Apparatus for application of a chemical process on a component surface

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6203616
  • Patent Number
    6,203,616
  • Date Filed
    Friday, April 2, 1999
    25 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, March 20, 2001
    23 years ago
  • CPC
  • US Classifications
    Field of Search
    • US
    • 427 282
    • 118 500
    • 118 503
    • 118 504
    • 029 423
    • 029 424
    • 029 2815
    • 029 235
    • 204 297 R
    • 204 224 R
    • 204 297 W
    • 204 272
    • 422 292
    • 269 47
    • 269 52
  • International Classifications
    • B05C1302
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus and method for application of a chemical process on a component surface is provided. In an embodiment for an apparatus for preparing a component surface for application of a chemical process, the apparatus includes a base, an o-ring retainer, an o-ring, a boot, and a retention ring. The component is mounted on the base. The o-ring is positioned on the o-ring retainer and the o-ring retainer is inserted through an aperture in the component and mated with the base. The assembled component, base, o-ring retainer, and o-ring are positioned within the boot. The retention ring is positioned around the boot. In an embodiment for a method for applying a wet chemical solution to the component surface to oxidize the component surface, where the wet chemical solution is contained within a tank, the method steps include immersing the component in the wet chemical solution, heating the wet chemical solution with a heater, and positioning the surface of the component in a horizontal, upward facing position and within the tank such that a baffle is disposed between the surface and the heater.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for application of a chemical process on a component surface. More specifically, the invention provides for applying a chemical process to a copper alloy plunger that is utilized in a fiber optic repeater to oxidize a portion of the surface of the plunger. The plunger is ultimately bonded with a polyethylene at the oxidation interface. The oxidized surface increases the bonding strength between the copper alloy plunger and the polyethylene.




Undersea fiber optic communication systems carry ever-increasing amounts of information. These systems are installed in-place under the oceans of the world and carry a large majority of the information that is transmitted between the world's continents. These fiber optic transmission systems remain in-place on the bottom of the ocean for years at a time.




Long distance undersea fiber optic transmission systems include fiber optic repeaters at regular intervals that regenerate the optical signals that are received at the repeaters so that the transmitted signal does not become so attenuated during its transmission that it cannot be interpreted at the receiving station. Because these repeaters are installed under the sea and rest on the sea bottom, these repeaters must withstand extreme pressures.




As can be seen in

FIG. 1

, typically the repeater


100


is formed as a cylindrical, metal container. An input fiber optic cable


10


delivers fiber optic signals into repeater


100


and an output fiber optic cable


120


carries the regenerated optical signals from repeater


100


. Because the repeater is under extreme pressure when installed on the sea floor, a seal must be provided at the point of entry for cables


110


,


120


into repeater


100


. The seal is circular in cross-section and defines a central aperture that extends therethrough. Fiber optic cables


110


and


120


are inserted through the apertures in the seals and enter repeater


100


.





FIG. 1

illustrates input seal


130


and output seal


140


. Since each seal is similarly formed, only seal


130


will be discussed. Seal


130


is comprised of a copper alloy plunger


132


and a polyethylene portion


134


. Copper alloy plunger


132


is bonded to polyethylene portion


134


through well-known methods. In order to increase the bonding strength between plunger


132


and polyethylene portion


134


, a chemical process is applied to the surface


132


A of plunger


132


that bonds with polyethylene portion


134


. The chemical process oxidizes surface


132


A of the copper alloy plunger.




However, there are problems with the currently known method of applying the chemical process. Currently, each copper alloy plunger individually receives the chemical process. The copper alloy plunger is masked, i.e., the surfaces that are not to receive the chemical treatment are covered such that only the surfaces that are to receive the chemical treatment are exposed, by a process that is time consuming. Additionally, once each plunger is masked, each plunger individually receives the chemical treatment. There is no known apparatus or method for simultaneously chemically treating multiple masked plungers. As a result, a great amount of time is required to chemically treat a plurality of plungers. It is only possible to mask and chemically treat approximately 6 plungers per day by utilizing currently known methods.




Additionally, problems exist with the presently known method for applying the chemical treatment. As stated above, the chemical treatment process oxidizes, and thus discolors, the treated surface of the copper plunger. Typically, in other commercial and private uses of oxidized components, the purpose of the oxidation process is solely to discolor the surface of the component for decorative purposes, e.g., ornamental household fixtures. Therefore, the microscopic properties, e.g., the chemical and structural composition, of the oxidized surface are not important; rather, only the aesthetic appearance of the oxidized surface is of interest.




Whereas presently known methods and apparatuses may be adequate for oxidizing surfaces where the success or failure of the treatment is determined by aesthetic criteria, these methods and apparatuses are not able to provide an oxidized surface that is sufficient to serve as a mating surface that can provide a strong bond to a polyethylene structure. Because the copper alloy plungers must bond with the polyethylene at the oxidized surface and because the bond between the two surfaces must withstand extreme pressures, it is imperative that a relatively uniform oxidized bonding surface be formed on the copper alloy plunger.




Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved apparatus and method for application of a chemical process on a component surface.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus and method for application of a chemical process on a component surface is provided. In an embodiment for an apparatus for preparing a component surface for application of a chemical process, the apparatus includes a base, an o-ring retainer, an o-ring, a boot, and a retention ring. The component is mounted on the base. The o-ring is positioned on the o-ring retainer and the o-ring retainer is inserted through an aperture in the component and mated with the base. The assembled component, base, o-ring retainer, and o-ring are positioned within the boot. The retention ring is positioned around the boot. In an embodiment for a method for applying a wet chemical solution to the component surface to oxidize the component surface, where the wet chemical solution is contained within a tank, the method steps include immersing the component in the wet chemical solution, heating the wet chemical solution with a heater, and positioning the surface of the component in a horizontal, upward facing position and within the tank such that a baffle is disposed between the surface and the heater.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The various features of the invention will best be appreciated by simultaneous reference to the description which follows and the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

illustrates a fiber optic repeater with an input fiber optic cable and an output fiber optic cable each entering the repeater through a seal;





FIG. 2

is an exploded, perspective view of an embodiment for an apparatus for preparing a copper alloy plunger for application of a chemical process in accordance with the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a side view of the copper alloy plunger;





FIG. 4

is a cross-sectional view of the copper alloy plunger of

FIG. 3

as taken along line


4





44


of

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 5

is a side view of the plunger base;





FIG. 6

is a cross-sectional view of the plunger base of

FIG. 5

as taken along line


6





6


of

FIG. 5

;





FIG. 7

is a side view of the plunger base and copper alloy plunger in an assembled configuration;





FIG. 8

is a perspective view of the o-ring retainer;





FIG. 9

is a side view of the o-ring retainer with an o-ring positioned thereon;





FIG. 10

is a side view of the assembled o-ring retainer and o-ring with the retainer tool coupled to the o-ring retainer;





FIG. 11

is a perspective view of an embodiment for a tightening plate;





FIG. 12

is a side view of the plunger base, plunger, o-ring retainer, and retainer tool as positioned on the tightening plate;





FIG. 13

is a side view of the plunger base, plunger, and o-ring retainer in an assembled configuration;





FIG. 14

is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of

FIG. 13

as taken along line


14





14


of

FIG. 13

;





FIG. 15

is a side view of the plunger base, plunger, and o-ring retainer assembly as it is about to be inserted into the rubber boot;





FIG. 16

is a side view of a masked plunger;





FIG. 17

is a cross-sectional view of the masked plunger of

FIG. 16

as taken along line


17





17


of

FIG. 16

;





FIG. 18

is a side view of the masked plunger and the retainer ring;





FIG. 19

is an exploded perspective view of the masked plunger, holding fixture, and fixture platform;





FIG. 20

is a perspective view of an embodiment of a positioning plate in accordance with the present invention;





FIG. 21

is a side view of a masked plunger inserted within the positioning plate with the retainer ring positioned on the masked plunger;





FIG. 22

is a side view of a plurality of masked plunger as fixtured within the holding fixture;





FIG. 23

is a partial cut-away view of a chemical treatment process wire rack with a plurality of holding fixtures, each containing a plurality of masked plungers, secured within the wire rack for application of the chemical process;





FIG. 24

is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment for the tightening plate;





FIG. 25

is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment for an oxidation tank assembly; and





FIG. 26

is a graph of oxidation surface thickness versus time of treatment.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION





FIG. 2

illustrates a first embodiment for an apparatus


200


for preparing a copper alloy plunger for application of a chemical process. Whereas the detailed description will describe the present invention in an embodiment for preparing a copper alloy plunger for application of a wet chemical process, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the component that is prepared for receiving the chemical process could be comprised of ceramic, plastic, or organic materials, as well as other types of materials.




As can be seen in FIG.


2


and as will be described in more detail later in this specification, copper alloy plunger


210


is mounted onto plunger base


220


. O-ring


230


is positioned onto o-ring retainer


240


where the assembled o-ring retainer


240


and o-ring


230


is then positioned through copper alloy plunger


210


and threadedly received within plunger base


220


. Rubber boot


260


receives within it the copper alloy plunger


210


and plunger base


220


assembly. Retention ring


270


is positioned around rubber boot


260


after copper alloy plunger


210


and plunger base


220


have been positioned within rubber boot


260


. Retainer tool


250


is operably couplable with o-ring retainer


240


. When copper alloy plunger


210


, plunger base


220


, o-ring retainer


240


, o-ring


230


, and rubber boot


260


have been configured as described above, a masked copper alloy plunger has been assembled.




As will also be further explained later in this specification, the masked copper alloy plunger's upper beveled surfaces are exposed for application of the wet chemical process. Thus, the masking components mask all of the surfaces of the copper alloy plunger except those surfaces which are to receive the wet chemical process. Thus, the mask protects the surfaces of the copper alloy plunger that are not to receive the wet chemical process and leaves exposed the surfaces of the copper alloy plunger that are to receive the wet chemical process.




Also illustrated in

FIG. 2

is an embodiment for a masked plunger holding fixture


300


. The masked plunger holding fixture


300


defines a plurality of apertures therein which receive within them a masked plunger. After the masked plungers are secured within masked plunger holding fixture


300


, the entire assembly is placed into an apparatus where the wet chemical process may be applied to copper alloy plungers


210


. Thus, holding fixture


300


provides for application of the wet chemical process to a plurality of masked plungers in one procedure.




As will be further explained later in this specification, holding fixture


300


is comprised of a first half portion and a second half portion where each of the halves define one half of each of the plurality of masked plunger apertures. Securement members


330


join the two halves of holding fixture


300


together which in-turn securely fastens the masked plungers within holding fixture


300


. Prior to positioning the masked plungers within holding fixture


300


, holding fixture


300


is placed onto fixture platform tool


360


. Positioning holding fixture


300


onto fixture platform tool


360


assists in the positioning of the masked plungers within holding fixture


300


, as will also be further explained later.





FIGS. 3 and 4

illustrate copper alloy plunger


210


. Plunger


210


is circular in cross-section and defines a central aperture


218


therethrough. Plunger


210


includes a seawater end


212


and an oxidation end


214


. Seawater end


212


is that portion of plunger


210


that is exposed to the sea when plunger


210


has been installed within a repeater and which does not receive the wet chemical process. Oxidation end


214


is that portion of plunger


210


that serves as the interface with the polyethylene structure within the seal assembly and is thus that end of plunger


210


that is oxidized through the wet chemical process. The oxidation end


214


, or top end, of plunger


210


includes an outside beveled surface


215


, a top surface


217


, and an inside beveled surface


216


. Outside beveled surface


215


extends completely around an outer circumference of plunger


210


and inside beveled surface


216


extends completely around an inner circumference of plunger


210


.





FIG. 5

illustrates plunger base


220


. Plunger base


220


includes a seat portion


221


and a mounting member


224


. Both scat portion


221


and mounting member


224


are circular in cross-section. Seat portion


221


defines slot


222


which extends completely through seat portion


221


. Plunger base


220


is comprised of a material that will not degrade from contact with the chemical treatment and may be manufactured from, e.g.,


316


stainless steel.





FIG. 6

provides a cross-sectional view of plunger base


220


. As can be seen in

FIG. 6

, mounting member


224


of plunger base


220


defines a central bore


225


which extends therethrough. Seat


221


further defines a threaded bore


223


which extends through the upper portion of seat


221


, i.e., that portion of seat


221


that does not define slot


222


. Within central bore


225


of mounting member


224


, seat


221


defines a shoulder


221


A.





FIG. 7

illustrates an assembly where plunger


210


has been mounted onto plunger base


220


. As can be seen, the outer diameter of copper alloy plunger


210


is the same as the outer diameter of plunger base


220


. When copper alloy plunger


210


is mounted onto plunger base


220


, mounting member


224


of plunger base


220


is received within central aperture


218


that is defined by copper alloy plunger


210


. In

FIG. 7

mounting member


224


is shown in phantom. The outside diameter of mounting member


224


is just sightly smaller than the diameter of central aperture


218


such that mounting member


224


is snugly received within central aperture


218


.




When copper alloy plunger


210


has been mounted onto plunger base


220


, the top end


225


of mounting member


224


is positioned below a lower end of the inside beveled surface


216


of copper alloy plunger


210


. Thus, the entire inside beveled surface of copper alloy plunger


210


is not in contact with plunger base


220


and a portion of the structure of copper alloy plunger


210


which defines central aperture


218


, and which is below the lower end of inside beveled surface


216


, is also not in contact with plunger base


220


and are thus exposed surfaces with respect to plunger base


220


.




As can also be seen in

FIG. 7

, the entire oxidation end


214


of copper alloy plunger


210


is not in contact with plunger base


220


. Thus, outside beveled surface


215


is also an exposed surface when copper alloy plunger


210


is mounted onto plunger base


220


.





FIG. 8

illustrates an embodiment for o-ring retainer


240


. As can be seen, o-ring retainer


240


includes a threaded stem portion


242


, an o-ring mounting structure


244


, and a tool receiving structure


246


. Tool receiving structure


246


defines a central bore


247


that extends therethrough. Central bore


247


narrows at its lower end, i.e., that end closest to o-ring mounting structure


244


. Tool receiving structure


246


also defines a retainer tool locking aperture


248


, the purpose of which will be described later, and four drain holes


249


, of which only two are visible in FIG.


8


. The four drain holes


249


are equally spaced around the circumference of tool receiving structure


246


at the lower end of the tool receiving structure and extend completely through the wall of tool receiving structure


246


where they intersect with the narrow-diameter portion of bore


247


. The purpose of the narrow portion of bore


247


is to funnel any liquid that enters bore


247


as a result of application of the wet chemical process to the lower portion of bore


247


such that it may be drained from bore


247


, and thus o-ring retainer


240


, through drain holes


249


.




As was mentioned previously, o-ring retainer


240


receives an o-ring on it. The o-ring retainer


240


and o-ring are then mated with the assembled copper alloy plunger


210


and plunger base


220


.

FIG. 9

illustrates the positioning of o-ring


230


on o-ring retainer


240


. As can be seen, o-ring


230


is positioned on an upper end of o-ring mounting structure


244


. As can also be seen in

FIG. 9

, the outer diameter of o-ring


230


is generally the same diameter as that of tool receiving structure


246


of o-ring retainer


240


. As will be further explained and illustrated later in

FIGS. 13 and 14

o-ring mounting structure


244


and threaded stem


242


are received within central aperture


218


of copper alloy plunger


210


. Threaded stem


242


is received within threaded bore


223


of plunger base


220


. A portion of o-ring mounting structure


244


is received within central bore


225


of mounting member


224


of plunger base


220


. Bottom surface


245


of o-ring mounting structure


244


engages with shoulder


221


A of plunger base


220


to prevent further insertion of o-ring mounting structure


244


within mounting member


224


.




When o-ring retainer


240


is positioned through central aperture


218


of copper alloy plunger


210


and into plunger base


220


, o-ring


230


is positioned within central aperture


218


of copper alloy plunger


210


at a location such that the upper end of o-ring


230


is positioned just slightly below the lower end of inside beveled surface


216


. As such, o-ring


230


is positioned 0.025 inches±0.010 inches below the lower end of inside beveled surface


216


. Thus, as can be understood and as will be further discussed in connection with

FIG. 14

, when o-ring retainer


240


has been mated with plunger


210


and plunger base


220


, the assembled structures of mounting structure


224


of plunger base


220


and o-ring


230


will leave the inside beveled surface


216


and a slight portion of the structure of copper alloy plunger


210


which defines central aperture


218


, as described above, as the only inside surfaces of plunger


210


that are exposed.





FIG. 10

illustrates the assembled o-ring retainer


240


and o-ring


230


with the retainer tool


250


inserted therein.

FIG. 10

illustrates one embodiment for retainer tool


250


, however, the present invention is not limited to any particular embodiment for retainer tool


250


. The purpose of retainer tool


250


is to engage with o-ring retainer


240


such that o-ring retainer


240


may be moved, positioned, and rotated such that it can be threadedly received within plunger base


220


. Thus, retainer tool


250


provides for easy manipulation of o-ring retainer


240


by an operator.




In the embodiment of

FIG. 10

for retainer tool


250


, retainer tool


250


includes a handle portion


252


, a stem


254


, and an actuator


256


. Actuator


256


is slidably movable within handle portion


252


and stem


254


. Actuator


256


may be moved in the directions as illustrated by the arrows in FIG.


10


. Actuator


256


cooperates with ball joint


258


that is carried in the lower end of stem


254


, i.e., that portion of stem


254


that is inserted within o-ring retainer


240


. Ball joint


258


is carried within stem


254


and is biased outward from stem


254


through apertures that are included in the lower end of stem


254


. When actuator


256


, which is biased into its upper most position with respect to handle portion


252


, is inserted further into handle portion


252


, the portion of actuator


256


that cooperates with ball joint


258


allows the biasing force that biases ball joint


258


outward from the aperture in stem


254


to be relaxed. Thus, the ball joint can be retracted within stem


254


. With the actuator


256


and the ball joint


258


retracted within stem


254


, retainer tool


250


, and thus stem


254


, may be rotated within o-ring retainer


240


. When ball joint


258


aligns with retainer tool locking aperture


248


and the pressure on actuator


256


is released, ball joint


258


is again biased outward from stem


254


where it is received within aperture


248


of o-ring retainer


240


. Thus, through the interaction of ball joint


258


with aperture


248


of o-ring retainer


240


, retainer tool


250


is coupled to o-ring retainer


240


.




As can be understood, if an operator desires to release retainer tool


250


from o-ring retainer


240


, the operator would depress actuator


256


which would in-turn remove the outward biasing force applied to ball joint


258


. Ball joint


258


may then be retracted from aperture


248


, thus allowing retainer tool


250


to be removed from o-ring retainer


240


. Again, the embodiment of

FIG. 10

for retainer tool


250


is only one of a variety of different embodiments that may be utilized for providing a tool for manipulating o-ring retainer


240


and the present invention is not limited to any particular embodiment for retainer tool


250


.




As was mentioned previously, o-ring retainer


240


is positioned through copper alloy plunger


210


and threaded into plunger base


220


. In order to restrain plunger base


220


from rotating when threading o-ring retainer


240


into plunger base


220


, a tightening plate


280


may be utilized in the present invention.

FIG. 11

illustrates an embodiment for tightening plate


280


. As can be seen in

FIG. 11

, tightening plate


280


includes a base


282


from which extends tongue


284


. Tongue


284


is an elongated member that extends from base


282


and along the entire width of base


282


, in this embodiment.




As can be understood, and as illustrated in

FIG. 12

, plunger base


220


is positioned onto tightening plate


280


prior to threading o-ring retainer


240


through copper alloy plunger


210


and into plunger base


220


. Slot


222


, which is defined by seat


221


of plunger base


220


, receives within it tongue


284


of tightening plate


280


. Thus, as o-ring retainer


240


is threaded into plunger base


220


, the interaction of plunger base


220


with tightening plate


280


will prevent plunger base


220


from rotating.





FIGS. 13 and 14

illustrate an assembled configuration for o-ring retainer


240


, copper alloy plunger


210


, and plunger base


220


. As was discussed previously, o-ring retainer


240


is received within central aperture


218


of plunger


210


and is threaded into bore


223


which is defined by seat


221


of plunger base


220


. A lower portion of o-ring mounting structure


244


is received within central bore


225


of mounting member


224


of plunger base


220


. Bottom surface


245


of o-ring mounting structure


244


engages with shoulder


221


A of seat


221


to prevent further insertion of o-ring retainer


240


into plunger base


220


.




As can also be seen in

FIG. 14

, o-ring


230


is positioned between the upper surface of mounting member


224


and the lower surface of the structure which defines tool receiving structure


246


of o-ring retainer


240


and within central aperture


218


of plunger


210


. As mentioned previously, the upper end of seal


230


is positioned approximately 0.025 inches±0.010 inches below the lower end of inside beveled surface


216


of copper alloy plunger


210


. Thus, the only interior surfaces that are exposed on plunger


210


is the inside beveled surface


216


and that slight portion of the surface defining central aperture


218


that is located below the lower end of inside beveled surface


216


. Thus, o-ring


230


establishes a liquid seal and an inside masking boundary for copper alloy plunger


210


. The liquid seal established by o-ring


230


prevents any liquid as applied during the wet chemical treatment process from contacting the interior surfaces of plunger


210


except those that are deliberately exposed, as described above.




As can be further seen in

FIG. 14

, and as discussed previously, the entire outside beveled surface


215


and the entire top surface


217


of plunger


210


are not in contact with any surfaces and are thus exposed surfaces.





FIGS. 15 through 17

illustrate the o-ring retainer


240


, copper alloy plunger


210


, and plunger base


220


assembly as it is received within rubber boot


260


. Rubber boot


260


is a hollow structure that includes a circumferential rubber wall and a rubber base. The assembled o-ring retainer


240


, copper alloy plunger


210


, and plunger base


220


is positioned within boot


260


. As can be seen in

FIGS. 16 and 17

, when the assembly is positioned within boot


260


, oxidation end


214


of plunger


210


extends above a top edge


261


of boot


260


, and is therefore exposed from boot


260


. As such, outside beveled surface


215


, top surface


217


, and inside beveled surface


216


, along with the additional structure on the interior of copper alloy plunger


210


as described earlier, are exposed from boot


260


. As such, boot


260


masks the outer surface of copper alloy plunger


210


such that the surface covered by boot


260


will not be subject to the wet chemical process. As with the positioning of o-ring


230


with respect to inside beveled surface


216


, top


261


of rubber boot


260


is positioned a distance of approximately 0.025 inches±0.010 inches below the lower end of outside beveled surface


215


.




For reference purposes for the remainder of this specification, the assembly of the o-ring retainer


240


, o-ring


230


, copper alloy plunger


210


, plunger base


220


, and rubber boot


260


will be referred to as a masked plunger


400


. As was described previously, and as can be understood, masked plunger


400


provides for only exposing those surfaces of copper alloy plunger


210


which are to receive the wet chemical treatment process thereon.





FIG. 18

illustrates retainer ring


270


. Retainer ring


270


can be manufactured from stainless steel and is a circular ring that is positioned around rubber boot


260


. Retainer ring


270


is discontinuous in its circumference and includes complementary surfaces at ends


272


and


274


. The complementary surfaces are formed in a v-shaped configuration such that as the retainer ring


270


is compressed around rubber boot


260


, the complementary surfaces may align. Retainer ring


270


is provided to support masked plunger


400


and provide additional strength to masked plunger


400


as it is received within masked plunger holding fixture


300


, as will be further explained later. The purpose for the discontinuity in the circumference of retainer ring


270


is to provide for being able to position retainer ring


270


around boot


260


but yet being able to compress retainer ring


270


when the masked plunger is securely received within holding fixture


300


. As can also be seen in

FIG. 18

, apertures


276


and


278


are defined by retainer ring


270


. The purpose of apertures


276


and


278


are to receive prongs from a tool that may be used to grip retainer ring


270


and place retainer ring


270


over boot


260


.




The wall structure that comprises retainer ring


270


may be formed with a uniform interior surface, i.e., that surface that contacts rubber boot


260


, such that the entire surface area of the interior surface contacts rubber boot


260


. Alternatively, the interior surface may be formed in a u-shaped configuration such that only the upper-most most and lower-most surface areas of the interior surface contact the rubber boot


260


. Forming the interior surface of retainer ring


270


in this configuration may provide for increased pressure at the contacting surfaces when the retainer ring


270


is compressed around rubber boot


260


.




As was described previously, and as is illustrated in

FIG. 19

, a plurality of masked plungers


400


may be positioned within holding fixture


300


. Holding fixture


300


defines a plurality of masked plunger apertures


340


, each of which may receive a masked plunger


400


within it. As such, a plurality of masked plungers


400


may be fixtured within holding fixture


300


such that the plurality of masked plungers


400


may be positioned at the same time within a machine for treatment by the wet chemical process.




Holding fixture


300


will now be described in further detail. As can be seen in

FIG. 19

, holding fixture


300


is comprised of a first half portion


310


and a second half portion


320


. Thus, holding fixture


300


may be divided in half along its longitudinal axis. As such, first half portion


310


defines one half of each of the plurality of masked plunger apertures


340


and second half portion


320


defines the other half portion of each of the plurality of masked plunger apertures


340


. Securement members


330


are received within one of the half portions of holding fixture


300


and extend through to the other of the half portions of holding fixture


300


and thus join first half portion


310


to second half portion


320


. As such, securement members


330


may be threadedly received within first half portion


310


and/or second half portion


320


.




It is desirable that each of the plurality of masked plunger apertures, and thus the masked plungers, be positioned a distance P


1


of between one-quarter to an entire diameter width PW of a masked copper alloy plunger apart from each other. Additionally, the circumferential edge closest to a longitudinal end of fixture


300


of an encased masked plunger closest to the end of fixture


300


should be positioned a distance P


2


from the longitudinal end of the holding fixture that is at least equivalent to the height H of the copper alloy plunger that extends above the upper surface of the holding fixture. These positions can be clearly seen in FIG.


22


.




Before the masked plungers


400


are inserted into the masked plunger apertures


340


, holding fixture


300


is mounted onto fixture platform tool


360


. Fixture platform tool


360


includes a base


362


upon which are included four mounting pins


370


, in this embodiment. Each mounting pin


370


is formed by a head portion


372


and a shoulder portion


374


. Head portion


372


of each pin


370


is received within one of four pin apertures


350


that are included in holding fixture


300


. When head


372


has been received within pin aperture


350


, holding fixture


300


rests upon shoulder


374


such that fixture


300


is positioned a distance above base


362


of fixture platform tool


360


. Shoulder


374


extends a height above base


362


such that when holding fixture


300


is positioned on fixture platform tool


360


, a separation distance is maintained between holding fixture


300


and fixture platform tool


360


such that as the masked plungers


400


are inserted within the masked plunger apertures


340


, the masked plungers will be properly positioned within the masked plunger apertures such that the compressive forces exerted by holding fixture


300


on masked plungers


400


will be received by retainer rings


270


. Thus, when masked plungers


400


are inserted within masked plunger apertures


340


, the bottoms of boots


260


rest upon base


362


and retainer rings


270


are positioned within the structure of holding fixture


300


that defines masked plunger apertures


340


. In this manner, as described above, the forces applied by holding fixture


300


on masked plungers


400


are received by retainer rings


270


, which are structurally strong members, particularly when compared to the strength of the rubber boots


260


.




After the masked plungers


400


are positioned within holding fixture


300


, securement members


330


are threaded into holding fixture


300


in order to draw first half portion


310


and second half portion


320


together. The drawing of first half portion


310


to second half portion


320


will tighten holding fixture


300


around each of the masked plungers


400


and will thus rigidly retain masked plungers


400


within holding fixture


300


.




Pin apertures


350


in holding fixture


300


may be formed in different configurations. For example, the two pin apertures


350


on first half portion


310


could be formed as circularly-shaped apertures and the two pin apertures


350


on second half portion


320


could be formed as oblong slots with a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of holding fixture


300


. Forming the pin apertures in such a manner would permit for aligning holding fixture


300


on fixture platform tool


360


on both the X longitudinal axis and the Y transverse axis. The first half portion


310


and second half portion


320


of holding fixture


300


are aligned on the X axis by positioning pins


370


within apertures


350


. When securement members


330


are threaded into holding fixture


300


to draw second half portion


320


towards first half portion


310


, the oblong slots


350


in second half portion


320


allow second half portion


320


to move along the Y axis relative to pins


370


. Thus, the positioning and relative movement of pins


370


within oblong slots


350


serve to align and guide second half portion


320


, and thus holding fixture


300


, on the transverse Y axis as the second half portion


320


is drawn toward the first half portion


310


on fixture platform tool


360


.




After each of the masked plungers


400


are inserted and retained within holding fixture


300


, the position of the boots


260


on the plungers


210


should be inspected such that the top edge


261


of each boot


260


is positioned with respect to outside beveled surface


215


as described previously. If the positioning of boot


260


with respect to copper alloy plunger


210


has shifted as a result of securing masked plunger


400


within holding fixture


300


, the masked plunger


400


should be removed from holding fixture


300


and the boot should be repositioned on copper alloy plunger


210


.




It was mentioned previously that stainless steel retainer ring


270


is positioned around, and on, rubber boot


260


. In order to assist in positioning retainer ring


270


on rubber boot


260


, a positioning plate


290


, as illustrated in

FIG. 20

, may be utilized. As can be seen in

FIG. 20

, positioning plate


290


has a uniform thickness T


1


of 0.250±0.010 inches and defines an aperture


292


within it. Aperture


292


has a diameter that is able to accommodate rubber boot


260


of masked plunger


400


within it. In order to position retainer ring


270


on rubber boot


260


, the bottom of rubber boot


260


, and thus masked plunger


400


, is positioned within aperture


292


of positioning plate


290


, as illustrated in FIG.


21


. Retainer ring


270


, which is of a larger diameter than aperture


292


and is thus not able to be positioned within it, is positioned around rubber boot


260


such that it engages on its lower-most edge


279


with positioning plate


290


. In this manner, the lower-most edge


279


of retainer ring


270


is accurately positioned 0.250±0.010 inches above the bottom surface of rubber boot


260


.




As can be seen in

FIG. 22

, in this embodiment, up to four masked plungers may be fixtured within holding fixture


300


. As such, masked plungers


400


,


410


,


420


, and


430


, are retained within holding fixture


300


. As can also be seen in

FIG. 22

, holding fixture


300


is resting upon shoulder portions


374


of pins


370


. As such, heads


372


of pins


370


are received within the pin apertures that are defined by holding fixture


300


. After each of the masked plungers


400


,


410


,


420


, and


430


have been inserted within holding fixture


300


, securement members


330


are threaded into holding fixture


300


to securely mate first half portion


310


and second half portion


320


of holding fixture


300


around each of the masked plungers.




After each of the masked plungers have been retained within holding fixture


300


, holding fixture


300


is removed from fixture platform tool


360


and fixture


300


is secured within a chemical treatment process wire rack


500


, as illustrated in FIG.


23


. Once holding fixture


300


has been secured within chemical treatment process wire rack


500


, the chemical treatment process may be applied to each of the masked plungers simultaneously. The chemical treatment process wire rack


500


may contain pins that are received within wire rack apertures


352


that are included at each end of holding fixture


300


, one of which is visible in FIG.


19


. However, the present invention is not limited to any particular embodiment for a chemical treatment process wire rack. In the illustrated embodiment, three fixtures


300


, each containing from one to four masked plungers, are placed onto chemical treatment process wire rack


500


. Thus, potentially up to twelve masked plungers may simultaneously undergo the wet chemical treatment process when practicing the present invention. Whereas

FIG. 23

illustrates the holding fixtures being oriented vertically within the process wire rack, it may be advantageous to orient the holding fixtures horizontally such that the exposed surfaces of the masked plungers are facing upward, as will be discussed later in this specification.





FIG. 24

illustrates an alternative embodiment for a tightening plate as discussed previously. As will be remembered, the tightening plate provides for restraining plunger base


220


against rotation as o-ring retainer


240


is threaded into plunger base


220


. The embodiment of

FIG. 11

for tightening plate


280


includes a single tongue


284


on a base


282


. In the embodiment of

FIG. 24

, tightening plate


600


includes four tightening stations such that four plunger bases


220


may be accommodated on a single tightening plate. Tightening stations


610


,


620


,


630


, and


640


may be seen in FIG.


24


. Since each tightening station is similarly formed, a discussion will only be provided for tightening station


610


. Tightening station


610


is defined by a first recess


612


and a second recess


614


. Recess


612


and recess


614


define between them a tongue


616


. Tongue


616


is received within slot


222


of a plunger base


220


. Structure of seat


221


of plunger base


220


which defines slot


222


is received within recesses


612


and


614


. Thus, when slot


222


of plunger base


220


receives tongue


616


within it, as o-ring retainer


240


is threaded into plunger base


220


, plunger base


220


is restrained against rotation by tightening station


610


.




The present invention also provides an improved method and apparatus for applying the wet chemical treatment process. In the present invention, after the copper alloy plungers have been cleaned and prepared for receipt of the chemical process, the plungers are masked and fixtured as described above. The plungers may be cleaned and prepared by any of a variety of methods and the present invention is not limited to any process for these steps. After masking and fixturing, the plungers are immersed in an etching solution and rinsed. The prepared plungers are then placed into the oxidizing solution. Again, the post-masking and fixturing etching and rinsing process can utilize any of a variety of methods and the present invention is not limited to any particular process for these steps.





FIG. 25

illustrates an embodiment for an oxidation tank assembly


700


that may be utilized when practicing the present invention. As can be seen, a wet chemical oxidation solution


710


is contained within tank


720


. The oxidation solution could be any of a variety of chemicals depending upon the material composition of the component that is to receive the treatment process and the characteristics required for the oxidation surface and the present invention is not limited to any particular physical configuration for tank


720


or chemical composition for oxidation solution


710


.




Disposed within tank assembly


700


is a fixture


300


which contains a plurality of masked plungers


400


. Fixture


300


may be secured to the walls of tank


720


through support brackets that are not visible in FIG.


25


. As can be seen in

FIG. 25

, and as discussed earlier, the fixture


300


is positioned within tank


720


such that the surface of each of the masked plungers that are to be oxidized are placed horizontal and facing upwards. This is desirable because, with the oxidation surfaces facing upwards, in a direction opposed to a flow direction for the wet chemical due to the forces of gravity acting upon the wet chemical, a more evenly distributed flow pattern of the wet chemical across the entire surface area of the oxidation surface can be achieved as represented by flow pattern


712


of wet chemical


710


. An evenly applied and distributed flow pattern of the wet chemical across the surface area of the oxidation surface will result in a more uniform formation of the oxidation surface on the copper alloy plunger. As can be understood, if the oxidation surface was oriented vertically within tank


720


, the wet chemical would flow down the surface of the oxidation surface and result in an uneven formation of the oxidation surface on the copper alloy plunger which would result in a weaker bond when the surface is bonded with the polyethylene. Additionally, the horizontal orientation of the oxidation surfaces in combination with the positioning of the masked plungers


400


within fixture


300


, as discussed and illustrated in

FIG. 22

, provides for a more evenly distributed flow pattern of the wet chemical across the oxidation surface of the copper alloy plunger. For example, if the outer-most edge of an oxidation surface was positioned directly adjacent to the longitudinal end of fixture


300


, again, there could be the possibility of near vertical flow of the wet chemical across that outer-most edge of the oxidation surface. By positioning the masked plungers a distance from the longitudinal ends of fixture


300


and from each other, a more controlled flow pattern can be achieved across the oxidation surface, and thus a more uniform oxidation surface can be chemically grown on the copper alloy plunger, which will result in a stronger bond between the copper alloy plunger and the polyethylene.




As can also be seen in

FIG. 25

, heaters


730


are provided near the walls of tank


720


. The heaters arc utilized to heat the wet chemical solution which enhances the formation of the oxidation surface on the copper alloy plungers. The heaters may be any of a variety of different types of heating devices and the present invention is not limited to any particular embodiment for a heater. In fact, whereas the heaters are illustrated as being located outside of tank


720


, the heaters could be either integrally formed within the wall of tank


720


or positioned within tank


720


. However, the heaters should not be positioned underneath the plungers during the oxidizing process. The heaters heat the solution to a temperature of between 208±5° F.




Baffles


740


may also be provided in tank


720


. Baffles


740


may be formed of separate structural members or may be a single structural member and may extend around an entire inner circumference of tank


720


or around a portion thereof. Baffles


740


are positioned within tank


720


between fixture


300


and heaters


730


. The purpose of baffles


740


are to reduce the movement, and thus agitation, of the wet chemical solution


710


that may be caused by the heating of the solution by heaters


730


. It is desirable that minimal agitation of the wet chemical solution occurs so that a more uniform oxidation surface can be grown on the copper alloy plungers. Because the solution is heated, convection currents


732


are likely to develop in the solution which may travel from the heat source and be propagated in a direction toward the fixture


300


. Baffles


740


serve to redirect the convection currents such that they do not directly flow across the forming oxidation surface and also serve to attenuate the currents. However, baffles still allow heat


734


to pass through baffles


740


through conduction of the heat from heaters


730


.




Baffles


740


may be formed of any of a variety of materials and may include apertures


742


within them. Any sizing and positioning of apertures


742


would be based on further optimizing the function of baffles


740


, as described above.




As discussed above, when the plungers are immersed within the wet chemical solution, the solution should not be boiled or stirred while the treatment is being applied to the plungers. Additionally, the processing temperature range, discussed above, should be reestablished, if necessary, within two minutes after immersing the plungers into the solution. Gentle agitation should only be accomplished within the first two minutes of immersion.




The plungers should remain in the wet chemical solution for approximately 18-22 minutes, with a target time being 20 minutes. An oxidizing time of at least 10 minutes is required. It has been found that because the oxidation surface is chemically grown on the copper alloy plunger, the thickness of the oxidation surface is a function of the duration of time that the copper alloy plungers are immersed in the wet chemical. As can be seen in

FIG. 26

, the thickness of the oxidation surface grows significantly during the first 10 minutes of immersion, virtually stops growing during the next 8 minutes, and continues to grow much less rapidly thereafter. Whereas an immersion time of less than 5 minutes is adequate for oxidation surfaces that are formed for aesthetic and decorative purposes, a longer immersion time is required to grow a thicker and denser oxide layer.




After the masked plungers are removed from the wet chemical solution, the plungers are rinsed in a rinse tank, running deionized water over them for ten minutes at room temperature. The fixtured plungers are then removed from the tank, visually inspected, and moved to a final rinse station. The fixtured plungers are then rinsed for two minutes at room temperature. The specific resistance of the rinse water is monitored and 2 megohms minimum shall be reached within 30 seconds after immersing fixtured plungers.




To dry the plungers, the plungers may be spin-dried and/or blow dried. However, in addition to any other drying step, the plungers are then oven dried. The fixtured plungers are placed in a drying oven for 60 minutes at a temperature of between 100-400° F., and preferably between 120-130° F.




After drying, the masked plungers are unmasked and removed from the fixture by reversing the process steps as described previously. The plungers are the placed onto a metal or glass tray by utilizing a lifting tool to lift the plungers. The plungers are then baked under nitrogen (N


2


) and air. The tray of plungers is placed into a drying oven and dried for 120 minutes at a temperature of at least 200° F. The tray of plungers is then removed and placed into a dry box under a nitrogen atmosphere.




With respect to all of the variety of additional or different method steps that may be practiced with the present invention, regardless of the steps utilized, it may be desirable to store the plungers in deionized water between each of the process steps.




In this manner, therefore, as discussed in above in this detailed description, an improved apparatus and method for application of a chemical process on a component surface is described. As discussed earlier, the present invention is not limited to being practiced with any particular component for application of the chemical process. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to only be practiced with a wet chemical process. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative of the various ways in which the present invention may be practiced. Other embodiments can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. An apparatus for preparing a component surface for application of a chemical process, the component defining an aperture therein and including an upper inside beveled surface extending around an inner circumference and an upper outside beveled surface extending around an outer circumference, comprising:a base, the component mounted on said base; an o-ring retainer; an o-ring, said o-ring positioned on said o-ring retainer; said o-ring retainer extending through the aperture defined by the component and threadedly received within said base; a boot, said base and the component received within said boot; and a retention ring, said retention ring positioned around said boot.
  • 2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a holding fixture, said holding fixture defining a plurality of holding fixture apertures therein for receiving said base with the component mounted thereon, said o-ring retainer, said o-ring, said boot, and said retention ring.
  • 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said holding fixture includes:a first half portion comprising a first half of each of said plurality of holding fixture apertures; a second half portion comprising a second half of each of said plurality of holding fixture apertures; and a securement member, said securement member joining said first half portion to said second half portion.
  • 4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a fixture platform tool, said fixture platform tool including a plurality of pins wherein each of said pins includes a head portion and a shoulder portion and wherein said holding fixture is positioned on said fixture platform tool, said head portion of each of said pins received within one of a plurality of pin apertures defined by said holding fixture and said holding fixture supported on said shoulder portions.
  • 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a top end of said boot is positioned approximately 0.025 inches below the upper outside beveled surface extending around the outer circumference of the component.
  • 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said o-ring is positioned approximately 0.025 inches below the upper inside beveled surface extending around the inner circumference of the component.
  • 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said base defines a slot extending therethrough and further comprising a tightening plate, said tightening plate including a tongue, said tongue received within said base slot.
  • 8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a retainer tool, said retainer tool operably couplable to said o-ring retainer.
  • 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said retention ring is discontinuous in circumference and includes complementary surfaces at a first end thereof and a second end thereof.
  • 10. An apparatus for application of a chemical process to a plurality of masked components, each of said plurality of masked components having unmasked surfaces including an outside beveled surface, a top surface, and an inside beveled surface, said apparatus comprising:a holding fixture comprising a plurality of holding fixture apertures, each of said plurality of masked components received within one of said plurality of holding fixture apertures, said holding fixture including a first half portion comprising a first half of each of said plurality of holding fixture apertures, a second half portion comprising a second half of each of said plurality of holding fixture apertures, and a securement member for joining said first half portion to said second half portion; and a fixture platform tool including a plurality of pins wherein each of said pins includes a head portion and a shoulder portion and wherein said holding fixture is positioned on said fixture platform tool, said head portion of each of said pins being received within one of a plurality of pin apertures defined by said holding fixture and said holding fixture being supported on said shoulders portions.
  • 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of masked components includes a rubber boot wherein a top end of said boot is positioned approximately 0.025 inches below the outside beveled surface.
  • 12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of masked components includes an o-ring wherein said o-ring is positioned approximately 0.025 inches below the inside beveled surface.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Number Name Date Kind
3440705 Johnson Apr 1969
4246088 Murphy et al. Jan 1981
4441976 Iemmi et al. Apr 1984
4690747 Smith et al. Sep 1987
5750014 Stadler et al. May 1998