Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7678245B2/en
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 12:49:25+00:00

Document:
This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/484,189, filed Jul. 1, 2003, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/516,680, filed Nov. 3, 2003, both of which are herein incorporated by reference. This application is additionally a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/608,513, filed Jun. 26, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,374,644 (hereinafter referred to as the “'513 application”), which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/140,010, filed May 7, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,979,248. The '513 application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/211,626, filed Aug. 2, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,125,477, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/033,732, filed Dec. 27, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,055,800, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/505,899, filed Feb. 17, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,144. The '513 application is additionally a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/210,972, filed Aug. 2, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,303,662, which is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/505,899, filed Feb. 17, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,537,144. The '513 application is further continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/151,538, filed May 16, 2002 now abandoned. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/244,697, filed Sep. 16, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,526, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/244,688, filed Sep. 16, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,970, and of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/391,324, filed Mar. 18, 2003. All of the above referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
This application is additionally related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/455,941, filed Jun. 6, 2003; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10,455,895, filed Jun. 6, 2003, all of which are also incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
The housing 402 is fabricated from a dielectric material compatible with process chemistries. In one embodiment, the housing 402 is made of PEEK. The housing 402 has a first end 408 and a second end 410. A drive feature 412 is formed in and/or on the first end 408 to facilitate installation of the contact assembly 250 to the contact plate 320. The drive feature 412 may be holes for a spanner wrench, a slot or slots, a recessed drive feature (such as for a TORX® or hex drive, and the like) or a projecting drive feature (such as wrench flats or a hex head, and the like), among others. The first end 408 additionally includes a seat 426 that prevents the ball 406 from passing out of the first end 408 of the housing 402. The seat 426 optionally may include one or more grooves 448 formed therein that allow fluid flow to exit the housing 402 between the ball 406 and seat 412. Maintaining fluid past the ball 406 may minimize the propensity of process chemistries to attack the ball 406.
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References: Application No. 02728965
 Application No. 05077958
 Application No. 03254807
 Application No. 200480022037
 Application No. 200480019124
 Application No. 10
 Application No. 10
 Application No. 200302562
 Application No. 092121222
 Application No. 93136038