Vacuum Oven

摘要

A vacuum oven or vacuum furnace is disclosed having an energy distribution sleeve that conforms to the shape of an interior heating chamber. The energy distribution sleeve may be of generally annular shape, like a ring, and located in a substantially regularly spaced and offset relationship from a heating element located within walls adjacent the interior heating chamber. The energy distribution sleeve includes a thermal conductive material which absorbs and re-radiates heat emitted from the heating element, thereby providing more consistent and regular radiation fields for heat treating a work piece that is loaded on a work holding tray and, upon the vacuum oven being in an operational position, the work piece is located within the furnace chamber.

主权项

1. A vacuum oven comprising:
a body; a bottom loading vacuum chamber assembly including a heating element under regulateble power located within a muffle having an opening providing access to an interior heating chamber; an energy distribution sleeve conformed to the shape of the interior heating chamber, the energy distribution sleeve and the interior heating chamber being coaxially arranged, the heat distribution sleeve forming a gap of substantially constant size between the energy distribution sleeve and the heating element, the energy distribution sleeve including a thermal conductive material, operable at vacuum oven temperatures, which absorbs and re-radiates radiant heat energy emitted from the heating element, the emissivity curve of the energy distribution sleeve being always greater than about 0.6 from about 20 microns to about 1 micron; a furnace chamber formed within the energy distribution sleeve; the energy distribution sleeve being suspended from the muffle in a substantially regularly spaced and offset relationship from the heating element; and a vertically displacable holding assembly configured to hold one or more work pieces, wherein upon the bottom loading vacuum chamber assembly being in an operation position, the holding assembly is located within the furnace chamber.