US 12,408,256 B1
Plasma cleaning device and process
Thomas Scott Williams, Los Angeles, CA (US); Quoc Dinh Truong, Norwalk, CA (US); and Robert F. Hicks, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to Surfx Technologies LLC, Redondo Beach, CA (US)
Filed by Surfx Technologies LLC, Redondo Beach, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/156,561.
Application 17/156,561 is a division of application No. 15/791,353, filed on Oct. 23, 2017, granted, now 10,923,331.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/411,564, filed on Oct. 22, 2016.
Int. Cl. H05H 1/46 (2006.01); B08B 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC H05H 1/46 (2013.01) [B08B 7/0035 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for treating a mechanical fastener with atmospheric pressure plasma comprising:
generating an atmospheric pressure plasma in a housing by flowing gas through a gap between a powered electrode and a grounded electrode and applying electrical power to the powered electrode;
directing the atmospheric pressure plasma flow onto a mechanical fastener by mounting the mechanical fastener in an opening in the housing where the atmospheric pressure plasma flows out from between the powered electrode and the grounded electrode; and
exposing a surface of the mechanical fastener to the atmospheric pressure plasma flow with a spacer in contact with the mechanical fastener receiving the atmospheric pressure plasma flow onto the surface of the mechanical fastener;
wherein the spacer is disposed on an opposite side of the grounded electrode from the powered electrode and between and in contact with both the mechanical fastener and the grounded electrode and outside the gap between the powered electrode and the grounded electrode to receive the atmospheric pressure plasma flow from out of the gap.