TWI695151B - Gas enclosure system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present teachings relate to various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system that can be readily transportable and assemblable and provide for maintaining a minimum inert gas volume and maximal access to various devices and apparatuses enclosed therein. Various embodiments of an hermetically-sealed gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings can have a gas enclosure assembly constructed in a fashion that minimizes the internal volume of a gas enclosure assembly, and at the same time optimizes the working space to accommodate a variety of footprints of various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly so constructed additionally provide ready access to the interior of a gas enclosure assembly from the exterior during processing and readily access to the interior for maintenance, while minimizing downtime.

Description

Gas inclusion system [Cross-reference of related applications]

This application is a partial continuation application of US Application No. 13/720,830 filed on December 19, 2012. This application claims the rights and interests of US Provisional Application No. 61/732,173 filed on November 30, 2012, and the rights and interests of US Provisional Application No. 61/764,973 filed on February 14, 2013. The full text of all cross-referenced applications is included in this article.

This teaching is about various embodiments of hermetically sealed gas enclosure assemblies and systems. The gas enclosure assemblies and systems can be easily transported and assembled and can be provided to maintain a minimum inert gas volume and to encapsulate therein The largest access to various devices and equipment.

The interest in the potential of OLED display technology is driven by the properties of OLED display technology, which include the verification of highly saturated colors, high contrast, ultra-thin, fast response, and energy efficient display panels. In addition, a variety of substrate materials including flexible polymer materials can be used to manufacture OLED display technology. Although the verification of displays for small screen applications (mainly used in mobile phones) has been used to emphasize the potential of the technology, there are still challenges to expanding manufacturing to larger formats. For example, on a substrate larger than the 5.5th generation substrate with a size of about 130cm X 150cm OLED display has not been confirmed.

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices can be manufactured by printing various organic thin films and other materials on a substrate using an OLED printing system. These organic materials can be easily damaged by oxidation and other chemical treatments. Housing the OLED printing system in a manner such that it can be scaled for various substrate sizes and can be accomplished in an inert, substantially particle-free printing environment can present multiple challenges. Because the equipment used to print large panel substrates requires a lot of space, maintain large facilities under an inert atmosphere (which constantly requires gas purification to remove reactive atmospheric species such as water vapor and oxygen and organic solvent vapors) It presents great engineering challenges. For example, large facilities that provide hermetic seals can present engineering challenges. In addition, the various cables, wires, and pipelines used to operate the printing system that feed into and out of the OLED printing system can effectively make the gas envelope meet the specifications in terms of the content of atmospheric components (such as oxygen and water vapor) Challenges are presented because these cables, wires, and pipelines can generate a large dead volume, and these reactive species can be trapped in the dead volume. In addition, it is desirable to keep this facility in an inert environment for processing, thereby providing easy access for maintenance with minimal downtime. In addition to the substantially non-reactive species, the printing environment used for OLED devices also requires a substantially low particle environment. In this regard, providing and maintaining a substantially particle-free environment throughout the encapsulated system presents additional challenges, while particle reduction for processes that can be performed under atmospheric conditions such as open-air, high-flow laminar flow filter covers has not Present these additional challenges.

Therefore, there is a need for various embodiments of gas inclusions that can encapsulate an OLED printing system in an inert, substantially particle-free environment and can be easily scaled to provide a variety of substrate sizes and substrates The OLED panel is made of materials, and it also provides easy access to the OLED printing system from the outside during processing, and easy access to the inside for maintenance with minimal downtime.

This teaching discloses various embodiments of a gas inclusion assembly, which can be constructed hermetically and integrated with a gas circulation component, a filtration component, and a purification component to form a gas inclusion component and system. The system can maintain an inert, substantially particle-free environment for processing that requires this environment. These embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly and system can maintain the content of each of the various reactive species at 100 ppm or less, such as 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less, Such reactive species include various reactive atmospheric gases such as water vapor and oxygen, and organic solvent vapors. In addition, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly can provide a low-particle environment that meets ISO 14644 Class 3 and Class 4 clean room standards.

Persons of ordinary skill in various technical fields can understand the effect of the embodiment of the gas inclusion assembly on various technical fields. Although many different technologies such as chemistry, biotechnology, high technology, and pharmaceutical technology can benefit from this teaching, OLED printing is used to illustrate the effectiveness of various embodiments of gas inclusion assemblies and systems according to this teaching. Various embodiments of a gas package assembly system that can encapsulate an OLED printing system can provide multiple features, such as, but not limited to, providing a hermetically sealed package seal and package in the construction and deconstruction cycle Minimization of volume and easy access from outside to inside during handling and maintenance. As will be discussed later, such features of various embodiments of gas inclusion assemblies can have an impact on functionality, such as but not limited to: structural integrity, which provides for maintaining low levels of reactive species during processing Convenient; and rapid body volume turnover, which minimizes downtime during maintenance cycles. Therefore, various features and specifications that provide utility for OLED panel printing can also provide benefits for various technical fields.

As mentioned earlier, the manufacture of OLED displays on substrates larger than the 5.5th generation substrates with dimensions of about 130 cm X 150 cm has not been confirmed. From about the beginning of the 1990s, for flat panel displays manufactured by technologies other than OLED printing, the size of each generation of mother glass substrate has undergone evolution. The first generation mother glass substrate called Gen 1 is about 30cm x 40cm, and therefore can produce 15" panels. Around the mid-1990s, the existing technology used to produce flat panel displays has evolved to 3.5 Instead, the size of the mother glass substrate is about 60cm x 72cm.

With the advancement of each generation, the mother glass size of the 7.5th and 8.5th generation has been put into production, which is used for processing other than OLED printing manufacturing processing. The size of the 7.5th generation mother glass is about 195cm x 225cm, and each substrate can be cut into eight 42" plates or six 47" plates. The mother glass used in the 8.5th generation is approximately 220 x 250 cm, and each substrate can be cut into six 55” plates or eight 46” plates. Quality assurance of OLED flat panel displays has been achieved, such as more realistic colors, higher contrast, thinness, flexibility, transparency, and energy efficiency, while OLED manufacturing is actually limited to G 3.5 and smaller. At present, OLED printing is considered to break this limitation and not only for the size of the mother glass of the 3.5th generation and smaller, but also for the largest mother glass size (such as the 5.5th generation, 7.5th generation and 8.5th generation) to realize the OLED panel The best manufacturing technology for manufacturing. Those of ordinary skill will understand that one of the features of OLED panel printing includes the use of multiple substrate materials, such as but not limited to multiple glass substrate materials and multiple polymer substrate materials. In this regard, the sizes enumerated by the terminology resulting from the use of glass-based substrates are applicable to substrates of any material suitable for use in OLED printing.

Regarding OLED printing, according to this teaching, it has been found that maintaining a substantially low content of reactive species is related to providing an OLED flat panel display that meets the necessary lifetime specifications, such reactive species such as but not limited to: atmospheric components such as oxygen and water vapor , And various organic solvent vapors used in OLED inks. Lifetime specifications are particularly important for OLED panel technology, because it is directly related to the durability of display products; durability is the product specification of all panel technologies and is currently a challenge to be met by OLED panel technology. In order to provide a panel that meets the necessary life specifications, various embodiments of the gas inclusion system of the present teaching can be used to maintain the content of each of the reactive species such as water vapor, oxygen, and organic solvent vapor at 100 ppm or more Low, for example, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. In addition, OLED printing requires a substantially particle-free environment. Maintaining a substantially particle-free environment for OLED printing is particularly important because even very small particles can cause visible defects on the OLED panel. At present, it is a challenge for OLED displays to meet the low defect levels required for commercialization. Maintaining a substantially particle-free environment throughout the encapsulated system presents additional challenges, while particle reduction for processes that can be completed under atmospheric conditions such as open air, high-flow laminar flow filter covers does not present such additional challenges. Therefore, the necessary specifications to maintain an inert, particle-free environment in large facilities can present a variety of challenges.

The information summarized in Table 1 can be consulted to illustrate the need for printing OLED panels in a facility where the content of each of the reactive species such as water vapor, oxygen, and organic solvent vapor can be maintained At 100 ppm or lower, for example, 10 ppm or lower, 1.0 ppm or lower, or 0.1 ppm or lower. The data summarized in Table 1 was generated by testing each of the coupons (test coupons), which included red, green, and blue colors in a large pixel, spin-coating device format Organic thin film composition of each. These samples are generally easier to manufacture and test to quickly evaluate various formulations and treatments. Although the sample test should not be confused with the life test of the printed panel, the sample test can indicate the effects of various formulations and treatments on the life. The results shown in the table below represent changes in the processing steps for the manufacture of samples, in which the spin-coating environment of samples made only in a nitrogen environment with reactive species less than 1 ppm is changed. Comparisons were made with samples made in air instead of nitrogen.

According to the information in Table 1 regarding samples manufactured under different processing environments, especially in the red and blue conditions, it is obvious that: in an environment that effectively reduces the exposure of the organic thin film composition to reactive species Printing can have a substantial effect on the stability of various ELs, and therefore on the lifespan.

Therefore, it is challenging to scale OLED printing from 3.5th generation to 8.5th generation and larger while providing a robust package environment that can accommodate the OLED printing system in an inert, substantially particle-free gas package Body environment. It is expected that, according to the teachings, this gas inclusion will have multiple attributes, such as: but not limited to a gas inclusion, which can be easily scaled to provide an optimized working space for the OLED printing system, while Provides a minimum volume of inert gas, and additionally provides easy access to the OLED printing system from the outside during processing, while providing access to the inside for maintenance with minimal downtime.

According to various embodiments of the present teachings, a gas envelope assembly for various air-sensitive processes requiring an inert environment is provided. The gas envelope assembly may include a plurality of wall frame members and ceiling frame members that may be sealed together. In some embodiments, a plurality of wall frame members and ceiling frame members may be fastened together using reusable fasteners such as bolts and threaded holes. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly according to the present teachings, a plurality of frame members can be constructed to define the gas enclosure frame assembly, each frame member including a plurality of panel frame sections.

The gas package assembly of the present teachings can be designed to accommodate a system such as an OLED printing system in such a way that the volume of the package surrounding the system can be minimized. Various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly can be constructed in a manner to minimize the internal volume of the gas envelope assembly and optimize the working space used to accommodate various occupied areas of various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of the gas package assembly thus constructed additionally provide: easy access to the inside of the gas package assembly from outside during processing, and easy access to the inside for maintenance, while minimizing downtime . In this regard, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly according to the present teachings can be contoured for various occupied areas of various OLED printing systems. According to various embodiments, once the contoured frame member is constructed to form the gas inclusion frame assembly, various types of panels can be sealingly installed in the plurality of panel sections including the frame member to complete the gas inclusion The assembly is installed. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, a plurality of frame members (including, for example, but not limited to, a plurality of wall frame members and at least one ceiling frame member) and a plurality of panels for installation in the panel frame section may be One location or multiple locations are manufactured and then constructed in another location. In addition, considering the transportable nature of the components used to construct the gas enclosure assembly of this teaching, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly can be repeatedly installed and removed during the construction and deconstruction cycles.

To ensure that the gas enclosure is hermetically sealed, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings are provided for connecting each frame member to provide a frame seal. The interior can be sufficiently sealed, for example, by hermetically sealing intersections between various frame members, such as gaskets or other seals. Once fully constructed, the sealed gas envelope assembly may include an inner and a plurality of inner corner edges, at least one inner corner edge being provided at the intersection of each frame member and an adjacent frame member. One or more of the frame members (eg, at least half of the frame members) may include one or more compressible washers secured along one or more corresponding edges thereof. Once a plurality of frame members are connected together and a gas-tight panel is installed, the compressible gasket(s) can be assembled to produce a gas-tight, sealed gas envelope assembly. The sealed gas envelope assembly may be formed to have corner edges of the frame member sealed by a plurality of compressible gaskets. For each frame member, such as but not limited to inner wall frame surface, top wall frame surface, vertical side wall frame surface, bottom wall frame surface, and combinations thereof may be provided with one or more compressible washers.

For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, each frame member may include a plurality of sections that are framed and manufactured to accept any of a variety of panel types that can be sealingly installed in each section In order to provide hermetic panel sealing for each panel. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, each section frame may have a section frame washer that together with the selected fasteners ensure that each is installed in each section frame The panel can provide a gas-tight seal for each panel, and therefore a fully constructed gas envelope. In various embodiments, the gas enclosure assembly may have one or more of a window panel or service window located in each of the wall panels; wherein each window panel or service window may have at least one glove port ( gloveport). During assembly of the gas enclosure assembly, each glove port allows the glove to be attached so that the glove can extend into the interior. According to various embodiments, each glove port may have a hard body for mounting gloves, wherein the hard body is sealed with a gasket around each glove port, which provides an airtight seal to allow leakage or molecular diffusion through the glove port minimize. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, the hardware is further designed to facilitate the end user in capping and uncapping the glove port.

Various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system according to the present teachings may include a gas envelope assembly formed by a plurality of frame members and panel sections, as well as gas circulation components, filtration components, and purification components. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems, ductwork can be installed during the assembly process. According to various embodiments of the present teaching, the pipeline can be installed in a gas envelope frame assembly that has been constructed from a plurality of frame members. In various embodiments, the piping may be installed on the plurality of frame members before the plurality of frame members are connected to form the gas inclusion frame assembly. The pipes used in various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system can be configured so that substantially all of the gas drawn into the pipe from one or more pipe inlets is moved through the use inside the gas envelope assembly and system Various embodiments of gas circulation and filtration circuits for removing particulate matter. In addition, the gas package assembly and the piping of various embodiments of the system can be configured to combine the inlet and outlet of the gas purification circuit outside the gas package assembly with the gas circulation and filtration circuit inside the gas package assembly separate.

For example, the gas enclosure assembly and system may have a gas circulation and filtration system inside the gas enclosure assembly. This internal filtration system may have a plurality of fan filtration units in the interior, and may be configured to provide a laminar flow of gas in the interior. The laminar flow may be in the direction from the top of the interior to the bottom of the interior, or in any other direction. Although the gas flow generated by the circulation system need not be laminar, the laminar flow of gas can be used to ensure the complete and complete turning of the gas in the interior. The laminar flow of gas can also be used to minimize turbulence, which is undesirable because it can cause particles in the environment to accumulate in these turbulent areas, thereby preventing the filtration system from removing them from the environment particle. In addition, in order to maintain a desired temperature in the interior, a heat regulation system using a plurality of heat exchangers may be provided, which operates, for example, in conjunction with a fan or another gas circulation device, adjacent or in combination. The gas purification circuit may be configured to circulate gas from inside the gas enclosure assembly through at least one gas purification assembly outside the enclosure. In this regard, the circulation and filtration system inside the gas envelope assembly, combined with the gas purification circuit outside the gas envelope assembly, can provide a continuous flow of substantially low particulate inert gas throughout the gas envelope assembly Circulating, the inert gas has a substantially low content of reactive species. The gas purification system can be configured to maintain extremely low levels of undesirable components, such as organic solvents and their vapors, as well as water, water vapor, oxygen, and the like.

In addition to providing gas circulation components, filtration components, and purification components, the pipes can also be sized and shaped to accommodate at least one of electrical wires, wiring harnesses, and various fluid-containing pipelines. These pipelines can be bundled With a considerable invalid volume, atmospheric components such as water, water vapor, oxygen, and the like can be trapped in the invalid volume and it is difficult to remove it by a purification system. In some embodiments, the combination of any of the cables, wires and harnesses, and fluid-containing pipelines may be arranged substantially in the pipeline, and operable with electrical systems, mechanical systems, fluid systems arranged in the interior It is associated with at least one of the cooling systems. Because the gas circulation component, the filtration component, and the purification component can be configured so that substantially all of the circulating inert gas passes through the pipeline, by including various bundled materials in the pipeline, the bundled materials can be equivalent The large void volume effectively flushes out atmospheric components trapped in the void volume of these bundled materials.

Various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system according to the present teaching may include a gas envelope assembly formed by a plurality of frame members and panel sections, as well as gas circulation components, filtration components, and purification components, and additionally including pressurization Various embodiments of inert gas recycling systems. As will be discussed in more detail later, this pressurized inert gas recirculation system can be used for various pneumatically driven devices and equipment in the operation of OLED printing systems.

According to the present teachings, several engineering challenges are solved in order to provide various embodiments of a pressurized inert gas recirculation system in the gas envelope assembly and system. First of all, under the typical operation of the gas envelope assembly of the inert gas recirculation system without a pressurized system and the system, the gas envelope assembly can be maintained at a slightly positive internal pressure relative to the external pressure so that the gas envelope assembly And prevent any outside air or air from entering the interior when there is any leakage in the system. For example, under typical operations, for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings, the interior of the gas enclosure assembly can be maintained at a pressure of, for example, at least 2 mbarg relative to the surrounding atmosphere outside the enclosure system For example, maintaining a pressure of at least 4 mbarg, maintaining a pressure of at least 6 mbarg, maintaining a pressure of at least 8 mbarg, or maintaining a higher pressure. Maintaining a pressurized inert gas recirculation system in a gas inclusion assembly system can be challenging because it involves maintaining a small positive internal pressure of the gas inclusion assembly and the system while continuously introducing pressurized gas to the gas inclusion assembly The dynamic and continuous balance function is proposed in the Chengji system. In addition, the variable requirements of various devices and equipment can produce irregular pressure distributions for various gas inclusion assemblies and systems taught in this teaching. Under these conditions, maintaining the dynamic pressure balance of the gas inclusion assembly maintained at a slight positive pressure relative to the external environment can provide the integrity of the ongoing OLED printing process.

For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system, the pressurized inert gas recirculation system according to the teachings can include pressurized inerts that can utilize at least one of a compressor, an accumulator, a blower, and combinations thereof Various embodiments of gas circuits. Various embodiments of the pressurized inert gas recirculation system including various embodiments of the pressurized inert gas circuit may have a specially designed pressure control type bypass circuit, which can be included in the gas envelope assembly and system of this teaching Provides the internal pressure of the inert gas at a stable defined value. In various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system, the pressurized inert gas recirculation system can be configured to pass when the pressure of the inert gas in the accumulator of the pressurized inert gas circuit exceeds a preset critical pressure, Pressure controlled bypass circuit to recycle pressurized inert gas. The critical pressure may range, for example, from about 25 psig (pounds per square inch gauge) to about 200 psig, or more specifically from about 75 psig to about 125 psig, or more specifically from about 90 psig to Within the range between about 95 psig. In this regard, the gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teaching having a pressurized inert gas recirculation system with a specially designed pressure-controlled bypass circuit can be maintained in a gas-tight sealed gas enclosure with pressurized inertness Balance of gas recirculation system.

According to the teachings, various devices and equipment can be arranged in the interior and in fluid communication with various embodiments of a pressurized inert gas recirculation system having various pressurized inert gas circuits that can utilize multiple pressurized gases Source, such as at least one of a compressor, a blower, and combinations thereof. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure and system taught in this teaching, the use of various pneumatically operated devices and equipment can provide low particle generation performance and low maintenance. Exemplary devices and equipment that can be placed in the interior of the gas envelope assembly and system and in fluid communication with various pressurized inert gas circuits can include, for example, but not limited to, pneumatic robots, substrate floating tables, air bearings, air sleeves, One or more of compressed gas tools, pneumatic actuators, and combinations thereof. The substrate floating table and the air bearing can be used to operate various aspects of the OLED printing system according to various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly of the present teachings. For example, a substrate floating table using air bearing technology can be used to transfer the substrate into a position in the print head chamber, and to support the substrate during the OLED printing process.

A‧‧‧Pipeline/Reactive species

B‧‧‧Wire/Inert gas species

C‧‧‧Coaxial cable

D‧‧‧Invalid space

FH1‧‧‧First flying height

FH2‧‧‧Second flying height

I‧‧‧First washer/first washer length/bundle

I’‧‧‧ Washer section

II‧‧‧washer/second washer length/pipe

II’‧‧‧ Washer section

III‧‧‧Gasket/inert gas

III’‧‧‧ Washer section

W1‧‧‧ contact length

W2‧‧‧Contact length

W3‧‧‧Contact length

V1‧‧‧Valve

V2‧‧‧Valve

V3‧‧‧Valve

V4‧‧‧Valve

10‧‧‧Embedded panel section

12‧‧‧Frame

14‧‧‧blind threaded hole

15‧‧‧screw

16‧‧‧Compression washer

20‧‧‧Window panel section

22‧‧‧Frame

30‧‧‧Service window panel section

32‧‧‧Frame

34‧‧‧Window guide spacer

35‧‧‧Window clip

36‧‧‧Clamp seat

38‧‧‧Compressible washer

40‧‧‧ Ceiling frame section

41‧‧‧ First side

42‧‧‧ Ceiling frame beam

43‧‧‧Second side

44‧‧‧ Ceiling frame beam

45‧‧‧First lighting element

46‧‧‧Lighting components

47‧‧‧Second lighting element

50‧‧‧OLED printing system

54‧‧‧Substrate floating platform

56‧‧‧ Bridge

58‧‧‧Air bearing

70‧‧‧ Granite table

87‧‧‧ spacer/spacer

89‧‧‧ spacer/spacer

90‧‧‧ spacer strip

91‧‧‧ spacer/spacer

92‧‧‧Horizontal side

93‧‧‧ spacer/spacer

94‧‧‧Top surface

95‧‧‧ spacer/spacer

96‧‧‧Bottom surface

97‧‧‧ spacer/spacer

100‧‧‧ gas inclusion assembly

103‧‧‧Fan filter unit cover

105‧‧‧The first ceiling frame pipe

107‧‧‧Second ceiling frame pipe

109‧‧‧ Sheet metal panel section

110‧‧‧Embedded panel

120‧‧‧Window panel

122‧‧‧Panel frame

124‧‧‧window

130‧‧‧Easy to remove service window

131‧‧‧Internal surface

132‧‧‧Service window frame

134‧‧‧window

136‧‧‧ Reaction toggle clamp

138‧‧‧Window handle

140‧‧‧Glove port

142‧‧‧ gloves

150‧‧‧ lid

151‧‧‧Internal surface

152‧‧‧ side

153‧‧‧External surface

154‧‧‧Rim

155‧‧‧Screw rod

156‧‧‧Shoulder screw

157‧‧‧Head/shoulder screw head

160‧‧‧Glove port hardware assembly

161‧‧‧Rear board

162‧‧‧Threaded screw head

163‧‧‧Front panel

164‧‧‧Flange

165‧‧‧notch/opening

166‧‧‧ bayonet latch

167‧‧‧lock recess

168‧‧‧Notch

169‧‧‧O-ring seal

200‧‧‧Frame member assembly

201‧‧‧ Front peripheral edge

202‧‧‧Base

204‧‧‧Chassis

205‧‧‧Right peripheral edge

207‧‧‧ Rear peripheral edge

210‧‧‧Front wall frame/first wall frame

210’‧‧‧Front wall panel/first wall panel

220‧‧‧Wall frame

220’‧‧‧left wall panel/wall panel

226‧‧‧Top

227‧‧‧Top wall frame partition

228‧‧‧Bottom

229‧‧‧Bottom wall frame partition

230‧‧‧Right or third wall frame/wall frame

230’‧‧‧right wall panel/third wall panel/wall panel

240‧‧‧Wall frame

240’‧‧‧ Rear wall panel/wall panel

250‧‧‧Ceiling frame

250’‧‧‧ Ceiling panel

251‧‧‧Internal part

300‧‧‧Seal assembly

302‧‧‧Gap/washer gap

304‧‧‧ clearance/washer clearance

306‧‧‧Gasket gap

310‧‧‧Wall frame/first wall frame

311‧‧‧Inner side/inner frame member

312‧‧‧Spacer

314‧‧‧Vertical side

315‧‧‧Top surface

316‧‧‧ spacer

317‧‧‧Inner edge

320‧‧‧First washer/washer

321‧‧‧Vertical washer length

323‧‧‧curve washer length

325‧‧‧washer length/length

340‧‧‧Second washer/washer

345‧‧‧Length

350‧‧‧Wall frame/second wall frame

353‧‧‧External frame side

354‧‧‧Vertical side

355‧‧‧Top surface

356‧‧‧Spacer

360‧‧‧First washer/washer

361‧‧‧horizontal length

363‧‧‧Curve length

365‧‧‧Length

370‧‧‧Ceiling frame

400‧‧‧Gas body frame assembly

402‧‧‧Lift assembly

404‧‧‧lifter assembly

406‧‧‧lifter assembly

408‧‧‧Wear pad

410‧‧‧Mounting plate

412‧‧‧The first clamp seat

413‧‧‧Second clamp seat

414‧‧‧First clamp

415‧‧‧Second clamp

416‧‧‧jack crank

418‧‧‧Jack shaft

422‧‧‧Jack base

424‧‧‧Foot

426‧‧‧Leveling feet

433‧‧‧Top panel ceiling

500‧‧‧Pipe assembly

502‧‧‧Inlet pipe assembly

505‧‧‧Ceiling pipe

507‧‧‧ Ceiling pipe

510‧‧‧Front wall panel pipe assembly

511‧‧‧ opening

512‧‧‧Front wall inlet pipe

514‧‧‧The first front wall panel riser

515‧‧‧Export

516‧‧‧Second front wall panel riser

517‧‧‧Export

520‧‧‧Left wall panel pipe assembly

521‧‧‧ opening

522‧‧‧Inlet pipe on the left wall panel

524‧‧‧The first left wall panel riser

525‧‧‧The first pipeline entrance

526‧‧‧Second vertical pipe on left side wall panel

527‧‧‧The second pipeline outlet

528‧‧‧Upper pipe on left side wall panel

530‧‧‧Right side wall panel assembly

531‧‧‧ opening

532‧‧‧Inlet pipe on the right side wall panel

533‧‧‧pipe opening

534‧‧‧The first vertical pipe of the right side wall panel

535‧‧‧The first pipeline entrance

536‧‧‧Second vertical pipe of right wall panel/upper pipe of rear wall panel

537‧‧‧The second pipeline outlet

538‧‧‧Upper pipe of right side wall panel

540‧‧‧ Rear wall pipe assembly

541‧‧‧First entrance of rear wall panel

542‧‧‧ Rear wall inlet pipe

543‧‧‧Second entrance of rear wall panel

544‧‧‧The bottom pipe of the rear wall panel

545‧‧‧ vent

547‧‧‧frame

549‧‧‧Second partition/frame

600‧‧‧Gas body assembly

605‧‧‧Return pipeline

610‧‧‧Embedded panel

630‧‧‧Right side wall panel

631‧‧‧ opening

632‧‧‧Pipeline

633‧‧‧Sliding cover

634‧‧‧The first beam entrance

635‧‧‧Top

636‧‧‧Second beam entrance

637‧‧‧Part

640‧‧‧ Rear wall panel

700‧‧‧floating platform

710‧‧‧pressure-vacuum zone

720‧‧‧The first transition zone

722‧‧‧Second Transition Zone

740‧‧‧ Pressure zone only

742‧‧‧ Heat exchanger/pressure zone only

744‧‧‧ heat exchanger

752‧‧‧Fan filter unit

754‧‧‧Fan filter unit

760‧‧‧Part of the substrate

800‧‧‧floating platform

810‧‧‧Pressure-vacuum zone

820‧‧‧The first transition zone

822‧‧‧The second transition zone

840‧‧‧ Pressure area only

842‧‧‧Pressure zone only

860‧‧‧ substrate

1000‧‧‧Gas body assembly

1010‧‧‧Gas body assembly

1050‧‧‧ printing system

1051‧‧‧Isolate

1052‧‧‧Floating platform support

1053‧‧‧Second Isolator

1054‧‧‧Substrate floating platform

1058‧‧‧Substrate

1070‧‧‧Base

1070-1A‧‧‧hatched

1070-1B‧‧‧hatched

1070-2A ‧‧‧ hatched structure

1070-2B‧‧‧Shaded line structure

1071‧‧‧First upper surface/top surface

1072‧‧‧First end

1073‧‧‧Second upper surface

1074‧‧‧second end

1075‧‧‧The first vertical tube

1076‧‧‧First side

1077‧‧‧Second vertical pipe

1078‧‧‧Second side

1079‧‧‧Bridge

1080‧‧‧ First print head assembly

1081‧‧‧ Second print head assembly

1082‧‧‧Print head device

1083‧‧‧Print head device

1084‧‧‧The first print head assembly package

1085‧‧‧The second print head assembly package

1086‧‧‧Package opening of the first print head assembly

1088‧‧‧The first printing head assembly body rim

1089‧‧‧The second printing head assembly body rim

1090‧‧‧First print head assembly positioning system

1091‧‧‧Second print head assembly positioning system

1092‧‧‧The first X axis bracket

1094‧‧‧The first Z-axis movable board

1100‧‧‧Front frame assembly

1100’‧‧‧Front panel assembly

1120‧‧‧Front base frame/front body assembly base

1120’‧‧‧Front base panel assembly

1121‧‧‧The first front body isolation seat

1122‧‧‧Chassis

1123‧‧‧The first front enclosure wall frame

1127‧‧‧Second front enclosure wall frame

1140‧‧‧Front wall frame

1140’‧‧‧Front wall panel assembly

1142‧‧‧ opening

1144‧‧‧ bridge frame

1146‧‧‧Embedded frame

1147‧‧‧washer

1148‧‧‧ opening

1150‧‧‧Gate valve assembly

1151‧‧‧ First Track

1152‧‧‧The second track

1153‧‧‧ First bracket

1154‧‧‧Second bracket

1158‧‧‧ door

1160‧‧‧Front ceiling frame

1160’‧‧‧ Ceiling panel assembly

1200‧‧‧Intermediate frame assembly

1200’‧‧‧ Middle panel assembly

1220‧‧‧Base base

1220’‧‧‧Intermediate base panel assembly

1221‧‧‧The first intermediate body isolation seat

1222‧‧‧Chassis

1223‧‧‧Issue Wall Frame

1224‧‧‧First frame member

1225‧‧‧channel

1225’‧‧‧ First isolator wall panel

1226‧‧‧Second frame member

1227‧‧‧Second middle body isolation wall frame

1227’‧‧‧Second isolator wall panel

1228‧‧‧Panel

1230’‧‧‧ First intermediate maintenance system panel assembly

1235‧‧‧The first seal support panel

1237‧‧‧First outer surface

1238’‧‧‧First rear wall panel assembly

1240‧‧‧The first tundish frame assembly

1240’‧‧‧First intermediate body panel assembly

1241‧‧‧First bottom plate assembly

1241’‧‧‧First bottom plate assembly

1242‧‧‧ First print head assembly opening

1245‧‧‧ Butt washer for the first print head assembly

1247‧‧‧ First print head assembly gate valve

1250‧‧‧ First maintenance system assembly

1251‧‧‧The first maintenance system positioning system

1252‧‧‧Drop calibration module

1253‧‧‧The first maintenance system assembly platform

1254‧‧‧Flush basin module

1256‧‧‧ ink absorption module

1260‧‧‧Ceiling frame assembly

1260’‧‧‧Middle wall and ceiling panel assembly

1261‧‧‧ First channel

1263‧‧‧The first seal

1265‧‧‧Second channel

1267‧‧‧Second seal

1270’‧‧‧ Second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly

1275‧‧‧Second seal support panel

1277‧‧‧Second outer surface

1278‧‧‧Second rear wall frame assembly

1278’‧‧‧Second rear wall panel assembly

1280‧‧‧Second middle body frame assembly

1280’‧‧‧Second middle body panel assembly

1281’‧‧‧Second base plate assembly

1282‧‧‧Second print head assembly opening

1285‧‧‧ Butt washer for the second print head assembly

1287‧‧‧Second print head assembly gate valve

1290‧‧‧Second maintenance system assembly

1291‧‧‧Second maintenance system positioning system

1293‧‧‧Second maintenance assembly system platform

1300‧‧‧ Rear frame assembly

1300’‧‧‧ Rear panel assembly

1320‧‧‧Rear base frame

1320’‧‧‧ Rear base panel assembly

1321‧‧‧The first rear body isolation seat

1322‧‧‧Chassis

1323‧‧‧Rear tundish partition wall frame

1327‧‧‧Second rear enclosure wall frame

1340‧‧‧Rear wall frame

1340’‧‧‧ Rear wall panel assembly

1360‧‧‧Rear ceiling frame

1360’‧‧‧ Rear ceiling panel assembly

1500‧‧‧Gas body assembly/Gas body assembly chamber

1500-S1‧‧‧The first frame member assembly section

1500-S2‧‧‧Second frame member assembly section

1510‧‧‧ Entrance chamber

1512‧‧‧First entrance gate/gate

1514‧‧‧ gate

1520‧‧‧Exit the oral cavity

1522‧‧‧ gate

1524‧‧‧ gate

1550‧‧‧ substrate

1600‧‧‧System controller

1700‧‧‧Pneumatic control system

1710‧‧‧Inert gas source

1712‧‧‧Valve

1720‧‧‧Vacuum source

1722‧‧‧Valve

2000‧‧‧Gas body assembly and system

2100‧‧‧Gas body assembly and system

2130‧‧‧ gas purification system

2131‧‧‧ Gas purification outlet line

2132‧‧‧Solvent removal system

2133‧‧‧ Entry Line

2134‧‧‧ gas purification system

2140‧‧‧Thermal Regulation System

2141‧‧‧Quick cooler

2142‧‧‧The first heat exchanger

2143‧‧‧ fluid outlet line

2144‧‧‧Second heat exchanger

2145‧‧‧ fluid inlet circuit

2146‧‧‧The third heat exchanger

2150‧‧‧Filter system

2151‧‧‧Fan filter unit

2152‧‧‧Fan filter unit

2153‧‧‧Fan filter unit

2154‧‧‧Fan filter unit

2155‧‧‧Fan filter unit

2156‧‧‧Fan filter unit

2160‧‧‧Compressor circuit

2161‧‧‧First bypass inlet valve

2162‧‧‧Compressor

2163‧‧‧Second valve

2164‧‧‧Accumulator

2165‧‧‧ Pressure-controlled bypass circuit

2168‧‧‧The second accumulator

2169‧‧‧Pressure inert gas recirculation system

2170‧‧‧Pipeline system

2171‧‧‧The first pipeline entrance

2172‧‧‧Second pipeline entrance

2173‧‧‧The first pipeline catheter

2174‧‧‧Second pipeline conduit

2175‧‧‧The first pipeline outlet

2176‧‧‧Second pipeline outlet

2190‧‧‧Blower circuit

2192‧‧‧case

2193‧‧‧Isolation valve

2194‧‧‧First blower

2195‧‧‧ Check valve

2196‧‧‧Adjustable valve

2197‧‧‧Second isolation valve

2198‧‧‧ heat exchanger

2200‧‧‧Gas body assembly and system

2300‧‧‧Gas body assembly and system

2400‧‧‧Gas body assembly and system

2500‧‧‧External circuit

2501‧‧‧ gas package assembly outlet

2502‧‧‧ First mechanical valve

2503‧‧‧ Line

2504‧‧‧Second mechanical valve

2505‧‧‧Valve

2506‧‧‧The third mechanical valve

2507‧‧‧Check valve

2508‧‧‧ Fourth mechanical valve

2509‧‧‧Package inert gas source

2510‧‧‧Package inert gas circuit

2512‧‧‧ Clean dry air source/CDA source

2513‧‧‧Low consumption manifold

2514‧‧‧ Cross section 1

2516‧‧‧First flow contact

2518‧‧‧Second flow contact

2520‧‧‧Compressor inert gas circuit

2522‧‧‧CDA line

2524‧‧‧High consumption manifold line

2525‧‧‧High consumption manifold

2526‧‧‧ Third Flow Contact

2528‧‧‧The second section of the intersection

2530‧‧‧Valve

2550‧‧‧Vacuum system

2552‧‧‧ Line

2554‧‧‧Valve

3000‧‧‧Gas inclusion equipment

3100‧‧‧Gas body assembly and system

By referring to the accompanying drawings, a better understanding of the features and advantages of this disclosure will be obtained. These accompanying drawings are intended to illustrate but not limit this teaching.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas inclusion assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teaching.

2 is a front left perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 3 is a front right perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 4 depicts an exploded view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

5 is an exploded front perspective view of the frame member assembly, which depicts various panel frame sections and section panels according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 6A is a rear perspective view of the glove port cover, and FIG. 6B is an expanded view of a shoulder screw of the glove port cover according to various embodiments of the gas bag assembly of the present teachings.

FIG. 7A is an expanded perspective view of the bayonet latch of the glove port cover assembly, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the glove port cover assembly, showing the head of the shoulder screw and the bayonet type latch. Engagement of the recess.

8A to 8C are schematic top views of various embodiments of gasket seals used to form seams.

9A and 9B are various perspective views depicting sealing of frame members according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings.

10A-10B are various views related to the sealing of a segment panel according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly according to the present teachings, the segment panel being used to receive an easily removable service window.

11A to 11B are enlarged perspective cross-sectional views related to sealing of a segment panel according to various embodiments of the present teachings, the segment panel being used to receive an embedded panel or a window panel.

12A is a base according to various embodiments of the present teachings, which includes a chassis and a plurality of spacers resting on the chassis. 12B is an expanded perspective view of the spacer block indicated in FIG. 12A.

13 is an exploded view of wall frame members and ceiling members associated with a chassis according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

14A is a perspective view of one stage of construction of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings, where the lifter assembly is in a raised position. 14B is an exploded view of the elevator assembly indicated in FIG. 14A.

15 is a imaginary front perspective view of the gas enclosure assembly, which depicts pipes installed inside the gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 16 is an imaginary top perspective view of the gas enclosure assembly, which depicts pipes installed inside the gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

Fig. 17 is a hypothetical bottom perspective view of a gas package assembly, depicting a pipe installed inside the gas package assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

18A is a schematic representation showing multiple bundles of cables, wires and pipelines, and the like. FIG. 18B depicts a gas purge through these beams fed via various embodiments of the pipeline according to the present teachings.

Fig. 19 shows how to actively flush the reactive species trapped in the ineffective space of multiple beams of cables, wires, pipelines and the like by sweeping the pipes selected by the beams through the inert gas (B) Schematic representation of (A).

FIG. 20A is a hypothetical perspective view of cables and pipelines routed through pipelines according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings. FIG. 20B is an enlarged view of the opening shown in FIG. 20A showing details of a cover for closing the opening according to various embodiments of the gas bag assembly of the present teachings.

21 is a view of a ceiling for a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings, the ceiling including a lighting system.

FIG. 22 is a graph depicting the LED spectrum of the lighting system for the gas envelope assembly and system components according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

23 is a front perspective view of a view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

24 depicts an exploded view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly as depicted in FIG. 23 according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

Figure 25 depicts a partially exploded front perspective view of various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

26 depicts a partially exploded side perspective view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly as depicted in FIG. 25 according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

27A and 27B depict expanded views of the gas enclosure assembly as depicted in FIG. 26 according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

28 is a cross-sectional view through a frame member assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings, the frame member assembly including a base and a stand pipe.

FIG. 29 is a front perspective view of a view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

30 depicts an exploded view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly as depicted in FIG. 29 according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

31A is a cross-sectional view of a gas inclusion assembly according to various embodiments of the gas inclusion depicted in FIG. 29.

31B and 31C are cross-sectional views of the gas inclusion assembly depicted in FIG. 29, which depicts the continuous movement of the print head assembly moved to the maintenance position according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

31D to 31F are cross-sectional views of gas inclusion assemblies according to various embodiments of the gas inclusion depicted in FIG. 29.

32 depicts a perspective view of a maintenance station installed in the frame assembly section of the gas enclosure assembly as depicted in FIG. 29 according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

33 is a perspective view of a frame assembly section of the gas enclosure assembly as depicted in FIG. 29 according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

34A and 34B are schematic diagrams of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and related system components of the teaching.

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram of a gas enclosure assembly and system depicting an embodiment of gas circulation through the gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

36 is a schematic diagram of a gas enclosure assembly and system depicting an embodiment of gas circulation through a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

37 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas inclusion assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

38 is a schematic diagram of a gas inclusion assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

39 is a schematic diagram of a gas inclusion assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

FIG. 40 is a table showing valve positions for various operating modes of a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings that can utilize an external gas circuit.

FIG. 41 is a front perspective view depicting a floating platform according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

42 is an expanded view of the area indicated in FIG. 40 for the floating platform according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

43A and 43B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the bending of the substrate during travel over the floating platform as depicted in FIG. 40.

44 is a front perspective view depicting a floating platform according to various embodiments of the floating platform of the present teachings.

45A and 45B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the substantially flat arrangement of the substrate during travel above the floating platform as depicted in FIG.

As previously discussed, various embodiments of the substrate floating table and air bearings can be used for the operation of various embodiments of the OLED printing system packaged in the gas envelope assembly according to the present teachings. As shown schematically in FIG. 1 with respect to the gas inclusion assembly and system 2000, a substrate floating table using air bearing technology can be used to transfer the substrate to a position in the print head chamber, and for OLED printing processing Support the substrate during. In FIG. 1, the gas inclusion assembly 1500 may be a load lock system that may have an inlet chamber 1510 for receiving a substrate through the first inlet gate 1512 and the gate 1514 so as to transfer the substrate from the inlet chamber 1510 Move to the gas package assembly 1500 to print. Various gates according to this teaching can be used to isolate the chambers from each other and the external surroundings. According to this teaching, various gates can be selected from physical gates and gas curtains.

During the substrate receiving process, the gate 1512 may be opened, and the gate 1514 may be in a closed position to prevent atmospheric gas from entering the gas inclusion assembly 1500. Once the substrate is received in the inlet chamber 1510, both gates 1512 and 1514 can be closed, and an inert gas such as any one of nitrogen, a rare gas, and any combination thereof can be used to flush the inlet chamber 1510, Until the reactive atmospheric gas system is at a low content of 100 ppm or less, such as 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. After the atmospheric gas reaches a sufficiently low content, the gate 1514 can be opened, while the gate 1512 remains closed to allow the substrate 1550 to be transferred from the inlet chamber 1510 to the gas inclusion assembly chamber 1500, as depicted in FIG. The substrate transfer from the inlet chamber 1510 to the gas inclusion assembly chamber 1500 may be via, for example but not limited to, the floating tables provided in the chambers 1500 and 1510. The substrate transfer from the entrance chamber 1510 to the gas inclusion assembly chamber 1500 may also be via, for example but not limited to, a substrate transfer robot that can place the substrate 1550 on the floating table provided in the chamber 1500. During the printing process, the substrate 1550 may remain supported on the substrate floating table.

Various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly and system 2000 may have an exit chamber 1520 in fluid communication with the gas inclusion assembly 1500 via a gate 1524. According to various embodiments of the gas package assembly and the system 2000, after the printing process is completed, the substrate 1550 can be transferred from the gas package assembly 1500 to the exit chamber 1520 via the gate 1524. Substrate transfer from the gas inclusion assembly chamber 1500 to the exit chamber 1520 may be via, for example, but not limited to, floating tables provided in chambers 1500 and 1520. The substrate transfer from the gas inclusion assembly chamber 1500 to the exit chamber 1520 can also be via, for example but not limited to, a substrate transfer robot that can pick up and transfer the substrate 1550 from the floating table provided in the chamber 1500 Into the chamber 1520. For various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly and system 2000, when the gate 1524 is in the closed position to prevent reactive atmospheric gas from entering the gas inclusion assembly 1500, the substrate 1550 can be retrieved from the exit chamber 1520 via the gate 1522.

In addition to the load lock system including the inlet chamber 1510 and the outlet chamber 1520 in fluid communication with the gas capsule assembly 1500 via gate 1514 and gate 1524, respectively, the gas capsule assembly and system 2000 may also include a system controller 1600 . The system controller 1600 may include one or more processor circuits (not shown) in communication with one or more memory circuits (not shown). The system controller 1600 may also communicate with the load lock system including the inlet chamber 1510 and the outlet chamber 1520, and eventually communicate with the printing nozzle of the OLED printing system. In this way, the system controller 1600 can coordinate the opening and closing of the gates 1512, 1514, 1522, and 1524. The system controller 1600 can also control the ink distribution to the printing nozzles of the OLED printing system. The substrate 1550 can be transferred through various embodiments of the load lock system of the present teachings via, for example, but not limited to, a substrate floating table using air bearing technology or a combination of a substrate floating table using air bearing technology and a substrate transfer robot. It includes an inlet chamber 1510 and an outlet chamber 1520 in fluid communication with the gas inclusion assembly 1500 via gate 1514 and gate 1524, respectively.

Various embodiments of the load lock system of FIG. 1 may also include a pneumatic control system 1700. The pneumatic control system may include a vacuum source and an inert gas source. The inert gas source may include any one of nitrogen and rare gases and any one of them. combination. The substrate floating system packaged in the gas envelope assembly and system 2000 may include a plurality of vacuum ports and gas bearing ports, which are usually arranged on a flat surface. The substrate 1550 can be lifted from the hard surface by the pressure of an inert gas such as any one of nitrogen, a rare gas, and any combination thereof and kept away from the hard surface. The outflow of the bearing volume is achieved by multiple vacuum ports. The flying height of the substrate 1550 above the substrate floating table usually changes with the gas pressure and gas flow rate. The vacuum and pressure of the pneumatic control system 1700 can be used to support the substrate 1550 during the processing inside the gas envelope assembly 1500 in the load lock system of FIG. 1, such as during printing. The control system 1700 can also be used to support the substrate 1550 during transfer through the load lock system of FIG. 1, which includes an inlet chamber 1510 and an outlet chamber that are in fluid communication with the gas inclusion assembly 1500 via gates 1514 and 1524 1520. To control the transfer substrate 1550 through the gas package assembly and the system 2000, the system controller 1600 communicates with the inert gas source 1710 and the vacuum source 1720 via valves 1712 and 1722, respectively. Additional vacuum and inert gas supply lines and valves (not shown) can be provided to the gas envelope assembly and system 2000 illustrated by the load lock system in FIG. 1 to further provide various controls required for the enclosed environment Gas and vacuum facilities.

In order to provide a more three-dimensional perspective of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system according to the present teachings, FIG. 2 is a front left perspective view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system 2000. FIG. 2 depicts a load lock system including a gas enclosure assembly 1500, an inlet chamber 1510, and a first gate 1512. The gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 of FIG. 2 may include a gas purification system 2130 that is used to provide the gas enclosure assembly 1500 with a substantially low content of reactive atmospheric species (such as water vapor and oxygen and printing by OLED A constant supply of inert gas from the organic solvent vapor generated by the treatment. The gas envelope assembly and system 2000 of FIG. 2 also has a system controller 1600 for system control functions as previously discussed.

FIG. 3 is a front right perspective view of a fully constructed gas enclosure assembly 100 according to various embodiments of the present teachings. The gas enclosure assembly 100 may contain one or more gases for maintaining an inert environment inside the gas enclosure assembly. The gas inclusion assembly and system of this teaching can be used to maintain an inert gas atmosphere inside. The inert gas may be any gas that will not undergo a chemical reaction under a defined set of conditions. Some common examples of inert gases may include any of nitrogen, rare gases, and any combination thereof. The gas inclusion assembly 100 is configured to surround and protect air-sensitive processes, such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) ink printing using industrial printing systems. Examples of atmospheric gases that react with OLED ink include water vapor and oxygen. As previously discussed, the gas inclusion assembly 100 can be configured to maintain a sealed atmosphere and allow components or printing systems to operate efficiently while avoiding contamination, oxidation, and damage to other reactive materials and substrates.

As depicted in FIG. 3, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly may include component parts including a front or first wall panel 210', a left or second wall panel (not shown), a right or A third wall panel 230', a rear or fourth wall panel (not shown), and a ceiling panel 250', wherein the gas enclosure assembly can be attached to the chassis 204 resting on a base (not shown). As will be discussed in more detail later, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 1 may be formed by the front or first wall frame 210, the left or second wall frame (not shown), the right or third wall frame 230, a rear or fourth wall panel (not shown) and a ceiling frame 250 are constructed. Various embodiments of the ceiling frame 250 may include the fan filter unit cover 103 and the first ceiling frame duct 105 and the second ceiling frame duct 107. According to the embodiments of the present teaching, various types of section panels can be installed in any one of a plurality of panel sections including frame members. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 1, the thin metal panel section 109 may be welded into the frame member during construction of the frame. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 100, the types of section panels that can be repeatedly installed and removed during the construction and deconstruction cycle of the gas enclosure assembly can include: embedded panels as indicated for the wall panel 210' 110, and the window panel 120 indicated on the wall panel 230' and the easily removable service window 130.

Although the easy-to-remove service window 130 can provide easy access to the interior of the enclosure 100, any removable panel can be used to provide access to the interior of the gas enclosure assembly and system for repair and regular service. This access for service or repair is different from the access provided by panels such as the window panel 120 and the easily removable service window 130. These panels can provide external access to the gas enclosure during use from the gas enclosure assembly The end-user gloves inside the assembly are accessible. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 with respect to panel 230, any of the gloves (such as gloves 142 attached to glove port 140) may provide access to internal end users during use of the gas body assembly system .

FIG. 4 depicts an exploded view of various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly depicted in FIG. 3. Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly may have a plurality of wall panels, including a front perspective view of the front wall panel 210', an external perspective view of the left side wall panel 220', an internal perspective view of the right side wall panel 230', and the rear wall An internal perspective view of the panel 240' and a top perspective view of the roof panel 250', as shown in FIG. 3, the wall panels can be attached to the chassis 204 resting on the base 202. An OLED printing system can be installed on top of the chassis 204, where the printing process is known to be sensitive to atmospheric conditions. According to this teaching, the gas envelope assembly can be constructed from frame members, such as the wall frame 210 of the wall panel 210', the wall frame 220 of the wall panel 220', the wall frame 230 of the wall panel 230', and the wall of the wall panel 240' The frame 240 and the ceiling frame 250 of the ceiling panel 250' are then installed with a plurality of section panels in the frame members. In this regard, it may be necessary to simplify the design of the segment panel that can be repeatedly installed and removed during the construction and deconstruction cycles of various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly of this teaching. In addition, the outline of the gas envelope assembly 100 can be contoured to accommodate the footprint of various embodiments of the OLED printing system, so as to minimize the volume of inert gas required in the gas envelope assembly, and End users are provided with easy access during the use of the assembly and during maintenance.

Using the front wall panel 210' and the left side wall panel 220' as examples, various embodiments of the frame member may have a sheet metal panel section 109 welded into the frame member during construction of the frame member. The embedded panel 110, the window panel 120, and the easily removable service window 130 may be installed in each of the wall frame members, and may be repeatedly installed and deconstructed during the construction and deconstruction cycle of the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. Remove. As can be seen, in the example of the wall panel 210' and the wall panel 220', the wall panel may have a window panel 120 near the service window 130 that is easy to remove. Similarly, as depicted in the exemplary rear wall panel 240', the wall panel may have a window panel, such as window panel 125, having two adjacent glove ports 140. For the various embodiments of the wall frame member according to the present teachings, and as seen with respect to the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3, this glove arrangement provides for the component parts of the encapsulated system from the outside of the gas enclosure Easy access. Therefore, various embodiments of the gas pack can provide two or more glove ports so that the end user can extend the left and right gloves into the interior and manipulate one or more items in the interior without disturbing the interior The composition of the gaseous atmosphere. For example, any one of the window panel 120 and the service window 130 may be positioned to facilitate easy access from the outside of the gas enclosure assembly to the adjustable components in the inside of the gas enclosure assembly. According to various embodiments of window panels such as window panel 120 and service window 130, when end users are not instructed to access via glove port gloves, these windows may not include the glove port and glove port assembly.

Various embodiments of wall panels and ceiling panels as depicted in FIG. 4 may have multiple embedded panels 110. As can be seen in Figure 4, the embedded panel can have a variety of shapes and aspect ratios. In addition to the embedded panel, the ceiling panel 250' may also have a fan filter unit cover 103, a first ceiling frame duct 105, and a second ceiling frame installed, bolted, tightened, fixed, or otherwise fixed to the ceiling frame 250 Pipeline 107. As will be discussed in more detail later, a pipe in fluid communication with the pipe 107 of the ceiling panel 250' can be installed in the interior of the gas enclosure assembly. According to the teachings, this pipeline may be part of the gas circulation system inside the gas envelope assembly and provide a flow for separating and exiting the gas envelope assembly for circulation through at least one gas purification outside the gas envelope assembly Components.

FIG. 5 is an exploded front perspective view of the frame member assembly 200, where the wall frame 220 can be constructed as a complete supplement including multiple panels. Although not limited to the design shown, the frame member assembly 200 using the wall frame 220 may be used as an example of various embodiments of the frame member assembly according to the present teachings. Various embodiments of the frame member assembly may be composed of various frame members and section panels installed in various frame panel sections of various frame members according to the present teachings.

According to various embodiments of the various frame member assemblies of the present teachings, the frame member assembly 200 may be composed of frame members such as wall frames 220. For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly, such as the gas envelope assembly 100 of FIG. 3, the treatment of equipment enclosed in the gas envelope assembly may not only require a hermetically sealed package that provides an inert environment And require an environment that is substantially free of particulate matter. In this regard, the frame member according to the present teaching can utilize various sizes of metal tube materials to construct various embodiments of the frame. These metal tube materials solve the required material properties, including but not limited to: high integrity materials that will not degrade to produce particulate matter, and frame members with high strength but with optimal weight to provide Convenient transmission, construction and deconstruction of gas enclosure assembly including various frame members and panel sections from one place to another. Those of ordinary skill will readily understand that any material that meets these requirements can be used to produce various frame members according to this teaching.

For example, various embodiments of frame members according to the present teachings, such as frame member assembly 200, can be constructed from extruded metal pipelines. According to various embodiments of the frame member, aluminum, steel, and various metal composite materials may be used to construct the frame member. In various embodiments, metal tubes with dimensions such as but not limited to 2"wX2"h, 4"wX2"h and 4"wX4"h and wall thicknesses from 1/8" to 1/4" can be used to construct Various examples of frame members taught. In addition, a variety of tubes or other types of reinforced fiber polymer composite materials can be used. The material properties of these materials include but are not limited to: high integrity materials that will not degrade and produce particles, and produce high strength but It also has a frame member with the best weight to provide convenient transmission, construction and deconstruction from one location to another.

Regarding the construction of various frame members from metal tube materials of various sizes, it is expected that various embodiments of frame welded parts can be produced by welding. In addition, various frame members constructed from building materials of various sizes can be attached using appropriate industrial adhesives. It is expected that the construction of various frame members should be carried out in a manner that will not essentially create a leakage path through the frame members. In this regard, for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the construction of the various frame members can be performed using any method that does not essentially create a leakage path through the frame member. In addition, various embodiments of frame members according to the present teachings, such as the wall frame 220 of FIG. 4, may be painted or coated. For various embodiments of frame members made of metal pipeline materials that are susceptible to oxidation, for example, the material formed at the surface can generate particulate matter, which can be painted or coated or other surface treatments such as anodization to prevent the formation of particulate matter .

A frame member assembly 200 such as the frame member assembly of FIG. 5 may have a frame member such as a wall frame 220. The wall frame 220 may have a top portion 226 to which the top wall frame partition plate 227 may be fastened; and a bottom portion 228 to which the bottom wall frame partition plate 229 may be fastened. As will be discussed in more detail later, the spacer plate mounted on the surface of the frame member is part of a gasket sealing system that is combined with the gasket seal of the panel mounted in the frame member section to provide Teach the gas-tight seal of various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly. The frame member such as the wall frame 220 of the frame member assembly 200 of FIG. 5 may have several panel frame sections, where each section may be manufactured to receive various types of panels, such as but not limited to embedded panels 110, window panels 120 and easy to remove service window 130. Various types of panel sections can be formed in the construction process of the frame member. The types of panel sections may include, for example, but not limited to, embedded panel section 10 for receiving embedded panel 110, window panel section 20 for receiving window panel 120, and service window for receiving easy removal The service window panel section 130 of 130.

Each type of panel section may have a panel section frame for receiving the panel, and may enable each panel to be hermetically fastened into each panel section according to the teachings in order to construct a hermetically sealed gas Package body assembly. For example, in FIG. 5 depicting a frame assembly according to the present teachings, embedded panel section 10 is shown as having frame 12, window panel section 20 is shown as having frame 22, and service window panel section 30 is shown As has a frame 32. For various embodiments of the wall frame assembly of the present teachings, the various panel section frames may be sheet metal materials that are welded into the panel section using continuous welding beads to provide a hermetic seal. For various embodiments of the wall frame assembly, various panel section frames can be made from a variety of sheet materials, including construction materials selected from reinforced fiber polymer composite materials, which can be installed in the panel area using appropriate industrial adhesives In the paragraph. As will be discussed in more detail in the subsequent teachings on sealing, each panel section frame may have compressible gaskets disposed thereon to ensure that each panel can be installed and fastened in each panel section Form a hermetic seal. In addition to the panel section frame, each panel member section may also have hardware associated with positioning the panel and firmly securing the panel in the panel section.

Various embodiments of the embedded panel 110 and the panel frame 122 for the window panel 120 may be constructed from metal materials such as but not limited to aluminum, various aluminum alloys, and stainless steel sheets. The properties of the panel material can be the same as the properties of the structural materials of the various embodiments that make up the frame member. In this regard, the materials have properties for various panel components, including but not limited to: high integrity materials that will not degrade to produce particulate matter, and panels that have high strength but have the best weight to provide a Convenient transmission, construction and deconstruction from place to place. For example, various embodiments of honeycomb core sheet material may have necessary properties to be used as a panel material in order to construct the embedded panel 110 and the panel frame 122 for the window panel 120. The honeycomb core sheet material can be made of a variety of materials, namely metal and metal composite materials and polymeric materials, and polymer composite material honeycomb core sheet materials. When made of metallic materials, various embodiments of the removable panel may have a ground connection included in the panel to ensure that when the gas enclosure assembly is constructed, the entire structure is grounded.

Considering the transportable nature of the gas enclosure assembly used to construct the gas enclosure assembly of this teaching, various types of section panels of this teaching can be repeatedly installed and removed during use of the gas enclosure assembly and system Any of the embodiments to provide access to the interior of the gas envelope assembly.

For example, the panel section 30 for receiving the easily removable service window panel 130 may have a set of four spacers, one of which is indicated as the window guide spacer 34. In addition, the panel section 30 constructed to receive the easily removable service window panel 130 may have a set of four clamping cleats 36, which may be used to use a set of four reaction toggle joints The clip 136 clamps the service window 130 into the service window panel section 30, and the reaction toggle clips are mounted on the service window frame 132 for each of the service windows 130 for easy removal. In addition, two of each of the window handles 138 may be installed on the easily removable service window frame 132 to facilitate the removal and installation of the service window 130 by the end user. The number, type and placement of removable service window handles can be changed. In addition, the service window panel section 30 for receiving the easily removable service window panel 130 may have at least two window clips 35 selectively installed in each service window panel section 30. Although depicted as being located at the top and bottom of each of the service window panel sections 30, at least two window clips may be installed in any manner for use to secure the service window 130 in the panel section frame 32. A tool can be used to remove and install the window folder 35 to allow the service window 130 to be removed and reinstalled.

The reaction toggle clamp 136 of the service window 130 and the hardware (including the clamping base 36, the window guide spacer 34, and the window clamp 35) mounted on the panel section 30 can be constructed from any suitable materials and combinations of materials . For example, one or more of these elements may include at least one metal, at least one ceramic, at least one plastic, and combinations thereof. The removable service window handle 138 can be constructed from any suitable material and combination of materials. For example, one or more of these elements may include at least one metal, at least one ceramic, at least one plastic, at least one rubber, and combinations thereof. The inclusion window (such as the window 124 of the window panel 120 or the window 134 of the service window 130) may include any suitable material and combination of materials. According to various embodiments of the gas package assembly of the present teaching, the package window may include a transparent material and a translucent material. In various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly, the inclusion window may include: silica-based materials such as but not limited to such as glass and quartz; and various types of polymer-based materials such as but not limited to various types of polymer Carbonate, acrylic and vinyl. A person of ordinary skill can understand that various composite materials and combinations of exemplary window materials can also be used as transparent materials and translucent materials according to the teachings.

As can be seen from the frame member assembly 200 in FIG. 5, the easily removable service window panel 130 may have a glove port with a cover 150. Although FIG. 3 shows that all glove ports have outwardly extending gloves, as shown in FIG. 5, the glove ports can also be covered, depending on whether the end user needs to remotely Pick up. As depicted in FIGS. 6A to 7B, various embodiments of the lid assembly provide for firmly locking the lid to the glove when the end user is not using the glove, and at the same time providing ease when the end user wishes to use the glove Pick up.

A cover 150 is shown in FIG. 6A, which can have an inner surface 151, an outer surface 153, and a side 152 that can be contoured for gripping. Three shoulder screws 156 extend from the rim 154 of the cover 150. As shown in FIG. 6B, each shoulder screw is disposed in the rim 154 so that the screw rod 155 extends a set distance from the rim 154 so that the head 157 does not abut the rim 154. In FIGS. 7A to 7B, the glove port hardware assembly 160 may be modified to provide a capping assembly including a locking mechanism for capping when the bag body is pressurized to have a positive pressure relative to the outside of the bag body Live in glove port.

For various embodiments of the glove port hardware assembly 160 of FIG. 6A, the bayonet clamp can provide closure of the cover 150 on the glove port hardware assembly 160, and at the same time provide a quick coupling design to facilitate end users Easy access. In the top expanded view of the glove port hardware assembly 160 shown in FIG. 7A, the glove port assembly 160 may include a rear plate 161 and a front plate 163 with a threaded screw head for installing gloves 162及 flange164. A bayonet latch 166 is shown on the flange 164, which has a notch 165 for receiving the shoulder screw head 157 of the shoulder screw 156 (FIG. 6B). Each of the shoulder screws 156 can be aligned and engaged with each of the bayonet latches 166 of the glove port hardware assembly 160. The slot 168 of the bayonet latch 166 has an opening 165 at one end of the slot 168 and a locking recess 167 at the other end. Once each shoulder screw head 157 is inserted into each opening 165, the cover 150 can be rotated until the shoulder screw head abuts the end of the notch 168 near the locking recess 167. The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7B depicts the locking feature used to cap the glove when the gas inclusion assembly system is in use. During use, the internal gas pressure of the inert gas in the envelope is higher than the pressure outside the gas envelope assembly by a set amount. This positive pressure can fill the glove (FIG. 3) so that when the glove is compressed under the cover 150 during use of the gas inclusion assembly of the present teachings, the shoulder screw head 157 moves into the locking recess 167, thereby Make sure the glove port window will be securely covered. However, the end user can grasp the cover 150 by the side 152 contoured for grasping, and easily disengage the cover fixed in the bayonet latch when not in use. FIG. 7B additionally shows the rear plate 161 on the inner surface 131 of the window 134 and the front plate 163 on the outer surface of the window 134, each of which has an O-ring seal 169.

As will be discussed in more detail in the teachings of FIGS. 8A-9B below, the wall frame member and ceiling frame member seals together with the airtight section panel frame seals provide the airtight seal type gas envelope assembly Various embodiments for use in air-sensitive processes that require an inert environment. Components of the gas envelope assembly and system that help provide a substantially low concentration of reactive species and a substantially low particulate environment may include, but are not limited to: gas-tight and sealed gas envelope assemblies, as well as efficient pipelines Gas circulation and particle filtration system. Providing an effective gas-tight seal for the gas enclosure assembly can be challenging, especially where the three frame members come together to form a three-sided seam. Therefore, the three-sided seam seal presents a particularly difficult challenge to provide a gas-tight seal that can be assembled and disassembled during the construction and deconstruction cycle and that can be easily installed.

In this regard, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly according to the teachings provide a fully constructed gas enclosure assembly and system gas through effective gasket sealing of the joints and providing effective gasket sealing around the load-bearing building components Sealed tightly. Unlike the conventional seam seals, the seam seals according to the teachings: 1) At the top and bottom terminal frame joints (three frame members are connected here) include the tightness from the orthogonally oriented gasket length Uniform parallel alignment of the gasket segments to avoid angular seam alignment and sealing, 2) Provide abutting length for forming the entire width of the seam, thereby increasing the sealing contact area at the three-sided junction , 3) Designed with spacers that provide uniform compressive force across all vertical and horizontal and top and bottom seam gasket seals. In addition, the choice of gasket material can affect the effectiveness of providing a hermetic seal, which will be discussed later.

8A to 8C are top schematic diagrams depicting a comparison of the conventional three-sided seam seal and the three-sided seam seal according to the teachings. According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, there may be, for example, but not limited to, at least four wall frame members, ceiling frame members, and a chassis, each of which may be connected to form a gas enclosure assembly, thereby creating a need A plurality of vertical, horizontal and three-side seams for air-tight sealing. FIG. 8A is a schematic top view of a conventional three-sided gasket seal formed by a first gasket I, which is oriented orthogonally to gasket II in the XY plane. Shown in Figure 8A, slot oriented perpendicular to the XY plane formed by the contact having a length W ₁ between the two segments, the contact length is defined by the width dimension of the gasket. In addition, as indicated by hatching, the terminal portion of the washer III may abut against the washer I and the washer II, which is a washer oriented orthogonally to both the washer I and the washer II in the vertical direction. FIG. 8B is a schematic top view of a conventional three-sided seam gasket seal formed by a first gasket length I, the first gasket length I is orthogonal to the second gasket length II, and has 45° connecting the two lengths A face slit, where the slit has a contact length W ₂ between the two segments, the contact length being greater than the width of the gasket material. Similar to the arrangement of FIG. 8A, as indicated by hatching, the end portion of the gasket III may abut against the gasket I and the gasket II, which is orthogonal to both the gasket I and the gasket II in the vertical direction. Assuming that the gasket widths in FIGS. 8A and 8B are the same, the contact length W _{2 in} FIG. 8B is greater than the contact length W _{1 in} FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a schematic top view of a three-sided seam gasket seal according to this teaching. The first washer length I may have a washer segment I′ formed orthogonal to the direction of the washer length I, wherein the length of the washer segment I′ is approximately the size of the width of the connected structural component, such as The 4"w X 2"h or 4"w X 4"h metal tubes of various wall frame members of the gas inclusion assembly of this teaching. The washer II is orthogonal to the washer I in the XY plane, and has a washer segment II' that has a length that overlaps with the washer segment I', which is approximately the width of the connected structural component. The width of the gasket segments I'and II' is the width of the selected compressible gasket material. The washer III is oriented orthogonally to both the washer I and the washer II in the vertical direction. Washer segment III' is the end portion of washer III. The washer segment III' is formed by the orthogonal orientation of the vertical length of the washer segment III' and the washer III. Gasket segment III' may be formed so that its length is approximately the same as gasket segment I'and gasket segment II', and its width is the thickness of the compressible gasket material selected. In this regard, the contact length W ₃ of the three aligned segments shown in FIG. 8C is greater than the length of the conventional triangular seam seal shown in either of FIGS. 8A or 8B (with contact lengths, respectively) W ₁ and W ₂ ).

In this regard, the three-sided seam washer seal at the terminal junction produces a uniform horizontal alignment of the gasket segments by otherwise orthogonally aligned gaskets (as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B). This uniform horizontal alignment of the three-sided seam gasket seal segments provides uniform lateral sealing force across the segments to promote airtight three-sided joints at the top and bottom joints formed by the wall frame members Seam sealing. In addition, each of the uniformly aligned gasket segments of each three-sided seam seal is selected to be approximately the width of the connected structural component, thereby providing the maximum contact length of the uniformly aligned segments. In addition, the seam seals according to the teachings are designed with spacer plates that provide uniform compressive force across all vertical, horizontal, and three-sided gasket seals across the construction joint. It can be considered that the width of the gasket material selected for the conventional three-sided seal given for the examples of FIGS. 8A and 8B may be at least the width of the connected structural component.

FIG. 9A is an exploded perspective view depicting the sealing assembly 300 according to the present teachings before all the frame members are connected together to depict the gasket in an uncompressed state. In FIG. 9A, a plurality of wall frame members such as the wall frame 310, the wall frame 350, and the ceiling frame 370 may be hermetically connected in the first step of constructing the gas envelope from various components of the gas envelope assembly. The sealing of the frame member according to this teaching ensures the essential part of the following situation: the gas envelope assembly is hermetically sealed once it is fully constructed, and provides a seal that can be implemented during the construction and deconstruction cycle of the gas envelope assembly. Although the examples given in the following teachings regarding FIGS. 9A to 9B are used to seal a part of the gas inclusion assembly, the person skilled in the art will understand that these teachings are applicable to the gas inclusion assembly of this teaching The whole of any of them.

The first wall frame 310 depicted in FIG. 9A may have: an inner side 311 on which the partition plate 312 is mounted; a vertical side 314; and a top surface 315 on which the partition plate 316 is mounted. The first wall frame 310 may have a first gasket 320 that is arranged in the space formed by the partition plate 312 and adhered to the space. The gap 302 remaining after the first gasket 320 is arranged in the space formed by the partition plate 312 and adhered to the space can allow the vertical length of the first gasket 320 to pass, as shown in FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 9A, the compliant washer 320 may be arranged in and adhered to the space formed by the partition plate 312, and may have a vertical washer length 321, a curved washer length 323, and a washer length 325, and the washer length 325 is formed To be 90° in plane with the vertical washer length 321 on the inner frame member 311 and terminate at the vertical side 314 of the wall frame 310. In FIG. 9A, the first wall frame 310 may have a top surface 315 on which the partition plate 316 is mounted so that a space is formed on the surface 315 near the inner edge 317 of the wall frame 310, and the second gasket 340 is arranged In the space and adhere to the space. The gap 304 remaining after the first gasket 340 is arranged in the space formed by the partition plate 316 and adhered to the space can allow the horizontal length of the second gasket 340 to pass through, as shown in FIG. 9A. In addition, as indicated by hatching, the length 345 of the gasket 340 and the length 325 of the gasket 320 are uniformly parallel and continuously aligned.

The second wall frame 350 depicted in FIG. 9A may have an outer frame side 353, a vertical side 354, and a top surface 355 on which the partition plate 356 is mounted. The second wall frame 350 may have a first gasket 360 that is arranged in a space formed by the partition plate 356 and adhered to the space. The gap 306 remaining after the first gasket 360 is arranged in the space formed by the partition plate 356 and adhered to the space can allow the horizontal length of the first gasket 360 to pass, as shown in FIG. 9A. As depicted in FIG. 9A, the compliant washer 360 may have a horizontal length 361, a curved length 363, and a length 365 that is formed at 90° in the plane of the top surface 355 and terminates at the outer frame member 353.

As indicated in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 9A, the inner frame member 311 of the wall frame 310 may be connected to the vertical side 354 of the wall frame 350, thereby forming a building joint of the gas envelope assembly. Regarding the seal of the thus formed building joint, in various embodiments of the gasket seal at the terminal joint of the wall frame member according to the present teaching as depicted in FIG. 9A, the length 325 of the gasket 320 and the length 365 of the gasket 360 And the lengths 345 of the washers 340 are all connected and evenly aligned. In addition, as will be discussed in more detail later, various embodiments of the separators between the present teachings can provide uniform compression that is intermediate between the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly used to hermetically seal the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings Between about 20% and about 40% deflection of the gasket material.

9B depicts the sealing assembly 300 according to the present teaching after all the frame members are connected together, so as to depict the gasket in the compressed state. 9B is a perspective view showing details of the corner seal of the three-sided seam formed at the top terminal junction between the first wall frame 310, the second wall frame 350, and the ceiling frame 370 shown in an imaginary view. As shown in FIG. 9B, the gasket space defined by the partition plate can be determined to be a width such that after the wall frame 310, the wall frame 350, and the ceiling frame 370 shown in an imaginary view are connected together, it is used for Uniform compression between about 20% to about 40% of the deflection of the compressible gasket material forming vertical, horizontal and three-sided gasket seals ensures that gasket seals at all surfaces that are sealed at the joints of the wall frame members can provide airtightness Type seal. In addition, the gasket gaps 302, 304, and 306 (not shown) are sized so that after optimal compression between about 20% to about 40% of the deflection of the compressible gasket material, each gasket can be filled The washer gap is as shown with respect to washer 340 and washer 360 in FIG. 9B. Therefore, in addition to providing uniform compression by defining a space in which each gasket is disposed and adhered to the space, various embodiments designed to provide a partition between gaps also ensure that each compressed gasket It adapts to the space defined by the partition plate without wrinkling or bulging or otherwise irregularly formed in the compressed state, so that a leak path may be formed.

According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, various types of section panels can be sealed using compressible gasket materials disposed on each of the panel section frames. Combined with the frame member gasket seal, the position and material of the compressible gasket used to form the seal between various section panels and panel section frames can provide a hermetic seal type with little or no gas leakage Gas inclusion assembly. In addition, the sealing design of all types of panels (such as the embedded panel 110, the window panel 120, and the easily removable service window 130 of FIG. 5) can provide a durable panel seal after repeated removal and installation of these panels, The repeated removal and installation of these panels is required to access the interior of the gas enclosure assembly, for example for maintenance.

For example, FIG. 10A is an exploded view depicting the service window panel section 30 and the easily removable service window 130. As previously discussed, the service window panel section 30 may be manufactured to receive an easily removable service window 130. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the panel section such as the removable service panel section 30 may have a panel section frame 32 and a compressible gasket 38 disposed on the panel section frame 32. In various embodiments, the hardware associated with securing the easily removable service window 130 in the removable service window panel section 30 can provide ease of installation and reinstallation for the end user while ensuring End users who need to directly access the interior of the gas enclosure assembly need to easily remove the service window 130 when it is installed and reinstalled in the panel 30 to maintain the hermetic seal. The easily removable service window 130 may include a rigid window frame 132 that may be constructed from, for example, but not limited to, a metal tube material described in any of the frame members described in this teaching. The service window 130 may utilize fast-acting fastening hardware, such as but not limited to a reaction toggle clamp 136, so as to provide easy removal and reinstallation of the service window 130 by an end user. Shown in FIG. 10A is the aforementioned glove port hardware assembly 160 of FIGS. 7A to 7B, which shows a set of three bayonet latches 166.

As shown in the front view of the removable service window panel section 30 of FIG. 10A, the easily removable service window 130 may have a set of four toggle clamps 136 fixed to the window frame 132. The service window 130 can be positioned into the panel section frame 30 at a defined distance to ensure proper compression against the gasket 38. A set of four window guide spacers 34 as shown in FIG. 10B is used, which can be installed in each corner of the panel section 30 in order to position the service window 130 in the panel section 30. Each of a set of clamping seats 36 may be provided to receive the reaction toggle clamp 136 of the service window 130 that is easily removable. According to various embodiments of hermetically sealing the service window 130 during the installation and removal cycle, the mechanical strength of the service window frame 132 and the service window 130 provided by the set of window guide spacers 34 are relatively compressible The combination of the defined positions of the washer 38 ensures that once the service window 130 is fixed in place by using, for example but not limited to, a reaction toggle clamp 136 fastened in the corresponding clamping seat 36, the service window frame 132 can A uniform force is provided on the segment frame 32, which has a defined compression set by a set of window guide spacers 34. The set of window guide spacers 34 are positioned so that the compressive force of the window 130 against the gasket 38 deflects the compressible gasket 38 between about 20% and about 40%. In this regard, the construction of the service window 130 and the manufacture of the panel section 30 provide a hermetic seal of the service window 130 in the panel section 30. As previously discussed, the window clip 35 may be installed into the panel section 30 after the service window 130 is secured in the panel section 30, and the window clip 35 may be removed when the service window 130 needs to be removed.

Any suitable device and combination of devices can be used to secure the reaction toggle clamp 136 to the easily removable service window frame 132. Examples of suitable fixing devices that can be used include: at least one adhesive, such as but not limited to epoxy resin or cement; at least one bolt; at least one screw; at least one other fastener; at least one notch; at least one rail; at least A welding point and its combination. The reaction toggle clamp 136 may be directly connected to the removable service window frame 132 or indirectly connected via a joint plate. The reaction toggle clamp 136, the clamping base 36, the window guide spacer 34, and the window clamp 35 can be constructed from any suitable materials and combinations of materials. For example, one or more of these elements may include at least one metal, at least one ceramic, at least one plastic, and combinations thereof.

In addition to sealing service windows that are easy to remove, airtight seals can also be provided for embedded panels and window panels. Other types of section panels that can be repeatedly installed and removed in the panel section include, for example, but not limited to, the embedded panel 110 and the window panel 120, as shown in FIG. 5. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the panel frame 122 of the window panel 120 is constructed similarly to the embedded panel 110. Therefore, according to various embodiments of the gas package assembly, the manufacturing of the panel sections for receiving the embedded panel and the window panel may be the same. In this regard, the same principle can be used for sealing of embedded panels and window panels.

11A and 11B, and according to various embodiments of the present teachings, any one of the panels of the gas enclosure (such as the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 1) may include one or more embedded panel sections 10 The embedded panel section(s) may have a frame 12 configured to receive the corresponding embedded panel 110. FIG. 11A is a perspective view indicating an enlarged part shown in FIG. 11B. In FIG. 11A, the embedded panel 110 is depicted as being positioned relative to the embedded frame 12. As can be seen in FIG. 11B, the embedded panel 110 is attached to the frame 12, wherein the frame 12 may be constructed of metal, for example. In some embodiments, the metal may include aluminum, steel, copper, stainless steel, chromium, alloys, combinations thereof, and the like. A plurality of blind screw holes 14 can be made in the embedded panel section frame 12. The panel section frame 12 is constructed so as to include a gasket 16 between the embedded panel 110 and the frame 12 in which a compressible gasket 18 can be arranged. The blind screw hole 14 may be of the M5 variety. The screw 15 may be received by the blind screw hole 14, thereby compressing the washer 16 between the embedded panel 110 and the frame 12. Once secured against the gasket 16 in place, the embedded panel 110 forms an airtight seal in the embedded panel section 10. As previously discussed, this panel seal can be implemented for a variety of segment panels, including but not limited to the embedded panel 110 and the window panel 120 shown in FIG. 5.

According to various embodiments of the compressible gasket of the present teaching, the compressible gasket material for frame member sealing and panel sealing can be selected from a variety of compressible polymer materials, such as but not limited to closed-cell polymer materials Any material in the category is also called expanded rubber material or expanded polymer material in this technology. In simple terms, closed cell polymers are prepared in such a way that gas is encapsulated in discrete cells; each discrete cell system is encapsulated by a polymer material. The characteristics of compressible closed cell polymer gasket materials used in the airtight sealing of frame components and panel components include, but are not limited to: These materials perform robustly under chemical corrosion of a wide range of chemical species; have excellent moisture resistance Characteristics; elasticity in a wide temperature range; and its resistance to permanent compression deformation. Generally speaking, the closed cell polymer material has higher dimensional stability, lower moisture absorption coefficient and higher strength than the open cell structure type polymer material. Various types of polymer materials used to manufacture closed cell polymer materials include: but not limited to polysiloxane, neoprene (neoprene), ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPT); use of methyl -Polypropylene-diene monomer (EPDM) polymer and composite materials, vinyl nitrile, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and various copolymers and blends thereof.

Only when the cell body containing the bulk material remains intact during use, the desired material properties of the closed cell polymer are maintained. In this regard, the use of this material in a manner that may exceed the material specifications set for the closed cell polymer (eg, exceeding the specifications used in the specified temperature or compression range) may cause degradation of the gasket seal. In various embodiments for sealing frame members in frame panel sections and closed cell polymer gaskets of the section panels, the compression of these materials should not exceed deflections between about 50% and about 70%, And in order to achieve the best performance, compression can be between about 20% to about 40% deflection.

In addition to the closed cell compressible gasket material, another example of a class of compressible gasket materials that has the desired properties for use in constructing embodiments of gas inclusion assemblies according to the present teachings includes hollow extruded compressible gasket materials category. As a material category, hollow extruded gasket materials have the required properties, including but not limited to: These gasket materials perform robustly under chemical corrosion of a wide range of chemical species; have excellent moisture resistance; have a wide temperature range Elasticity; and its ability to resist permanent compression deformation. These hollow extruded compressible gasket materials can exhibit a wide variety of appearance sizes, such as, but not limited to, U-shaped cell body, D-shaped cell body, square cell body, rectangular cell body, and various customized appearance size hollow extrusion Any one of the molding gasket materials. Various hollow extruded gasket materials can be made of polymer materials used in the manufacture of closed cell compressible gaskets. For example, but not limited to, various embodiments of hollow extruded gaskets can be made from the following: polysiloxane, neoprene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPT), using methyl-propylene-diene monomer ( EPDM) polymer and composite materials, vinyl chloride, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and its various copolymers and blends. In order to maintain the required properties, the compression of these hollow cell gasket materials should not exceed about 50% of the deflection.

It can be easily understood by those skilled in the art that although the closed cell compressible gasket material category and the hollow extruded compressible gasket material category have been given as examples, any compressible gasket material with desired properties can be used for sealing Structural components such as various wall frame members and ceiling frame members, and various panels in the frame of the sealed panel section, as provided by this teaching.

It is possible to construct the gas inclusion assembly from a plurality of frame members (such as the gas inclusion assembly 100 of FIGS. 3 and 4 or the gas inclusion assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 and 24 as will be discussed later) so that The risk of damaging system components such as, for example, but not limited to gasket seals, frame members, pipes and section panels is minimized. For example, a gasket seal is a component that may be easily damaged during the construction of a gas envelope from a plurality of frame members. According to various embodiments of the present teachings, materials and methods are provided to minimize or eliminate the risk of damage to various components of the gas enclosure assembly during construction of the gas enclosure according to the present teachings.

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the initial construction stage of a gas enclosure assembly, such as the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3. Although a gas inclusion assembly such as the gas inclusion assembly 100 is used to exemplify the construction of the gas inclusion assembly of this teaching, a person of ordinary skill can recognize that these teachings are applicable to various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly . As depicted in FIG. 12A, during the initial construction phase of the gas inclusion assembly, a plurality of spacer blocks are first placed on the chassis 204 supported by the base 202. The spacers may be thicker than the compressible gasket material disposed on various wall frame members mounted on the chassis 204. A series of spacers can be placed at multiple locations on the peripheral edge of the chassis 204, and at these locations, various wall frame members of the gas enclosure assembly can be placed on the series of spacers during assembly And placed in a position close to the chassis 204 without touching the chassis 204. It is necessary to assemble various wall frame members on the chassis 204 in a manner such that any damage to the compressible gasket material disposed on the various wall frame members to seal with the chassis 204 can be protected. Therefore, the use of the spacer blocks prevents this damage to the compressible gasket material that is arranged on various wall frame members to form an airtight seal with the chassis 204, and various wall panel assemblies can be placed on the chassis 204 on the spacer blocks In the initial position. For example, but not limited to, as shown in FIG. 12A, the front peripheral edge 201 may have spacers 93, 95, and 97, and the front wall frame member may rest on such spacers; the right peripheral edge 205 may have spacers 89 At 91, the right side wall frame member may rest on the spacers; and the rear peripheral edge 207 may have two spacers, and the rear wall frame member may rest on the spacers, one of the spacers 87 is shown. Any number and type of spacer blocks and combinations can be used. Those of ordinary skill will understand that the spacer block may be positioned on the chassis 204 according to the present teachings, although different spacer blocks are not illustrated in each of FIGS. 12A-14B.

Exemplary spacer blocks according to the present teaching regarding various embodiments of assembling a gas enclosure from an assembly frame member are shown in FIG. 12B, and FIG. 12B is a perspective view of a third spacer block 91 shown in the circled portion of FIG. 12A. An exemplary spacer block 91 may include a spacer block strap 90 attached to the lateral side 92 of the spacer block. The spacer can be made of any suitable material and combination of materials. For example, each spacer block may include ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. Spacer bar 90 can be made of any suitable material and combination of materials. In some embodiments, the spacer bar 90 comprises nylon material, polyalkylene material, or the like. The spacer 91 has a top surface 94 and a bottom surface 96. The spacers 87, 89, 93, 95, 97 and any other spacers used may be assembled with the same or similar physical attributes and may contain the same or similar materials. The spacer may allow stable placement and easy removal to rest, clamp, or otherwise be easily arranged on the peripheral upper edge of the chassis 204.

In the exploded perspective view presented in FIG. 13, the frame members may include a front wall frame 210, a left side wall frame 220, a right side wall frame 230, a rear wall frame 240, and a ceiling or top frame 250, which may be attached to The chassis 204 rests on the base 202. The OLED printing system 50 can be installed on the top of the chassis 204.

The OLED printing system 50 according to various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly and system of the present teaching may include, for example: a granite base; a mobile bridge that can support the OLED printing device; extending from the pressurized inert gas recirculation system One or more devices and equipment, such as a substrate floating table, air bearings, rails, rails; an inkjet printer system for depositing OLED film-forming materials onto a substrate, which includes an OLED ink supply subsystem and inkjet Print head; one or more robots and the like. Considering the diversity of components that can include the OLED printing system 50, various embodiments of the OLED printing system 50 can have a variety of footprints and dimensions.

The OLED inkjet printing system can be composed of several devices and equipment that allow reliable placement of ink droplets at specific locations on the substrate. Such devices and equipment may include, but are not limited to: print head assemblies; ink delivery systems; motion systems; substrate support equipment such as floating tables or chucks; substrate loading and unloading systems; and print head maintenance systems. The print head assembly consists of at least one inkjet head having at least one orifice capable of ejecting ink droplets at a controlled rate, speed, and size. The inkjet head is supplied by an ink supply system, which supplies ink to the inkjet head. Printing requires relative movement between the print head assembly and the substrate. This movement is realized by a movement system, which is usually a gantry or split axis XYZ system. The print head assembly can be moved above the fixed substrate (gantry type), or in the condition of split shaft assembly, both the print head and the substrate can be moved. In another embodiment, the printing table may be fixed, and the substrate may move on the X axis and the Y axis relative to the print head, where Z-axis motion is provided at the substrate or at the print head. As the print head moves relative to the substrate, ink droplets are ejected at the correct time to deposit them in the desired location on the substrate. A substrate loading and unloading system is used to insert the substrate and remove the substrate from the printer. Depending on the printer unit configuration, this operation can be achieved by mechanical conveyors, substrate floating tables, or robots with end effectors. The printhead maintenance system can be composed of several subsystems (ie, modules) that allow maintenance tasks such as droplet volume calibration, wiping of the inkjet nozzle surface, and activation to eject ink into the waste bin.

According to various embodiments of the present teaching regarding the assembly of a gas bag, as shown in FIG. 13, the front or first wall frame 210, the left or second wall frame 220, the right or third wall frame 230, the rear or fourth The wall frame 240 and the ceiling frame 250 may be constructed together in a system order, and then attached to the chassis 204 mounted on the base 202. As discussed previously, a gantry crane can be used to position various embodiments of the frame member on the spacer block in order to prevent damage to the compressible gasket material. For example, using a gantry crane, the front wall frame 210 may rest on at least three spacer blocks, such as spacer blocks 93, 95, and 97 on the peripheral upper edge 201 of the chassis 204 shown in FIG. 12A. After the front wall frame 210 is placed on the spacer block, the wall frame 220 and the wall frame 230 can be placed on the spacer block sequentially or sequentially in any order, and these spacer blocks have been placed on the chassis 204 respectively On the peripheral edge 203 and the peripheral edge 205. According to various embodiments of the present teaching regarding assembling the gas enclosure from the assembly frame member, the front wall frame 210 may be placed on the spacer block, and then the left side wall frame 220 and the right side wall frame 230 may be placed on the spacer block , So that the left side wall frame and the right side wall frame are in place to be bolted or otherwise fastened to the front wall frame 210. In various embodiments, the rear wall frame 240 may be placed on the spacer block so that the rear wall frame is in place for bolting or fastening to the left side wall frame 220 and the right side wall frame 230. For various embodiments, once the wall frames have been fixed together to form a connected wall frame package assembly, the top ceiling frame 250 may be attached to this wall frame package assembly to form a complete gas package frame assembly to make. In various embodiments of the present teaching regarding the construction of a gas enclosure assembly, a complete gas enclosure frame assembly is placed on a plurality of spacers during this assembly stage to protect the integrity of various frame member gaskets.

As shown in FIG. 14A, for the various embodiments of the present teachings regarding the construction of the gas inclusion assembly, the gas inclusion frame assembly 400 can then be positioned so that the spacer can be removed in order to The assembly 400 is attached to the chassis 204 in preparation. FIG. 14A depicts the gas enclosure frame assembly 400, which is raised to a position where it is lifted from the spacer block and away from the spacer block using the elevator assembly 402, the elevator assembly 404, and the elevator assembly 406. FIG. In various embodiments of the present teachings, the lifter assemblies 402, 404, and 406 can be attached around the periphery of the gas enclosure frame assembly 400. After attaching the lifter assemblies, the fully constructed gas enclosure frame can be lifted from the spacer block by actuating each lifter assembly to lift or extend each of the lifter assemblies Assembly, thereby lifting the gas inclusion frame assembly 400. As shown in FIG. 14A, the gas inclusion frame assembly 400 is shown as being lifted above a plurality of spacer blocks, which were previously placed on the spacer blocks. The plurality of spacer blocks can then be removed from its resting position on the chassis 204, so that the frame can then be lowered onto the chassis 204 and then attached to the chassis 204.

FIG. 14B is an exploded view of the same elevator assembly 402 according to various embodiments of the elevator assembly of the present teachings and as depicted in FIG. 14A. As shown, the lifter assembly 402 includes a wear pad 408, a mounting plate 410, a first clamp mount 412, and a second clamp mount 413. The first clamp 414 and the second clamp 415 are shown as corresponding to the corresponding clamp bases 412 and 413. Jack crank 416 is attached to the top of jack shaft 418. The jack base 422 is shown as part of the lower end of the jack shaft 418. Below the jack base 422 is a foot seat 424 that is assembled to receive the lower end of the jack shaft 418 and can be connected to the lower end of the jack shaft 418. The leveling foot 426 is also shown, and it is assembled to be received by the foot holder 424. A person of ordinary skill can easily recognize that any device suitable for the lifting operation can raise the gas inclusion frame assembly from the spacer, so that the spacer can be removed and the complete gas inclusion assembly can be lowered onto the chassis. For example, instead of one or more lifter assemblies such as 402, 404, and 406 described above, hydraulic lifters, pneumatic lifters, or electric lifters may be used.

According to various embodiments of the present teaching regarding the construction of the gas inclusion assembly, a plurality of fasteners may be provided and the plurality of fasteners are assembled to fasten the plurality of frame members together, and then the gas inclusion frame The assembly is fastened to the chassis. The plurality of fasteners may include one or more fastener portions arranged along each edge of each frame member at a position where the corresponding frame member is assembled to match one of the plurality of frame members An adjacent frame member intersects. A plurality of fasteners and compressible washers can be assembled so that when the frame members are connected together, the compressible washers are arranged close to the inside and the hard body is close to the outside so that the hard body does not give the airtightness of this teaching The body assembly provides multiple leak paths.

The plurality of fasteners may include a plurality of bolts along an edge of one or more of the frame members, and a plurality of threaded holes along the edge of one or more different frame members of the plurality of frame members. The plurality of fasteners may include a plurality of fixed bolts. The bolts may include bolt heads extending from the outer surface of the corresponding panel. The bolts can be recessed into the recesses in the frame member. Clamps, screws, rivets, adhesives and other fasteners can be used to fix these frame members together. The bolts or other fasteners may extend through the outer wall of one or more of the frame members and into threaded holes in the side walls or top wall of one or more adjacent frame members or other complementary fasteners Features.

As depicted in FIGS. 15 to 17, for various embodiments of the method for constructing the gas enclosure, the pipes may be installed in the inner portion formed by connecting the wall frame member and the ceiling frame member together. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, piping may be installed during the construction process. According to various embodiments of the present teaching, the pipeline can be installed in a gas envelope frame assembly that has been constructed from a plurality of frame members. In various embodiments, the piping may be installed on the plurality of frame members before the plurality of frame members are connected to form the gas inclusion frame assembly. The piping for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system may be configured so that substantially all of the gas drawn into the pipe from one or more pipe inlets is moved through for removal within the gas enclosure assembly Various embodiments of gas circulation and filtration circuits for particulate matter. In addition, the gas inclusion assembly and the piping of various embodiments of the system can be configured to combine the inlet and outlet of the gas purification circuit outside the gas inclusion assembly with the inside of the gas inclusion assembly for removing particulate matter The gas circulation and the filter circuit are separated. Various embodiments of pipes according to the present teachings can be made of metal foil, such as but not limited to aluminum foil with a thickness of about 80 mils.

FIG. 15 depicts an imaginary perspective view of the front right portion of the pipe assembly 500 of the gas enclosure assembly 100. FIG. The body duct assembly 500 may have a front wall panel duct assembly 510. As shown, the front wall panel duct assembly 510 may have a front wall panel inlet duct 512, a first front wall panel riser 514, and a second front wall panel riser 516, all of which are the same as the front The wall panel inlet duct 512 is in fluid communication. The first front wall panel standpipe 514 is shown as having an outlet 515 that sealingly engages the ceiling duct 505 of the fan filter unit cover 103. In a similar manner, the second front wall panel standpipe 516 is shown as having an outlet 517 that sealingly engages the ceiling duct 507 of the fan filter unit cover 103. In this regard, the front wall panel duct assembly 510 is provided for using the front wall panel inlet duct 512 to circulate the inert gas from the bottom through the front wall panel risers 514 and 516 in the gas envelope assembly And deliver air through outlets 505 and 507, respectively, so that the air can be filtered by, for example, fan filter unit 752. As will be discussed in more detail later, the number, size, and shape of fan filter units can be selected based on the physical location of the substrate in the printing system during processing. Close to the fan filter unit 752 is a heat exchanger 742, which is part of the thermal regulation system to maintain the inert gas circulating through the gas envelope assembly 100 at the desired temperature.

The right side wall panel duct assembly 530 may have a right side wall panel inlet duct 532 that is in fluid communication with the right side wall panel upper duct 538 via the right side wall panel first vertical pipe 534 and the right side wall panel second vertical pipe 536. The right side wall panel upper duct 538 may have a first duct inlet end 535 and a second duct outlet end 537 in fluid communication with the rear wall duct assembly 540 and the rear wall panel upper duct 536. The left side wall panel duct assembly 520 may have the same components as described with respect to the right side wall panel assembly 530, where the left side wall panel inlet duct 522 is clearly visible in FIG. 15 and the left side wall panel inlet duct passes through the first left side wall The panel standpipe 524 and the first left-side panel standpipe 524 are in fluid communication with the left-side wall panel upper duct (not shown). The rear wall panel duct assembly 540 may have a rear wall panel inlet duct 542 that is in fluid communication with the left side wall panel assembly 520 and the right side wall panel assembly 530. In addition, the rear wall panel duct assembly 540 may have a rear wall panel bottom duct 544, which may have a rear wall panel first inlet 541 and a rear wall panel second inlet 543. The rear wall panel bottom duct 544 can be in fluid communication with the rear wall panel upper duct 536 via a first bulkhead 547 and a second bulkhead 549. These bulkhead structures can be used to, for example but not limited to, cables, wires and pipelines, and Various beams of the analog are fed from the outside of the gas envelope assembly 100 into the inside. The duct opening 533 provides for removing multiple bundles of cables, wires and pipelines, and the like from the rear wall panel upper duct 536, which can pass through the upper duct 536 via the bulkhead 549. The removable built-in panel as described above can be used to hermetically seal the outer partition 547 and the partition 549 on the outside. The upper duct of the rear wall panel is in fluid communication with, for example, but not limited to, a fan filter unit 754 via a vent hole 545, one corner of which is shown in FIG. In this regard, the left-side wall panel duct assembly 520, the right-side wall panel duct assembly 530 and the rear wall panel duct assembly 540 provide for inert gas using the wall panel inlet ducts 522, 532 and 542 and the rear panel lower duct 544, respectively Circulates from the bottom in the gas envelope assembly, and the pipes are in fluid communication with the vent holes 545 through various standpipes, pipes, frame channels, and the like as described above, so that the air can pass through the fan filter unit 754, for example To filter. Close to the fan filter unit 754 is a heat exchanger 744, which as part of the thermal regulation system can maintain the inert gas circulating through the gas envelope assembly 100 at the desired temperature.

The cable feed through opening 533 is shown in FIG. 15. As will be discussed in more detail later, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings are provided for passing multiple bundles of cables, wires and pipelines, and the like through a pipeline. In order to eliminate the leakage path formed around these bundles, various methods can be used. These methods are used to use conformal materials to seal cables, wires, and pipelines of different sizes in a bundle. Also shown in FIG. 15 are the duct I and duct II of the body duct assembly 500, which are shown as part of the fan filter unit cover 103. Conduit I provides the inert gas to the outlet of the external air purification system, while conduit II provides the purified inert gas to the gas circulation inside the gas envelope assembly 100 and the return of the particle filtration circuit.

An imaginary perspective view of the top of the package pipe assembly 500 is shown in FIG. 16. It can be seen that the left-side wall panel duct assembly 520 and the right-side wall panel duct assembly 530 are symmetrical. For the right side wall panel duct assembly 530, the right side wall panel inlet channel 532 is in fluid communication with the right side wall panel upper channel 538 via the right side wall panel first vertical tube 534 and the right side wall panel second vertical tube 536. The right side wall panel upper duct 538 may have a first duct inlet end 535 and a second duct outlet end 537 in fluid communication with the rear wall duct assembly 540 and the rear wall panel upper duct 536. Similarly, the left-side wall panel duct assembly 520 may have a left-side wall panel inlet duct 522 that is in fluid communication with the left-side wall panel upper duct 528 via the left-side wall panel first vertical pipe 524 and the left-side wall panel second vertical pipe 526. The left wall panel upper duct 528 may have a first duct inlet end 525 and a second duct outlet end 527, wherein the second duct outlet end 527 is in fluid communication with the rear wall duct assembly 540 and the rear wall panel upper duct 536. In addition, the rear wall panel duct assembly may have a rear wall panel inlet duct 542 that is in fluid communication with the left side wall panel assembly 520 and the right side wall panel assembly 530. In addition, the rear wall panel duct assembly 540 may have a rear wall panel bottom duct 544, which may have a rear wall panel first inlet 541 and a rear wall panel second inlet 543. The rear wall panel bottom duct 544 may be in fluid communication with the rear wall panel upper duct 536 via the first partition frame 547 and the second partition frame 549. The duct assembly 500 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 can provide: effective circulation of inert gas from the front wall panel duct assembly 510, which enables the inert gas from the front wall panel inlet duct 512, respectively Circulate to the ceiling panel ducts 505 and 507 through the front wall panel outlets 515 and 517; and the effective circulation of inert gas from the left side wall panel assembly 520, the right side wall panel assembly 530 and the rear wall panel duct assembly 540 The assembly circulates air from the inlet ducts 522, 532, and 542 to the vent 545, respectively. Once the inert gas is discharged through the ceiling panel ducts 505 and 507 and the vent hole 545 into the package area under the fan filter unit cover 103 of the package 100, the inert gas thus discharged can be filtered through the fan filter units 752 and 754 . In addition, the circulating inert gas can be maintained at the desired temperature by heat exchangers 742 and 744, which are part of the thermal regulation system.

Fig. 17 is an imaginary view of the bottom of the package pipe assembly 500. The inlet duct assembly 502 includes a front wall panel inlet duct 512, a left side wall panel inlet duct 522, a right side wall panel inlet duct 532, and a rear wall panel inlet duct 542, which are in fluid communication with each other. For each inlet pipe included in the inlet pipe assembly 502, there are clearly visible openings, and these openings are evenly distributed across the bottom of each pipe. For the purpose of this teaching, the collection of these openings is particularly highlighted as the front The opening 511 of the partial wall panel inlet duct 512, the opening 521 of the left side wall panel inlet duct 522, the opening 531 of the right side wall panel inlet duct 532, and the opening 541 of the rear wall panel inlet duct 542. These openings clearly visible across the bottom of each inlet pipe provide effective suction of the inert gas in the package 100 to achieve continuous circulation and filtration. The continuous circulation and filtration of the inert gas in various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly provides for maintaining a substantially particle-free environment in various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly system. Various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly system can be maintained at ISO 14644 level 4 for particulate matter. Various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly system can be maintained at ISO 14644 level 3 specifications for processes that are particularly sensitive to particle contamination. As previously discussed, conduit I provides inert gas to the outlet of the external air purification system, while conduit II provides purified inert gas to the filtration and circulation loop inside the gas envelope assembly 100.

In various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system according to the present teachings, multiple bundles of cables, wires and pipelines, and the like are operably associated with electrical systems arranged in the interior of the gas envelope assembly and system , Mechanical systems, fluid systems and cooling systems (for example, for the operation of OLED printing systems). These bundles can be fed through pipes to flush reactive atmospheric gases, such as water vapor and oxygen, that are trapped in the ineffective space of multiple bundles of cables, wires and pipelines, and the like. According to this teaching, it has been found that ineffective spaces formed in multiple bundles of cables, wires, and pipelines can produce a reservoir of reactive species that are occluded, which can be significantly extended to make the gas inclusion assembly satisfy The time it may take for air-sensitive processing specifications. For various embodiments of gas inclusion assemblies and systems that can be used to print OLED devices in this teaching, each of the various reactive species includes various reactive atmospheric gases such as water vapor and oxygen, and organic solvent vapors, It may be maintained at 100 ppm or less, for example, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less.

To understand how the cables fed through the pipeline can lead to a reduction in the time it takes for the ineffective volume of self-bundled cables, wires and pipelines and the like to flush away the trapped reactive atmospheric gas, refer to FIGS. 18A to 19 . 18A depicts an expanded view of bundle I, which may be a bundle that may include a pipeline such as pipeline A, which is used to transport various inks, solvents, and the like to a printing system, such as printing system 50 of FIG. 13. Bundle I of FIG. 18A may additionally include an electrical connection such as wire B, or a cable such as coaxial cable C. These pipelines, wires and cables can be bundled together and routed from the outside to the inside to connect to various devices and equipment including OLED printing systems. As can be seen in the shaded area of FIG. 18A, these beams can create a large invalid space D. In the schematic perspective view of FIG. 18B, when the cable, wire, and pipeline bundle I is fed through the pipe II, the inert gas III can be continuously purged through the bundle. The expanded cross-sectional view of FIG. 19 depicts how continuous purge of inert gas through the bundled pipelines, wires, and cables can effectively increase the rate of removal of occluded reactive species from the invalid volume in these bundles. Reactive species A (indicated by the collective area occupied by species A in Figure 19) The rate of diffusion from the invalid volume and reactive species outside the invalid volume (indicated by the collective area occupied by inert gas species B in Figure 19) The concentration is inversely proportional. In other words, if the concentration of reactive species in the volume immediately outside the invalid volume is higher, the rate of diffusion decreases. If the concentration of reactive species in this region is continuously reduced by the inert gas flow, which is close to the invalid volume continuously, the rate of diffusion of reactive species from the invalid volume increases by mass action. In addition, by the same principle, as the absorbed reactive species are effectively removed from their spaces, the inert gas can diffuse into the ineffective volume.

FIG. 20A is a perspective view of the rear corner of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 600, and a hypothetical view of the interior of the gas enclosure assembly 600 through the return duct 605. FIG. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 600, the rear wall panel 640 may have an embedded panel 610 that is configured to provide access to, for example, electrical bulkheads. Bundles of cables, wires and pipelines, and the like can be fed into the cable routing duct through the bulkhead, such as duct 632 shown in the right side wall panel 630, where the removable embedded panel has been removed to reveal Route to enter the bundle in the first cable, wire and pipeline bundle pipe inlet 636. The beam may be fed into the interior of the gas package assembly 600 from the inlet, and the beam is shown in a phantom view through the return duct 605 in the interior of the gas package assembly 600. Various embodiments of gas envelope assemblies for routing cables, wires, and pipeline bundles may have more than one cable, wire, and pipeline bundle inlets such as shown in FIG. 20A, which depicts the first for another bundle The beam duct inlet 634 and the second beam duct inlet 636. FIG. 20B depicts an expanded view of the bundle duct inlet 634 for cables, wires, and pipeline bundles. The beam duct inlet 634 may have an opening 631 designed to form a seal with the sliding cover 633. In various embodiments, the opening 631 can accommodate a flexible sealing module, such as a module provided by Roxtec for cable entry sealing, which can accommodate cables, wires and pipelines in a bundle, and the like Of various diameters. Another option is that the top 635 of the sliding cover 633 and the upper portion 637 of the opening 631 may have a conformal material arranged on each surface so that the conformal material can be fed through an inlet such as a beam duct inlet 634 Seals are formed around cables, wires and pipelines of various sizes and diameters in a bundle.

21 is a bottom view of various embodiments of ceiling panels of the present teachings, such as the gas enclosure assembly of FIG. 3 and the ceiling panel 250' of the system 100. FIG. According to various embodiments of the present teaching regarding the assembly of gas enclosures, lighting can be installed on the inner top surface of a ceiling panel, such as the gas enclosure assembly of FIG. 3 and ceiling panel 250' of system 100. As depicted in FIG. 21, the ceiling frame 250 with the inner portion 251 may have lighting installed on the inner portion of various frame members. For example, the ceiling frame 250 may have two ceiling frame sections 40 that collectively have two ceiling frame beams 42 and 44. Each ceiling frame section 40 may have a first side 41 positioned toward the inside of the ceiling frame 250 and a second side 43 positioned toward the outside of the ceiling frame 250. For various embodiments of providing illumination for gas enclosures according to the teachings, several pairs of illumination elements 46 may be installed. Each pair of lighting elements 46 may include a first lighting element 45 near the first side 41 of the ceiling frame section 40 and a second lighting element 47 near the second side 43 of the ceiling frame section 40. The number, positioning, and grouping of lighting elements shown in FIG. 21 are exemplary. The number and grouping of lighting elements can be changed in any desired way or in a suitable way. In various embodiments, the lighting elements can be installed flat, while in other embodiments the lighting elements can be installed so that they can be moved to a variety of positions and angles. The placement of these lighting elements is not limited to the top panel ceiling 433, but in addition or as an alternative, it can be installed on the gas envelope assembly shown in FIG. 3 and any other internal surface of the system 100, On external surfaces and surface combinations.

The various lighting elements may include any number and type of lamps or combinations thereof, such as halogen lamps, white lamps, incandescent lamps, arc lamps, or light emitting diodes or devices (LEDs). For example, each lighting element may include 1 LED to about 100 LEDs, about 10 LEDs to about 50 LEDs, or more than 100 LEDs. LEDs or other lighting devices can emit any color or combination of colors in, outside the spectrum, or a combination thereof. According to various embodiments of the gas package assembly for inkjet printing OLED materials, since some materials are sensitive to light of some wavelengths, the wavelength of the light of the lighting device installed in the gas package assembly can be specially selected To avoid material degradation during processing. For example, 4X cool white LEDs can be used, as can 4X yellow LEDs or any combination thereof. One example of 4X cool white LED is LF1B-D4S-2THWW4 available from IDEC (Sunnyvale, California). An example of a 4X yellow LED that can be used is LF1B-D4S-2SHY6, which is also available from IDEC. The LED or other lighting element can be positioned or hung on the inner portion 251 of the ceiling frame 250 or anywhere on the other surface of the gas envelope assembly. The lighting element is not limited to LEDs. Any suitable lighting element or combination of lighting elements may be used. FIG. 22 is a graph of the IDEC LED spectrum, and shows the x-axis corresponding to the intensity when the peak intensity is 100% and the y-axis corresponding to the wavelength (in nanometers). Display the spectrum of LF1B yellow type, yellow fluorescent lamp, LF1B white type LED, LF1B cool white type LED and LF1B red type LED. According to various embodiments of the present teachings, other spectra or combinations of spectra can be used.

Recalling the foregoing, various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly are constructed in such a way as to minimize the internal volume of the gas inclusion assembly, and at the same time be used to accommodate various occupied work spaces of various OLED printing systems optimization. Various embodiments of the gas package assembly thus constructed additionally provide: easy access to the inside of the gas package assembly from outside during processing, and easy access to the inside for maintenance, while minimizing downtime . In this regard, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly according to the present teaching can be contoured for various occupied areas of various OLED printing systems.

Those of ordinary skill can understand that the teachings on frame member construction, panel construction, frame and panel sealing, and the construction of gas enclosures (such as the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3) can be applied to a variety of sizes and designs The gas inclusion assembly. For example, but not limited to, various embodiments of the contoured gas inclusion assembly of the present teachings covering the substrate sizes of the 3.5th to 10th generations may have an internal volume of between about 6m ³ and about 95m ³ , which may It saves about 30% to about 70% of the volume for a package that is not contoured and has a relatively large size. Various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly may have various frame members that are constructed to provide the outline of the gas envelope assembly to accommodate the OLED printing system to achieve its function and at the same time optimize the working space to The volume of inert gas is minimized, and also allows easy access to the OLED printing system from outside during processing. In this regard, the various gas inclusion assemblies taught in this teaching can vary in contour topology and volume.

Figure 23 provides an example of a gas inclusion assembly according to the teachings. The gas package assembly 1000 may include a front frame assembly 1100, a middle frame assembly 1200, and a rear frame assembly 1300. The front frame assembly 1100 may include a front base frame 1120; a front wall frame 1140, which may have an opening 1142 for receiving a substrate; and a front ceiling frame 1160. The intermediate frame assembly 1200 may include a first intermediate body frame assembly 1240, an intermediate wall and ceiling frame assembly 1260, and a second intermediate body frame assembly 1280. The rear frame assembly 1300 may include a rear base frame 1320, a rear wall frame 1340, and a rear ceiling frame 1360. The hatched area depicts the available working volume of the gas assembly 1000, which is the volume that can be used to accommodate the OLED printing system. The various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly 1000 are contoured to minimize the volume of recirculated inert gas required to operate air-sensitive processes such as OLED printing processes, while at the same time allowing easy access to the OLED printing system Access (remote access during operation, or direct access by easy access via an easily removable panel). For various embodiments of gas inclusion assemblies covering substrate sizes from 3.5th generation to 10m generation according to this teaching, various embodiments of contoured gas inclusion assemblies according to this teaching may have about 6m ³ to The volume of gas inclusions between about 95 m ³ , such as but not limited to between about 15 m ³ to about 30 m ³ , can be used for OLED printing of substrate sizes from 5.5th to 8.5th generation, for example. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate supporting apparatus may support a substrate having a size between about 5th generation to about 10th generation. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate supporting apparatus may support a substrate having a size between about 3.5th generation to about 8.5th generation.

The gas inclusion assembly 1000 may have all the features listed in this teaching regarding the exemplary gas inclusion assembly 100. For example, but not limited to, the gas package assembly 1000 may utilize a seal according to the teachings of providing a hermetically sealed package during construction and deconstruction cycles. Various embodiments of the gas inclusion system based on the gas inclusion assembly 1000 may have a gas purification system that can maintain the content of each of the various reactive species at 100 ppm or less, for example, 10 ppm or Lower, 1.0 ppm or lower, or 0.1 ppm or lower, such reactive species include various reactive atmospheric gases such as water vapor and oxygen, and organic solvent vapor.

In addition, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system based on the gas envelope assembly 1000 can have a circulation and filtration system that can provide a clean room standard that meets ISO 14644 Level 3 and Level 4 clean room standards No particle environment. In addition, as will be discussed in more detail later, various embodiments of gas inclusion assembly systems based on gas inclusion assemblies (such as gas inclusion assembly 100 and gas inclusion assembly 1000) of the present teachings can have additional Various embodiments of a pressurized inert gas recirculation system, the pressurized inert gas recirculation system can be used to operate, for example, but not limited to, pneumatic robots, substrate floating tables, air bearings, air sleeves, compressed gas tools, pneumatic actuators and their One or more of the combination. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure and system taught in this teaching, the use of various pneumatically operated devices and equipment can provide low particle generation performance and low maintenance.

FIG. 24 is an exploded view of a gas enclosure assembly 1000 depicting various frame members that can be constructed to provide a hermetically sealed gas enclosure according to the teachings. As previously discussed with respect to various embodiments of the gas envelope 100 of FIGS. 3 and 13, the OLED inkjet printing system 1050 can be composed of several devices and devices that allow ink droplets to drop onto a substrate such as substrate 1058 For reliable placement at specific locations, the substrate was shown to be supported by the substrate floating table 1054. The substrate floating table 1054 can be used to support the substrate 1058 and provide frictionless transportation of the substrate 1058. The substrate floating table 1054 of the OLED printing system can define the travel distance that the substrate 1058 can be moved through the system 1000 during the OLED printing of the substrate. Considering that various components of the OLED printing system 1050 can be included, various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050 can have a variety of occupied areas and appearance dimensions. According to various embodiments of the OLED inkjet printing system, a variety of substrate materials can be used for the substrate 1058, such as but not limited to a variety of glass substrate materials and a variety of polymer substrate materials.

According to various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly of the present teaching, as described above with respect to the gas inclusion assembly 100, the construction of the gas inclusion assembly can be performed around the entire OLED printing system, so that the gas inclusion assembly The volume is minimized and provides easy access to the interior. In FIG. 24, the OLED printing system 1050 may be considered to give an example of contour shaping.

As shown in FIG. 24, there may be six spacers on the OLED printing system 1050: a first spacer group 1051 (the second spacer on the opposite surface in this group is not shown) and a second spacer group 1053 (not The second spacers on the opposite surface of the group are shown). These spacer groups support the substrate floating table 1054 of the OLED printing system 1050. The floating platform 1054 is supported on the floating platform base 1052. In addition to the two spacers that are not visible in FIG. 24 and are positioned opposite the first spacer 1051 and the second spacer 1053, there are also a set of two spacers that support the OLED printing system base 1070. The front package base 1120 may have a first front package isolation base 1121 that supports the first front package isolation wall frame 1123. The second front bag separator wall frame 1127 is supported by a second front bag separator seat (not shown). Similarly, the tundish base 1220 may have a first tundish separator seat 1221 that supports the first tundish separator wall frame 1223. The second tundish separator wall frame 1227 is supported by a second tundish separator seat (not shown). Finally, the rear package base 1320 may have a first rear package isolation base 1321 that supports the rear package isolation wall frame 1323. The second rear body separator wall frame 1327 is supported by a second rear body separator seat (not shown). Various embodiments of spacer wall frame members have been contoured around each spacer, thereby minimizing the volume of support members surrounding each spacer. In addition, the shaded panel sections shown with respect to each of the isolator wall frames of the bases 1120, 1220, and 1320 are removable panels that can be removed, for example, to repair the isolator. The front package assembly base 1120 may have a chassis 1122, while the middle package assembly base 1220 may have a chassis 1222, and the rear package assembly base 1320 may have a chassis 1322. When the bases are completely constructed to form a connected base, the OLED printing system can be installed on the connected chassis formed thereby, in a similar manner to the OLED printing system 50 installed on the chassis 204 of FIG. 13. As described above, the wall frame member and the ceiling frame member may be connected around the OLED printing system 1050, such as the wall frame 1140 and the ceiling frame 1160 of the front frame assembly 1100; The first tundish frame assembly 1240, the middle wall and ceiling frame assembly 1260 and the second tundish frame assembly 1280' of the middle frame assembly 1200; and the wall frame 1340 and ceiling frame 1360 of the rear frame assembly 1300 . Therefore, various embodiments of the hermetically sealed profile-shaped frame member assembly taught by the present teaching effectively reduce the volume of inert gas in the gas envelope assembly 1000 while providing various devices for the OLED printing system And easy access to equipment.

In addition, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings can be constructed in a manner to provide a separately functioning frame member assembly section. Referring back to FIG. 5, the frame member assembly according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teaching may include a frame member having various panels sealingly mounted on the frame member. For example, but not limited to, the wall frame member assembly or the wall panel assembly may be a wall frame member including various panels sealingly mounted on the wall frame member. Therefore, various fully constructed panel assemblies, such as but not limited to wall panel assemblies, ceiling panel assemblies, wall and ceiling panel assemblies, base support panel assemblies, and the like, are various types of frame member assemblies. The modular nature of the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of this teaching can provide an embodiment of the gas enclosure assembly with various frame member assembly sections, where each frame member assembly section is a gas enclosure Part of the total volume of the assembly. The various frame member assembly sections containing various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly may collectively have at least one frame member. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the various frame member assembly sections containing the gas enclosure assembly may collectively have at least one frame member assembly. The various frame member assembly sections including various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly may collectively have at least one frame member and a combination of at least one frame member assembly.

According to the present teachings, various frame member assembly sections can be divided into multiple sections via, for example, but not limited to, openings or channels common to each of the closed frame member assembly sections, or a combination thereof. For example, in various embodiments, the opening or channel or a combination thereof that covers the frame member or frame member panel common to each frame member assembly section (whereby effectively closing the opening or channel or Its combination) to separate the frame member assembly sections. In various embodiments, the frame member assembly sections may be separated by sealing an opening or channel or combination thereof common to each frame member assembly section (whereby effectively closing the opening or channel or combination thereof). Sealing the openings or channels or a combination thereof can result in a separation that interrupts fluid communication between each volume of each frame member assembly section, where each volume is the total volume contained in the gas inclusion assembly Part of the volume. Hermetically closing the opening or channel can thereby isolate each volume contained in each frame member assembly section.

Thus, referring to FIG. 24, the base 1070 may have: a first end 1072 and a second end 1074, which define a width; and a first side 1076 and a second side 1078, which define a length. Orthogonal to the base 1070 and mounted on the base may be a first standpipe 1075 and a second standpipe 1077, and a bridge 1079 is installed on the first standpipe and the second standpipe. For various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, the bridge 1079 can support the first printing head assembly positioning system 1090 and the second printing head assembly positioning system 1091, which are used to control the first printing head, respectively The assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 move on the XZ axis above the substrate floating table 1054. Although FIG. 24 depicts two positioning systems and two print head assemblies, for various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single positioning system and a single print head assembly. In addition, for various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single print head assembly installed on the positioning system, such as any of the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 Furthermore, the camera system for inspecting the characteristics of the substrate 1058 can be installed on the second positioning system. According to various embodiments of the gas package assembly 1000, the print head maintenance system may be installed, for example but not limited to, on the first upper surface 1071 and the second upper surface 1073 of the base 1070 to be close to the print head assembly.

In addition, referring to FIG. 24, the panel may be mounted on the first frame member 1224 and the second frame member 1226 of the base 1220, and a gasket may be attached to each panel. The gaskets can be used to close each of the channels between the panels and the base 1070. In addition, the bridge frame 1144 can support the intermediate frame assembly 1200 and provide a framework for supporting various embodiments of the embedded frame. Various embodiments of the embedded frame inserted into the bridge frame 1144 may have an opening that allows the print head assembly to travel, and may also support a gate valve assembly that is used to close the travel of the print head assembly. Opening. By sealingly sealing the channel around the base and sealingly closing the opening that allows the print head assembly to travel, the volume of the intermediate frame assembly 1200 roughly defined by the bridge 1079 mounted on the base 1070 can be equal to the gas envelope assembly 1000 The remaining volume is isolated.

Exemplary uses for separating discrete sections of gas envelopes may be to perform various maintenance procedures on the print head assembly (such as the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 of the printing system 1050) . Such maintenance procedures may include, for example, but not limited to, replacing the print head in the print head assembly without opening the gas envelope assembly to the atmosphere. In addition, because the part of the volume roughly defined by the intermediate frame assembly 1200 around the bridge 1079 mounted on the base 1070 can be completely isolated from the remaining volume of the gas package assembly 1000, the part of the volume can be such as but not limited to water vapor and The atmospheric species of oxygen are open without polluting the larger remaining volume of the gas inclusion assembly. By limiting the volume of species that can be exposed to the atmosphere, system recovery can be completed in a much shorter time. A person of ordinary skill will understand that although an example of maintenance of the print head assembly is presented as an example, various processes that require the gas inclusion assembly can easily utilize the gas inclusion assembly, and in this gas inclusion assembly Multiple sections can be discretely separated to provide individually functioning frame member assembly sections, where at least one section can have a substantially smaller partial volume of the total envelope volume.

FIG. 25 depicts a partially exploded perspective view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000 according to FIGS. 23 and 24. FIG. Various complete panel assemblies are indicated in FIG. 25, which can be separated in various ways to define: a first frame member assembly section, which defines a first volume; and a second frame member assembly section, which defines The second volume.

In FIG. 25, for example and without limitation, the gas package assembly 1000 may include a front panel assembly 1100', a middle panel assembly 1200', and a rear panel assembly 1300'. The front panel assembly 1100' may include a front ceiling panel assembly 1160', a front wall panel assembly 1140', and a front base panel assembly 1120', and the rear panel assembly 1300' may include a rear ceiling panel assembly 1360', rear wall panel assembly 1340' and rear base panel assembly 1320'. As can be seen from the exploded view of the front frame assembly 1100 and the middle panel frame 1200 of FIG. 24, the front panel assembly 1100′ and the middle panel assembly 1200′ of FIG. 25 have a bridge frame 1144 in common. The intermediate panel assembly 1200' may include a first intermediate package panel assembly 1240', an intermediate wall and ceiling panel assembly 1260', and a second intermediate package panel assembly 1280', which are sealingly installed in the middle The base panel assembly 1220' can cover the base 1070 when the base panel assembly 1220' includes a first vertical pipe 1075 and a second vertical pipe 1077, and the bridge 1079 is installed on the first vertical pipe and the second vertical pipe. As previously discussed, the bridge 1079 can support the first print head assembly positioning system 1090, which can control the movement of the print head assembly 1080 above the substrate floating table 1054 (see FIG. 24). The first print head assembly positioning system 1090 for positioning the print head assembly 1080 above the substrate floating table 1054 (see FIG. 24) may include a first X-axis bracket 1092 and a first Z-axis movable plate 1094, The first print head assembly 1080 can be installed on the movable board. The second print head assembly positioning system 1091 can be similarly configured to control the X-Z axis movement of the second print head assembly 1081 above the substrate floating table 1054 (see FIG. 24).

Fig. 26 depicts a partially exploded side perspective view of the gas enclosure assembly 1000, which includes various sections of the front panel assembly 1100', and the middle panel assembly 1200' and the rear panel assembly 1300' . The front panel assembly 1100' may include an embedded frame 1146. It can be seen that the embedded frame is installed in the bridge frame 1144. The bridge frame is formed by both the front panel assembly 1100' and the middle panel assembly 1200' Common frame components. The embedded frame 1146 may include an opening 1148 around which a gasket 1147 may be attached. The gate valve assembly 1150 is indicated above the embedded frame 1146. The gate valve assembly 1150 may be installed above the embedded frame 1146. As can be seen in FIGS. 27A and 27B, the gate valve assembly 1150 may have a door 1158 that is mounted to the YZ positioning system via the first bracket 1153 and the second bracket 1154, which is used to make the door 1158 moves over the opening 1148 of the embedded frame 1146 and serves to engage the door 1158 to sealingly cover the opening 1148. In FIG. 27A, the positioning system including the first rail 1151 and the second rail 1152 can have a first bracket 1153 and a second bracket 1154, respectively, which can be engaged with the rail guide system. As one of ordinary skill can understand, a rail guide system may include multiple components such as, for example, but not limited to rails, bearings, and actuators, used to control the movement of the positioning system and thus the door 1158 mobile. In FIG. 27A, a gasket 1147 is shown around the opening 1148. The gasket 1147 may be any of the gasket materials as previously described with respect to the sealing frame member assembly. In FIG. 27A, the door 1158 is retracted so that the print head assembly 1080 and 1081 can be moved by the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 and the second print head assembly positioning system 1091, respectively, in The opening 1148 (see FIG. 24 and FIG. 25) travels in the middle of the floating platform 1054. In FIG. 27B, the display door 1158 covers the opening 1148. The positioning system to which the door 1158 is installed (including the first bracket 1153 and the second bracket 1154) can position the door 1158 above the opening 1148 to sealingly engage the gasket 1147, thereby sealingly closing the opening 1148.

28 depicts a cross-sectional view through the middle base panel assembly 1220' associated with the front panel assembly 1100' and the rear panel assembly 1300'. As indicated in FIG. 28, the channel 1225 may be positioned around the base 1070; wherein the base 1070 extends through the first frame member 1224. In the frame member 1224, a panel providing a frame structure (such as the panel 1228) may be sealingly installed in the frame member 1224. It is expected that a variety of gaskets that provide a mechanical seal can be used to seal the passage 1225. In various embodiments, an inflatable gasket for sealing the channel 1225 may be used. Various embodiments of the inflatable gasket may be made of reinforced elastic material into a hollow molded structure, which may be in a concave configuration, a convoluted configuration or a flat configuration when not inflated. In various embodiments, a gasket may be installed on the panel 1228 so as to sealingly close the channel 1225 around the base 1070. Therefore, when using any of a variety of suitable fluid media (such as but not limited to inert gas) to inflate, various embodiments of the inflatable gasket used to close the passage 1225 around the base 1070 can be installed on the surface (such as a panel A tight barrier is formed between the inner surface of 1228) and the impact surface (such as the surface of the base 1070). In various embodiments, an inflatable gasket may be mounted on the base 1070 to sealingly close the channel 1225 around the base 1070 so that the base 1070 may be the mounting surface and the inner surface of the panel 1228 may be the impact surface. In this regard, the conformal seal sealably closes the channel 1225.

In addition to various embodiments of inflatable gaskets, permanently attached (eg, attached to the panel 1228 and attached to the base 1070) flexible seals, such as bellows seals or lip seals, can also be used Sealed channel 1225. This permanently attached seal can provide the flexibility required to achieve various translational and vibratory movements of the base 1070 while providing an airtight seal for the channel 1225.

As one of ordinary skill can understand, it may be problematic to form a conformal seal around a well-defined edge. In various embodiments that indicate a sealed gas envelope surrounding a structure such as base 1070, this structure can be manufactured to eliminate edges with significant boundaries where sealing is required. In various embodiments of the printing system 1050 of FIG. 24, the base 1070 may initially be manufactured with rounded lateral edges of the base 1070 to facilitate sealing, as indicated by hatching 1070-1A on the first side 1076 and shaded 1070-1B is instructed regarding the second side 1078. In various embodiments of the printing system 1050 of FIG. 24, the base 1070 may be modified later to have multiple structures that are installed to provide rounded lateral edges of the base 1070 to promote sealing, such as shadows The line structure 1070-2A is indicated with respect to the first side 1076 and the hatched structure 1070-2B is indicated with respect to the second side 1078. The base 1070 may be made of a material that can provide the stability needed to support the printing system, such as but not limited to granite and steel. As indicated in Figure 28, these materials can be easily modified. Although an example is given of using a gasket to close the passage 1225 around the base 1070 in the middle base panel assembly 1220', a person skilled in the art will understand that the frame member 1226 that spans the base assembly 1220' surrounds the base 1070. Closure (see Figure 24) can be performed using the same principle.

As previously discussed, the maintenance of the print head assembly may include various calibration procedures and maintenance procedures. For example, in order to print an OLED display panel substrate, each print head assembly (such as the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 of FIG. 24) may have at least one print head device installed in it Multiple print heads. In various embodiments, the print head device may include, for example, but not limited to, fluid and electrical connections to at least one print head; each print head has a plurality of inks capable of ejecting ink at a controlled rate, speed, and size Nozzles or orifices. For various embodiments of the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 of FIG. 24, each print head assembly may include between about 1 to about 60 print head devices, wherein Each print head device may have between about 1 to about 30 print heads in each print head device. For example, a print head of an industrial inkjet head may have about 16 to about 2048 nozzles, and these nozzles may eject a droplet volume between about 0.1 pL and about 200 pL. Calibrating the print head may include, for example, but not limited to, checking nozzle firing, measuring droplet volume, speed and direction, and tuning the print head so that each nozzle ejects a uniform volume of droplets. Maintaining the print head may include, for example, but not limited to, procedures such as: print head activation, which requires the collection and containment of ink ejected from the print head; removal of excess ink after the startup procedure; and print head replacement. In the printing process, for example, for printing OLED display panel substrates, the reliable emission of nozzles is critical to ensure that the printing process can produce high-quality OLED panel displays. Therefore, various procedures related to printhead maintenance need to be easily and reliably performed; in particular, there is no need to expose the interior of the gas envelope assembly to various reactive components such as, for example, but not limited to, oxygen from the atmosphere and Water vapor, and for example, but not limited to organic solvent vapor from printing processes.

In this regard, for various embodiments of the gas package assembly of FIG. 24, the maintenance system may be, for example but not limited to, mounted on the top surface 1071 of the base 1070 close to the first print head assembly 1080, and on the base 1070. The top surface 1073 is mounted close to the second print head assembly 1081. This maintenance system may include, for example, but not limited to, a droplet calibration station used to perform various print head calibration procedures; a washing station used to collect and contain ink ejected from the print head during the flushing or starting procedure; and Ink suction station that removes excess ink after a rinse or start-up procedure has been performed at the rinse station. During routine maintenance, these procedures can be performed in a fully automated mode. In some cases, when a certain level of human intervention may be indicated during the maintenance procedure, the end user access may be completed externally through the use of, for example, a glove port. As previously discussed, the various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 to 28 effectively reduce the volume of inert gas required during the OLED printing process, while providing easy access to the interior of the gas envelope take.

In addition, if the print head maintenance requires direct access to the print head assembly or any of various maintenance stations, the door 1158 hermetically closes the opening 1148 (as described with respect to FIGS. 27A and 27B) and seals Ground-sealing the passage around the base 1070 (as described with respect to FIG. 28) can isolate the volume defined by a frame member assembly section from the remaining volume of the gas envelope assembly 1000, which includes the middle The isolated parts of the panel assembly 1200' and the middle base panel assembly 1220'. In addition, one of ordinary skill will understand that the door 1158 hermetically closes the opening 1148 (as described with respect to FIGS. 27A, 27B, and 28) and hermetically closes the passageway around the base 1070 (as described with respect to FIG. 28) It can be done remotely and automatically. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000, the portion of the isolated volume of the maintenance frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to approximately the total volume of the various embodiments of the contoured gas enclosure assembly 20%. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000, the portion of the isolated volume of the maintenance frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to approximately the total volume of the various embodiments of the contoured gas enclosure assembly 50%. By greatly reducing the portion of the gas envelope assembly that requires end users to directly access for printhead maintenance, system recovery time can be greatly reduced.

FIG. 29 depicts a perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly 1010 according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings. The gas package assembly 1010 may include a front panel assembly 1100', a middle panel assembly 1200', and a rear panel assembly 1300'. The front panel assembly 1100' may include a front ceiling panel assembly 1160'; a front wall panel assembly 1140' having an opening 1142 for receiving a substrate; and a front base panel assembly 1120'. The rear panel assembly 1300' may include a rear ceiling panel assembly 1360', a rear wall panel assembly 1340', and a rear base panel assembly 1320'. The intermediate panel assembly 1200' may include a first intermediate package panel assembly 1240', an intermediate wall and ceiling panel assembly 1260', a second intermediate package panel assembly 1280', and an intermediate base panel assembly 1220'. In addition, the intermediate panel assembly 1200' may include a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly (not shown).

FIG. 30 depicts an exploded perspective view of the gas enclosure 1010 according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings. The gas package assembly 1010 may encapsulate an OLED printing system 1050, which may include a substrate floating table 1054 supported by a substrate floating table base 1052. The base 1052 of the substrate floating platform can be installed on the base 1070. The substrate floating table 1054 of the OLED printing system can support the substrate 1058 and define the travel distance that the substrate 1058 can be moved through the system 1010 during OLED printing of the substrate. The substrate floating table 1054 can provide frictionless transportation of the substrate 1058. For the gas package assembly 1010 of FIG. 30, there may be four spacers on the OLED printing system 1050: a first spacer group 1051 (the second spacer on the opposite surface is not shown) and a second spacer group 1053 (not The second spacer on the opposite side is shown). These spacer groups support the substrate floating table 1054 of the OLED printing system 1050. The base 1070 may include a first standpipe 1075 and a second standpipe 1077, and a bridge 1079 is installed on the first standpipe and the second standpipe. For various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, the bridge 1079 can support the first printing head assembly positioning system 1090 and the second positioning system 1091, which can control the first printing head assembly 1080 and the second The movement of the print head assembly 1081. For various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single positioning system and a single print head assembly. For various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single print head assembly, such as any one of the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081, which is used to inspect the substrate 1058 The characteristic camera system can be installed to the second positioning system.

The first print head assembly positioning system 1090 for positioning the first print head assembly 1080 above the substrate floating table 1054 may include a first X-axis bracket 1092 and a first Z-axis movable plate 1094, the first row The print head assembly body 1084 can be mounted on the movable board. The second print head assembly positioning system 1091 can be similarly configured to control the X-Z axis movement of the second print head assembly 1081, which can include the second print head assembly body 1085. As depicted in FIG. 30 with respect to the first print head assembly 1080, wherein the first print head assembly body 1084 is depicted in a partial view, various embodiments of the print head assembly may have mounted on the first A plurality of print head devices 1082 in the package of the print head assembly. For various embodiments of the printing system 1050, the print head assembly may include between about 1 to about 60 print head devices, where each print head device may have about 1 in each print head device Between about 30 and about 30 print heads. As will be discussed in more detail later, considering the large number of printhead devices and printheads that require continuous maintenance, it can be seen that the first maintenance system assembly 1250 is positioned to achieve the first printhead assembly 1080 is easy to access.

As depicted in FIG. 30, the gas enclosure assembly 1010 may include a front base panel assembly 1120', a middle base panel assembly 1220', and a rear base panel assembly 1320', which are formed when fully constructed With the connected base, the OLED printing system 1050 can be installed on the connected chassis thus formed in a similar manner to the OLED printing system 50 installed on the chassis 204 of FIG. 13. The first isolator group 1051 and the second isolator group can be installed in corresponding isolator wall panels (such as the second isolator wall panel 1225' and the second isolator wall panel 1227' of the middle base panel assembly 1220') In each of them. Various panel components and panels including the front panel assembly 1100', the middle panel assembly 1200' and the rear panel assembly 1300' can be connected around the OLED printing system 1050 to form various implementations of the gas package assembly 1010 For example, the method is similar to that described with respect to the construction of the gas inclusion assembly 100 of FIG. 3.

For the gas package assembly 1010 of FIG. 30, the intermediate base assembly 1220' may include a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. The first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' may include a first print head assembly opening 1242 and a second bottom plate assembly of the first floor panel assembly 1241', respectively The opening 1282 of the second print head assembly 1281'. In FIG. 30, the first bottom plate assembly 1241' is depicted as a part of the first intermediate body panel assembly 1240' of the intermediate panel assembly 1200'. The first bottom plate assembly 1241' is a panel assembly common to both the first tundish panel assembly 1240' and the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230'. In FIG. 30, the second bottom plate assembly 1281' is depicted as a part of the second intermediate body panel assembly 1280' of the intermediate panel assembly 1200'. The second bottom plate assembly 1281' is a panel assembly common to both the second tundish panel assembly 1280' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'.

As mentioned earlier, the first print head assembly 1080 can be packaged in the first print head assembly package 1084, and the second print head assembly 1081 can be packaged in the second print head assembly package 1085. As will be discussed in more detail later, the first print head assembly package 1084 and the second print head assembly package 1085 may have openings at the bottom that may have rims (not shown) to allow various The print head assembly can be positioned for printing during the printing process. In addition, the parts of the first print head assembly package 1084 and the second print head assembly body 1085 that form the housing can be constructed as described above with respect to various panel assemblies, so that the frame assembly components and panels Able to provide airtight package. A compressible gasket can be attached around each of the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282, or another option is to surround the first print head assembly package 1084, respectively A compressible washer is attached to the rim of the package body 1085 of the second print head assembly. As depicted in FIG. 30, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 and the second print head assembly can be butted around the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282, respectively Washer 1285. The first print head assembly positioning system 1090 and the second print head assembly positioning system 1091 can maintain the first print head assembly package 1084 and the second print head assembly package 1085 and the first intermediate maintenance respectively The system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' are docked. For various printhead maintenance procedures, the docking may include forming a gasket seal between each of the printhead assembly packages and each of the maintenance system panel assemblies. When the first print head assembly package 1084 and the second print head assembly package 1085 are docked with the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' to seal the first When the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282 are formed, the combined structure thus formed is hermetically sealed.

During various print head maintenance procedures, the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 can be accessed by the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 and the second print head assembly positioning system, respectively 1091 are respectively positioned above the first print head assembly opening 1242 of the first base plate assembly 1241' and the second print head assembly opening 1282 of the second base plate assembly 1281'. In this regard, for various print head maintenance procedures, the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 can be positioned at the first print head assembly opening 1242 of the first base plate assembly 1241', respectively And the second base plate assembly 1281' above the second print head assembly opening 1282 without covering or sealing the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282. In addition, for various printhead maintenance procedures, the closure of the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 can use the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' as a section and the first The two intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' is separated from the remaining volume of the gas envelope assembly 1010 as a section. For various printhead maintenance procedures, the first printhead assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081 may be above the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 in Z The shaft is butted against the washer in the axial direction, thereby closing the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282. According to this teaching, depending on the forces applied to the first print head assembly body 1084 and the second print head assembly body 1085 in the Z-axis direction, the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second row The print head assembly opening 1282 may be covered or sealed. In this regard, the force applied to the first printhead assembly package 1084 in the Z-axis direction that can seal the first printhead assembly opening 1242 can use the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' as a zone The segment is isolated from the remaining frame member assembly section containing the gas inclusion assembly 1010. Similarly, the force applied to the second printhead assembly package 1085 in the Z-axis direction that can seal the second printhead assembly opening 1282 can use the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' as a section It is isolated from the remaining frame member assembly section containing the gas inclusion assembly 1010.

It is expected that in various embodiments of the gas package assembly 1010, a cover (such as, for example but not limited to, the gate valve assembly described above with respect to FIGS. 26 and 27A and 27B) may be installed in the first intermediate maintenance The system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. The cover can be used to respectively cover the first print head assembly opening 1242 of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second print head assembly opening 1282 of the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. As will be discussed in more detail later, the use of a cover (such as, for example, but not limited to, a gate valve assembly) to close the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 may allow the non-docking row In the case of the print head assembly, the first frame member assembly section is isolated from the second frame member assembly section. In this regard, various maintenance procedures can be performed without interrupting the printing process.

Figure 30 of the gas package assembly 1010 depicts a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' that may include a first rear wall panel assembly 1238'. Similarly, a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' that may include a second rear wall panel assembly 1278' is also depicted. The first rear wall panel assembly 1238' of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' may be constructed in a manner similar to that shown with respect to the second rear wall panel assembly 1278'. The second rear wall panel assembly 1278' of the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' can be constructed from a second rear wall frame assembly 1278 with a second seal support panel 1275, which supports the panel seal Installed to the second rear wall frame assembly 1278. The second seal support panel 1275 may have a second channel 1265 that is close to the second end (not shown) of the base 1070. The second seal 1267 may be mounted on the second seal support panel 1275 around the second channel 1265.

FIGS. 31A to 31F are schematic cross-sectional views of the gas envelope assembly 1010, which can further illustrate various aspects of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230′ and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270′. As one of ordinary skill can understand, consider that there can be a first print head assembly positioning system 1090 and a second print head assembly that can be used to position the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081, respectively. The symmetry of the printing system 1050 of the positioning system 1091 (see FIG. 30), the following teachings regarding the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230′ illustrated in FIGS. 31A to 31D can be applied to the second intermediate maintenance system panel Assembly 1270'.

FIG. 31A depicts a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas enclosure assembly 1010, which shows a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. The first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' of FIG. 31A can encapsulate the first maintenance system assembly 1250, which can be positioned relative to the first print head assembly opening 1242 by the first maintenance system positioning system 1251 System assembly. The first print head assembly opening 1242 is an opening in the first bottom plate assembly 1241', the first bottom plate assembly is formed by the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the first intermediate package panel assembly 1240' Shared panel. The first maintenance system positioning system 1251 can be installed on the first maintenance system assembly platform 1253, which can be firmly installed on the first end 1072 of the base 1070. The first maintenance system assembly platform 1253 can extend from the first end 1072 of the base 1070 through the first channel 1261 and into the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230'. Similarly, as depicted in FIG. 31A, the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270′ of FIG. 31A can encapsulate the second maintenance system assembly 1290, which can be positioned relative to the second print head by the second maintenance system positioning system 1291 An assembly opening 1282 is used to position the second maintenance system assembly. The second print head assembly opening 1282 is an opening in the first bottom plate assembly 1281', the first bottom plate assembly is the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' and the second intermediate body panel assembly 1280' Shared panel. The second maintenance system positioning system 1291 can be installed on a second maintenance assembly system platform 1293 which can extend from the second end 1074 of the base 1070 through the passage 1265 to enter the second intermediate maintenance system Panel assembly 1270'. The first seal 1263 may be installed on the first outer surface 1237 of the first seal support panel 1235 around the first channel 1261. Similarly, the second seal 1267 may be mounted on the second outer surface 1277 of the second seal support panel 1275 around the second channel 1265. The first seal 1263 and the second seal 1267 may be inflatable gaskets as previously described with respect to FIG. 28. Various embodiments of the first seal 1263 and the second seal 1267 may be permanently attached (eg, attached to the first outer surface 1237 and the second outer surface 1277, respectively, and attached to the base first of the base 1070 Flexible seals of the end 1072 and the second end 1074 of the base 1070). As previously discussed, the flexible seal may be a seal such as a bellows seal or lip seal. This permanently attached seal can provide the flexibility required to achieve various translational and vibratory movements of the base 1070 while providing a hermetic seal for the first channel 1261 and the second channel 1265.

FIGS. 31B and 31C illustrate the covering and sealing of various openings and channels of the gas package assembly 1010 of this teaching, which illustrates the positioning of the first print head assembly relative to the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230′ 1080 for various maintenance procedures. As mentioned earlier, the following teachings regarding the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' can also be applied to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'.

In FIG. 31B, the first print head assembly 1080 may include a print head device 1082 having at least one print head, the at least one print head including a plurality of nozzles or orifices. The print head device 1082 may be packaged in a first print head assembly package 1084, the first print head assembly package may have a first print head assembly package opening 1086, and the print head device 1082 may The package opening from the first print head assembly is positioned so that during printing, the nozzles eject ink onto the substrate mounted on the floating table 1054 at a controlled rate, speed, and size; the float The platform is supported by the floating platform support 1052. As previously discussed, the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 can be controlled during the printing process to position the first print head assembly 1080 above the substrate for printing. In addition, as depicted in FIG. 31B, for various embodiments of the gas package assembly 1010, the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 with controllable XZ axis movement can position the first print head assembly 1080 Above the opening 1242 of the first print head assembly. As depicted in FIG. 31B, the first print head assembly opening 1242 of the first base plate assembly 1241' is common to the first tundish panel assembly 1240' and the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230'.

The first print head assembly package 1084 of FIG. 31B may include a first print head assembly package rim 1088, which may be a first print head assembly opening 1242 and a first base plate assembly 1241 that surround the first print head assembly 'Docking surface. The first print head assembly body rim 1088 can engage the first print head assembly butt washer 1245, which is depicted in FIG. 31B to surround the first print head assembly The opening 1242 is attached. A person of ordinary skill will understand that although the first print head assembly package rim 1088 is shown to project inwardly, a variety of rims can be constructed on the first print head assembly package 1084 Any of them. In addition, although FIG. 31B depicts the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 being attached around the first print head assembly opening 1242, the general practitioner will understand that the gasket 1245 can be attached to the first Print head assembly package rim 1088. The first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 may be any of the gasket materials as previously described with respect to the sealing frame member assembly. In various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly 1010 of FIG. 31B, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 may be an inflatable gasket, such as gasket 1263. In this regard, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 may be an air-filled gasket as previously described with respect to FIG. 28. As previously presented, the first seal 1263 may be mounted on the first outer surface 1237 of the first seal support panel 1235 around the first channel 1261.

As depicted in FIGS. 31B and 31C, for various maintenance procedures that can be performed in a fully automated mode, the first print head assembly 1080 can remain positioned above the first print head assembly opening 1242. In this regard, the first print head assembly 1080 can be adjusted in the Z-axis direction by the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 so as to be relative to the first maintenance system above the first print head assembly opening 1242 The assembly 1250 positions the print head device 1082. In addition, the first maintenance system assembly 1250 can be adjusted in the Y-X axis direction on the first maintenance system positioning system 1251 to position the first maintenance system assembly 1250 relative to the print head device 1082. During various maintenance procedures, the first print head assembly 1080 can be placed to dock with the first print head assembly by further adjustments made by the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 in the Z-axis direction The gasket 1245 contacts, so that the first print head assembly package 1084 is placed in a position covering the first print head assembly opening 1242 (not shown). As depicted in FIG. 31C, for various maintenance procedures, such as but not limited to the maintenance procedures that require direct access to the interior of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230', the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 can be used Further adjustments in the Z-axis direction are made to dock the first print head assembly 1080 with the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245, thereby sealing the first print head assembly opening 1242. As mentioned previously, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 may be a compressible gasket material as described above with respect to the airtight seals of various frame members, or an inflatable gasket as described above with respect to FIG. 28 . In addition, as depicted in FIG. 31C, the inflatable gasket 1263 may be inflated, thereby sealingly closing the first passage 1261. In addition, the portions of the first printhead assembly package 1084 that form the housing can be constructed as described above with respect to the various panel assemblies, so that the frame assembly components and panels can provide an airtight package. Therefore, for FIG. 31C, when the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the first channel 1261 are hermetically closed, the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' can be isolated from the remaining volume of the gas package assembly 1010 open.

31D and FIG. 31E depict various embodiments of the gas enclosure 1010, wherein the first maintenance system assembly 1250 and the second maintenance system assembly 1290 can be installed on the first maintenance system assembly platform 1253 and the second maintenance system assembly, respectively On the platform 1293. In FIGS. 31D and 31E, the first maintenance system assembly platform 1253 and the second maintenance system assembly platform 1293 are respectively encapsulated in the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230′ and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270′ in. As mentioned earlier, the following teachings regarding the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' can also be applied to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. In this regard, as depicted in FIG. 31D, sufficient force applied in the Z-axis direction by the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 can be used to align the first print head assembly 1080 with the first print head The assembly butt gasket 1245 is butted so that the first print head assembly opening 1242 can be sealed. 31D, when the first print head assembly opening 1242 is hermetically closed, the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' can be isolated from the remaining volume of the gas package assembly 1010.

As previously taught with respect to various embodiments of the gas package assembly 1010 of FIGS. 31A to 31C, the print head can remain positioned over the first print head assembly opening 1242 during various maintenance procedures without covering or sealing The first print head assembly opening 1242 is such that the first print head assembly opening 1242 is closed. In various embodiments of the gas package assembly 1010, for various maintenance procedures, the print head assembly package can be placed in contact with the gasket by adjusting the Z axis to cover the print head assembly opening. In this regard, FIG. 31E can be explained in two ways. In the first explanation, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 and the second print head assembly butt gasket 1285 may be made of a compressible gasket material such as described above with regard to the airtight seals of various frame members. In FIG. 31E, the first print head assembly 1080 has been positioned above the first maintenance system assembly 1250 in the Z-axis direction so that the gasket 1245 has been compressed, thereby sealingly sealing the first print head assembly Opening 1242. In contrast, the second print head assembly 1081 has been positioned above the second maintenance system assembly 1290 in the Z-axis direction to contact the second print head assembly butt gasket 1285, thereby sealingly covering the first The second print head assembly has an opening 1282. In the second explanation, the first print head assembly butt washer 1245 and the second print head assembly butt washer 1285 may be air-filled washers as previously described with respect to FIG. 28. In FIG. 31E, the first print head assembly 1080 can be positioned above the first maintenance system assembly 1250 in the Z-axis direction so as to contact the first print head assembly butt washer 1245, thereby covering the first row印头总成开1242。 The print head assembly opening 1242. In contrast, the second print head assembly 1081 has been positioned above the second maintenance system assembly 1290 in the Z-axis direction so that when the second print head assembly butt gasket 1285 is inflated, the second row The print head assembly opening 1282 is hermetically closed.

FIG. 31F depicts that a cover (such as, for example, but not limited to, a gate valve assembly) can be used to seal maintenance such as exemplified using the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230′ and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270′ volume. The following teachings regarding the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' can be applied to various embodiments of the maintenance system panel assembly and the gas package assembly. As depicted in FIG. 31F, for example, but not limited to, the first print head assembly gate valve 1247 and the second print head assembly gate valve 1287 are used to close the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly, respectively. The opening 1282 can provide continuous operation of the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081, respectively. As described with respect to the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' of FIG. 31F, the first print head assembly gate valve 1247 is used to sealingly close the first print head assembly opening 1242 (as described with respect to FIGS. 27A and 27B Description) and hermetically closing the first channel 1261 around the base 1070 (as described with respect to FIG. 28) can be done remotely and automatically. Similarly, as described with respect to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' of FIG. 31F, the second print head assembly gate valve 1287 is used to sealingly close the second print head assembly opening 1282 (as with FIG. 27A and (Described in FIG. 27B) can be done remotely and automatically. It is expected that various printhead maintenance volume procedures can be facilitated by isolating the maintenance volume defined by, for example, the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' while still providing utilization The printing process of the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 continues.

As mentioned earlier, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 and the second print head assembly butt gasket can be attached around the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282, respectively 1285. In addition, as depicted in FIG. 31F, the first print head assembly butt gasket 1245 and the first print head assembly body rim 1088 and the second print head assembly body rim 1089 can be respectively attached The second print head assembly butt washer 1285. When the maintenance of the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 is instructed, the first print head assembly gate valve 1247 and the second print head assembly gate valve 1287 can be opened, and the first print The head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 can be docked with the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' as described above.

For example, but not limited to, the first maintenance system assembly can be completed by isolating the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' without interrupting the printing process 1250 and the second maintenance system assembly 1290 provide any maintenance procedures for maintenance. It is further expected that the following operations can be accomplished by isolating the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' without interrupting the printing process: Or the print head assembly is loaded into the system, or the print head or print head assembly is removed from the system. Such activities can be promoted automatically, for example, but not limited to, by using robots. For example, but not limited to, the automatic retrieval of the print heads stored in the maintenance volume (such as the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' of FIG. 31F) can be completed, and then Automatically replace the faulty print head on the print head device 1082 of the first print head assembly 1080 or the print head device 1083 of the second print head assembly 1081 with the active print head. Thereafter, the faulty print head can be automatically deposited into the module located in the first maintenance system assembly 1250 or the second maintenance system assembly 1290. These maintenance procedures can be performed in automated mode without interrupting the ongoing printing process.

After the faulty print head is automatically deposited in the first maintenance system assembly 1250 or the second maintenance system assembly 1290, the gate valve 1247 and the second print of the first print head assembly can be used by, for example but not limited to, The head assembly gate valve 1287 closes the first print head assembly opening 1242 and the second print head assembly opening 1282 to sealingly close and isolate the maintenance volume (such as the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate Maintenance system panel assembly 1270'). In addition, the maintenance volume (such as the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270') can then be opened to the atmosphere according to the previous teaching example, such as through individual intermediate maintenance system panel assembly openings, So that the faulty print head can be retrieved and replaced. As will be discussed in more detail later, because the various embodiments of the gas purification system are designed for the volume of the entire gas enclosure assembly, the gas purification resources can be specifically used to flush and maintain the volume of the volume that has been significantly reduced, This significantly reduces the system recovery time of the maintenance volume. In this regard, maintenance procedures that require the maintenance volume to be open to the atmosphere can be performed without interrupting the ongoing printing process or causing the least interruption to the ongoing printing process.

32 depicts an expanded view of the first maintenance system assembly 1250 according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system of the present teachings. As previously discussed, the maintenance system may include: for example, but not limited to, a droplet calibration station used to perform various print head calibration procedures; used to collect and contain the flushing of ink ejected from the print head during the flushing or start-up procedure Station; and an ink absorbing station for removing excess ink after a rinsing or starting procedure has been performed at the station. In addition, the maintenance system may include one or more stations for receiving one or more print heads that have been removed from the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 or A print head device, or used to store a print head or print head device that can be loaded into the first print head assembly 1080 and the second print head assembly 1081 during a maintenance procedure.

Various embodiments of the maintenance system assembly according to the present teachings (such as the first maintenance system assembly 1250 of FIG. 32) may include a droplet calibration module 1252, a rinse basin module 1254, and an ink absorption module 1256. The first maintenance system assembly 1250 may be installed on the first maintenance system positioning system 1251. The first maintenance system positioning system 1251 can provide Y-axis movement to selectively align each of the various modules and the print head assembly with the first print head assembly opening 1242, where the print head assembly It has a print head device equipped with at least one print head, such as the print head device 1082 of FIG. 31B. The positioning of the various modules and the print head assembly can be accomplished using a combination of the maintenance system positioning system 1251 and the first print head assembly positioning system 1090, where the print head assembly has a row equipped with at least one print head Print head device. The maintenance system positioning system 1252 can provide YX positioning of the various modules of the first maintenance system assembly 1250 relative to the first print head assembly opening 1242, and the first print head assembly positioning system 1090 can provide the first printing The head assembly 1080 is positioned at XZ above the opening 1242 of the first print head assembly. In this regard, a print head device equipped with at least one print head can be positioned above or in the first print head assembly opening 1242 for maintenance.

FIG. 33 illustrates an expanded perspective view of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230′, which depicts a covered glove port with gloves. As illustrated, it is contemplated that the various systems, such as maintenance of the first intermediate panel assembly 1230 'of the panel assembly of the maintenance system may be about the volume of 2m ^3. It is expected that various embodiments of the maintenance system panel assembly may have a volume of about 1 m ³ , and in various embodiments of the maintenance system panel assembly, the volume may be about 10 m ³ . For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, such as the gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIG. 29, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 1% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 2% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 10% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 50% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly.

The gas enclosure assembly and system according to the teachings may have a gas circulation and filtration system inside the gas enclosure assembly. This internal filtration system may have multiple fan filtration units in the interior, and may be configured to provide laminar flow of gas in the interior. The laminar flow may be in the direction from the top of the interior to the bottom of the interior, or in any other direction. Although the gas flow generated by the circulation system does not need to be laminar, the laminar flow of gas can be used to ensure the complete and complete turning of the gas in the interior. The laminar flow of gas can also be used to minimize turbulence. This turbulence is undesirable because it can cause particles in the environment to accumulate in these turbulent areas, which prevents the filtration system from removing them from the environment. particle. In addition, in order to maintain a desired temperature in the interior, a heat regulation system using a plurality of heat exchangers can be provided, which operates, for example, in conjunction with a fan or another gas circulation device, adjacent or in combination. The gas purification circuit may be configured to circulate gas from inside the gas enclosure assembly through at least one gas purification assembly outside the enclosure. In this regard, the combination of the filtration and circulation system inside the gas envelope assembly and the gas purification circuit outside the gas envelope assembly can provide a continuous flow of substantially low particulate inert gas throughout the gas envelope assembly Circulating, the inert gas has a substantially low content of reactive species. The gas purification system can be configured to maintain extremely low levels of undesirable components, such as organic solvents and their vapors, as well as water, water vapor, oxygen, and the like.

FIG. 34A is a schematic diagram showing the gas envelope assembly and the system 2100. FIG. Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 may include a gas enclosure assembly 1500 according to the present teachings, a gas purification circuit 2130 in fluid communication with the gas enclosure assembly 1500, and at least one thermal regulation system 2140. In addition, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly may have a pressurized inert gas recirculation system 2169 that can supply inert gas to operate various devices, such as those used in OLED printing systems Substrate floating table. As will be discussed in more detail later, the pressurized inert gas recirculation system 2169 can utilize a compressor, a blower, and a combination of both as a source for various embodiments of the inert gas recirculation system 2169. In addition, the gas envelope assembly and system 2100 may have a filtration and circulation system (not shown) inside the gas envelope assembly and system 2100.

For various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly according to the present teachings, the design of the pipeline can circulate the inert gas through the gas purification circuit 2130 of FIG. 34A and the various embodiments for the gas inclusion assembly are continuously filtered and The circulating inert gas is separated. The gas purification circuit 2130 includes an outlet line 2131 from the gas envelope assembly 1500 to the solvent removal assembly 2132, and then to the gas purification system 2134. The inert gas that has been purified without solvents and other reactive gas species such as oxygen and water vapor is then passed back to the gas envelope assembly 1500 via the inlet line 2133. The gas purification circuit 2130 may also include appropriate conduits and connectors and sensors, such as oxygen, water vapor, and solvent vapor sensors. Gas circulation units such as fans, blowers or motors, and the like may be separately provided or integrated in, for example, the gas purification system 2134 to circulate the gas through the gas purification circuit 2130. According to various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly, although the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 33 shows the solvent removal system 2132 and the gas purification system 2134 as separate units, the solvent removal system 2132 and the gas purification system 2134 can be used as The individual purification units are packaged together. The heat regulation system 2140 may include at least one chiller 2141, which may have a fluid outlet line 2143 for circulating the coolant into the gas envelope assembly and for returning the coolant to the quench之fluid inlet line 2145.

The gas purification circuit 2130 of FIG. 34A may have a solvent removal system 2132 placed upstream of the gas purification system 2134 so that the inert gas circulated from the gas envelope assembly 1500 passes through the solvent removal assembly 2132 via the outlet line 2131. According to various embodiments, the solvent removal system 2132 may be a solvent retention system based on the adsorption of solvent vapor from the inert gas passing through the solvent removal system 2132 of FIG. 34A. For example, but not limited to, one or more beds of adsorbents such as activated carbon, molecular sieves, and the like can effectively remove a variety of organic solvent vapors. For various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly, cold trap technology may be used in the solvent removal system 2132 to remove solvent vapor. As mentioned previously, for various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly according to the teachings, sensors such as oxygen, water vapor, and solvent vapor sensors can be used to monitor the continuous circulation of these species through the gas inclusion assembly Effective removal of inert gas into a system, such as the gas inclusion assembly system 2100 of FIG. 34. Various embodiments of the solvent removal system can indicate when adsorbents such as activated carbon, molecular sieves, and the like have reached capacity so that the bed or beds of adsorbent can be regenerated or replaced. The regeneration of molecular sieves may involve heating the molecular sieves, contacting the molecular sieves with forming gas, and combinations thereof and the like. Molecular sieves that are combined to trap various species including oxygen, water vapor, and solvents can be regenerated by heating and exposure to a synthesis gas containing hydrogen, such as synthesis gas containing about 96% nitrogen and 4% hydrogen, These percentages are based on volume or weight. The physical regeneration of activated carbon can be accomplished using a similar procedure of heating in an inert environment.

Any suitable gas purification system may be used for the gas purification system 2134 of the gas purification circuit 2130 of FIG. 34A. For example, gas purification systems available from MBRAUN (Statham, New Hampshire) or Innovative Technology of Amesbury (Massachusetts) can be used in various embodiments integrated into the gas envelope assembly of the present teachings. The gas purification system 2134 can be used to purify one or more inert gases in the gas envelope assembly and the system 2100, for example, to purify the entire gas atmosphere in the gas envelope assembly. As mentioned previously, in order to circulate gas through the gas purification circuit 2130, the gas purification system 2134 may have a gas circulation unit, such as a fan, a blower, or a motor, and the like. In this regard, the gas purification system may be selected depending on the volume of the envelope, which volume may define the volume flow rate used to move the inert gas through the gas purification system. For the various embodiments of body assembly and having a gas bag system of a volume of up to about 4m ³ of the gas bag body assembly; using a movable about 84m ³ / h of gas cleaning system. For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system having a gas envelope assembly with a volume of about 10 m ³ ; a gas purification system that can move about 155 m ³ /h can be used. For various embodiments of gas inclusion assemblies having a volume between about 52-114 m ³ , more than one gas purification system may be used.

The gas purification system 2134 of this teaching may include any suitable gas filter or purification device. In some embodiments, the gas purification system may include two parallel purification devices so that one of the devices can be removed from the line for maintenance, and the other device can be used to continue system operation without interruption. In some embodiments, for example, the gas purification system may include one or more molecular sieves. In some embodiments, the gas purification system may include at least a first molecular sieve and a second molecular sieve so that when one of the molecular sieves becomes saturated with impurities or otherwise deemed insufficient to operate efficiently, the system may Switch to another molecular sieve while regenerating the saturated or inefficient molecular sieve. A control unit can be provided, which is used to determine the operating efficiency of each molecular sieve, to switch between the operations of different molecular sieves, to regenerate one or more molecular sieves, or to combine them. As mentioned earlier, molecular sieves can be regenerated and reused.

Regarding the thermal conditioning system 2140 of FIG. 34A, at least one fluid quench 2141 can be provided for cooling the gas envelope assembly and the gas atmosphere in the system 2100. For the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, the fluid quench 2141 delivers the cooled fluid to the heat exchanger in the enclosure, where the inert gas is passed through the filter system inside the enclosure. The gas envelope assembly and the system 2100 may also be provided with at least one fluid quench to cool the heat generated by the equipment enclosed in the gas envelope 2100. For example, but not limited to, at least one fluid cooler may be provided for the gas package assembly and the system 2100 to cool the heat generated by the OLED printing system. The heat regulation system 2140 may include a heat exchange device or a Peltier device, and may have various cooling capabilities. For example, for various embodiments of gas envelope assemblies and systems, the quench can provide a cooling capacity of about 2 kW to about 20 kW. Fluid quenches 1136 and 1138 can quench one or more fluids. In some embodiments, the fluid quenchers may utilize multiple fluids as coolants, such as, but not limited to, water, antifreeze, refrigerants, and combinations thereof as heat exchange fluids. Appropriate leak-free locking connectors can be used to connect the associated catheters and system components.

Various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly as depicted with respect to the gas inclusion assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 and 24 or with respect to the gas inclusion assembly 1010 of FIGS. 29 and 30 may have a first frame defining a first volume A component assembly section and a second frame component assembly section defining a second volume, where each volume can be separated from another volume. For various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 and 24, or for the gas inclusion assembly 1010 of FIGS. 29 and 30, all the system features described with respect to the gas inclusion assembly of FIG. 34A can be Including the system features as these embodiments, these embodiments have a first frame member assembly section defining a first volume and a second frame member assembly section defining a second volume, where each volume can be One volume separates. In addition, as depicted in FIG. 34B with respect to the gas assembly and system 2100, for the gas envelope assembly having a first frame member assembly section defining a first volume and a second frame member assembly section defining a second volume In various embodiments, each volume can be individually in fluid communication with the gas purification circuit 2130.

As depicted in FIG. 34B, the gas enclosure assembly and the gas enclosure assembly 1500 of the system 2100 may have a first frame member assembly section 1500-S1 defining a first volume and a second frame member defining a second volume Assembly section 1500-S2. If all of the valves V _1, V _2, V ₃ and V ₄ is opened, the gas purification circuit 2130 operates substantially 1500 as previously described gas bag assembly and body of the system with respect to Figure 34A. With V ₃ and V ₄ closed, only the first frame member assembly section 1500-S1 is in fluid communication with the gas purification circuit 2130. This valve state may be, for example but not limited to, hermetically closing the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 during a maintenance process that requires the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 to be open to the atmosphere and thereby connecting it with the frame member Used when the assembly section 1500-S1 is isolated. With V ₁ and V ₂ closed, only the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 is in fluid communication with the gas purification circuit 2130. This valve state may be used, for example, but not limited to, during the recovery of the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 after the section has been opened to the atmosphere. As mentioned earlier, the requirements for the gas purification circuit 2130 are specified for the total volume of the gas envelope assembly 1500. Therefore, by dedicating the resources of the gas purification system to the restoration of the frame member assembly section such as the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2, the recovery time can be greatly reduced, wherein the second frame is depicted in FIG. 34B The volume of the component assembly section is significantly smaller than the total volume of the gas envelope 1500.

As depicted in FIGS. 35 and 36, the fan filter unit(s) can be configured to provide a substantial laminar flow of gas through the interior. According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, one or more fan units are arranged adjacent to the first inner surface of the gas atmosphere enclosure, and the duct inlet or inlets are arranged to The second opposing inner surface is adjacent. For example, the gas atmosphere enclosure may include an inner ceiling and a bottom inner periphery, the fan unit(s) may be arranged adjacent to the inner ceiling, and the duct inlet(s) may include an arrangement adjacent to the bottom inner periphery A plurality of inlet openings, which are part of a ductwork system as shown in FIGS. 15-17.

35 is a cross-sectional view taken along the length of the gas envelope assembly and system 2200 according to various embodiments of the present teachings. The gas package assembly and system 2200 of FIG. 35 may include: a gas package 1500 that can encapsulate the OLED printing system 50, and a gas purification system 2130 (see also FIG. 34), a thermal regulation system 2140, a filtration and circulation system 2150, and Piping system 2170. The thermal regulation system 2140 may include a fluid quench 2141 that is in fluid communication with the quench outlet line 2143 and the quench inlet line 2145. The quenched fluid can exit the fluid quench 2141, flow through the quench outlet line 2143, and can be transported to the heat exchanger. For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system as shown in FIG. 35, these The heat exchanger may be located close to each of the plurality of fan filter units. The fluid can be returned from the heat exchanger near the fan filter unit to the quench 2141 via the quench inlet line 2145 in order to maintain the fluid at a constant desired temperature. As mentioned earlier, the quench outlet line 2141 and the quench inlet line 2143 are in fluid communication with a plurality of heat exchangers, the plurality of heat exchangers including a first heat exchanger 2142, a second heat exchanger 2144, and a third heat Exchanger 2146. According to various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system as shown in FIG. 34, the first heat exchanger 2142, the second heat exchanger 2144, and the third heat exchanger 2146 are filtered with the first fan of the filtration system 2150, respectively The unit 2152, the second fan filter unit 2154 and the third fan filter unit 2156 are in thermal communication.

In FIG. 35, many arrows depict the flow to and from various fan filter units, and also depict the flow in the piping system 2170, which includes the first piping duct as depicted in the simplified schematic diagram of FIG. 34 2173和第二管管2174。 2173 and the second pipeline conduit 2174. The first duct conduit 2173 may receive gas via the first duct inlet 2171, and may exit via the first duct outlet 2175. Similarly, the second duct conduit 2174 may receive gas via the second duct inlet 2172, and may exit via the second duct outlet 2176. In addition, as shown in FIG. 34, the piping system 2170 separates the inert gas that is internally recirculated through the filter system 2150 by effectively defining a space 2180 that is in fluid communication with the gas purification system 2130 via a gas purification outlet line 2131. The circulation system, including various embodiments of the piping system as depicted in FIGS. 15 to 17, provides a substantially laminar flow, minimizes turbulence, promotes circulation, turning, and particulate filtering of the gas atmosphere in the interior of the envelope, and provides Through the circulation of the gas purification system outside the gas envelope assembly.

36 is a cross-sectional view taken along the length of the gas envelope assembly and the system 2300 of various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly according to the present teachings. Similar to the gas package assembly 2200 of FIG. 35, the gas package system 2300 of FIG. 36 may include: a gas package 1500 that can encapsulate the OLED printing system 50, and a gas purification system 2130 (see also FIG. 34 ), heat regulation system 2140, filtration and circulation system 2150, and piping system 2170. For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly 2300, the thermal regulation system 2140 (which may include the fluid quench 2141 in fluid communication with the quench outlet line 2143 and the quench inlet port 2145) may be in fluid communication with a plurality of heat exchangers, The plurality of heat exchangers are, for example, the first heat exchanger 2142 and the second heat exchanger 2144 as depicted in FIG. 36. According to various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system as shown in FIG. 36, various heat exchangers such as the first heat exchanger 2142 and the second heat exchanger 2144 can be positioned close to the pipe outlet (such as a pipe The first pipe outlet 2175 and the second pipe outlet 2176 of the system 2170 are in thermal communication with the circulating inert gas. In this regard, the inert gas returned from the pipeline inlet (such as the pipeline inlet, such as the first pipeline inlet 2171 and the second pipeline inlet 2172 of the pipeline system 2170) for filtration may be separately circulated through, for example, the filtration system 2150 of FIG. 36 The first fan filter unit 2152, the second fan filter unit 2154, and the third fan filter unit 2156 were thermally adjusted before.

As can be seen from the arrows in FIGS. 35 and 36 showing the direction of circulation of the inert gas through the envelope, the fan filter unit is configured to provide a general laminar flow from the top of the envelope down to the bottom. For example, fan filter units available from Flanders Corporation (Washington, North Carolina) or Envirco Corporation (Sanford, North Carolina) can be used to integrate into various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly according to the present teachings. Various embodiments of fan filter units can exchange approximately 350 cubic feet per minute (CFM) to approximately 700 CFM of inert gas through each unit. As shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, because the fan filter units are arranged in parallel rather than in series, the amount of inert gas that can be exchanged in a system that includes multiple fan filter units can be equal to the number of units used proportion. Near the bottom of the package, the airflow is directed to a plurality of duct inlets, which are schematically indicated as the first duct inlet 2171 and the second duct inlet 2172 in FIGS. 35 and 36. As previously discussed with respect to FIGS. 15-17, positioning the duct inlet substantially at the bottom of the package and causing the downward flow of gas from the upper fan filter unit promotes good turnover of the gas atmosphere in the package and promotes the entire gas atmosphere The complete reversal and movement through the gas purification system, the gas purification system is used in conjunction with the package. By circulating the gas atmosphere through a pipe (which separates the inert gas flow for circulation through the gas purification circuit 2130) and using the filtration and circulation system 2150 to promote the laminar flow and complete overturn of the gas atmosphere in the envelope, in the gas envelope assembly In various embodiments, the content of each of the reactive species (such as water and oxygen, and each of the solvents) may be maintained at 100 ppm or less, for example, 1 ppm or less, for example, 0.1 ppm or less .

According to various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly system used in the OLED printing system, the number of fan filter units can be selected according to the physical position of the substrate in the printing system during processing. Therefore, although three fan filter units are shown in FIGS. 35 and 36, the number of fan filter units may vary. For example, FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along the length of the gas inclusion assembly and the system 2400. The gas inclusion assembly and the system are similar to the gas inclusion assembly depicted in FIGS. 23 and 24, and FIGS. 29 and 30. Similar to the system. The gas package assembly and the system 2400 may include a gas package assembly 1500 that encapsulates the OLED printing system 1050 supported on the base 1220. The substrate floating table 1054 of the OLED printing system defines the distance that the substrate can be moved through the system 2400 during OLED printing of the substrate. Therefore, the gas package assembly and the filter system 2150 of the system 2400 have an appropriate number of fan filter units; these fan filter units are shown as 2151-2155, corresponding to the physical travel of the substrate through the OLED printing system 1050 during processing. In addition, the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 37 depicts the contouring of various embodiments of gas inclusions. This contouring can effectively reduce the volume of inert gas required during the OLED printing process, and at the same time provide the gas inclusions 1500. Easy internal access (for example, use gloves installed in various glove ports for remote access during operation, or direct access via a removable panel during maintenance operations).

Various embodiments of gas envelope assemblies and systems can use pressurized inert gas recirculation systems for the operation of various pneumatically operated devices and equipment. Additionally, as previously discussed, embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly of the present teachings can be maintained at a slight positive pressure relative to the external environment, such as but not limited to between about 2 mbarg and about 8 mbarg. Maintaining a pressurized inert gas recirculation system in a gas inclusion assembly system can be challenging because it involves maintaining a small positive internal pressure of the gas inclusion assembly and the system while continuously introducing pressurized gas to the gas inclusion assembly The dynamic and continuous balance function is proposed in the Chengji system. In addition, the variable requirements of various devices and equipment can produce irregular pressure distributions for various gas inclusion assemblies and systems taught in this teaching. Under these conditions, maintaining the dynamic pressure balance of the gas inclusion assembly maintained at a slight positive pressure relative to the external environment can provide the integrity of the ongoing OLED printing process.

As shown in FIG. 38, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system 3000 may have an external gas circuit 2500 that is used to integrate and control the inert gas source 2509 and the clean dry air (CDA) source 2512 in order to Used in all aspects of the operation of the gas envelope assembly and system 3000. Those of ordinary skill will understand that the gas envelope assembly and system 3000 may also include various embodiments of internal particle filtration and gas circulation systems as well as various embodiments of external gas purification systems as previously described. In addition to the external circuit 2500 for integrating and controlling the inert gas source 2509 and the CDA source 2512, the gas package assembly and system 3000 may also have a compressor circuit 2160, which can supply inert gas for operation and can be arranged in Various devices and equipment in the gas package assembly and the interior of the system 3000.

The compressor circuit 2160 of FIG. 38 may include a compressor 2162, a first accumulator 2164, and a second accumulator 2168 configured in fluid communication. The compressor 2162 may be configured to compress the inert gas drawn from the gas inclusion assembly 1500 to a desired pressure. The inlet side of the compressor circuit 2160 can be in fluid communication with the gas package assembly 1500 through the gas package assembly outlet 2501 through a line 2503, which has a valve 2505 and a check valve 2507. The compressor circuit 2160 may be in fluid communication with the gas package assembly 1500 on the outlet side of the compressor circuit 2160 via the external gas circuit 2500. The accumulator 2164 may be disposed between the junction of the compressor 2162 and the compressor circuit 2160 and the external gas circuit 2500, and may be assembled to generate a pressure of 5 psig or higher. Since the compressor piston circulates at about 60 Hz, a second accumulator 2168 may be located in the compressor circuit 2160 to provide damped fluctuations. For various embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160, the first accumulator 2164 may have a capacity between about 80 gallons and about 160 gallons, and the second accumulator may have a capacity between about 30 gallons and about 60 gallons. According to various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and the system 3000, the compressor 2162 may be a zero-intrusion compressor. Various types of zero-intrusion compressors can operate without leaking atmospheric gases into various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system of the present teachings. For example, in the OLED printing process using various devices and equipment requiring inert gas to be compressed, various embodiments of the zero-intrusion compressor can be continuously operated.

Accumulator 2164 may be configured to receive and accumulate compressed inert gas from compressor 2162. The accumulator 2164 can provide the compressed inert gas required in the gas envelope assembly 1500. For example, the accumulator 2164 may provide gas to maintain the pressure of various components of the gas envelope assembly 1500, such as but not limited to pneumatic robots, substrate floating tables, air bearings, air sleeves, compressed gas tools, pneumatic actuation One or more of the device and its combination. As shown in FIG. 38 with respect to the gas inclusion assembly and system 3000, the gas inclusion assembly 1500 may have an OLED printing system 50 enclosed therein. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 30, the OLED printing system 50 may be supported by the granite table 70 and may include a substrate floating table 54 for transferring the substrate into a position in the print head chamber and The substrate is supported during the OLED printing process. In addition, air bearings 58 supported on the bridge 56 can be used instead of, for example, linear mechanical bearings. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure and system taught in this teaching, the use of a variety of pneumatically operated devices and equipment can provide low particle generation performance and low maintenance. The compressor circuit 2160 can be configured to continuously supply pressurized inert gas to various devices and equipment of the gas envelope device 3000. In addition to the supply of pressurized inert gas, the substrate floating table 54 of the OLED printing system 50 using air bearing technology also uses a vacuum system 2550. When the valve 2554 is in the open position, the vacuum system is Connected into 1500.

The pressurized inert gas recirculation system according to the present teaching may have a pressure-controlled bypass circuit 2165 as shown in FIG. 38 with respect to the compressor circuit 2160. The requirements of this provide dynamic balance for various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly and system taught in this teaching. For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system according to the present teachings, the bypass loop can maintain a constant pressure in the accumulator 2164 without interrupting or changing the pressure in the envelope 1500. The bypass circuit 2165 may have a first bypass inlet valve 2161 on the inlet side of the bypass circuit 2165, which is closed unless a bypass circuit 2165 is used. The bypass circuit 2165 may also have a back pressure regulator that can be used when the second valve 2163 is closed. The bypass circuit 2165 may have a second accumulator 2168 arranged on the outlet side of the bypass circuit 2165. For various embodiments of a compressor circuit 2160 that utilizes zero-intrusion compressors, the bypass circuit 2165 can compensate for small pressure deviations that may occur over time during the use of the gas envelope assembly and system. When the bypass inlet valve 2161 is in the open position, the bypass circuit 2165 may be in fluid communication with the compressor circuit 2160 on the inlet side of the bypass circuit 2165. When the bypass inlet valve 2161 is opened, if no inert gas from the compressor circuit 2160 is needed in the interior of the gas package assembly 1500, the inert gas diverted through the bypass circuit 2165 can be recycled to the compressor. The compressor circuit 2160 is configured to shunt the inert gas through the bypass circuit 2165 when the pressure of the inert gas in the accumulator 2164 exceeds a preset critical pressure. The predetermined critical pressure of the accumulator 2164 may be between about 25 psig and about 200 psig at a flow rate of at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm), or at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm) Can be between about 50 psig to about 150 psig, or at a flow rate of at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm) can be between about 75 psig to about 125 psig, or at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm ) Flow rate can be between about 90 psig to about 95 psig.

Various embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160 may utilize a variety of compressors other than zero-intrusion compressors, such as variable speed compressors or compressors that may be controlled to be in an open or closed state. As previously discussed, the zero-invasion compressor ensures that no atmospheric reactive species can be introduced into the gas envelope assembly and system. Therefore, any compressor assembly that prevents atmospheric reactive species from being introduced into the gas envelope assembly and system can be used in the compressor circuit 2160. According to various embodiments, the gas envelope assembly and the compressor 2162 of the system 3000 may be packaged in, for example but not limited to, a hermetically sealed housing. The interior of the housing can be configured to be in fluid communication with a source of inert gas, such as the same inert gas that forms an inert gas atmosphere for the gas envelope assembly 1500. For various embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160, the compressor 2162 may be controlled at a constant speed to maintain a constant pressure. In other embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160 that does not utilize zero-intrusion compressors, the compressor 2162 may be turned off when the maximum critical pressure is reached, and the compressor 2162 may be turned on when the minimum critical pressure is reached.

In FIG. 39 regarding the gas package assembly and the system 3100, the blower circuit 2190 and the blower vacuum circuit 2550 are shown. These circuits are used for the substrate floating stage of the OLED printing system 1050 enclosed in the gas package assembly 1500. 1054 operation. As previously discussed with respect to compressor circuit 2160, blower circuit 2190 may be configured to continuously supply pressurized inert gas to substrate floating table 54.

Various embodiments of gas envelope assemblies and systems that can utilize pressurized inert gas recirculation systems can have various circuits that utilize multiple sources of pressurized gas, such as at least one of compressors, blowers, and combinations thereof. In FIG. 39 regarding the gas envelope assembly and the system 3100, the compressor circuit 2160 can be in fluid communication with an external gas circuit 2500, which can be used for a high consumption manifold 2525 and low consumption The manifold 2513 supplies inert gas. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system according to the present teaching, as shown in the gas enclosure assembly and system 3000 in FIG. 39, the high-consumption manifold 2525 can be used to supply inert gas to various devices and equipment, Such as, but not limited to, one or more of a substrate floating table, a pneumatic robot, an air bearing, an air sleeve, and compressed air tools, and combinations thereof. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system according to the teachings, the low consumption 2513 can be used to supply inert gas to various equipment and devices, such as but not limited to one of isolator and pneumatic actuator and their combination or More.

For various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system 3100, the blower circuit 2190 can be used to supply pressurized inert gas to the various embodiments of the substrate floating table 1054, and the compressor circuit 2160 in fluid communication with the external gas circuit 2500 can be used to supply Pressurize the inert gas to, for example but not limited to, one or more of pneumatic robots, air bearings, air sleeves and compressed gas tools, and combinations thereof. In addition to the supply of pressurized inert gas, the substrate floating table 54 of the OLED printing system 1050 using air bearing technology also uses a blower vacuum 2550, which is connected to the gas envelope assembly via the line 2552 when the valve 2554 is in the open position 1500 connected. The housing 2192 of the blower circuit 2190 can maintain: a first blower 2194, which is used to supply a source of pressurized inert gas to the substrate floating table 1054; and a second blower 2550, which serves as a substrate for the substrate floating table 1054 in an inert gas environment Vacuum source. For various embodiments of the substrate floating table, properties that can make the blower suitable for use as a source of pressurized inert gas or vacuum include: for example, but not limited to, the blower has high reliability; the blower has low maintenance, has variable speed control and has the broad flow volume; various embodiments can be provided between about 100m ³ / h to a volume flow rate of between about 2,500m ³ / h. Various embodiments of the blower circuit 2190 may additionally have: a first isolation valve 2193 located at the inlet end of the blower circuit 2190; and a check valve 2195 and a second isolation valve 2197 located at the outlet end of the blower circuit 2190. Various embodiments of the blower circuit 2190 may have: an adjustable valve 2196, which may be, for example but not limited to, a gate valve, a butterfly valve, or a ball valve; and a heat exchanger 2198, which is used to convert the blower assembly 2190 to The inert gas of the substrate floating table system 1054 is maintained at a defined temperature.

FIG. 39 depicts an external gas circuit 2500 also shown in FIG. 38, which is used to integrate and control an inert gas source 2509 and a clean dry air (CDA) source 2512 for use in the gas envelope assembly of FIG. 38 and Various aspects of the operation of the system 3000 and the gas envelope assembly of FIG. 39 and the system 3100. The external gas circuit 2500 of FIGS. 38 and 39 may include at least four mechanical valves. Such valves include a first mechanical valve 2502, a second mechanical valve 2504, a third mechanical valve 2506, and a fourth mechanical valve 2508. These various valves are located in various flow paths in a position that allows control of the following two: inert gas, for example, any one of nitrogen, rare gas and any combination thereof; and air source, such as clean and dry Air (CDA). The packaged inert gas line 2510 extends from the packaged inert gas source 2509. The encapsulated inert gas line 2510 continues to linearly extend as a low-consumption manifold line 2512, which is in fluid communication with the low-consumption manifold 2513. The first cross section 2514 extends from the first flow contact 2516 at the intersection of the encapsulated inert gas line 2510, the low-consumption manifold line 2512, and the first section 2514 of the cross line. The cross section first section 2514 extends to the second flow junction 2518. The compressor inert gas line 2520 extends from the accumulator 2164 of the compressor circuit 2160 and terminates at the second flow contact 2518. The CDA line 2522 extends from the CDA source 2512 and continues as a high-consumption manifold line 2524 that is in fluid communication with the high-consumption manifold 2525. The third flow contact 2526 is located at the intersection of the second section 2528 of the crossover line, the clean and dry air line 2522, and the high-consumption manifold line 2524. The second cross section 2528 extends from the second flow junction 2518 to the third flow junction 2526.

With regard to the description of the external gas circuit 2500 and with reference to FIG. 40, the following is an overview of some various operating modes, where FIG. 40 is a table of valve positions for various operating modes of the gas envelope assembly and system.

The table of FIG. 40 indicates a processing mode in which the valve state produces an inert gas compressor-only operating mode. In the processing mode as shown in FIG. 38 and indicated in FIG. 40 regarding the valve state, the first mechanical valve 2502 and the third mechanical valve 2506 are in a closed configuration. The second mechanical valve 2504 and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in an open configuration. Due to these specific valve configurations, compressed inert gas is allowed to flow to the low consumption manifold 2513 and to the high consumption manifold 2525. Under normal operation, the inert gas from the packaged inert gas source and the clean dry air from the CDA source are prevented from flowing to any of the low consumption manifold 2513 and the high consumption manifold 2525.

As indicated in FIG. 40 and with reference to FIG. 39, there is a series of valve states for maintenance and recovery. Various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system of this teaching may require maintenance from time to time, and additionally need to recover from system failures. In this particular mode, the second mechanical valve 2504 and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in a closed configuration. The first mechanical valve 2502 and the third mechanical valve 2506 are in an open configuration. The packaged inert gas source and CDA source provide an inert gas that will be supplied by the low consumption manifold 2513 to those components that are low consumption and additionally have an invalid volume that will be difficult to effectively flush during recovery. Examples of such components include pneumatic actuators. In contrast, high-consumption manifolds 2525, CDA can be supplied to those components that are high-consumption during maintenance. The use of valves 2504, 2508, and 2530 to isolate the compressor prevents reactive species such as oxygen and water vapor from contaminating the inert gas in the compressor and accumulator.

After maintenance or restoration has been completed, the gas envelope assembly must be flushed through several cycles until each of the various reactive atmospheric species such as oxygen and water has reached a sufficiently low level, for example 100 ppm or less, for example 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. As indicated in FIG. 40 and with reference to FIG. 39, during the flush mode, the third mechanical valve 2506 is closed and the fifth mechanical valve 2530 is also in the closed configuration. The first mechanical valve 2502, the second mechanical valve 2504, and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in an open configuration. Due to this particular valve arrangement, only the inert gas of the package is allowed to flow and to both the low consumption manifold 2513 and the high consumption manifold 2525.

As indicated in FIG. 40 and referring to FIG. 38, the "no flow" mode and the leak test mode are modes used as needed. The "no flow" mode is a mode in which the following valve states are configured, in which the first mechanical valve 2502, the second mechanical valve 2504, the third mechanical valve 2506, and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in a closed configuration. This closed assembly system produces a "no flow" mode in which no gas from any of the inert gas source, CDA source, or compressor source can reach the low-consumption manifold 2513 or the high-consumption manifold 2525. This "no-flow mode" can be useful when the system is not in use and can remain idle for a long time. The leak test mode can be used to detect leaks in the system. The leak test mode uses a specially compressed inert gas that isolates the system from the high-consumption manifold 2525 of FIG. 39 in order to isolate low-consumption components (such as isolators and pneumatic actuators) of the low-consumption manifold 2513. ) Conduct a leak check. In this test mode, the first mechanical valve 2502, the third mechanical valve 2506, and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in a closed configuration. Only the second mechanical valve 2504 is in the open configuration. Therefore, compressed nitrogen can flow from the compressor inert gas source 2519 to the low consumption manifold 2513, and there is no gas flowing to the high consumption manifold 2525.

Various embodiments of the floating platform can be used in any of the various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system of the present teaching to achieve stable delivery of loads such as OLED flat panel display substrates. It is expected that the frictionless floating table may provide stable delivery of loads such as OLED substrates for printing in any of the various embodiments of the inert gas envelope of the present teachings.

For example, in FIG. 1, the gas inclusion assembly and system 2000 may include a gas inclusion assembly 1500 having an inlet gate 1512 and an outlet gate 1522, which are used to move substrates such as OLED flat panel display substrates into and Remove the gas inclusion system 2000. In FIG. 37, the gas package assembly and the system 2400 may have the gas package assembly 1500 shown supported on the base 1200, which may encapsulate the OLED printing system 50. The substrate floating table 54 of the OLED printing system 50 defines the travel that the substrate (not shown) can be moved through the inert gas envelope assembly and the system 2400 during inkjet printing of the OLED flat panel display substrate. As previously discussed with respect to FIG. 38, various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system may have external circuits including, for example, but not limited to, providing pressurized inert gas and vacuum used in the operation of the floating platform Compressor circuit and vacuum source. As previously discussed with respect to FIG. 39, various embodiments of external circuits utilizing blower technology can provide a pressurized inert gas and vacuum source for operating the floating platform.

As previously discussed, various embodiments of the gas inclusion assembly and system of the present teachings can handle a range of OLED flat panel display substrates, ranging from smaller than Gen 3.5 substrates with dimensions of approximately 61cm x 72cm, and gradually For the size of the higher generation. It is expected that various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system can handle the size of the 5.5th generation mother glass with a size of about 130cm X 150cm, and the 7.5th generation with a size of about 195cm x 225cm, and each substrate can be cut into Eight 42" tablets or six 47" tablets and larger. As previously discussed, the 8.5th generation is approximately 220cm x 250cm, and each substrate can be cut into six 55" plates or eight 46" plates. However, the size of the substrate generation continues to advance, so that the currently available 10th generation with dimensions of approximately 285 cm x 305 cm will not be the ultimate generation of substrate size. In addition, the sizes enumerated by the terms resulting from the use of glass-based substrates can be applied to substrates of any material suitable for use in OLED printing. Therefore, in various embodiments of the gas envelope assembly and system of the present teaching, there are multiple substrate sizes and materials that need to be stably transported during printing.

In FIG. 41, a floating platform according to various embodiments of the present teachings is depicted. The current technology floating platform 700 may have a zone 710 in which pressure and vacuum may be applied through a plurality of ports. This zone with pressure and vacuum control can effectively provide a fluidic spring with bidirectional stiffness between zone 710 and the substrate (not shown), thereby creating substantial control of the gap between the substrate and zone 710 . The gap that exists between the load and the surface of the floating platform is called the fly height. A zone such as zone 710 of the floating platform 700 of FIG. 41 can provide a controllable suspension height for loads such as substrates, in which a plurality of pressure ports and vacuum ports are used to generate a fluid spring with bidirectional stiffness.

Those near the zone 710 are the first transition zone 720 and the second transition zone 722, respectively, and then those near the first transition zone 720 and the second transition zone 722 are only the pressure zones 740 and 742, respectively. In these transition zones, the ratio of the pressure nozzle to the vacuum nozzle gradually increases toward the pressure-only zone to provide a gradual transition from zone 710 to zones 740 and 742. As indicated in Figure 41, Figure 42 depicts an expanded view of the three zones. For various embodiments of the substrate floating table such as depicted in FIG. 41, only the pressure zones 740, 742 are depicted as consisting of rail structures. For various embodiments of the substrate floating table, the pressure-only zone (such as the pressure-only zone 740, 742 of FIG. 41) may be composed of a continuous plate (such as the continuous plate depicted with respect to the pressure-vacuum zone 710 of FIG. 41).

For various embodiments of the floating platform as depicted in FIG. 41, there may be a substantially uniform height between the pressure-vacuum zone, the transition zone, and the pressure-only zone, so that within tolerance, the three zones are located substantially in one In the plane. The general artisan will understand that the length of the various zones can vary. For example, but not limited to, in order to provide a sense of scale and proportion, for various substrates, the transition zone may be about 400 mm, while only the pressure zone may be about 2.5 m, and the pressure-vacuum zone may be about 800 mm.

In FIG. 41, only the pressure zones 740 and 742 do not provide fluid springs with bidirectional stiffness, and therefore do not provide the control that zone 710 can provide. Therefore, the levitation height of the load above the pressure-only zone is generally greater than the levitation height of the substrate above the pressure-vacuum zone so as to allow sufficient height in the pressure-only zone so that the load will not collide with the floating platform. For example, but not limited to, it may be necessary to process the OLED panel substrate to have a levitation height between about 150 μ to about 300 μ above only the pressure area such as areas 740 and 742, and then to have about 30 μ to above the pressure-vacuum area such as area 710 Suspension height between about 50μ.

For various embodiments of the floating platform 700, the result of having a combination of different zones that provide variable suspension heights for all zones and a uniform height across the floating platform is that substrate deflection may occur as the substrate travels above the floating platform. 43A and 43B depict the deflection of the substrate as the substrate 760 travels above the floating platform 700. FIG. Portion 710 having a first upper vacuum region levitation height FH _1, and the substrate 760 resides just above the pressure zone 740 - in FIG. 43A, when the substrate 760 travels over the floating station 700, the substrate 760 residing in the pressure It has a second flying height FH ₂ , and the portion of the substrate 760 that resides above the transition zone 720 has a variable flying height. In FIG. 43B, when the substrate 760 travels in the opposite direction above the floating table 700, the portion of the substrate 760 that resides above the pressure-vacuum zone 710 has the first flying height FH ₁ , while the substrate 760 resides in the pressure-only zone 742 The upper portion has a second flying height FH ₂ , and the portion of the substrate 760 that resides above the transition zone 722 may have a variable flying height. Therefore, in any direction of travel of the substrate 150 above the floating table 200, deflection in the substrate 760 is apparent.

In various embodiments of the gas package assembly and system of the present teaching that can encapsulate a printing system (such as but not limited to OLED display panel substrates), a certain degree of substrate deflection may There are no adverse effects on manufactured items. However, for various embodiments of the printing process using the gas envelope assembly and system according to the teachings, substrate deflection may have an adverse effect on the manufactured article.

Therefore, various embodiments of the floating platform as depicted in FIG. 44 may have a variable transition zone height to maintain a load such as an OLED flat panel display substrate substantially flat as the substrate moves over the floating platform. FIG. 44 depicts a first transition zone 820 and a second transition zone 822 with an inclined arrangement, which transition zones are between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the first pressure-only zone 840 and the second pressure-only zone 842, respectively. The inclined arrangement of the first transition zone 820 and the second transition zone 822 provides a height difference between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the first pressure-only zone 840 and the second pressure-only zone 842. As depicted in FIG. 44, within the tolerance, the first pressure-only region 840 and the second pressure-only region 842 are located substantially in the same plane, and the pressure-vacuum region 810 is located in a plane parallel to the pressure-only region. The substantially parallel plane defined by the pressure-vacuum zone 810 relative to the first pressure-only zone 840 and the second pressure-only zone 842 is offset by a height difference that compensates for the difference in suspension height above the various zones.

As previously discussed with respect to various embodiments of the substrate floating table as depicted in FIG. 41, only the pressure zones 840, 842 are depicted in FIG. 44 as being composed of rail structures. For various embodiments of the substrate floating table, only the pressure zone (such as the pressure zone 840, 842 of FIG. 44) may be composed of a continuous plate (such as the continuous plate depicted with respect to the pressure-vacuum zone 810 of FIG. 44).

As depicted in FIGS. 45A and 45B, for various embodiments of the floating platform 700 according to the present teachings, the result of having a combination of different regions that provide variable floating heights for all regions and different heights across the floating platform is when the substrate When traveling above the floating platform, the substrate can maintain a substantially flat arrangement.

Portion 810 having a first upper vacuum region levitation height FH _1, and the substrate 860 resides just above the pressure zone 840 - in FIG. 45A, when the substrate 860 travels over the floating station 800, the substrate 860 residing in the pressure With a second flying height FH ₂ . However, the transition zone 820 has an inclined arrangement that provides a height difference between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the pressure-only zone 840, which can compensate for the difference in suspension height between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the pressure-only zone 840 As the substrate 860 travels over three different zones, the substrate 860 maintains a substantially flat arrangement. Portion 810 having a first upper vacuum region levitation height FH _1, and the substrate 860 resides just above the pressure zone 842 - in FIG. 45B, when the substrate 860 travels over the floating station 800, the substrate 860 residing in the pressure With a second flying height FH ₂ . However, the transition zone 842 has an inclined arrangement that provides a height difference between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the pressure-only zone 842, which can compensate for the difference in suspension height between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the pressure-only zone 842 As the substrate 860 travels over three different zones, the substrate 860 maintains a substantially flat arrangement. Therefore, in any direction of travel of the substrate 860 above the floating table 800, the substrate 860 can maintain a substantially flat arrangement.

Various embodiments of the floating platform 700 and the floating platform 800 can be accommodated in a gas enclosure including the gas enclosure assembly taught in this teaching, such as, but not limited to, the description and description with respect to FIGS. 3, 23, and 29 The other gas inclusion assemblies can be integrated with various system functions described in relation to FIG. 34. Various embodiments of gas enclosures and gas enclosures that can have various embodiments of external circuits (such as but not limited to those described with respect to FIGS. 38 and 39, which can provide pressurized inert gas and vacuum) Various embodiments of the system may utilize various embodiments of the floating platform to deliver loads in an inert gas environment according to the present teachings.

All announcements, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual announcement, patent or patent application was specifically and individually instructed to be included by reference .

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these embodiments are provided by way of example only. Now, those skilled in the art will think of many changes, changes, and replacements without departing from the content of this disclosure. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the disclosed content described herein may be used to practice the disclosed content. It is hoped that the scope of the following patent applications defines the scope of the content of this disclosure, and thereby covers methods and structures within the scope of these patent applications and their equivalents.

1100’: Front panel assembly

1120’: Front base panel assembly

1140’: Front wall panel assembly

1160’: Ceiling panel assembly

1200’: Middle panel assembly

1230’: The first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly

1240’: The first intermediate body panel assembly

1260’: Middle wall and ceiling panel assembly

1280’: Second intermediate body panel assembly

1300’: Rear panel assembly

1320’: Rear base panel assembly

1340’: Rear wall panel assembly

1360’: Rear ceiling panel assembly

Claims (23)

A gas inclusion system comprising: a gas inclusion assembly including a plurality of frame member assemblies hermetically connected to define an interior, the gas inclusion assembly being assembled to remain in the interior An inert gas atmosphere at a first pressure; an inert gas recirculation system in flow communication with the interior to recirculate the inert gas in the interior of the inert gas atmosphere in the interior; and a pneumatic device in the interior To receive pressurized inert gas from a pressurized inert gas supply separate from the inert gas recirculation system, the pneumatic device receives pressurized inert gas at a second pressure different from the first pressure. For example, in the gas inclusion system of claim 1, the first pressure is at least atmospheric pressure, and the second pressure is higher than the first pressure. A gas inclusion system as claimed in item 1 of the patent scope further includes a pressurized inert gas recirculation system in fluid communication with the interior and with the pneumatic device to supply the pressurized inert gas to the pneumatic device. For example, the gas inclusion system of claim 3 of the patent scope further includes: a floating platform in the interior; and a blower circuit in fluid communication with the floating platform, the blower circuit includes: a first blower It is in fluid communication with the floating platform to supply pressurized inert gas to the floating platform; and a second blower is in fluid communication with the floating platform to provide a vacuum source to the floating platform. The gas inclusion system of claim 3, wherein the pressurized inert gas recirculation system further includes: an outlet from the interior to supply an inert gas from the inert gas atmosphere in the interior to the pressurized An inert gas recirculation system; a compressor, which is downstream of the outlet; and an accumulator, which is downstream of the compressor. For example, the gas inclusion system of claim 5 of the patent application further includes a pressure-controlled bypass circuit in selective fluid communication with the downstream of the compressor and the upstream of the accumulator to The pressurized inert gas flowing from the compressor is diverted to the accumulator, and the pressurized inert gas is recirculated to the compressor. A gas inclusion system as claimed in item 6 of the patent application, wherein the pressure-controlled bypass circuit is placed in fluid communication in response to a pressure in the accumulator exceeding a critical pressure to recirculate pressurized gas to the compressor. For example, in the gas inclusion system of claim 7, the critical pressure ranges from 25 psig to 200 psig for a flow rate of at least 1 cubic foot per minute. A gas inclusion system as claimed in item 6 of the patent application, wherein the pressure control type bypass circuit further includes a bypass valve operable to selectively place the pressure control type bypass circuit with the compressor Downstream is in flow communication to divert the flow of pressurized inert gas from the compressor to the accumulator, and recirculate the pressurized inert gas to the compressor. For example, in the gas envelope system of claim 9, the pressure control type bypass circuit further includes an additional accumulator positioned downstream of the bypass valve and upstream of the compressor. For example, the gas inclusion system of item 1 of the scope of patent application, which further includes the internal In a blower circuit in fluid communication, the blower circuit includes a first blower in fluid communication with the pneumatic device to supply pressurized inert gas to the pneumatic device. For example, in the gas envelope system of claim 11, the blower circuit further includes a second blower in fluid communication with the pneumatic device to provide a vacuum source to the pneumatic device. For example, the gas inclusion system of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic device is selected from at least one of a pneumatic robot, a floating platform, an air bearing, an air sleeve, a compressed gas tool, and a pneumatic actuator By. For example, the gas inclusion system according to item 1 of the patent application scope further includes a printing system disposed in the interior. For example, the gas inclusion system of the patent application item 14, wherein the printing system includes an inkjet printing assembly. For example, in the gas inclusion system of claim 1, the pressurized inert gas is one or more of nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon. For example, the gas inclusion system of claim 1 further includes a gas purification circuit in fluid communication with the interior. A gas inclusion system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the gas purification circuit includes: an inlet in fluid communication with the interior to receive an inert gas from an inert gas atmosphere within the interior; a gas purification assembly, which Downstream of the inlet; and an outlet downstream of the gas purification assembly, the outlet is in flow communication with the interior to supply an inert gas from the gas purification assembly to the interior. A gas inclusion system as claimed in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the inert gas recirculation system includes one or more filters. A gas inclusion system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the inert gas recirculation system is located in the interior. A gas inclusion system as claimed in item 20 of the patent application, wherein the inert gas recirculation system includes a pipe positioned around a periphery of the interior. A gas inclusion system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the inert gas recirculation system includes an inert gas recirculation circuit positioned outside the interior, and the inert gas recirculation circuit includes an inlet to receive the gas from the interior The inert gas in the inert gas atmosphere includes an outlet to recycle the inert gas to the interior. A gas inclusion system as claimed in item 1 of the patent application, wherein the gas inclusion assembly is assembled to maintain an inert gas atmosphere containing water and oxygen each having a content of 100 ppm or less.

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