US 11,891,721 B2
Spool-balanced seed lift
Jiaqi Yin, Dalian (CN); John A. Reese, Rochester, NY (US); and Joel C. Stefl, Rochester, NY (US)
Assigned to Linton Kayex Technology Co., Ltd, Wuxi (CN)
Filed by Linton Kayex Technology Co., Ltd, Wuxi (CN)
Filed on Jun. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/338,152.
Claims priority of application No. 202011449838.0 (CN), filed on Dec. 9, 2020; and application No. 202022979953.0 (CN), filed on Dec. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0195623 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. C30B 35/00 (2006.01); C30B 15/32 (2006.01); C30B 15/14 (2006.01); C30B 15/24 (2006.01); C30B 15/10 (2006.01); C30B 15/30 (2006.01)
CPC C30B 35/002 (2013.01) [C30B 15/10 (2013.01); C30B 15/14 (2013.01); C30B 15/24 (2013.01); C30B 15/30 (2013.01); C30B 15/32 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A seed lift assembly for a crystal growing system, the seed lift assembly comprising:
a support structure rotatable about a lift axis;
a spool for receiving a cable supporting a seed crystal along the lift axis, the spool being rotatable about a spool axis, the spool having a spool center of mass positioned along the spool axis, wherein the spool is coupled to the support structure such that the spool axis intersects the lift axis;
a spool driver coupled to the spool to effect rotation of the spool about the spool axis, wherein rotation of the spool about the spool axis controls winding of the cable about the spool to control vertical displacement of the seed crystal along the lift axis; and
a guide pulley coupled to the support structure to change an axial direction of the cable between a first direction collinear with the lift axis and a second direction, the guide pulley being in direct contact with the cable to guide the cable along the lift axis, the guide pulley being rotatable about a guide pulley axis that is parallel to the spool axis.