Gas enclosure assembly and system
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.
1. An inkjet printer, comprising:
a printing system comprising a printhead;
a main enclosure surrounding the printing system to isolate an environment around the printing system;
a first enclosure within the main enclosure, the first enclosure housing the printing system;
a second enclosure within the main enclosure;
a sealable opening between the first enclosure and the second enclosure; and
a maintenance system within the second enclosure.
2. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , further comprising a gas circulation loop, wherein sealing the sealable opening isolates the second enclosure from the gas circulation loop.
3. The inkjet printer of claim 2 , further comprising a gas purification system coupled to the main enclosure.
4. The inkjet printer of claim 3 , wherein the gas purification system is coupled to the gas circulation loop.
5. The inkjet printer of claim 3 , wherein the gas purification system is coupled to one or more of the first enclosure and the second enclosure.
6. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , further comprising a motion system coupled to the printhead to position the printhead to access the maintenance system.
7. The inkjet printer of claim 6 , further comprising a floatation table support, wherein the motion system comprises a bridge that extends across the flotation table support and a carriage that couples the printhead to the bridge.
8. The inkjet printer of claim 7 , wherein the second enclosure is located at a side of the floatation table support and the bridge extends to a location adjacent to the second enclosure.
9. The inkjet printer of claim 1 , wherein the second enclosure comprises a second sealable opening that is operable to expose the second enclosure to an environment external to the main enclosure.
10. A method comprising:
operating a motion system to move a printhead assembly from a first enclosure located within a main enclosure across a substrate support table to a second enclosure located within the main enclosure at a side of the substrate support table, wherein:
the first enclosure houses a printing system comprising the printhead assembly, and
the second enclosure houses a subsystem used to perform at least one of printhead maintenance and printhead calibration;
positioning the printhead assembly to access the subsystem;
isolating the second enclosure from the first enclosure; and
performing at least one of a maintenance procedure and a calibration procedure on the printhead assembly while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein moving the printhead assembly comprises operating a carriage assembly that couples the printhead assembly to a bridge that extends across the substrate support table.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, while performing printhead maintenance or printhead calibration, controlling a processing environment within the first enclosure according to a defined specification that is different from an environment external to the gas enclosure.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling the processing environment comprises controlling a level of one or more reactive species within the first enclosure.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling the processing environment comprises providing an inert gas processing environment within the first enclosure.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling the processing environment comprises controlling an amount of particulates within the first enclosure.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising accessing the second enclosure from an environment external to the gas enclosure while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising loading at least one of a replacement printhead and a replacement printhead assembly into the second enclosure while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising removing at least one of a malfunctioning printhead and a malfunctioning printhead assembly from the second enclosure while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure.
19. A method, comprising:
operating a motion system to move a printhead assembly from a first enclosure located within a main enclosure across a substrate support table to a second enclosure located within the main enclosure at a side of the substrate support table, wherein:
the first enclosure houses a printing system comprising the printhead assembly, and
the second enclosure houses a subsystem used to perform at least one of printhead maintenance and printhead calibration;
positioning the printhead assembly to access the subsystem;
isolating the second enclosure from the first enclosure;
accessing the second enclosure from an environment external to the main enclosure while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure;
controlling a processing environment within the first enclosure according to a defined specification that is different from an environment external to the main enclosure while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure; and
performing at least one of a maintenance procedure and a calibration procedure on the printhead assembly while the second enclosure is isolated from the first enclosure.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein moving the printhead assembly to the second enclosure seals an opening between the first enclosure and the second enclosure.