises a door and a pneumatic seal, the pneumatic seal to inflate to seal the door and to deflate to allow the door to open; and
a controller to:
control the automated conveyor to move the articles between the article loading chamber and the chemical vapor processing chamber; and
control the air lock to seal the chemical vapor processing chamber from the article loading chamber when the automated conveyor is not moving the articles between the article loading chamber and the chemical vapor processing chamber.