CN203854316U - Combination unit of gas enclosed assembly and systems - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a combination unit of a gas enclosed assembly and systems, wherein the gas enclosed assembly and systems are easy to transport and assemble and are configured to maintain the minimum inert gas volume and approaches various packaged devices and equipment to the greatest extent. According to various embodiments, the combination unit has a gas enclosed assembly that is constructed by the following way: the internal volume of the gas enclosed assembly is minimized and the working space is optimized to adapt to various occupied areas of all kinds of OLED printing systems. Therefore, on the basis of the construction of the gas enclosed assembly, the inside of the gas enclosed assembly can be approached easily from the outside during processing and the inside can be approached easily for convenient maintenance; and the shutdown time can be minimized.

Description

Combination of gas enclosure components and systems

Cross References to Related Applications

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 13/720,830 filed December 19, 2012. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/764,973, filed February 14, 2013. All cross-referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

technical field

The present teachings relate to various embodiments of hermetically sealed gas enclosure assemblies and systems that can be easily transported and assembled and that are configured to maintain a minimum inert gas volume and maximize access to the various devices and devices enclosed therein. equipment. the

Background technique

Interest in the potential of OLED display technology is driven by OLED display technology attributes, which include the presentation of display panels with highly saturated colors that are high contrast, ultra-thin, fast-responsive, and energy-efficient. In addition, various substrate materials, including flexible polymeric materials, can be used in the fabrication of OLED display technology. While the demonstration of displays for small screen applications (primarily cellular phones) has served to underscore the potential of this technology, challenges remain in scaling up the fabrication to larger formats. For example, fabrication of OLED displays on substrates larger than Gen 5.5 substrates (with dimensions of approximately 130cm x 150cm) remains to be proven. the

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) devices can be fabricated by printing various organic thin films, as well as other materials, on a substrate using an OLED printing system. Such organic materials can be susceptible to damage from oxidation and other chemical processes. Accommodating OLED printing systems in a manner that can be scaled for various substrate sizes and that can be performed in an inert, substantially particle-free printing environment can present several challenges. Since the equipment used to print large format panel substrate printing requires a large amount of space, maintaining a large facility under an inert atmosphere that continuously requires gas purification to remove reactive environmental species such as water vapor and oxygen, as well as organic solvent vapors has significant engineering challenge. For example, providing large facilities that are hermetically sealed can present engineering challenges. Furthermore, the various cables, wires, and tubing that feed into and out of the OLED printing system in order to operate the printing system can be challenging in order to effectively meet gas enclosure specifications for levels of atmospheric constituents such as oxygen and water vapor because they can produce Significant dead volume can trap such reactive species. Furthermore, it is desirable to keep such facilities in an inert environment for processing to be easily accessible for maintenance with minimal downtime. In addition to being substantially free of reactive species, the printing environment for OLED devices requires a remarkably low particle environment. In this regard, providing and maintaining a substantially particle-free environment in a fully enclosed system provides additional challenges not present in particle reduction processes that can be performed in atmospheric conditions (eg, under open-air, high-flow laminar flow hoods). the

Accordingly, there is a need for various embodiments of gas enclosures that can accommodate OLED printing systems in an inert, substantially particle-free environment, and that are easily scalable to provide for the fabrication of OLEDs on a variety of substrate sizes and substrate materials. panels while also being easily accessible from the outside to the OLED printing system during processing and from the inside for maintenance with minimal downtime. the

Utility model content

A combination of gas enclosure assemblies and systems is disclosed, comprising:

A gas enclosure assembly having an interior containing an inert gas environment, wherein the gas enclosure assembly includes:

a first frame member assembly section defining a first interior volume, wherein the first frame member assembly section includes a plurality of frame member assemblies each having a plurality of panel sections;

a second frame member assembly section defining a second interior volume, wherein the second frame member assembly section includes a plurality of frame member assemblies each having a plurality of panel sections; and

at least one opening in a panel section common to the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section, wherein the opening is provided between the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section fluid communication;

a printing system having a printhead assembly including at least one printhead; and

A maintenance system for maintaining the printhead assembly; the maintenance system is housed within the second frame member assembly section, wherein closing of the opening separates the maintenance system from the first frame member assembly.

Preferably, it also includes:

a first frame member and an opposing second frame member, wherein both the first frame member and the opposing second frame member are frame members common to the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section;

a base supporting the printing system and the maintenance system; the base spanning through the first frame member and the second frame member; and

A first base seal between the first frame member and the base, and a second base seal between the second frame member and the base.

Preferably, the sealable closure of the opening between the first internal volume and the second internal volume in combination with the first base seal and the second base seal isolates the first internal volume from the second internal volume. the

A combination of gas enclosure assemblies and systems is disclosed, comprising:

A gas enclosure assembly having an interior volume containing an inert gas environment, wherein the gas enclosure assembly includes:

a first frame member assembly section defining a first interior volume; and

a second frame member assembly section defining a second interior volume;

printing system, which includes:

a printhead assembly including at least one printhead;

a motion system for positioning the printing system within the gas enclosure assembly; and

A maintenance system for servicing the printhead assembly; the maintenance system is housed within the second frame member assembly section, wherein the motion system is capable of positioning the printhead for maintenance by the maintenance system.

Preferably, the second internal volume is less than or equal to 1% of the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. the

Preferably, the second internal volume is less than or equal to 10% of the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. the

Preferably, the second internal volume is less than or equal to 20% of the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. the

Preferably, a gas purge system is also included configured to be in fluid communication with an inner gas enclosure assembly selected from the group consisting of the gas enclosure assembly, the first frame member assembly section, and the second frame member assembly section. the

Preferably, the gas purification system maximum capacity is based on the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. the

Preferably, when the gas purge system is configured in fluid communication with the second frame member assembly section, a maximum gas purge capacity is available to purge the second frame member assembly section interior volume. the

Preferably, the printing system has a substrate support device. the

Preferably, the substrate support device defines the travel over which the substrate can move through the printing system. the

Preferably, the substrate support apparatus is capable of supporting substrates having dimensions between 130 cm x 150 cm and 285 cm x 305 cm. the

Preferably, the printing system can print OLED substrates, wherein the substrate supporting device can support substrates having dimensions between 60 cm x 72 cm and 220 x 250 cm. the

Preferably, the inert gas environment contained within the interior includes water and oxygen each at a level of 100 ppm or less. the

Description of drawings

A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present disclosure will be gained by referring to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to illustrate rather than limit the present teachings. the

1 is a schematic diagram of a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

2 is a left front perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

3 is a right front perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

5 is an exploded front perspective view of a frame member assembly showing various panel frame sections and section panels according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

6A is a rear perspective view of a glove end mask, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of a shoulder screw of a glove end mask of various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly according to the present teachings. the

7A is an enlarged perspective view of the bayonet latch of the glove end mask assembly, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the glove end mask assembly, showing the head of the shoulder screw engaging the bayonet latch. The joint of the concave part. the

8A-8C are schematic top views of various embodiments of gasket seals for forming joints. the

9A and 9B are various perspective views illustrating sealing of frame members of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings. the

10A-10B are various views related to the sealing of a segment panel for receiving an easily removable service window according to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings. the

11A-11B are enlarged perspective cross-sectional views related to sealing of segment panels for receiving insert panels or window panels according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

12A is a base including a pan and a plurality of spacer blocks seated thereon, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. Figure 12B is an enlarged perspective view of the spacer shown in Figure 12A. the

13 is an exploded view of wall frame members and ceiling members associated with a tray, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

14A is a perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly at a stage of construction according to various embodiments of the present teachings, with the riser assembly in a raised position. Figure 14B is an exploded view of the lifter assembly shown in Figure 14A. the

15 is a notional front perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly showing ductwork installed within the interior of the gas enclosure assembly, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

16 is a notional top perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly showing ductwork installed within the interior of the gas enclosure assembly in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. the

17 is a notional bottom perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly showing ductwork installed within the interior of the gas enclosure assembly in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. the

FIG. 18A is a schematic diagram showing bundles of cables, wires, tubing, etc. FIG. Figure 18B shows gas sweeping across such a beam being fed through various embodiments of tubing in accordance with the present teachings. the

Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing how reactive species (A) trapped in dead spaces of multiple bundles of cables, lines and pipes etc. are actively purged from an inert gas (B) swept through the pipes, the bundles of wiring ( route) through the pipeline. the

20A is a phantom perspective view of cables and tubing routed through ducts according to various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings. FIG. 20B is an enlarged view of the opening shown in FIG. 20A showing details of a cover used to seal over the opening, according to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly according to the present teachings. the

21 is a view of a ceiling of a lighting system including gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

22 is a graph illustrating LED spectra for lighting systems of gas enclosure assemblies and system components according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

23 is a front perspective view of a view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

24 illustrates an exploded view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 23 in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. the

25 illustrates a partially exploded front perspective view of various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

26 illustrates a partially exploded side perspective view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 25 in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. the

27A and 27B show enlarged views of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 26 according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

28 is a cross-sectional view through a frame member assembly including a base and risers according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

29 is a front perspective view of a view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

30 illustrates an exploded view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 29 in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. the

31A is a cross-sectional view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure shown in FIG. 29 . the

31B and 31C are cross-sectional views of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 29 showing sequential movement of the printhead assembly into a maintenance position, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

31D-31F are cross-sectional views of gas enclosure assemblies according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure shown in FIG. 29 . the

32 illustrates a perspective view of a maintenance station installed in a frame assembly section of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 29 in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. the

33 is a perspective view of a frame assembly section of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 29 according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

34A and 34B are schematic illustrations of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and related system components of the present teachings. the

35 is a schematic diagram of a gas enclosure assembly and system showing an embodiment of gas circulation through the gas enclosure assembly, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

36 is a schematic diagram of a gas enclosure assembly and system showing an embodiment of gas circulation through the gas enclosure assembly, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

37 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a gas enclosure assembly according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

38 is a schematic illustration of a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

39 is a schematic illustration of a gas enclosure assembly and system according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

40 is a table illustrating valve positions for various modes of operation of gas enclosure assemblies and systems that may use an external gas circuit, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

41 is a front perspective view illustrating a levitation table according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

FIG. 42 is an enlarged view of the area indicated in FIG. 40 of a levitation table according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

43A and 43B are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a deflection generated in a substrate during traveling on the levitation stage shown in FIG. 40 . the

44 is a front perspective view of a levitation table showing various embodiments of the levitation table in accordance with the present teachings. the

45A and 45B are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the substantially planar arrangement of substrates during travel on a levitation table as shown in FIG. 43 . the

Detailed ways

The present teachings disclose various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies that can be sealably constructed and integrated with gas circulation, filtration, and purge components to form gas enclosure assemblies and systems that can maintain an inert, substantially particle-free environment , for processes that require this environment. Such embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems can maintain per species levels of, for example, 100 ppm or less for various reactive species, including various reactive ambient gases such as water vapor and oxygen, and organic solvent vapors. 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. Additionally, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly can provide a low particle environment that meets ISO 14644 Class 3 and Class 4 cleanroom standards. the

Those of ordinary skill in the various arts will recognize the utility of embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly in various technical fields. While vastly different fields (eg, chemical, biotechnology, high-tech, and pharmaceutical fields) could benefit from the present teachings, OLED printing serves to illustrate the utility of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly system that can accommodate an OLED printing system can provide features such as, but not limited to: sealing provides a hermetically sealed enclosure through multiple build-up and deconstruction cycles, minimizes enclosure volume, and during processing and at Easy access to the interior from the outside during maintenance. As will be discussed subsequently, such features of various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly may have functional implications such as, but not limited to, structural integrity that facilitates maintaining low levels of reactive species during handling, and rapid packaging volume turnover (Turnover) Minimize downtime during maintenance cycles. Thus, the various features and specifications that provide the utility of OLED panel printing may also provide benefits to various technical fields. the

As mentioned earlier, fabrication of OLED displays on substrates larger than Gen 5.5 substrates (with dimensions of approximately 130cm x 150cm) remains to be proven. For flat panel displays manufactured out of OLED printing, the dimensions of the mother glass substrates have evolved across generations since about the early 1990s. The first generation of mother glass substrates (denoted Gen 1) were approximately 30cm x 40cm, and thus produced 15" panels. Around the mid-1990s, the existing technology for producing flat panel displays had evolved to a Gen 3.5 mother glass substrate size, which Has a size of approximately 60cm x 72cm. 

As each generation progresses, mother glass dimensions for Gen 7.5 and Gen 8.5 are produced for print manufacturing processes beyond OLED. The Gen 7.5 mother glass has dimensions of approximately 195cm x 225cm, and each substrate can be cut into eight 42" or six 47" slabs. The mother glass used in Gen 8.5 is approximately 220 x 250 cm, and each substrate can be cut into six 55" or eight 46" slabs. The promise of OLED flat panel display quality (e.g., purer color, higher contrast ratio, thinness, flexibility, transparency, and energy efficiency) has been realized, while OLED manufacturing is practically limited to Gen 3.5 and smaller. Currently, OLED printing is considered to be the best manufacturing technology to overcome this limitation and allow OLED panel manufacturing not only for Gen 3.5 and smaller mother glass sizes, but also for the largest mother glass sizes, e.g., Gen 5.5, Gen 7.5 and Gen 8.5. One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that one feature of OLED panel printing includes the use of various substrate materials, such as, but not limited to, various glass substrate materials as well as various polymer substrate materials. In this regard, dimensions deriving from terminology documented using glass-based substrates are applicable to substrates of any material suitable for OLED printing. the

With respect to OLED printing, in accordance with the present teachings, it has been found that keeping significantly low levels of reactive species (such as, but not limited to, atmospheric constituents such as oxygen and water vapor, and vapors of various organic solvents used in OLED inks) is compatible with providing the necessary The lifetime specifications of OLED flat panel displays are relevant. Lifetime specifications are particularly important for OLED panel technology, as this is directly related to display product life; product specifications for all panel technologies are currently difficult to meet for OLED panel technology. With various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly system of the present teachings, the level of each reactive species (e.g., water vapor, oxygen, and organic solvent vapors) can be maintained at, for example, 100 ppm or less in order to provide a panel meeting the necessary lifetime specifications. Low, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. Additionally, OLED printing requires a largely particle-free environment. Maintaining a substantially particle-free environment is particularly important for OLED printing, since even very small particles can cause visible defects on OLED panels. Currently, meeting the low defect levels required for commercialization is challenging for OLED displays. Maintaining a substantially particle-free environment in a fully enclosed system provides additional challenges not present in particle reduction processes that can be performed in atmospheric conditions (eg, in open air, under high-flow laminar flow hoods). Thus, maintaining the necessary specifications for an inert, particle-free environment in large facilities can present various challenges. the

A facility in which the level of each reactive species (e.g., water vapor, oxygen, and organic solvent vapor) can be maintained, for example, at 100 ppm or less, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less The need to print OLED panels in , can be illustrated when reviewing the information outlined in Table 1. The data summarized on Table 1 were derived from testing for each of red, green and blue on each test coupon comprising an organic thin film composition fabricated in a large pixel, spin coater format. Such test coupons are significantly easier to manufacture and test for rapid evaluation purposes of various formulations and processes. While test coupon testing should not be confused with life testing of printed panels, it can represent the effect of various formulations and processes on life. The results shown in the table below represent a variation of the process steps in which the test coupons were fabricated, where only the spin-coating environment was significantly more effective at Test specimens made in a nitrogen atmosphere (where reactive species were less than 1 ppm) varied. the

It is clear from looking at the data in Table 1 for test specimens fabricated under different process environments, especially in the case of red and blue, that printing in an environment that effectively reduces the exposure of organic film components to reactive species Can have a significant impact on the stability and thus lifetime of various ELs. the

Table 1: Effect of inert gas treatment on OLED panel lifetime

Thus, there is a challenge in scaling OLED printing from Gen 3.5 to Gen 8.5 and beyond, while at the same time providing a robust enclosure that can accommodate OLED printing systems in an inert, substantially particle-free, gas-enclosed environment. It is contemplated that such a gas enclosure would have attributes including, but not limited to, the following: The gas enclosure is easily scalable to provide an optimized workspace for OLED printing systems while providing minimal inert gas volumes in accordance with the present teachings , and also provide easy access to the OLED printing system from the outside during processing, while providing access to the interior for maintenance with minimal downtime.

According to various embodiments of the present teachings, a gas enclosure assembly for various air sensitive processes requiring an inert environment is provided that may include a plurality of wall frame and ceiling frame members that may be sealed together. In some embodiments, multiple wall frame and roof frame members may be fastened together using reusable fasteners, such as bolts and threaded holes. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings, a plurality of frame members may be constructed to define a gas enclosure frame assembly, each frame member comprising a plurality of panel frame sections. the

A gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings can be designed to accommodate a system, such as an OLED printing system, in a manner that minimizes the enclosure volume around the system. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure can be constructed in a manner that minimizes the internal volume of the gas enclosure while optimizing the workspace to accommodate the various footprints of various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies so constructed also provide for easy access to the interior of the gas enclosure assembly from the outside and for maintenance during handling, while minimizing downtime. In this regard, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings can be profiled with respect to various footprints of various OLED printing systems. According to various embodiments, once the contoured frame members are constructed to form a gas enclosure frame assembly, various types of panels may be sealably installed in the plurality of panel sections making up the frame members to complete the installation of the gas enclosure assembly. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, a plurality of frame members (including, for example, but not limited to, a plurality of wall frame members and at least one roof frame member) may be fabricated at one location or at a plurality of locations and used for mounting on a panel frame portion Multiple panels in a segment and then build in another location. Furthermore, given the transportable nature of the components used to construct gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies can be repeatedly installed and disassembled through construction and deconstruction cycles. the

To ensure that the gas enclosure is hermetically sealed, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings provide for incorporating each frame member to provide a frame seal. By tight fitting intersections between the various frame members, including gaskets or other seals, the interior may be substantially sealed, eg hermetically sealed. Once fully constructed, the sealed gas enclosure assembly may include an interior and a plurality of interior corner edges, at least one interior corner edge being disposed at the intersection of each frame member with an adjacent frame member. One or more of the frame members, such as at least one half of the frame members, may include one or more compressible spacers secured along one or more respective edges thereof. The one or more compressible spacers may be configured to create a hermetically sealed gas enclosure assembly once the plurality of frame members are bonded together and the gas impermeable panels installed. A sealed gas enclosure assembly may be formed such that corner edges of the frame members are sealed by a plurality of compressible gaskets. For each frame member, such as, but not limited to, interior wall frame surfaces, top wall frame surfaces, vertical side wall frame surfaces, bottom wall frame surfaces, and combinations thereof, one or more compressible spacers may be provided. the

For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, each frame member may include a plurality of sections designed and fabricated to receive any of a variety of panel types sealably mountable in each section. One to provide a gas-tight panel seal for each panel. In various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings, each segment frame may have a segment frame spacer that secures installation in each segment frame by means of selected fasteners. Each panel may provide a gas tight seal for each panel and thus for the complete construction of the gas enclosure. In various embodiments, the gas enclosure assembly can have one or more of a window panel or a service panel in each wall panel; wherein each window panel or service panel can have at least one glove port. During assembly of the gas enclosure assembly, each glove port can have a glove attached so that the glove can extend into the interior. According to various embodiments, each glove port may have hardware for mounting a glove, wherein such hardware is sealed around each glove port using a gasket that provides a gas-tight seal to minimize leakage through the glove port or molecular diffusion. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, the hardware is also designed to facilitate capping and uncovering of the port by an end user's glove. the

Various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings may include gas enclosure assemblies formed from a plurality of frame members and panel sections, as well as gas circulation, filtration, and purification components. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems, ductwork may be installed during the assembly process. According to various embodiments of the present teachings, ductwork may be installed within a gas enclosure frame assembly constructed from a plurality of frame members. In various embodiments, ductwork may be installed on the plurality of frame members prior to joining the plurality of frame members to form a gas enclosure frame assembly. The ductwork for various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems may be configured such that substantially all of the gas drawn into the ductwork from one or more ductwork inlets moves through various embodiments of the gas circulation and filtration loop for Removes particulate matter from inside gas enclosures and systems. Additionally, the ductwork of the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system may be configured to isolate the inlet and outlet of the gas purification circuit external to the gas enclosure assembly from the gas circulation and filtration circuit internal to the gas enclosure assembly. the

For example, gas enclosure assemblies and systems may have a gas circulation and filtration system inside the gas enclosure assembly. Such an internal filtration system may have multiple fan filter units in the interior and may be configured to provide a laminar flow of gas in the interior. Laminar flow may be in the direction from the top of the interior to the bottom of the interior or in any other direction. While the gas flow produced by the circulation system is not necessarily laminar, a laminar flow of gas can be used to ensure thorough and complete turnover of the gas in the interior. Laminar flow of gas can also be used to minimize turbulence, which is undesirable because it can allow particles in the environment to collect in regions of such turbulence, preventing the filtration system from removing those particles from the environment. Furthermore, in order to maintain the desired temperature in the interior, it is possible to provide a thermal regulation system using a plurality of heat exchangers, for example operated by means of a fan or another gas circulation device, close to a fan or another gas circulation device, or in combination with a fan or another gas circulation device. Combined use with gas circulation device. The gas purge circuit may be configured to circulate gas from within the gas enclosure assembly through at least one gas purge component external to the enclosure. In this regard, a circulation and filtration system inside the gas enclosure combined with a gas purge loop external to the gas enclosure can provide continuous circulation of a remarkably low particulate inert gas with remarkably low levels of reactive species throughout the gas enclosure. Gas purification systems can be configured to maintain very low levels of undesired components such as organic solvents and their vapors as well as water, water vapor, oxygen, etc. the

In addition to being provided for gas circulation, filtration and purification components, the ductwork may be sized and shaped to accommodate therein at least one of electrical wires, harnesses, and various fluid containing tubes which, when bundled, may have substantial dead volume, Among other things, atmospheric constituents (eg, water, water vapor, oxygen, etc.) may be trapped and difficult to remove by the purification system. In some embodiments, any combination of cables, wires, and harnesses and fluid containing tubes may be disposed generally within the ductwork and may communicate with the electrical, mechanical, fluid, and cooling systems disposed within the interior, respectively. At least one of the systems is operably associated. Since the gas circulation, filtration and purge components can be configured such that substantially all of the circulating inert gas is drawn through the ductwork, atmospheric constituents trapped in the dead volume of various bundle materials can pass through such that such bundle materials are contained in the ductwork The system is effectively purged from the large dead volume of this bundle material. the

Various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings may include gas enclosure assemblies formed from a plurality of frame members and panel sections, and gas circulation, filtration, and purge components, and additionally include a pressurized inert gas recirculation system. various embodiments. Such a pressurized inert gas recirculation system may be used in the operation of the OLED printing system for various pneumatic drives and equipment, as described in more detail subsequently. the

In accordance with the present teachings, several engineering challenges are addressed to provide various embodiments of pressurized inert gas recirculation systems in gas enclosure assemblies and systems. First, in typical operation of gas enclosures and systems without a pressurized inert gas recirculation system, the gas enclosure may be maintained at a slightly positive internal pressure relative to external pressure to prevent any leaks in the gas enclosure and system from Outside gas or air enters inside. For example, for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings, under typical operation, the interior of the gas enclosure assembly may be maintained at a pressure of, for example, at least 2 mbarg, such as at least 4 mbarg, for example at least A pressure of 6 mbarg, a pressure of at least 8 mbarg, or higher. Maintaining a pressurized inert gas recirculation system within a gas enclosure system can be challenging due to the dynamic and ongoing balancing act associated with maintaining a slight positive internal pressure on the gas enclosure and system while continuously introducing Pressurized gas into gas enclosure assemblies and systems. Furthermore, the variable demands of various devices and equipment can create irregular pressure distributions for the various gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings. Under such conditions, maintaining dynamic pressure balance with the gas enclosure maintained at a slight positive pressure relative to the external environment can provide integrity for the ongoing OLED printing process. the

For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems, a pressurized inert gas recirculation system according to the present teachings can include various embodiments of a pressurized inert gas circuit that can use at least one of a compressor, a reservoir, and a blower and combinations thereof. Various embodiments of the pressurized inert gas recirculation system including various embodiments of the pressurized inert gas circuit may have a specially designed pressure control bypass circuit that may provide pressure at a stable limit in the gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings. internal pressure of the inert gas. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems, the pressurized inert gas recirculation system may be configured to recirculate via the pressure controlled bypass circuit when the pressure of the inert gas within the reservoir of the pressurized inert gas circuit exceeds a preset threshold pressure Pressurized inert gas. The threshold pressure may, for example, be within a range of from about 25 psig to about 200 psig, or, more specifically, between about 75 psig to about 125 psig, or, more specifically, between about 90 psig to about 95 psig. In this regard, gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings having pressurized inert gas recirculation systems of various embodiments with specially designed pressure control bypass loops can remain pressurized inert in a hermetically sealed gas enclosure Balance of the gas recirculation system. the

In accordance with the present teachings, various devices and equipment may be disposed within the interior and in fluid communication with various embodiments of the pressurized inert gas recirculation system having various pressurized inert gas circuits that may utilize various A source of pressurized gas, such as at least one of a compressor, a blower, and combinations thereof. For various embodiments of the gas enclosures and systems of the present teachings, the use of various pneumatically operated devices and equipment can provide low particle generation performance as well as low maintenance. Exemplary devices and equipment that may be disposed within the interior of gas enclosure assemblies and systems and in fluid communication with various pressurized inert gas circuits may include, for example and without limitation, pneumatic robots, substrate levitation stages, air bearings, air bushings ), compressed gas tools, one or more of pneumatic actuators, and combinations thereof. The substrate suspension stage and air bearings can be used to operate various aspects of OLED printing systems according to various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings. For example, a substrate levitation stage using air bearing technology can be used to transport the substrate into place in the printhead chamber and to support the substrate during the OLED printing process. the

As previously described, various embodiments of substrate suspension stages and air bearings may be useful for operation of various embodiments of OLED printing systems housed in gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings. As shown schematically in FIG. 1 for a gas enclosure assembly and system 2000, a substrate levitation stage using air bearing technology can be used to transport the substrate into place in the printhead chamber and to support the substrate during the OLED printing process. In FIG. 1 , the gas enclosure assembly 1500 may be a load lock system that may have an entry chamber 1510 for receiving substrates through a first entry gate 1512 and a gate 1514 for moving substrates from the entry chamber 1510 into the gas enclosure. Component 1500 for printing. Individual gates according to the present teachings can be used to isolate chambers from each other and from the external environment. According to the present teachings, individual gates can be selected from physical gates and air curtains. the

During the substrate receiving process, the gate 1512 may be open and the gate 1514 may be in a closed position in order to prevent ambient gases from entering the gas enclosure assembly 1500 . Once the substrate is received in the inlet chamber 1510, both gates 1512 and 1514 can be closed and the inlet chamber 1510 can be purged with an inert gas such as nitrogen, any noble gas, and any combination thereof until the level of reactive ambient gas is at, for example, 100 ppm or less, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. After the ambient gas has reached a sufficiently low level, gate 1514 may be opened, while 1512 remains closed, to allow substrate 1550 to be transported from inlet chamber 1510 to gas enclosure assembly chamber 1500, as shown in FIG. 1 . Transport of substrates from inlet chamber 1510 to gas enclosure assembly chamber 1500 may be via, for example and without limitation, levitation stages disposed in chambers 1500 and 1510 . Substrate transfer from the inlet chamber 1510 to the gas enclosure assembly chamber 1500 may also be via, for example but not limited to, a substrate transfer robot that may place the substrate 1550 on a floating table provided in the chamber 1500 . Substrate 1550 may remain supported on a substrate suspension stage during the printing process. the

Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 may have an outlet chamber 1520 in fluid communication with the gas enclosure assembly 1500 through a gate 1524 . According to various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly and system 2000, substrate 1550 may be transported from gas enclosure assembly 1500 through gate 1524 to exit chamber 1520 after the printing process is complete. Transport of substrates from gas enclosure assembly chamber 1500 to exit chamber 1520 may be via, for example and without limitation, suspension stages disposed in chambers 1500 and 1520 . Substrate transfer from gas enclosure assembly chamber 1500 to exit chamber 1520 may also be via, for example but not limited to, a substrate transfer robot that may pick up substrate 1550 from a floating table provided in chamber 1500 and transfer it to the chamber 1520. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 , substrate 1550 may be retrieved from outlet chamber 1520 via gate 1522 when gate 1524 is in a closed position to prevent reactive ambient gases from entering gas enclosure assembly 1500 . the

In addition to a load lock system including inlet chamber 1510 and outlet chamber 1520 in fluid communication with gas enclosure assembly 1500 via gates 1514 and 1524, respectively, gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 may include system controller 1600. System controller 1600 may include one or more processor circuits (not shown) in communication with one or more memory circuits (not shown). The system controller 1600 may also communicate with the load lock system including the inlet chamber 1510 and the outlet chamber 1520, and ultimately with the print nozzles of the OLED printing system. In this manner, system controller 1600 may coordinate the opening and closing of gates 1512, 1514, 1522, and 1524. The system controller 1600 may also control the distribution of ink to the print nozzles of the OLED printing system. Substrates 1550 may be transported by various embodiments of the load lock system of the present teachings, via, for example, but not limited to, a substrate levitation table using air bearing technology or a combination of a substrate levitation table using air bearing technology and a substrate delivery robot, the load lock system comprising respectively Inlet chamber 1510 and outlet chamber 1520 are in fluid communication with gas enclosure assembly 1500 via gates 1514 and 1524 . the

Various embodiments of the load lock system of FIG. 1 may also include a pneumatic control system 1700 that may include a vacuum source and an inert gas source that may include nitrogen, any noble gas, and any combination thereof. The substrate suspension system housed within the gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 may include a plurality of vacuum ports and gas bearing ports generally arranged on a flat surface. The substrate 1550 may be lifted and held off the hard surface by the pressure of an inert gas such as nitrogen, any noble gas, and any combination thereof. Flow out of the bearing volume is accomplished by means of a number of vacuum ports. The suspension height of the substrate 1550 on the substrate suspension table generally varies with gas pressure and gas flow. The vacuum and pressure of pneumatic control system 1700 may be used to support substrate 1550 during manipulation within gas enclosure assembly 1500 in the load lock system of FIG. 1 , such as during printing. Control system 1700 may also be used to support substrate 1550 during transport through the load lock system of FIG. 1 , which includes inlet chamber 1510 and outlet chamber 1520 in fluid communication with gas enclosure assembly 1500 via gates 1514 and 1524, respectively. To control the transport of substrate 1550 through gas enclosure assembly and system 2000, system controller 1600 communicates with inert gas source 1710 and vacuum 1720 through valves 1712 and 1722, respectively. Additional vacuum and inert gas supply lines and valves, not shown, may be provided to the gas enclosure assembly and system 2000, illustrated by the load lock system in Figure 1, to further provide the various gases and vacuum needed to control the enclosure environment facility. the

To provide a more dimensional perspective view of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings, FIG. 2 is a left front perspective view of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems 2000 . FIG. 2 shows a load lock system including gas enclosure assembly 1500 , inlet chamber 1510 and first gate 1512 . The gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 of FIG. 2 may include a gas purification system 2130 for providing the gas enclosure system 1500 with significantly low levels of reactive environmental species (such as water vapor and oxygen) and organic solvent vapors from the OLED printing process. Constant supply of inert gas. The gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 of Figure 2 also has a controller system 1600 for system control functions, as previously described. the

FIG. 3 is a right front perspective view of a fully constructed gas enclosure assembly 100 in accordance with various embodiments of the present teachings. The gas enclosure assembly 100 may contain one or more gases for maintaining an inert environment within the interior of the gas enclosure assembly. The gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings can be useful in maintaining an inert gas environment in the interior. An inert gas may be any gas that does not undergo a chemical reaction under a defined set of conditions. Some common usage examples of inert gases may include nitrogen, any noble gas, and any combination thereof. The gas enclosure assembly 100 is configured to enclose and protect air sensitive processes, such as printing organic light emitting diode (OLED) inks using an industrial printing system. Examples of ambient gases that are reactive to OLED inks include water vapor and oxygen. As previously described, the gas enclosure assembly 100 may be configured to maintain a sealed atmosphere and allow the components or printing system to operate efficiently while avoiding contamination, oxidation, and damage to otherwise reactive materials and substrates. the

As shown in FIG. 3, various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly may include component parts including a front or first wall panel 210', a left or second wall panel (not shown), a right or third wall panel 210', Wall panel 230', rear or fourth wall panel (not shown), and ceiling panel 250', the gas enclosure assembly may be attached to pan 204, which sits on a base (not shown). As described in greater detail subsequently, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. A rear or fourth wall panel (not shown), and a roof frame 250 are constructed. Various embodiments of the roof frame 250 may include the fan filter unit cover 103 and the first roof frame ducts 105 , and the first roof frame ducts 107 . According to embodiments of the present teachings, various types of segment panels may be installed in any of the plurality of panel segments making up the frame members. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 1 , the sheet metal panel sections 109 may be welded into the frame members during frame construction. For the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 100, the segment panel types that may be repeatedly installed and removed through the construction and deconstruction cycles of the gas enclosure assembly may include the inset panel 110 shown for the wall panel 210' and the inset panel for the wall panel 210'. 230' shows window panel 120 and easily removable service window 130. the

While a readily removable service window 130 may be provided for easy access to the interior of the enclosure 100, any panel that is removable may be used to provide access to the interior of the gas enclosure assembly and system for repair and routine maintenance purposes. This access for servicing or repair is distinct from the access provided by panels such as window panel 120 and easily removable service window 130, which may allow end-user gloves to access the interior of the gas enclosure assembly from outside the gas enclosure assembly during use. For example, any glove attached to glove port 140 , such as glove 142 , as shown in FIG. 3 for panel 230 , may provide end-user access to the interior during use of the gas enclosure assembly system. the

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly shown in FIG. 3 . Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly may have multiple wall panels, including an exterior perspective view of a front wall panel 210', an exterior perspective view of a left side wall panel 220', an interior perspective view of a right side wall panel 230', a rear The interior perspective view of the wall panel 240', and the top perspective view of the ceiling panel 250', as shown in FIG. An OLED printing system may be mounted on top of the tray 204, the printing process being known to be sensitive to atmospheric environmental conditions. In accordance with the present teachings, a gas enclosure assembly may be constructed from frame members such as wall frame 210 of wall panel 210', wall frame 220 of wall panel 220', wall frame 230 of wall panel 230', wall frame 240 of wall panel 240', and The roof frame 250 of the roof panel 250', where multiple segment panels can then be installed. In this regard, it may be desirable to streamline the design of segment panels that may be repeatedly installed and disassembled through construction and deconstruction cycles of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings. Additionally, the contouring of the gas enclosure 100 can be done to accommodate the footprint of the various embodiments of the OLED printing system, to minimize the volume of inert gas required within the gas enclosure, and to allow easy access by the end user, before the gas enclosure is used. This is true both during and during maintenance. the

Using the front wall panel 210' and left side wall panel 220' as an example, various embodiments of the frame member may have sheet metal panel sections 109 welded into the frame member during construction of the frame member. Insert panel 110, window panel 120 and easily removable service window 130 may be installed in each wall frame member and may be repeatedly installed and disassembled through the construction and deconstruction cycle of gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. It can be seen that in the example of wall panel 210 ′ and wall panel 220 ′, the wall panel may have window panel 120 adjacent easily removable service window 130 . Similarly, as shown in exemplary rear wall panel 240 ′, the wall panel may have a window panel, such as window panel 125 , with two adjacent glove ports 140 . For various embodiments of wall frame members according to the present teachings, and as can be seen for gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3 , such an arrangement of gloves may facilitate access to component parts within the enclosure system from outside the gas enclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments of a gas enclosure can provide two or more glove ports so that an end user can insert left and right gloves into the interior and manipulate one or more items within the interior without disturbing the contents of the interior. Composition of the gaseous environment. For example, either of window panel 120 and service window 130 may be positioned to facilitate easy access to adjustable components within the interior of the gas enclosure assembly from the exterior of the gas enclosure assembly. According to various embodiments of window panels such as window panel 120 and service window 130, such windows may not include glove ports and glove port assemblies when glove access through glove ports is not indicated by the end user. the

As shown in FIG. 4 , various embodiments of wall and ceiling panels may have multiple insert panels 110 . As can be seen in Figure 4, the insert panels can have various shapes and aspect ratios. In addition to the insert panel, the roof panel 250' may have the fan filter unit cover 103 mounted, bolted, threaded, fastened or otherwise secured to the roof frame 250 and the first roof frame duct 105 and the second roof frame pipe 107 . As will be described in more detail later, ductwork in fluid communication with the ducts 107 of the ceiling panel 250' may be installed within the interior of the gas enclosure assembly. In accordance with the present teachings, such ductwork may be part of a gas circulation system inside the gas enclosure assembly and provide for separation of flow streams away from the gas enclosure assembly for circulation through at least one gas purification component external to the gas enclosure assembly. the

FIG. 5 is an exploded front perspective view of frame member assembly 200 in which wall frame 220 may be constructed to include a full complement of panels. While not limited to the designs shown, frame member assembly 200 using wall frame 220 may be used to illustrate various embodiments of frame member assemblies in accordance with the present teachings. According to the present teachings, various embodiments of frame member assemblies may be constructed from individual frame members and segment panels mounted in individual frame panel sections of each frame member. the

According to various embodiments of various frame member assemblies of the present teachings, frame member assembly 200 may be constructed from a frame member such as wall frame 220 . For various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly, such as the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3 , processes that may use the equipment contained in such a gas enclosure assembly may require not only a hermetically sealed enclosure that provides an inert environment, but also a substantially particle-free material environment. In this regard, frame members according to the present teachings may utilize various sizes of metal tubing material used to construct various embodiments of the frame. This metal tubing material addresses desired material properties including, but not limited to, a high integrity material that will not degrade to produce particulate matter, and a frame member with high strength yet with an optimal weight, set for ease of use from a Site-to-site transport, construction and deconstruction of gas enclosure assemblies including individual frame members and panel sections. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that any material that meets these requirements may be used to form individual frame members in accordance with the present teachings. the

For example, various embodiments of frame members according to the present teachings, such as frame member assembly 200, may be constructed from extruded metal tubing. According to various embodiments of the frame member, aluminum, steel, and various metal composite materials may be used to construct the frame member. In various embodiments, metal tubing having dimensions such as, but not limited to, 1/8" to 1/4" wall thickness may be used: 2" wide by 2" high, 4" wide by 2" high, and 4" width by 4" height to construct various embodiments of frame members according to the present teachings. In addition, various fiber reinforced polymer composites are available in various tubes or other forms with material properties including, but not limited to: a high integrity material that will not degrade to produce particulate matter, and a material with High-strength yet optimally weighted frame members are set up for easy transport, construction and deconstruction from one location to another. the

With respect to the construction of the various frame members from various sized metal tubing materials, it is contemplated that welding may be performed to form various embodiments of the frame welds. In addition, construction of individual frame members from various sized construction materials can be performed using suitable industrial adhesives. It is contemplated that the construction of the individual frame members should be done in such a way that no leak paths will inherently be created through the frame members. In this regard, for the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, constructing the individual frame members may be done using any method that will not inherently create a leak path through the frame members. Additionally, various embodiments of frame members according to the present teachings, such as wall frame 220 of FIG. 4 , can be painted or coated. For various embodiments of framing members made of, for example, metal tubing materials that are prone to oxidation (wherein material formed at the surface can form particulate matter), painting or coating or other surface treatments, such as anodizing, may be applied to Prevent the formation of particulate matter. the

A frame member assembly such as frame member assembly 200 of FIG. 5 may have a frame member such as wall frame 220 . The wall frame 220 may have a top 226 (to which a top wall frame backer 227 may be fastened) and a bottom 228 (to which a bottom wall frame backer 229 may be fastened). As will be described in more detail subsequently, the backing plate mounted on the surface of the frame member is part of a gasket sealing system which, in combination with the gasket sealing of the panel installed in the frame member section, provides for Hermetic sealing of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies. A frame member, such as wall frame 220 of frame member assembly 200 of FIG. 120 and easily removable service window 130. Various types of panel sections can be formed when building the frame members. Types of panel sections may include, for example and without limitation, an inset panel section 10 for receiving an inset panel 110 , a window panel section 20 for receiving a window panel 120 , and a service window for receiving an easily removable service window 130 panel section 30 . the

Each type of panel section may have a panel section frame to receive the panels and it may be arranged that each panel may be sealably fastened into each panel section according to the present teachings for building a gas-tight seal Closed components. For example, in Figure 5, which illustrates a frame assembly according to the present teachings, the insert panel section 10 is shown with the frame 12, the window panel section 20 is shown with the frame 22, and the service window panel section 30 is shown with the frame 32. For various embodiments of the wall frame assemblies of the present teachings, each panel section frame may be sheet metal material that is continuously bead welded into the panel section to provide a hermetic seal. For the various embodiments of the wall frame assembly, the individual panel section frames can be fabricated from a variety of sheet materials, including construction materials selected from fiber reinforced polymer composites, which can be installed in the panel sections using suitable industrial adhesives . As will be described in more detail in subsequent teachings related to sealing, each panel section frame may have a compressible gasket disposed thereon to ensure Forms a gas-tight seal. In addition to the panel section frame, each frame member section may have hardware related to positioning the panels and securely fastening the panels in the panel section. the

Various embodiments of the insert panel 110 and the panel frame 122 for the window panel 120 may be constructed from sheet metal materials such as, but not limited to, aluminum, various alloys of aluminum, and stainless steel. The properties of the panel material may be the same as the properties of the structural material used to construct the various embodiments of the frame members. In this regard, materials with properties for the various panel components include, but are not limited to: high integrity materials that will not degrade to produce particulate matter, and panels that produce high strength with optimal weight for ease of design For easy transport, build and deconstruct from one location to another. For example, various embodiments of a honeycomb core panel material may have desirable properties for use as a panel material for construction of the insert panel 110 as well as the panel frame 122 for the window panel 120 . Honeycomb core materials can be made from a variety of materials; metals as well as metal composites and polymers, as well as polymer composite honeycomb core materials. Various embodiments of removable panels when made of metallic materials may have ground connections included in the panels to ensure that the entire structure is grounded when the gas enclosure assembly is constructed. the

Given the transportable nature of the gas enclosure assembly components used to construct the gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings, any of the various embodiments of the segment panels of the present teachings can be repeatedly installed and disassembled during use of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems to Set close to the inside of the gas enclosure. the

For example, panel section 30 for receiving easily removable service window panel 130 may have a set of four pads, one of which is shown as window guide pad 34 . In addition, the panel section 30 configured to receive the easily removable service window panel 130 may have a set of four clamping cheats 36 that may be used to use the service window mounted on each easily removable service window 130 A set of four reverse acting toggle clips 136 on frame 132 clamps service window 130 in service window panel section 30 . Additionally, each of the two window handles 138 may be mounted on an easily removable service window frame 132 to allow easy removal and installation of the service window 130 by an end user. The number, type and arrangement of removable service window handles may vary. Additionally, the service window panel sections 30 for receiving easily removable service window panels 130 may allow at least two of the window clips 35 to be selectively installed in each service window panel section 30 . Although shown at the top and bottom of each service window panel section 30 , at least two window clips may be mounted in any manner to secure the service window 130 in the panel section frame 32 . Tools are available to remove and install window clip 35 to allow service window 130 to be removed and reinstalled. the

The reverse acting hinge clip 136 of the service window 130 and the hardware mounted on the panel section 30, including the clip plate 36, window guide pad 34, and window clip 35, may be constructed of any suitable material and combination of materials. For example, one or more such elements may include at least one metal, at least one ceramic, at least one plastic, and combinations thereof. The removable service window handle 138 may be constructed of any suitable material and combination of materials. For example, one or more such elements may include at least one metal, at least one ceramic, at least one plastic, at least one rubber, and combinations thereof. A closed window, such as window 124 of window panel 120 or window 134 of service window 130, may comprise any suitable material and combination of materials. According to various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings, the enclosure window may include transparent and translucent materials. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the enclosure window may comprise silica-based materials such as, for example and without limitation, glass and quartz, as well as various types of polymer-based materials such as, for example and without limitation, various grades of polycarbonate, acrylic, and vinyl). Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various composites and combinations thereof of exemplary window materials can also be used as transparent and translucent materials in accordance with the present teachings. the

As can be seen in FIG. 5 for frame member assembly 200 , easily removable service window panel 130 may have a glove port with cover 150 . While all glove ports are shown in FIG. 3 with outwardly extending gloves, as shown in FIG. 5, the glove ports may also be covered depending on whether the end user requires remote access to the interior of the gas enclosure assembly. Various embodiments of the cover assembly as shown in FIGS. 6A-7B are configured to securely latch the cover to the glove when the end user is not using the glove, and at the same time provide for easy access when the end user wishes to use the glove. . the

In Fig. 6A, a cover 150 is shown which may have an inner surface 151, an outer surface 153 and sides 152 which may be contoured for gripping. Three shoulder screws 156 extend from the edge 154 of the cover 150 . As shown in FIG. 6B , each shoulder screw is disposed in edge 154 such that shank 155 extends a set distance from edge 154 such that head 157 does not abut edge 154 . In Figures 7A-7B, the glove port hardware assembly 160 can be modified to provide a cap assembly that includes a locking mechanism for capping the glove port when the closure is pressurized to have a positive pressure relative to the exterior of the closure. the

For the various embodiments of the glove port hardware assembly 160 of FIG. 6A , the snap-on grip allows the cover 150 to be closed over the glove port hardware assembly 160 while simultaneously providing a quick coupling design for easy glove access by the end user. In the enlarged top view of the glove port hardware assembly 160 shown in FIG. 7A, the glove port assembly 160 may include a rear plate 161 and a front plate 163 having a threaded screw head 162 and a flange for mounting a glove. 164. Shown on flange 164 is a snap latch 166 having a slot 165 for receiving shoulder screw head 157 of shoulder screw 156 (FIG. 6B). Each shoulder screw 156 may align with and engage each of the snap latches 166 of the glove port hardware assembly 160 . The slot 168 of the snap latch 166 has an opening 165 at one end and a locking recess 167 at the other end of the slot 168 . Once each shoulder screw head 157 is inserted into each opening 165 , the cover 150 can be rotated until the shoulder screw head abuts the end of the slot 168 near the locking recess 167 . The cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7B shows the locking feature for the cover glove when the gas enclosure assembly system is in use. During use, the internal gas pressure of the inert gas in the enclosure is greater than the pressure outside the gas enclosure assembly by a set amount. Positive pressure can fill the glove (FIG. 3) so that when the glove is compressed under the cover 150 during use of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, the shoulder screw head 157 moves into the locking recess 167, ensuring that the glove port window will are securely covered. However, an end user can grasp the cover 150 by the sides 152 contoured for gripping and easily disengage the cover secured in the snap latch when not in use. FIG. 7B also shows a rear plate 161 on the inner surface 131 of the window 134 and a front plate 163 on the outer surface of the window 134 , both plates having an O-ring seal 169 . the

As will be discussed in the following teachings of FIGS. 8A-9B , the wall and ceiling frame member seals in combination with the gas impermeable section panel frame seals provide a gas-tight seal for air sensitive processes requiring an inert environment. Various embodiments of closure assemblies. Components of gas enclosure assemblies and systems that help provide a substantially low concentration of reactive species and a substantially low particulate environment may include, but are not limited to, hermetically sealed gas enclosure assemblies and high efficiency gas circulation and particulate filtration systems, including ductwork. Providing an effective hermetic seal for a gas enclosure assembly can be challenging; especially when three frame members come together to form a three-sided joint. Thus, three-sided joint seals present particularly difficult challenges in providing an easily installed hermetic seal for a gas enclosure assembly that can be assembled and disassembled through construction and deconstruction cycles. the

In this regard, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings provide hermetic sealing of fully constructed gas enclosure assemblies and systems through effective gasket sealing of joints and providing effective gasket sealing around load bearing construction components. Unlike conventional joint seals, joint seals according to the present teachings: 1) include gasket segments adjoining at the top and bottom terminal frame joint junctions (where three frame members are joined) with vertically oriented gasket consistent parallel alignment of the lengths, thereby avoiding angular seam alignment and sealing, 2) providing length for abutment along the entire width of the joint, thereby increasing the sealing contact area at the three-sided joint junction, 3) being designed with backing plates, so The gaskets described above provide consistent compressive force along all vertical and horizontal as well as top and bottom three-sided joint gasket seals. Additionally, the choice of gasket material can affect the effectiveness of providing a hermetic seal, as will be discussed subsequently. the

8A-8C are top schematic diagrams showing a comparison of a conventional three-sided joint seal and a three-sided joint seal according to the present teachings. According to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, there may be, for example, but not limited to, at least four wall frame members, a roof frame member, and a pan, which may be combined to form a gas enclosure assembly to create multiple enclosures requiring a hermetic seal. vertical, horizontal and three-sided joints. In FIG. 8A , a schematic top view of a conventional three-sided gasket seal is formed by a first gasket I oriented perpendicular to gasket II in the XY plane. As shown in FIG. 8A , the seam formed by the vertical orientation in the XY plane has a contact length W ₁ between the two segments defined by the spacer width dimension. Furthermore, a terminal portion of the spacer III (the spacer oriented perpendicularly to both spacer I and spacer II in the vertical direction) may abut spacer I and spacer II, as shown by shading. In Figure 8B, a schematic top view of a conventional three-sided joint gasket seal is formed by a first gasket length I, perpendicular to a second gasket length II, and having a 45° seam joint face of both lengths, Therein, the seam has a contact length W ₂ between the two sections that is greater than the width of the gasket material. Similar to the configuration of FIG. 8A , an end portion of spacer III that is perpendicular to both spacers I and II in the vertical direction may abut spacer I and spacer II, as shown by shading. Assuming that the pad widths are the same in FIGS. 8A and 8B , the contact length W ₂ of FIG. 8B is greater than the contact length W ₁ of FIG. 8A .

8C is a schematic top view of a three-sided joint gasket seal in accordance with the present teachings. The first shim length I may have a shim section I' formed perpendicular to the direction of the shim length I, wherein the shim section I' may have a length that may be approximately the width of the bonded structural components, e.g. 4" wide by 2" high or 4" wide by 4" high metal tubing used to form each wall framing member of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings. Spacer II is perpendicular to spacer I in the XY plane and has a spacer section II' whose overlapping length with spacer section I' is approximately the width of the structural component to be bonded. The width of gasket sections I' and II' is the width of the selected compressible gasket material. Spacer III is oriented perpendicular to both spacer I and spacer II in the vertical direction. Spacer section III' is the end portion of spacer III. Spacer section III' is formed by orienting spacer section III' perpendicular to the vertical length of spacer III. Gasket section III' may be formed such that it has approximately the same length as gasket sections I' and II', and has a width that is the thickness of the compressible gasket material selected. In this regard, the contact length _W3 of the three aligned segments shown in FIG. 8C is greater than the conventional delta joint seal shown in FIG. 8A or FIG. 8B with _W1 and _W2 , respectively.

In this regard, a three-sided joint gasket seal according to the present teachings creates a consistent parallel alignment of the gasket segments at the terminal joint junction (which would otherwise be a perpendicular alignment of the gasket, as in the case of FIGS. 8A and 8B ). ). This consistent parallel alignment of the three-sided joint gasket sealing sections exerts a consistent lateral sealing force across the sections to promote airtight three-sided joint sealing at the top and bottom corners of the joint formed by the wall frame members. Furthermore, each of the aligned gasket segments of each three-sided joint seal is selected to be approximately the width of the structural components being bonded, thereby providing a maximum contact length of the aligned segments. Additionally, joint seals according to the present teachings are designed with backing plates that provide consistent compressive force along all vertical, horizontal, and three-sided gasket seals of the constructed joint. It can be shown that the width of the gasket material chosen for the conventional three-sided seal given for the example of Figures 8A and 8B can be at least the width of the structural components being bonded. the

The exploded perspective view of FIG. 9A shows a seal assembly 300 according to the present teachings before all frame members are joined such that the gasket is shown in an uncompressed state. In Figure 9A, in a first step of building a gas enclosure from the various components of a gas enclosure assembly, a plurality of wall frame members, such as wall frame 310, wall frame 350, and roof frame 370, may be sealably joined. Frame member sealing according to the present teachings is an important part of providing a gas enclosure assembly that is hermetically sealed once fully constructed and that provides a seal that can be performed through construction and deconstruction cycles of the gas enclosure assembly. Although the examples given in the following teachings of FIGS. 9A-9B are for sealing a portion of a gas enclosure assembly, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such teaching applies to the entirety of any of the gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings. . the

The first wall frame 310 shown in FIG. 9A may have an inner side 311 to which a backing plate 312 is mounted, a vertical side 314 , and a top surface 315 to which a backing plate 316 is mounted. The first wall frame 310 may have a first spacer 320 disposed in a space formed by the backing plate 312 and adhered to the space formed by the backing plate 312 . The gap 302 left after the first spacer 320 is disposed in the space formed by the backing plate 312 and adhered to the space formed by the backing plate 312 may extend the vertical length of the first spacer 320, as shown in FIG. 9A . As shown in FIG. 9A , a compliant shim 320 may be disposed in and adhered to the space formed by the backing plate 312 and may have a vertical shim length 321 , a curved shim length 323 , and A spacer length 325 forming 90° in a plane with the vertical spacer length 321 on the inner frame member 311 and terminating in the vertical side 314 of the wall frame 310 . In FIG. 9A , the first wall frame 310 may have a top surface 315 to which a backing plate 316 is mounted, thereby forming a space on the surface 315 into which a second spacer 340 is disposed and glued near the inner edge 317 of the wall frame 310. attached to said space. The gap 304 left after the second spacer 340 is disposed in and adhered to the space formed by the backing plate 316 may extend the horizontal length of the second spacer 340 , as shown in FIG. 9A . Furthermore, as indicated by the hatching, length 345 of spacer 340 is consistently parallel and contiguously aligned with length 325 of spacer 320 . the

The second wall frame 350 shown in FIG. 9A may have outer frame sides 353 , vertical sides 354 , and a top surface 355 on which a backing plate 356 is mounted. The second wall frame 350 may have a first spacer 360 disposed in and adhered to the space formed by the backing plate 356 . The gap 306 left after the first gasket 360 is disposed in the space formed by the backing plate 356 and adhered to the space formed by the backing plate 356 may extend the horizontal length of the first gasket 360, as shown in FIG. 9A . Show. As shown in FIG. 9A , compliant shim 360 may have a vertical length 361 , a curved length 363 , and a length 365 forming 90° in-plane with top surface 355 and terminating at outer frame member 353 . the

As shown in the exploded perspective view of Figure 9A, the inner frame members 311 of the wall frame 310 may be joined to the vertical sides 354 of the wall frame 350 to form a build joint of the gas enclosure frame assembly. With regard to the seal of the build joint thus formed, in various embodiments of the gasket seal at the terminal joint junction of wall frame members according to the present teachings, as shown in FIG. 9A , the length 325 of the gasket 320, the Both length 365 and length 345 of spacer 340 are contiguously and consistently aligned. Additionally, as described in more detail subsequently, various embodiments of gaskets of the present teachings can provide about 20% to about 40% deflection of compressible gasket material for hermetically sealing various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings Consistent compression between. the

FIG. 9B shows seal assembly 300 according to the present teachings after all frame members have been joined such that the gasket is shown in a compressed state. 9B is a perspective view showing details of the corner seal of the three-sided joint formed at the top terminal joint joint between the first wall frame 310, the second wall frame 350, and the roof frame 370 (shown in phantom) picture. As shown in Figure 9B, the gasket space defined by the backing plate can be determined to a certain width, so that after combining the wall frame 310, the wall frame 350 and the roof frame 370; Consistent compression between about 20% and about 40% deflection of the compressible gasket material with the three-sided gasket seal ensures that the gasket seal at all surfaces sealed at the joint of the wall frame members can provide an airtight seal. In addition, shim gaps 302, 304, and 306 (not shown) are sized such that each shim can fill the shim after an optimal compression of between about 20% and about 40% deflection of the compressible shim material. Gaps, as shown for shim 340 and shim 360 in FIG. 9B . Thus, in addition to providing consistent compression by defining the space in which each shim sits and adheres, various embodiments of backing plates designed to provide clearance also ensure that each compressive shim can conform within the space defined by the backing plate. , without wrinkling or bulging or otherwise irregularly shaping in a compressed state in a manner that would form a leak path. the

According to various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings, various types of segment panels may be sealed using compressible gasket materials disposed on each panel segment frame. In conjunction with the frame member gasket seals, the location and material of the compressible gaskets used to form the seal between the individual section panels and the panel section frame can provide a hermetically sealed gas enclosure assembly with little or no gas leakage. Additionally, the seal design for all types of panels (e.g., insert panel 110, window panel 120, and easily removable service window 130 of FIG. required, e.g. for maintenance) to provide a durable panel seal. the

For example, FIG. 10A is an exploded view showing service window panel section 30 and easily removable service window 130 . As previously mentioned, the service window panel section 30 may be fabricated to receive an easily removable service window 130 . For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, a panel section such as the removable service panel section 30 may have a panel section frame 32 and a compressible gasket 38 disposed on the panel section frame 32 . In various embodiments, the hardware associated with securing the easily removable service window 130 in the removable service window panel section 30 may allow for ease of installation and reinstallation by the end user while ensuring that the easily removable service window 130 A gas-tight seal is ensured when installed and reinstalled in the panel section 30 as desired by the end user requiring direct access to the interior of the gas enclosure assembly. The easily removable service window 130 may include a rigid window frame 132, which may be constructed of metal tubing materials such as, but not limited to, those described for constructing any of the frame members of the present teachings. Service window 130 may utilize quick acting fastening hardware such as, but not limited to, reverse acting hinged clips 136 in order to facilitate removal and reinstallation of service window 130 by an end user. The glove port hardware assembly 160 of the aforementioned FIGS. 7A-7B is shown in FIG. 10A showing a group of 3 snap latches 166 . the

As shown in the front view of the removable service window panel section 30 of FIG. 10A , the easily removable service window 130 may have groups of four hinged clips 136 fastened to the window frame 132 . The service window 130 may be positioned at a defined distance in the panel section frame 30 for ensuring a suitable compressive force against the gasket 38 . Using groups of four window guide pads 34 , which can be installed in each corner of the panel section 30 as shown in FIG. Each of the set of cleats 36 may be configured to receive a reverse acting hinged clip 136 of an easily removable service window 136 . According to various embodiments for hermetically sealing the service window 130 through installation and removal cycles, the mechanical strength of the service window frame 132 is related to the defined position of the service window 130 relative to the compressible gasket 38 (provided by the set of window guide pads 34). ) combination ensures that once the service window 130 is secured in place, such as, but not limited to, using reverse acting hinged clips 136 secured in corresponding cleats 36, the service window frame 132 can be placed in defined compression on the panel section frame 32 (by Sets of window guide pads 34) provide uniform force. The set of window guide pads 34 are positioned such that the compressive force of the window 130 on the pad 38 deflects the compressible pad 38 by between about 20% and about 40%. In this regard, the construction of the service window 130 and the fabrication of the panel section 30 provide a gas-tight seal for the service window 130 in the panel section 30 . As previously described, the window clip 35 may be installed in the panel section 30 after the service window 130 is secured in the panel section 30 and removed when the service window 130 needs to be disassembled. the

The reverse acting hinged clip 136 may be secured to the easily removable service window frame 132 using any suitable means and combination of means. Examples of suitable fastening means that may be used include at least one adhesive (such as, but not limited to, epoxy or cement), at least one bolt, at least one screw, at least one other fastener, at least one groove, at least one A rail, at least one weld, and combinations thereof. The reverse acting hinge clip 136 can be connected directly to the removable service window frame 132 or indirectly through an adapter plate. Reverse acting hinge clip 136, clamp plate 36, window guide pad 34, and window clip 35 may be constructed of any suitable material and combination of materials. For example, one or more such elements may include at least one metal, at least one ceramic, at least one plastic, and combinations thereof. the

In addition to sealing easily removable service windows, gas-tight seals are also available for insert panels and window panels. Other types of segment panels that may be repeatedly installed and removed in a panel segment include, for example but not limited to, insert panels 110 and window panels 120 shown in FIG. 5 . As can be seen in FIG. 5 , the panel frame 122 of the window panel 120 is constructed similarly to the insert panel 110 . Thus, according to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the fabrication of the panel sections for receiving the insert panel and the window panel may be the same. In this respect, the sealing of the insert panel and the window panel can be implemented using the same principle. the

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B , and according to various embodiments of the present teachings, any panel of a gas enclosure (eg, gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 1 ) may include one or more insert panel sections 10 that may have The frame 12 receives a corresponding plug-in panel 110 . Fig. 11A is a perspective view pointing out an enlarged portion shown in Fig. 11B. In FIG. 11A , the insert panel 110 is shown positioned relative to the insert frame 12 . As can be seen in Figure 1 IB, the insert panel 110 is secured to the frame 12, wherein the frame 12 may be constructed of metal, for example. In some embodiments, metals may include aluminum, steel, copper, stainless steel, chromium, alloys, combinations thereof, and the like. A plurality of blind threaded holes 14 may be formed in the insert panel section frame 12 . The panel section frame 12 is constructed so as to include a spacer 16 interposed between the panel 110 and the frame 12, in which a compressible spacer 18 may be disposed. The blind holes 14 may be of the M5 type. Screws 15 can be received by blind holes 14 , thereby compressing spacers 16 between the insert panel 110 and frame 12 . Once secured in place against the gasket 16 , the insert panel 110 forms a gas-tight seal within the insert panel section 10 . As previously described, such panel sealing may be performed on various segment panels including, but not limited to, the insert panel 110 and the window panel 120 shown in FIG. 5 . the

According to various embodiments of compressible gaskets in accordance with the present teachings, the compressible gasket materials used for frame member sealing and panel sealing may be selected from a variety of compressible polymeric materials such as, but not limited to, the class of closed cell polymeric materials Any of these is also known in the art as expanded rubber material or expanded polymeric material. Briefly, closed cell polymers are prepared in such a way that a gas is enclosed in discrete cells; where each discrete cell is enclosed by a polymeric material. Properties of compressible closed cell polymeric gasket materials desirable for gas-tight sealing of frame and panel components include, but are not limited to, that they are robust to chemical attack from a wide range of chemicals, have very good moisture barrier properties, It is elastic over a wide temperature range and resists permanent compression set (set). In general, closed-cell polymeric materials have higher dimensional stability, lower moisture absorption coefficient, and higher strength than open-cell polymeric materials. The various types of polymeric materials that can be made into closed cell polymeric materials include, for example but not limited to: silicone, neoprene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPT) (using ethylene terpolymer ( EPDM), vinyl nitrile, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and their various copolymers and blends. the

The desired material properties of closed cell polymers are only maintained as long as the units making up the bulk material remain intact during use. In this regard, use of such materials in a manner that may exceed material specifications set for closed cell polymers (eg, beyond specifications for use within a specified temperature or compression range) can cause degradation of the gasket seal. In various embodiments of closed cell polymer gaskets used to seal frame members and segment panels in frame panel segments, the compression of such material should not exceed between about 50% and about 70% deflection, and Between about 20% and about 40% deflection for optimum performance. the

In addition to enclosure compressible gasket materials, another example of a class of compressible gasket materials having desirable properties for constructing embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings includes the class of hollow extruded compressible gasket materials. . Hollow extruded gasket materials have desirable properties as a material class including, but not limited to, they are robust to chemical attack from a wide range of chemicals, have very good moisture barrier properties, are resilient over a wide temperature range, And it resists permanent compression set. Such hollow extruded compressible gasket materials are available in a wide variety of form factors such as, but not limited to, U-shaped units, D-shaped units, square units, rectangular units, and various conventional form factors hollow extruded Any of the gasket materials. Various hollow extruded gasket materials can be made from polymeric materials used in closed cell compressible gasket fabrication. For example and without limitation, various embodiments of hollow extruded gaskets may be made from silicone, neoprene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPT) (polymerized using ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) Compounds and composites), ethylene nitrile, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and various copolymers and blends thereof. Compression of such hollow cell gasket material should not exceed about 50% deflection in order to maintain desired properties. the

Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that while the closed cell and hollow extrusion compressible gasket material categories are given as examples, any compressible gasket material having the desired properties may be used Sealing the structural components provided by the present teachings, such as the various wall and roof framing members, and sealing individual panels in the panel section frames. the

A gas enclosure assembly, such as gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIGS. 3 and 4 or gas enclosure assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 and 24 as will be discussed subsequently, can be constructed from multiple frame members in order to minimize damage to system components such as but not limited to , gasket seals, framing members, piping and section panels) risk. For example, gasket seals are components that can be easily damaged during construction of a gas enclosure from multiple frame members. According to various embodiments of the present teachings, materials and methods are configured to minimize or eliminate the risk of damage to various components of a gas enclosure assembly during construction of a gas enclosure device according to the present teachings. the

12A is a perspective view of an initial stage of construction of a gas enclosure assembly, such as gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3 . While a gas enclosure assembly such as gas enclosure assembly 100 is used to illustrate the construction of a gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, one of ordinary skill will recognize that such teachings apply to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly. As shown in FIG. 12A , during the initial stages of construction of the gas enclosure assembly, a plurality of spacers are first placed on a disc 204 supported by a base 202 . The spacers may be thicker than the compressible spacer material provided on each wall frame member mounted on the tray 204 . A series of spacers can be placed on the peripheral edge of the pan 204 at locations where the individual wall frame members of the gas enclosure assembly can be placed on the series of spacers and proximate to the pan 204 during assembly without interfering with Disc 204 contacts. It is desirable to assemble the individual wall frame members on the tray 204 in a manner that protects from any damage to the compressible gasket material (for the purpose of sealing with the tray 204 ) disposed on each wall frame member. Thus, for the purpose of forming an airtight seal with the pan 204, the use of spacers on which the individual wall panel components can be placed in their initial position on the pan 204 prevents the compressible gasket material provided on the various wall frame members from being subjected to damage. any damage. For example and without limitation, as shown in FIG. 12A, the front peripheral edge 201 may have pads 93, 95, and 97 on which the front wall frame members may sit; the right peripheral edge 205 may have pads. 89 and 91 , the right side wall frame members can sit on pads 89 and 91 ; and the rear perimeter edge 207 can have two pads on which the rear wall frame pads can sit, with pad 87 shown. Any number, type and combination of spacers can be used. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that spacers may be positioned on disk 204 in accordance with the present teachings, although unique spacers are not shown in each of FIGS. 12A-14B . the

Exemplary spacers according to various embodiments of the present teachings for assembling a gas enclosure from component frame members are shown in FIG. 12B , which is a perspective view of a third spacer 91 shown in the circled portion of FIG. 9A . Exemplary spacers 91 may include spacer straps 90 attached to lateral sides 92 of the spacer. The spacer may be made of any suitable material and combination of materials. For example, each spacer may comprise ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Spacer strap 90 may be made of any suitable material and combination of materials. In some embodiments, spacer strap 90 includes nylon material, polyalkylene material, or the like. Spacer 91 has a top surface 94 and a bottom surface 96 . The spacers 87, 89, 93, 95, 97 and any other spacers used may be configured with the same or similar physical properties and may comprise the same or similar materials. The spacers may be seated, clamped or otherwise easily positioned in a manner that allows stable placement to the peripheral upper edge of the pan 204 for ease of removal. the

In the exploded perspective view provided in FIG. 13 , the frame members may include a front wall frame 210 , a left side wall frame 220 , a right side wall frame 230 , a rear wall frame 210 attachable to a tray 204 seated on a base 202 Frame 240 and top plate or top frame 250 . OLED printing system 50 may be mounted on top of tray 204 . the

OLED printing systems 50 according to various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings may include, for example: a granite base; a movable bridge that may support an OLED printing device; extending from various embodiments of a pressurized inert gas recirculation system One or more devices and devices of, for example, a substrate suspension stage, air bearings, rails, rails; an inkjet printer system for depositing OLED film-forming materials on a substrate, including an OLED ink supply subsystem and an inkjet printhead ; one or more robots, etc. Given the various components that may comprise OLED printing system 50, various embodiments of OLED printing system 50 may have various footprints and form factors. the

OLED inkjet printing systems may include several devices and devices that allow ink droplets to be reliably placed at specific locations on a substrate. These devices and equipment may include, but are not limited to, printhead assemblies, ink delivery systems, motion systems, substrate support equipment such as levitation tables or chucks, substrate loading and unloading systems, and printhead maintenance systems. The printhead assembly includes at least one inkjet head with at least one orifice capable of ejecting ink droplets at a controlled rate, velocity, and size. The inkjet head is supplied by an ink supply system which supplies ink to the inkjet head. Printing requires relative motion between the printhead assembly and the substrate. This is done with the aid of a kinematic system, usually a gantry or split axis XYZ system. The printhead assembly can move on a fixed baseplate (gantry type), or in the case of a split-axis configuration, both the printhead and baseplate can move. In another embodiment, the print station can be fixed and the substrate can be moved along the X and Y axes relative to the printhead, while Z-axis motion is provided at either the substrate or the printhead. As the printhead moves relative to the substrate, ink drops are ejected at the correct time to deposit at the desired location on the substrate. Substrates are inserted into and removed from the printer using a substrate loading and unloading system. Depending on the printer configuration, this can be done with mechanical conveyors, substrate levitation stages, or robots with end effectors. A printhead maintenance system may include several subsystems that allow for maintenance tasks such as ink drop volume calibration, scraping of inkjet nozzle surfaces, priming to eject ink to waste reservoirs. the

According to various embodiments of the present teachings for assembling a gas enclosure, the front or first wall frame 210, left or second wall frame 220, right or third wall frame 230, rear Or the fourth wall frame 250 and the roof frame 250 may be built together in a systematic order and then attached to the pan 204 mounted on the base 202 . Various embodiments of frame members may be positioned on the pads using a gantry crane to prevent damage to the compressible spacer material, as previously described. For example, using a gantry crane, the front wall frame 210 may sit on at least three pads, such as pads 93, 95 and 97 on the peripheral upper edge 201 of the pan 204 shown in FIG. 12A. After the front wall frame 210 is placed on the spacers, the wall frames 220 and 230 can be placed one after the other or sequentially in any order on the spacers already provided on the peripheral edge 203 and the peripheral edge 205 of the tray 204 respectively. According to various embodiments of the present teachings for assembling a gas enclosure from component frame members, the front wall frame 210 may be placed on blocks, and the left side wall frame 220 and the right side wall frame 230 subsequently placed on the blocks such that they is in place to be bolted or otherwise secured to the front wall frame 210 . In various embodiments, the rear wall frame 240 may be placed on spacers so that it is in place to be bolted or fastened to the left side wall frame 220 and the right side wall frame 230 . For various embodiments, once the wall frame members are secured together to form an adjoining wall frame enclosure assembly, the top roof frame 250 may be secured to such wall frame enclosure assemblies to form a complete gas enclosure frame assembly. In various embodiments of the present teachings for constructing gas enclosure assemblies, at this stage of assembly, the complete gas enclosure frame assembly sits on a plurality of spacers in order to protect the integrity of the individual frame member gaskets. the

As shown in FIG. 14A , for various embodiments of the present teachings for constructing a gas enclosure assembly, the gas enclosure frame assembly 400 can then be positioned such that the pads can be removed in preparation for attaching the gas enclosure frame assembly 400 to the disc 204 . FIG. 14A shows the gas enclosure frame assembly 400 raised to a position lifted from and off the blocks using lifter assembly 402 , lifter assembly 404 , and lifter assembly 406 . In various embodiments of the present teachings, riser assemblies 402 , 404 , and 406 may be attached around the perimeter of gas enclosure frame assembly 400 . After the riser assemblies are attached, the fully constructed gas enclosure frame assembly can be lifted off the pads by actuating each riser assembly to raise or extend each riser assembly, thereby raising the gas enclosure frame assembly 400 . As shown in FIG. 14A , the gas enclosure frame assembly 400 is shown lifted above a plurality of spacers previously seated thereon. The plurality of spacers can then be removed from its seated position on the disc 204 so that the frame can then be lowered onto the disc 204 and then attached to the disc 204 . the

FIG. 14B is an exploded view of various embodiments of a lifter assembly according to the present teachings and the same lifter assembly 402 as shown in FIG. 11A . As shown, the lifter assembly 402 includes a wear pad 408 , a mounting plate 410 , a first clip mount 412 and a second clip mount 413 . First clip 414 and second clip 415 are shown in line with respective clip mounts 412 and 413 . A jack crank 416 is attached to the top of a jack shaft 418 . A trailer jack 520 is shown perpendicular to and attached to the jack shaft 418 . The jack base 422 is shown as part of the lower end of the jack shaft 418 . Below the jack base 422 is a foot support 424 configured to receive the lower end of the jack shaft 418 and connectable thereto. Leveling feet 426 are also shown and configured to be received by foot support 424 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that any means suitable for the lifting operation may be used to raise the gas enclosure frame assembly from the pads so that the pads can be removed and the intact gas enclosure assembly can be lowered onto the pan. For example, instead of one or more lifter assemblies such as 402, 404, and 406, hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric lifters could be used. the

According to various embodiments of the present teachings for constructing a gas enclosure assembly, a plurality of fasteners may be provided and configured to fasten the plurality of frame members together and then secure the gas enclosure frame assembly to the pan. The plurality of fasteners may include one or more fastener portions disposed along each edge of each frame member at locations where the respective frame member is configured to intersect an adjacent frame member of the plurality of frame members. The plurality of fasteners and compressible spacers may be configured such that, when the frame members are joined together, the compressible spacers are disposed proximate the interior and the hardware is proximate the exterior such that the hardware does not provide a gas tight closure assembly of the present teachings multiple leak paths. the

The plurality of fasteners may include a plurality of bolts along an edge of one or more frame members, and a plurality of threaded holes along an edge of one or more different ones of the plurality of frame members. The plurality of fasteners may include a plurality of nut-set bolts. The bolts may include bolt heads extending away from the outer surface of the respective panel. The bolts may sink into recesses in the frame members. Clips, screws, rivets, adhesives, and other fasteners may be used to fasten the framing members together. Bolts or other fasteners may extend through the outer walls of one or more frame members and into threaded holes or other complementary fastener features in the side or top walls of one or more adjacent frame members. the

As shown in Figures 15-17, for various embodiments of the method of constructing a gas enclosure, ductwork may be installed in an interior portion formed by the combination of wall frame and roof frame members. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, ductwork may be installed during the construction process. According to various embodiments of the present teachings, ductwork may be installed within a gas enclosure frame assembly constructed from a plurality of frame members. In various embodiments, ductwork may be installed on the plurality of frame members prior to joining the plurality of frame members to form a gas enclosure frame assembly. The ductwork for various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems may be configured such that substantially all of the gas drawn into the ductwork from one or more ductwork inlets moves through various embodiments of the gas circulation and filtration loop for Removes particulate matter from inside gas enclosure assemblies. Additionally, the ductwork of the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system can be configured to separate the inlet and outlet of the gas purification loop external to the gas enclosure assembly from the gas circulation and filtration loop used to remove the gas inside the gas enclosure assembly. of particulate matter. Various embodiments of ductwork according to the present teachings may be fabricated from sheet metal, such as, but not limited to, aluminum sheet having a thickness of approximately 80 mils. the

FIG. 15 shows a right front phantom perspective view of the ductwork assembly 500 of the gas enclosure assembly 100 . The closed ductwork assembly 500 may have a front wall panel ductwork assembly 510 . As shown, a front wall panel ductwork assembly 510 may have a front wall panel inlet duct 512, a first front wall panel longitudinal member 514, and a second front wall panel longitudinal member 516, both of which are The front wall panel inlet conduit 512 is in fluid communication. The first front wall panel longitudinal member 514 is shown having an outlet 515 that sealably engages the ceiling duct 505 of the fan filter unit cover 103 . In a similar manner, the second front wall panel longitudinal member 516 is shown having an outlet 517 that sealably engages the ceiling duct 507 of the fan filter unit cover 103 . In this regard, front wall panel ductwork assembly 510 provides for circulating inert gas within the gas enclosure assembly from the bottom through each front wall panel longitudinal member 514 and 516 using front wall panel inlet duct 512 and respectively Air is delivered through outlets 505 and 507 so that the air can be filtered by, for example, fan filter unit 752 . As will be described in more detail subsequently, the number, size and shape of the fan filter units may be selected according to the physical location of the substrate in the printing system during processing. Heat exchanger 742, which is part of the thermal regulation system, near fan filter unit 752, can maintain the inert gas circulating through gas enclosure assembly 100 at a desired temperature. the

The right side wall panel ductwork assembly 530 may have a right side wall panel inlet duct 532 that communicates with a right side wall panel upper duct 538 through a right side wall panel first longitudinal member 534 and a right side wall panel second longitudinal member 536 . connected. The right side wall panel upper duct 538 may have a first duct inlet end 535 and a second duct outlet end 537 in fluid communication with the rear wall panel upper duct 536 of the rear wall ductwork assembly 540 . The left side wall panel ductwork assembly 520 may have the same components as described for the right side wall panel assembly 530, wherein, as evident in FIG. A wall panel longitudinal member 524 is a left side wall panel inlet duct 522 in fluid communication with a left side wall panel upper duct (not shown). Rear wall panel ductwork assembly 540 may have a rear wall panel inlet duct 542 in fluid communication with left side wall panel assembly 520 and right side wall panel assembly 530 . Additionally, the rear wall panel ductwork assembly 540 may have a rear wall panel bottom duct 544 which may have a rear wall panel first inlet 541 and a rear wall panel second inlet 543 . The rear wall panel bottom duct 544 may be in fluid communication with the rear wall panel upper duct 536 via a first bulkhead 547 and a second bulkhead 549 which may be used to route, for example but not limited to, cables, wires and tubing Various beams, etc. are fed from the outside of the gas enclosure assembly 100 to the inside. Duct openings 533 are provided for moving bundles of cables, wires and tubing etc. out of the rear wall panel upper duct 536 , which may pass through the upper duct 536 via the bulkhead 549 . Bulkhead 547 and bulkhead 549 may be hermetically sealed on the outside using removable insert panels, as previously described. The rear wall panel upper duct is in fluid communication with, for example but not limited to, a fan filter unit 754 through a vent 545 (one corner of which is shown in FIG. 15 ). In this regard, left side wall panel ductwork assembly 520, right side wall panel ductwork assembly 530, and rear wall panel ductwork assembly 540 provide for circulating inert gas within the gas enclosure assembly from the bottom, using wall panel inlets, respectively. Ducts 522 , 532 , and 542 and rear panel lower duct 544 are in fluid communication with vent 545 through the aforementioned respective longitudinal members, ducts, bulkhead channels, etc., so that air can be filtered through, for example, fan filter unit 754 . The heat exchanger 744, which is part of the thermal regulation system, near the fan filter unit 754 can maintain the inert gas circulating through the gas enclosure assembly 100 at the desired temperature. the

In Fig. 15, the cable feed through the opening 533 is shown. As described in more detail subsequently, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings provide for passing bundles of cables, wires, tubing, etc. through ductwork. In order to eliminate leak paths formed around such bundles, various methods for sealing the different sized cables, wires and tubing in the bundle with compliant materials are available. Also shown in FIG. 15 are tubes I and II for enclosing the ductwork assembly 500 , which are shown as part of the fan filter unit cover 103 . Pipe I provides the inert gas outlet to the external gas purification system, while pipe II provides the purified inert gas return to the gas circulation and particle filtration circuits inside the gas enclosure assembly 100 . the

In Fig. 16, a top phantom perspective view of a closed piping system assembly 500 is shown. The symmetrical nature of the left side wall panel ductwork assembly 520 and the right side wall panel ductwork assembly 530 can be seen. For the right side wall panel ductwork assembly 530 , the right side wall panel inlet duct 532 is in fluid communication with the right side wall panel upper duct 538 through the right side wall panel first longitudinal member 534 and the right side wall panel second longitudinal member 536 . The right side wall panel upper duct 538 may have a first duct inlet end 535 and a second duct outlet end 537 that is fluidly connected to the rear wall panel upper duct 536 of the rear wall ductwork assembly 540 connected. Similarly, left side wall panel ductwork assembly 520 may have left side wall panel inlet duct 522 passing through left side wall panel first longitudinal support 524 and left side wall panel second longitudinal support 526 In fluid communication with left side wall panel upper conduit 528 . The left side wall panel upper duct 528 may have a first duct inlet end 525 and a second duct outlet end 527 that is fluidly connected to the rear wall panel upper duct 536 of the rear wall ductwork assembly 540 connected. Additionally, the rear wall panel ductwork assembly may have a rear wall panel inlet duct 542 in fluid communication with the left side wall panel assembly 520 and the right side wall panel assembly 530 . Additionally, the rear wall panel ductwork assembly 540 may have a rear wall panel bottom duct 544 which may have a rear wall panel first inlet 541 and a rear wall panel second inlet 543 . Rear wall panel bottom duct 544 may be in fluid communication with rear wall panel upper duct 536 via first bulkhead 547 and second bulkhead 549 . The ductwork assembly 500 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 can provide inert gas from a front wall panel ductwork assembly 510 which circulates inert gas from a front wall panel inlet duct 512 to the ceiling via front wall panel outlets 515 and 517, respectively. panel ducts 505 and 507) and from left side wall panel assembly 520, right side wall panel assembly 530 and rear wall panel ductwork assembly 540 (which circulate air from inlet ducts 522, 532 and 542 to the vents, respectively 545) effective cycle. Once inert gas is exhausted via ceiling panel ducts 505 and 507 and vent 545 to the enclosed area under fan filter unit cover 103 of enclosure 100 , such exhausted inert gas may be filtered through fan filter units 752 and 754 . Additionally, circulating inert gas may be maintained at the desired temperature by heat exchangers 742 and 744 as part of the thermal regulation system. the

FIG. 17 is a hypothetical bottom view of the closed tubing assembly 500 . The inlet ductwork assembly 502 includes a front wall panel inlet duct 512 , a left side wall panel inlet duct 522 , a right side wall panel inlet duct 532 , and a rear wall panel inlet duct 542 in fluid communication with one another. For each inlet duct included in inlet ductwork assembly 502, there are distinct openings distributed evenly along the bottom of each duct, groups of openings being specifically emphasized for purposes of the present teachings, as in front wall panel inlet duct 512. Opening 511 , opening 521 of left side wall panel inlet duct 522 , opening 531 of right side wall panel inlet duct 532 , and opening 541 of right side wall panel inlet duct 542 . Visible across the bottom of each inlet duct, such openings provide for efficient absorption of inert gas within the enclosure 100 for continuous circulation and filtration. The continuous circulation and filtration of the inert gas of the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly provides for maintaining a substantially particle-free environment within the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly system. Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly system can maintain ISO 14644 Class 4 for particulate matter. Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly system may maintain ISO 14644 Class 3 specifications for processes that are particularly sensitive to particulate contamination. As previously described, pipe I provides the inert gas outlet to the external gas purification system, while pipe II provides the purified inert gas return to the filtration and circulation loop inside the gas enclosure assembly 100 . the

In various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings, bundles of cables, wires, tubing, etc. are operable with electrical, mechanical, fluid, and cooling systems disposed within the interior of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems ground, for example for the operation of an OLED printing system. Such bundles may be fed through ducts in order to purge reactive ambient gases, such as water vapor and oxygen, trapped in dead spaces of bundles of cables, wires, pipes, etc. In accordance with the present teachings, it has been found that dead spaces formed within bundles of cables, wires and tubing form reservoirs for trapped reactive species which can significantly prolong the time required to bring a gas enclosure assembly to specification for performing air sensitive processes . For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings for printing OLED devices, each of the various reactive species, including various reactive ambient gases, such as water vapor and oxygen, and organic solvent vapors All can be maintained at, for example, 100 ppm or less, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. the

To understand how cable feeding through ducts can result in a reduction in the time required to purge trapped reactive ambient gases from the dead volume of bundled cables, wires, tubing, etc., refer to FIGS. 18A-19 . FIG. 18A shows an enlarged view of bundle I, which may be a bundle that may include lines, for example, line A for delivering various inks, solvents, etc. to a printing system such as printing system 50 of FIG. 13 . Bundle I of FIG. 18A may also include wires such as wires B or cables such as coaxial cables C. Such tubing, wires and cables can be bundled together and routed from the outside to the inside to connect to various devices and equipment including the OLED printing system. As can be seen in the shaded area of Figure 18A, such a beam can form a large number of dead zones D. In the schematic perspective view of Fig. 18B, as the cable, wire and tubing bundle I is fed through the duct II, an inert gas III may be continuously swept across the bundle. The enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 19 shows how continuous sweeping of inert gas over bundled tubing, wires and cables can effectively increase the rate at which trapped reactive species are removed from the dead volume formed in such a bundle. The diffusion rate of reactive species A out of the dead volume (indicated in Figure 19 by the total area occupied by species A) versus the reactive species outside the dead volume (in Figure 19 by the total area occupied by inert gas species B) Concentration is inversely proportional. That is, if the concentration of reactive species is high in the volume just outside the dead volume, the rate of diffusion is reduced. If the concentration of reactive species in such a region is continuously decreased from the volume just outside the dead volume space (by the flowing stream of inert gas and then by mass action), the rate of diffusion of the reactive species from the dead volume increases. Furthermore, by the same principle, the inert gas can diffuse into the dead volumes, since trapped reactive species are efficiently removed from these spaces. the

20A is a perspective view of the rear corner of various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly 600 with a phantom view through return conduit 605 into the interior of gas enclosure assembly 600 . For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 600, the rear wall panel 640 may have an insert panel 610 configured to provide access to, for example, an electrical bulkhead. Bundles of cables, wires and tubing etc. may be fed through the bulkhead into cable routing ducts, such as duct 632 shown in right side wall panel 630, for which purpose the removable insert panel has been removed to expose the routing to the first cable , wire and tube bundles in bundle conduit inlet 636. From here, the bundle can be fed into the interior of the gas enclosure assembly 600 and is shown in phantom by a return conduit 605 in the interior of the gas enclosure assembly 600 . Various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies for cable, wire, and tubing bundle routing may have more than one cable, wire, and tubing bundle entry, as shown in FIG. 20A , which shows a first bundle of conduit inlets 634 and a second bundle of pipe inlets 636 for another bundle. Figure 20B shows an enlarged view of the bundle duct inlet 634 for cable, wire and tubing bundles. The bundle duct inlet 634 may have an opening 631 designed to form a seal with the sliding cover 633 . In various embodiments, the opening 631 can accommodate a flexible seal module such as that provided by the Roxtec Company for a cable entry seal, which can accommodate cables, wires, tubing, etc. of various diameters in a bundle. Alternatively, the top 635 of the sliding cover 633 and the upper portion 637 of the opening 631 may have a compliant material disposed on each surface, so that the compliant material may be in a variety of bundles fed through an inlet such as the bundle conduit inlet 634. Forms a seal around cables, wires and pipes etc. of dimensional diameter. the

FIG. 21 is a bottom view of various embodiments of a roof panel of the present teachings, such as, for example, roof panel 250 ′ of gas enclosure assembly and system 100 of FIG. 3 . According to various embodiments of the present teachings for assembling a gas enclosure, lighting devices may be mounted on an interior top surface of a ceiling panel, such as the ceiling panel 250' of the gas enclosure assembly and system 100 of FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 21 , a roof frame 250 having an inner portion 251 allows lighting to be mounted on the inner portion of each frame member. For example, the roof frame 250 may have two roof frame sections 40 that collectively have two roof frame beams 42 and 44 . Each roof frame segment 40 may have a first side 41 positioned toward the inside of the roof frame 250 and a second side 43 positioned toward the outside of the roof frame 250 . For various embodiments in accordance with the present teachings that provide lighting for a gas enclosure, a pair of lighting elements 46 may be installed. Each pair of lighting elements 46 may include a first lighting element 45 near the first side 41 and a second lighting element 47 near the second side 43 of the roof frame section 40 . The number, positioning and grouping of lighting elements shown in Figure 21 are exemplary. The number and grouping of lighting elements may be varied in any desired or suitable manner. In various embodiments, the lighting elements can be mounted flat, while in other embodiments, can be mounted such that they can be moved to various positions and angles. The placement of lighting elements is not limited to the top panel ceiling 433, but may be located on any other interior, exterior, and combination of surfaces of the gas enclosure assembly and system 100 shown in FIG. 3 in addition to or in alternative embodiments. . the

The various lighting elements may include any number, type, or combination of lights, such as halogen lights, white lights, incandescent lights, arc lights, or light emitting diodes or devices (LEDs). For example, each lighting element may include 1 LED to about 100 LEDs, about 10 LEDs to about 50 LEDs, or greater than 100 LEDs. LEDs or other lighting devices may emit any color or combination of colors in the color spectrum, out of the color spectrum, or a combination thereof. According to various embodiments of a gas enclosure for inkjet printing of OLED materials, since some materials are sensitive to certain wavelengths of light, the light wavelengths of the illumination device installed in the gas enclosure may be specifically selected to avoid processing During material degradation. For example, 4X cool white LEDs could be used, 4X yellow LEDs, or any combination thereof. An example of a 4X cool white LED is the LF1B-D4S-2THWW4 available from IDEC Corporation (Sunnyvale, California). An example of a 4X yellow LED that can be used is the LF1B-D4S-2SHY6, also available from IDEC Corporation. LEDs or other lighting elements may be positioned or suspended from anywhere on the interior portion 251 of the roof frame 250 or on another surface of the gas enclosure assembly. The lighting elements are not limited to LEDs. Any suitable lighting element or combination of lighting elements may be used. 22 is a graph of IDEC LED spectrum and shows the x-axis corresponding to intensity and the y-axis corresponding to wavelength (in nanometers) when the peak intensity is 100%. Spectra of LF1B yellow type, yellow fluorescent lamp, LF1B white type LED, LF1B cool white type LED and LF1B red type LED are shown. Other spectra and combinations of spectra may be used according to various embodiments of the present teachings. the

Recall that various embodiments of the gas enclosure are constructed in a manner that minimizes the internal volume of the gas enclosure while optimizing the workspace to accommodate the various footprints of the various OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly so constructed also provide easy access to the interior of the gas enclosure assembly from the outside and for maintenance during handling, while minimizing downtime. In this regard, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings can be profiled with respect to various footprints of various OLED printing systems. the

Those of ordinary skill will appreciate that the present teachings for frame member construction, panel construction, frame and panel sealing, and construction of gas enclosure assemblies (e.g., gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 3 ) are applicable to gas enclosure assemblies of various sizes and designs. Closed components. For example and without limitation, various embodiments of the contoured gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings covering substrate sizes from Gen 3.5 to Gen 10 can have an internal volume between about ^6m3 and about ^95m3 , and can be uncontoured and have The volume savings for a comparable gross size closure is between about 30% and about 70%. Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly may have individual frame members configured to provide a profile for the gas enclosure assembly to accommodate the OLED printing system for its function while optimizing the workspace to minimize inert gas volumes and also allow for Facilitates access to the OLED printing system from the outside. In this regard, various gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings may vary in profile topography and volume.

Figure 23 provides an example of a gas enclosure assembly according to the present teachings. The gas enclosure assembly 1000 may include a front frame assembly 1100 , a middle frame assembly 1200 and a rear frame assembly 1300 . The front frame assembly 1100 may include a front base frame 1120, a front wall frame 1140, and a front roof frame 1160, and the front wall frame 1140 may have an opening 1142 for receiving a substrate. Intermediate frame assembly 1200 may include a first intermediate enclosure frame assembly 1240 , an intermediate wall and ceiling frame assembly 1260 , and a second intermediate enclosure frame assembly 1280 . The rear frame assembly 1300 may include a rear base frame 1320 , a rear wall frame 1340 and a rear ceiling frame 1360 . The area shown in shade shows the available working volume of the gas assembly 1000, which is the volume available to accommodate the OLED printing system. Various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000 are contoured to minimize the volume of recirculated inert gas required to operate an air-sensitive process (e.g., an OLED printing process), while allowing easy access to the OLED printing system (either remotely or directly during operation). easily accessible through easily removable panels). For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings covering substrate sizes Gen 3.5 through Gen 10, various embodiments of contoured gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings can have a gas enclosure volume of between about ⁶ m to about 95 ^m , and for example but not limited to between about 15 m ³ to about 30 m ³ , which may be useful for OLED printing of eg Gen 5.5 to Gen 8.5 substrate sizes.

Gas enclosure assembly 1000 may have all of the features described for exemplary gas enclosure assembly 100 in the present teachings. For example, without limitation, gas enclosure assembly 1000 may employ seals in accordance with the present teachings to provide a hermetically sealed enclosure that undergoes cycles of construction and deconstruction. Various embodiments of a gas enclosure system based on the gas enclosure assembly 1000 may have a gas purification system that removes each of the various reactive species, including various reactive ambient gases such as water vapor and oxygen, and organic solvent vapors. Substance levels are maintained at, for example, 100 ppm or less, 10 ppm or less, 1.0 ppm or less, or 0.1 ppm or less. the

Additionally, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems based on gas enclosure assembly 1000 can have circulation and filtration systems that can provide a particle-free environment that meets ISO 14644 Class 3 and Class 4 cleanroom standards. Additionally, as described in greater detail subsequently, gas enclosure assembly systems based on gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings (e.g., gas enclosure assembly 100 and gas enclosure assembly 1000) can have various embodiments of pressurized inert gas recirculation systems that can be used For example, but not limited to, one or more of the following: pneumatic robots, substrate suspension tables, air bearings, air bushings, compressed air tools, pneumatic actuators, and combinations thereof. For various embodiments of the gas enclosures and systems of the present teachings, the use of various pneumatically operated devices and equipment can provide low particle generation performance as well as low maintenance. the

24 is an exploded view of a gas enclosure assembly 1000 showing various frame members that may be constructed to provide a hermetically sealed gas enclosure in accordance with the present teachings. As described above with respect to various embodiments of the gas enclosure 100 of FIGS. 3 and 13 , the OLED inkjet printing system 1050 may include a substrate (eg, substrate 1058 ) that allows ink droplets to be reliably placed on a display supported by a substrate suspension stage 1054 . A number of devices and equipment at a specific location on the site. The substrate suspension table 1054 can be used to support the substrate 1058 as well as provide frictionless transport for the substrate 1058 . The substrate suspension stage 1054 of the OLED printing system can define the travel that the substrate 1058 can move through the system 1000 during OLED printing of the substrate. Given the various components that can make up OLED printing system 1050, various embodiments of OLED printing system 1050 can have various footprints and form factors. According to various embodiments of the OLED inkjet printing system, various substrate materials may be used for the substrate 1058, such as, but not limited to, various glass substrate materials and various polymer substrate materials. the

According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings, as previously described for the gas enclosure device 100, the construction of the gas enclosure assembly can be performed around the entire OLED printing system to minimize the volume of the gas enclosure assembly and provide easy access to the interior. . In FIG. 24 , an example of contouring may be given considering an OLED printing system 1050 . the

As shown in Figure 24, there may be six isolators on the OLED printing system 1050: a first set of isolators 1051 (the second isolator in this set on the opposite side is not shown) and a second set of isolators 1053 (the second spacer in the set on the opposite side is not shown), which supports the substrate suspension stage 1054 of the OLED printing system 1050 . Suspension table 1054 is supported on suspension table base 1052 . In addition to the two spacers not visible in FIG. 24 and positioned opposite the first spacer 1051 and the second spacer 1053 , there are groups of two spacers supporting the OLED printing system base 1070 . The front closure base 1120 may have a first front closure isolator mount 1121 supporting a first front closure isolator wall frame 1123 . The second FCIS wall frame 1127 is supported by a second FCIS mount (not shown). Similarly, the intermediate containment base 1220 may have a first intermediate containment isolator support 1221 supporting a first intermediate containment isolator wall frame 1223 . The second closed isolator wall frame 1227 is supported by a second closed isolator mount (not shown). Finally, the rear closure base 1320 may have a first rear closure isolator support 1321 supporting a rear middle closure isolator wall frame 1323 . Second closed rear isolator wall frame 1327 is supported by second closed rear isolator mounts (not shown). Various embodiments of the isolator wall frame members have been contoured around each isolator to minimize the volume around each isolator support member. Furthermore, the shaded panel sections shown for each isolator wall frame of bases 1120, 1220, and 1320 are removable panels that can be removed, eg, to service the isolator. Front closure assembly base 1120 may have disc 1122 , while middle closure assembly base 1220 may have disc 1222 and rear closure assembly base 1320 may have disc 1322 . When the base is fully constructed to form an adjoining base, the OLED printing system may be mounted on the thus formed adjoining tray in a manner similar to how OLED printing system 50 was mounted on tray 204 of FIG. 13 . As previously described, wall and ceiling frame members such as the following can then be joined together around OLED printing system 1050: wall frame 1140 of front frame assembly 1100, roof frame 1160; first middle enclosure frame of middle frame assembly 1200 assembly 1240 , intermediate wall and roof frame assembly 1260 , and second intermediate enclosure frame assembly 1280 ′; and wall frame 1340 and roof frame 1360 of rear frame assembly 1300 . Thus, various embodiments of the hermetically sealed contoured frame member assembly of the present teachings effectively reduce the volume of inert gas in the gas enclosure assembly 1000 while providing easy access to various devices and equipment of the OLED printing system. the

Additionally, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings can be constructed in a manner that provides individually functioning frame member assembly sections. Recall, referring to FIG. 5 , that a frame member assembly according to various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings may include a frame member having various panels sealably mounted on the frame member. For example and without limitation, a wall frame member assembly or wall panel assembly may be a wall frame member comprising individual panels sealably mounted on the wall frame member. Thus, various fully constructed panel assemblies, such as, but not limited to, wall panel assemblies, ceiling panel assemblies, wall and ceiling panel assemblies, base support panel assemblies, etc., are various types of frame member assemblies. The modular nature of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings may provide for embodiments for gas enclosure assemblies having various frame member assembly sections, where each frame member assembly section is 10% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. part. The various frame member assembly sections making up the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly may have at least one frame member in common. For various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly, the various frame member assembly segments making up the gas enclosure assembly may have at least one frame member assembly in common. The various frame member assembly sections making up the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly may have a combination of at least one frame member and one frame member assembly in common. the

In accordance with the present teachings, the various frame member assembly sections may be separated into sections by closure such as, but not limited to, openings or channels common to each frame member assembly section, or combinations thereof. For example, in various embodiments, frame member assembly sections can effectively close openings or passages or other openings or passages in frame members or frame member panels common to each frame member assembly section by covering openings or passages or combinations thereof. combined and separated. In various embodiments, the frame member assembly sections may be separated by sealing an opening or passage or combination thereof common to each frame member assembly section, thereby effectively closing the opening or passage or combination thereof. Sealably closing the opening or passage or combination thereof may result in a separation that interrupts fluid communication between each volume of each frame member assembly section, where each volume is a portion of the total volume contained within the gas enclosure assembly. Sealably closing the opening or passageway may thus isolate each volume contained within each frame member assembly section. the

Thus, referring to FIG. 24 , the base 1070 may have a first end 1072 and a second end 1074 defining a width and a first side 1076 and a second side 1078 defining a length. The first vertical support 1075 and the second vertical support 1077 can be perpendicular to the base 1070 and installed on the base 1070 , and the bridge 1079 is installed on the first vertical support 1075 and the second vertical support 1077 . For various embodiments of OLED printing system 1050, bridge 1079 can support first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 and second printhead assembly positioning system 1091, which are used to control first printhead assembly 1080 above substrate suspension stage 1054, respectively and the X-Z axis movement of the second printhead assembly 1081 . While FIG. 24 shows two positioning systems and two printhead assemblies, for various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050 there may be a single positioning system and a single printhead assembly. Additionally, for various embodiments of OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single printhead assembly, for example, either first printhead assembly 1080 or second printhead assembly 1081, mounted on a positioning system for inspecting substrates The camera system of feature 1058 can be mounted on the second positioning system. According to various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly 1000 , a printhead maintenance system may be mounted proximate to the printhead assembly, such as, but not limited to, on first upper surface 1071 and second upper surface 1073 of base 1070 . the

In addition, referring to FIG. 24, panels may be mounted on the first frame member 1224 and the second frame member 1226 of the base 1220, and a gasket may be affixed to each panel. Gaskets can be used to close each channel between the panel and the base 1070 . Additionally, the bridge frame 1144 can support the intermediate frame assembly 1200 as well as provide a framework for supporting various embodiments of the interposer frame. Various embodiments of an insert frame inserted into bridge frame 1144 may have openings that allow travel of the printhead assembly and may also support a gate valve assembly for closing the opening that allows travel of the printhead assembly. By sealably closing the passageway around the base, and sealably closing the opening that allows the printhead assembly to travel, the volume generally defined by the middle frame assembly 1200 around the bridge 1079 mounted on the base 1070 can be separated from the remainder of the gas enclosure assembly 1000. Volume isolation. the

An exemplary use of separating the discrete sections of the gas enclosure may be to perform various maintenance procedures on a printhead assembly (eg, first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081 of printing system 1050 ). Such maintenance procedures may include, for example and without limitation, replacing printheads within the printhead assembly without venting the gas enclosure assembly to atmosphere. Furthermore, since the portion of the volume generally defined by the middle frame assembly 1200 around the bridge 1079 mounted on the base 1070 can be completely isolated from the remaining volume of the gas enclosure assembly 1000, this portion of the volume can be vented to ambient substances such as, but not limited to, water vapor and Oxygen without contaminating the remaining larger volume of the gas enclosure. By limiting the volume that can be exposed to environmental substances, system recovery can be accomplished in significantly less time. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that while examples of printhead assembly maintenance are provided by way of example, various processes that require a gas enclosure assembly can readily use a framework in which sections can be discretely separated to provide individually functioning Gas enclosure assembly of component assembly sections, at least one section of which can have a significantly smaller partial volume of the total enclosure volume. the

FIG. 25 shows a partially exploded perspective view of various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000 according to FIGS. 23 and 24 . In Figure 25, various intact panel assemblies are shown which can be separated in various ways to define a first frame member assembly section and a second frame member assembly section, the first frame member assembly section defining The first volume, the second frame member assembly section defines a second volume. the

For example and without limitation, in FIG. 25, gas enclosure assembly 1000 may include a front panel assembly 1100', a middle panel assembly 1200', and a rear panel assembly 1300'. Front panel assembly 1100' may include front roof panel assembly 1160', front wall panel assembly 1140', and front base panel assembly 1120', while rear panel assembly 1300' may include rear roof panel assembly 1360', rear Wall panel assembly 1340' and rear base panel assembly 1320'. As can be seen in the exploded view of FIG. 24 , for the front frame assembly 1100 and the middle panel frame 1200 , the front panel assembly 1100 ′ and the middle panel assembly 1200 ′ of FIG. 25 have a common bridge frame 1144 . The middle panel assembly 1200' can have a first middle enclosure panel assembly 1240', a middle wall and ceiling panel assembly 1260', and a second middle closure panel assembly 1280' which, when sealably mounted on the middle base panel assembly 1220', can The cover base 1070 includes a first longitudinal member 1075 and a second longitudinal member 1077 on which a bridge 1079 is mounted. As previously described, the bridge 1079 can support the first printhead assembly positioning system 1090, which can control the movement of the printhead assembly 1080 over the substrate suspension stage 1054 (see FIG. 24). A first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 for positioning the printhead assembly 1080 above the substrate suspension stage 1054 (see FIG. 24 ) can include a first X-axis carriage 1092 and a first Z-axis moving plate 1094, p. A printhead assembly 1080 can be mounted on the first Z-axis translation plate 1094 . The second printhead assembly positioning system 1091 can be similarly configured to control the X-Z movement of the second printhead assembly 1081 above the substrate suspension stage 1054 (see FIG. 24 ). the

Figure 26 shows a partially exploded side perspective view of gas enclosure assembly 1000 including front panel assembly 1100' and various sections of middle panel assembly 1200' and rear panel assembly 1300'. The front panel assembly 1100' may include therein an insert frame 1146 that can be seen mounted in a bridge frame 1144, which is a common frame member of the front panel assembly 1100' and the middle panel assembly 1200'. Insertion frame 1146 may include an opening 1148 around which gasket 1147 may be secured. Above the insertion frame 1146, a gate valve assembly 1150 is shown. Gate valve assembly 1150 may be mounted above insert frame 1146 . As can be seen in FIGS. 27A and 27B , gate valve assembly 1150 may have a door 1158 mounted to a Y-Z positioning system via a first carriage 1153 and a second carriage 1154 for insertion over opening 1148 of frame 1146 Door 1158 is moved and engaged to sealably cover opening 1148 . In FIG. 27A, a positioning system comprising a first rail 1151 and a second rail 1152 can have a first carriage 1153 and a second carriage 1154, respectively, engageable with a rail guide system. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the rail guidance system may include components such as, for example but not limited to, rails, bearings, and actuators for controlling the movement of the positioning system and thus the movement of the door 1158 . In FIG. 27A , gasket 1147 is shown surrounding opening 1148 . Gasket 1147 may be any of the gasket materials previously described for sealing the frame member assembly. In FIG. 27A , door 1158 is retracted so that printhead assemblies 1080 and 1081 can be moved by first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 and second printhead assembly positioning system 1091 respectively above suspension table 1054 by traveling within opening 1148 ( See Figure 24 and Figure 25). In FIG. 27B , door 1158 is shown covering opening 1148 . A positioning system including first carriage 1153 and second carriage 1154 to which door 1158 is mounted may position door 1158 over opening 1148 to sealably engage gasket 1147 to sealably close opening 1148 . the

28 shows a cross-sectional view through the intermediate base panel assembly 1220' in relation to the front panel assembly 1100' and the rear panel assembly 1300'. As shown in FIG. 28 , channel 1225 may be located around base 1070 ; wherein base 1070 extends through first frame member 1224 . Within frame member 1224 , a panel providing a frame member, such as panel 1228 , may be sealably mounted within frame member 1224 . It is contemplated that various gaskets that provide a mechanical seal may be used to seal passage 1225 . In various embodiments, an inflatable gasket to seal the channel 1225 may be used. Various embodiments of the inflatable spacer may be fabricated from a reinforced elastomeric material as a hollow molded structure that may be in a concave, corrugated, or flat configuration when not inflated. In various embodiments, a gasket may be mounted on the panel 1228 for sealably closing the channel 1225 around the base 1070 . Accordingly, various embodiments of inflatable gaskets for sealingly closing passageway 1225 around base 1070 may be used, for example, in panels 1228 when inflated using any of a number of suitable fluid media such as, but not limited to, inert gases. A tight barrier is formed between the mounting surface of the inner surface of the base 1070 and a striking surface such as the surface of the base 1070 . In various embodiments, an inflatable gasket may be mounted on base 1070 for sealably closing passage 1225 around base 1070 such that base 1070 may be a mounting surface and the inner surface of panel 1228 may be an impact surface. In this regard, a compliant seal may sealably close channel 1225 . the

In addition to the various embodiments of the inflatable gasket, the channel 1225 may also be sealed using a flexible seal such as a bellows seal or a lip seal that is permanently attached, for example, to the panel 1228 and base 1070 . This permanently attached seal can provide the flexibility required for various translational and vibratory movements of the base 1070 while at the same time providing an airtight seal for the channel 1225 . the

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that forming a compliant seal around a well-defined edge can be problematic. In various embodiments of gas enclosures where a seal around a structure such as base 1070 is shown, such a structure may be fabricated to eliminate a well-defined edge where a seal is desired. In various embodiments of printing system 1050 of FIG. 24 , base 1070 may be initially fabricated with rounded side edges of base 1070 to facilitate sealing, as indicated by hatching 1070 - 1A on first side 1076 and second side 1078 . Shown by hatching 1070-1B. In various embodiments of the printing system 1050 of FIG. 24 , the base 1070 may subsequently be modified to have structures installed to provide rounded side edges of the base 1070 to facilitate sealing, as illustrated by the hatched structure 1070 on the first side 1076. -2A and the second side 1078 are shown by the hatched structure 1070-2B. The base 1070 can be made of a material that can provide the stability needed to support the printing system, such as, but not limited to, granite and steel. This material can be easily modified as shown in FIG. 28 . While an example is given in the intermediate base panel assembly 1220' of using a gasket to close the channel 1225 around the base 1070, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the passage around the base 1070 of the frame assembly 1226 spanning the base assembly 1220' (see FIG. 24) Closure can be performed using the same principle. the

As previously mentioned, maintenance of printhead assemblies can include various calibration and maintenance procedures. For example, for printing of OLED display panel substrates, each printhead assembly, such as the first printhead assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081 of FIG. 24 may have multiple printheads installed in at least one printhead arrangement. In various embodiments, a printhead arrangement may include, for example and without limitation, fluid and electrical connections to at least one printhead; each printhead having a plurality of nozzles or orifices capable of ejecting ink at a controlled rate, velocity and size. For various embodiments of first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081 of FIG. 24, each printhead assembly may include between about 1 and about 60 printhead assemblies, wherein each printhead assembly There may be between about 1 and about 30 printheads in each printhead arrangement. A printhead, such as an industrial inkjet head, can have between about 16 and about 2048 nozzles, which can eject ink drop volumes between about 0.1 pL and about 200 pL. Calibrating a printhead may include, for example and without limitation: checking nozzle firing; measuring ink drop volume, velocity, and direction; and adjusting the printhead so that each nozzle ejects a uniform volume of ink drops. Maintaining a printhead may include, for example and without limitation, procedures such as printhead priming, removal of excess ink after a priming procedure, and printhead replacement, which requires collecting and containing ink expelled from the printhead. During the printing process, for example, for the printing of OLED display panel substrates, the reliable firing of nozzles is crucial to ensure that the printing process can produce high-quality OLED panel displays. Therefore, the various procedures associated with printhead maintenance need to be easily and reliably carried out; especially without exposing the interior of the gas enclosure assembly to various reactive components such as but not limited to oxygen and water vapor from the atmospheric environment And for example but not limited to organic solvent vapors from the printing process. the

In this regard, for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly of FIG. 24 , the maintenance system may be mounted such as, but not limited to, the first printhead assembly 1080 on the top surface 1071 near the base 1070 and the first printhead assembly 1080 on the top surface 1073 near the base 1070. The second print head assembly 1081 . Such maintenance systems may include, for example and without limitation, ink drop calibration stations for performing various printhead calibration procedures, purge stations for collecting and containing ink expelled from printheads during purge or priming procedures, and A suction station that removes excess ink after a purge or prime procedure has been performed at the purge station. During routine maintenance, this procedure can be carried out in fully automatic mode. In certain instances during maintenance procedures which may indicate a degree of manual intervention, end user access may be external, for example by using a glove port. As previously described, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23-28 effectively reduce the volume of inert gas required during the OLED printing process while providing easy access to the interior of the gas enclosure. the

In addition, if printhead maintenance requires direct access to the printhead assembly or any of the various maintenance stations, door 1158 over opening 1148 (as described with respect to FIGS. 27A and 27B ) and base 1070 can be sealably closed. The surrounding channels (as described with respect to FIG. 28 ) may isolate the volume defined by the isolated portion comprising the frame member assembly section of the middle panel assembly 1200 ′ and the middle base panel assembly 1220 ′ from the remaining volume of the gas enclosure assembly 1000 . Additionally, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the door 1158 over the opening 1148 can be sealably closed (as described with respect to FIGS. described above) can be performed remotely and automatically. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly 1000, the fractional volume of such isolation volumes for such service frame member assembly sections may be less than or equal to about 20% of the total volume of various embodiments of the contoured gas enclosure assembly. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000, the fractional volume of such isolation volumes for such service frame member assembly sections may be less than or equal to about 50% of the total volume of various embodiments of the contoured gas enclosure assembly. System recovery time can be significantly reduced by significantly reducing the portion of the gas enclosure assembly that requires direct end-user access for printhead maintenance. the

29 illustrates a perspective view of a gas enclosure assembly 1010 according to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings. The gas enclosure assembly 1010 may include a front panel assembly 1100', a middle panel assembly 1200', and a rear panel assembly 1300'. The front panel assembly 1100' can include a front roof panel assembly 1160', a front wall panel assembly 1140', and a front base panel assembly 1120', which can have an opening 1142 for receiving a substrate. The rear panel assembly 1300' may include a rear roof panel assembly 1360', a rear wall panel assembly 1340', and a rear base panel assembly 1320'. Intermediate panel assembly 1200' may include a first intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1240', an intermediate wall and ceiling panel assembly 1260' and a second intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1280', and an intermediate base panel assembly 1220'. Additionally, the middle panel assembly 1200' may include a first middle maintenance system panel assembly 1230', and a second middle maintenance system panel assembly (not shown). the

30 illustrates an exploded perspective view of a gas enclosure device 1010 according to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly of the present teachings. The gas enclosure assembly 1010 can house an OLED printing system 1050 , which can include a substrate suspension table 1054 supported by a substrate suspension table base 1052 . The substrate suspension table base 1052 may be mounted on the base 1070 . The substrate suspension stage 1054 of the OLED printing system can support the substrate 1058 and define the travel that the substrate 1058 can move through the system 1010 during OLED printing of the substrate. The substrate suspension table 1054 can provide frictionless transport of the substrate 1058 . For the gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIG. 30, there may be four isolators on the OLED printing system 1050: a first set of isolators 1051 (the second on the opposite side is not shown) and a second set of isolators 1053 (on the opposite side). The second one on the opposite side is not shown), which supports the substrate suspension stage 1054 of the OLED printing system 1050 . The base 1070 may include a first longitudinal member 1075 and a second longitudinal member 1077 on which the bridge 1079 is mounted. For various embodiments of OLED printing system 1050, bridge 1079 can support first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 and second positioning system 1091, which can control movement of first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081, respectively. For various embodiments of the OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single positioning system and a single printhead assembly. For various embodiments of OLED printing system 1050, there may be a single printhead assembly, e.g., either of first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081, while a camera system for inspecting features of substrate 1058 may be installed on the second positioning system. the

The first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 for positioning the first printhead assembly 1080 above the substrate suspension stage 1054 can include a first X-axis carriage 1092 and a first Z-axis moving plate 1094, a first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 may be mounted on a first Z-axis moving plate 1094 . Second printhead assembly positioning system 1091 can be similarly configured to control the X-Z movement of second printhead assembly 1081 , which can include second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 . As shown in FIG. 30 for the first printhead assembly 1080, where the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 is shown in partial view, various embodiments of the printhead assembly may have multiple printhead assemblies 1082 installed therein. For various embodiments of the printing system 1050, the printhead assembly may include between about 1 and about 60 printhead assemblies, wherein each printhead assembly may have between about 1 and about 60 printhead assemblies in each printhead assembly. Between 30 print heads. As will be described in more detail later, it can be seen that the first maintenance system assembly 1250 is positioned to provide easy access to the first printhead assembly 1080 given the exact number of printhead arrangements and printheads that require continuous maintenance. the

As shown in FIG. 30, the gas enclosure assembly 1010 may include a front base panel assembly 1120', a middle base panel assembly 1220', and a rear base panel assembly 1320' which, when fully constructed, form an adjoining base, similar to an OLED The manner in which the printing system 50 is mounted on the tray 204 of FIG. 13, on this adjoining base, the OLED printing system 1050 can be mounted on the adjoining tray thus formed. A first set of isolators 1051 and a second set of isolators may be installed in each respective isolator well panel, for example, the first isolator wall panel 1225' and the second isolator of the intermediate base panel assembly 1220' Wall panel 1227'. In a manner similar to that described for the construction of the gas enclosure assembly 100 of FIG. 1050 combine to form various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1050. the

For the gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIG. 30, the intermediate base assembly 1220' may include a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. First intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' may include first printhead assembly opening 1242 of first floor panel assembly 1241' and second printhead of second floor panel assembly 1281', respectively. Assembly opening 1282 . The first floor panel assembly 1241' is shown in FIG. 30 as part of the first intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1240' of the intermediate panel assembly 1200'. The first floor panel assembly 1241' is a panel assembly common to both the first intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1240' and the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230'. Second floor panel assembly 1281' is shown in FIG. 30 as part of second intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1280' of intermediate panel assembly 1200'. The second floor panel assembly 1281' is a panel assembly common to both the second intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1280' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. the

As previously described, first printhead assembly 1080 can be housed in first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and second printhead assembly 1081 can be housed in second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 . As will be described in more detail subsequently, the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and the second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 may have openings at the bottom which may have edges (not shown) so that the various printhead assemblies Can be positioned for printing during print processing. Furthermore, the portion of the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and the second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 forming the housing may be constructed as previously described for the various panel assemblies so that the frame assembly members and panels can provide a hermetic enclosure. A compressible gasket may be affixed around each of the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282, or at the edge of the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and the second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 around. As shown in FIG. 30 , first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 and second printhead assembly docking gasket 1285 can be secured around first printhead assembly opening 1242 and second printhead assembly opening 1282 , respectively. First printhead assembly positioning system 1090 and second printhead assembly positioning system 1091 can align first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 with first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second printhead assembly enclosure 1085, respectively. The middle maintenance system panel assembly 1270' is docked. For various printhead maintenance procedures, docking may include forming a gasket seal between the printhead assembly enclosure and each of the maintenance system panel assemblies. When the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and the second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 interface with the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' to sealably close the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and second printhead assembly opening 1282, the combined structure thus formed is hermetically sealed. the

During various printhead maintenance procedures, the first printhead assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081 can be positioned on the first floor panel assembly by the first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 and the second printhead assembly positioning system 1091, respectively. above the first printhead assembly opening 1242 of 1241' and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 of the second chassis panel assembly 1281'. In this regard, for various printhead maintenance procedures, first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081 may be positioned in first printhead assembly opening 1242 and second floor panel assembly 1241', respectively. 1281' above the second printhead assembly opening 1282 without covering or sealing the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282. Additionally, for various printhead maintenance procedures, the closure of the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 can separate the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' as a segment and the second intermediate Service system panel assembly 1270 ′ is isolated from the remaining volume of gas enclosure assembly 1010 . For various printhead maintenance procedures, the first printhead assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081 can be docked on the pads above the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 respectively along the Z-axis, The first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 are thereby closed. In accordance with the present teachings, first printhead assembly opening 1242 and second printhead assembly opening 1282 may be closed depending on the force applied to first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 and second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 in the direction of the Z axis. Cover or seal. In this regard, a force applied in the direction of the Z axis to the sealable first printhead assembly opening 1242 of the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 may seal the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' as a section from the constituent gas seal. The remaining frame member assembly sections of assembly 1010 are isolated. Similarly, a force applied in the direction of the Z axis to the sealable second printhead assembly opening 1282 of the second printhead assembly enclosure 1085 can separate the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' as a section with the constituent gas enclosure assembly. The remaining frame member assembly sections of 1010 are isolated. the

It is contemplated that in various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1010, a cover such as, for example but not limited to, the gate valve assembly described above with respect to FIG. 26 and FIGS. ' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. Such coverings can be used to cover the first printhead assembly opening 1242 of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 of the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270', respectively. As will be described in more detail later, closing the first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 with a covering such as, for example but not limited to, a gate valve assembly may allow the first frame member assembly section to be separated from the second frame The member assembly sections are isolated without abutting the printhead assembly. In this regard, various maintenance procedures can be performed without interrupting the printing process. the

Figure 30 of the gas enclosure assembly 1010 shows a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230', which may include a first rear wall panel assembly 1238'. Similarly, a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' is also shown, which may include a second rear wall panel assembly 1278'. The first rear wall panel assembly 1238' of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' may be constructed in a similar manner as shown for the second rear wall panel assembly 1278'. The second rear wall panel assembly 1278' of the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' can be constructed from a second rear wall frame assembly 1278 having a The second seal of assembly 1278 supports panel 1275 . The second seal support panel 1275 may have a second channel 1265 proximate the second end of the base 1070 (not shown). Second seal 1267 may be mounted to second seal support panel 1275 around second channel 1265 . the

31A-31F are schematic cross-sectional views of gas enclosure assembly 1010, which also illustrate aspects of first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that, given the symmetry of printing system 1050, it may have first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 and second printhead assembly positioning system 1090 for positioning first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081, respectively. Printhead assembly positioning system 1091 (see FIG. 30), the following teachings for the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' of FIGS. 31A-31D can be applied to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. the

Figure 31A shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the gas enclosure assembly 1010 showing a first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and a second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. First intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230 ′ of FIG. 31A can house first maintenance system assembly 1250 , which can be positioned relative to first printhead assembly opening 1242 by first maintenance system positioning system 1251 . First printhead assembly opening 1242 is an opening in first floor panel assembly 1241', which is a common panel to first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and first intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1240'. The first maintenance system positioning system 1251 can be mounted on the first maintenance system component platform 1253 which can be stably mounted on the base 1070 on the first end 1072 . The first maintenance system assembly platform 1253 can extend from the first end 1072 of the base 1070 through the first channel 1261 and into the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230'. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 31A , second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' of FIG. 31A can accommodate second maintenance system assembly 1290, which can be positioned relative to second printhead assembly opening 1282 by second maintenance system positioning system 1291 position. Second printhead assembly opening 1282 is an opening in first floor panel assembly 1281', which is a panel common to second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' and second intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1280'. Second maintenance system positioning system 1291 can be mounted on second maintenance assembly system platform 1293 which can extend from second end 1074 of base 1070 through second channel 1265 into second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. A first seal 1263 may be mounted on the first outer surface 1237 of the first seal support panel 1235 around the first channel 1261 . Similarly, second seal 1267 may be mounted on second outer surface 1277 of second seal support panel 1275 around second channel 1265 . The first seal 1263 and the second seal 1267 may be inflatable gaskets, as previously described with respect to FIG. 28 . Various embodiments of the first seal 1263 and the second seal 1267 may be flexible seals that are permanently attached, for example, to the first outer surface 1237 and the second outer surface 1277 and to the base third of the base 1070, respectively. One end 1072 and a second end 1074 of the base 1070 . As previously mentioned, the flexible seal may be a seal such as a bellows seal or a lip seal. This permanently attached seal can provide the flexibility required for various translational and vibratory movements of the base 1070 while providing an airtight seal for the first channel 1261 and the second channel 1265 . the

Figures 31B and 31C illustrate the covering and sealing of various openings and channels of the gas enclosure assembly 1010 of the present teachings showing the first printhead assembly 1080 relative to the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly for various maintenance procedures 1230' of positioning. As previously stated, the following teachings for the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' can also be applied to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. the

In FIG. 31B, a first printhead assembly 1080 can include a printhead arrangement 1082 having at least one printhead that includes a plurality of nozzles or orifices. The printhead assembly 1082 can be housed in a first printhead assembly enclosure 1084, which can have a first printhead assembly enclosure opening 1086, and the printhead assembly 1082 can be accessed from the first printhead assembly enclosure. The openings 1086 are positioned so that the nozzles eject ink at a controlled rate, speed and size during printing onto the substrate mounted on the suspension stage 1054 supported by the suspension stage support 1052 . As previously described, the first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 can be controlled during the printing process to position the first printhead assembly 1080 over the substrate for printing. In addition, as shown in FIG. 31B, for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1010, a first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 with controllable X-Z axis movement can position the first printhead assembly 1080 in the first printhead assembly opening. 1242 above. As shown in FIG. 31B, the first printhead assembly opening 1242 of the first floor panel assembly 1241' is common to the first intermediate enclosure panel assembly 1240' and the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230'. the

First printhead assembly enclosure 1084 of FIG. 31B can include first printhead assembly enclosure edge 1088 , which can be an abutment surface with first chassis panel assembly 1241 ′ around first printhead assembly opening 1242 . First printhead assembly enclosure edge 1088 may engage first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 , which is shown secured around first printhead assembly opening 1242 in FIG. 31B . Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that while first printhead assembly enclosure edge 1088 is shown as an inwardly projecting structure, any of a variety of edges may be constructed on first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 . Additionally, while first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 is shown affixed around first printhead assembly opening 1242 in FIG. Close device edge 1088 . The first printhead assembly butt gasket 1245 can be any gasket material as previously described for sealing the frame member assembly. In various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIG. 31B , first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 may be an inflatable gasket, such as gasket 1263 . In this regard, first printhead assembly docking spacer 1245 may be an inflatable spacer, as previously described with respect to FIG. 28 . As previously noted, the first seal 1263 may be mounted on the first outer surface 1237 of the first seal support panel 1235 around the first channel 1261 . the

As shown in FIGS. 31B and 31C , first printhead assembly 1080 can remain positioned over first printhead assembly opening 1242 for various maintenance procedures that can be performed in a fully automatic mode. In this regard, first printhead assembly 1080 may be adjusted in the Z-axis direction by first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 for positioning printhead assembly 1082 relative to first maintenance system assembly 1250 Positioned above the first printhead assembly opening 1242 . Additionally, the first maintenance system assembly 1250 is adjustable in the Y-X direction on the first maintenance system positioning system 1251 for positioning the first maintenance system assembly 1250 relative to the printhead assembly 1082 . During various maintenance procedures, first printhead assembly 1080 may be placed into contact with first printhead assembly docking pad 1245 by further adjustment in the Z-axis direction by first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 to place the first A printhead assembly enclosure 1084 is positioned to cover the first printhead assembly opening 1242 (not shown). As shown in FIG. 31C, for various maintenance procedures, such as but not limited to, maintenance procedures that require direct access to the interior of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230', the first printhead assembly 1080 can be accessed by the first printhead assembly positioning system. 1090 is further adjusted in the Z-axis direction to abut against the first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 to seal the first printhead assembly opening 1242 . As previously described, the first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 may be a compressible gasket material as previously described for the hermetic sealing of the various frame members or an inflatable gasket as previously described for FIG. 28 . Additionally, as shown in FIG. 31C , the inflatable gasket 1263 can be inflated so as to sealably close the first channel 1261 . Furthermore, the portion of the first printhead assembly enclosure 1084 forming the housing can be constructed as previously described for the various panel assemblies so that the frame assembly members and panels can provide a hermetic enclosure. Thus, for FIG. 31C , when first printhead assembly opening 1242 and first channel 1261 are sealably closed, first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230 ′ can be isolated from the remaining volume of gas enclosure assembly 1010 . the

In FIGS. 31D and 31E, various embodiments of a gas enclosure 1010 are shown, wherein a first maintenance system component 1250 and a second maintenance system component 1290 can be installed on the first maintenance system component platform 1253 and the second maintenance system respectively. Component Platform 1293. In FIGS. 31D and 31E , the first maintenance system assembly platform 1253 and the second maintenance system assembly platform 1293 are enclosed within the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230 ′ and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270 ′, respectively. As previously stated, the following teachings for the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' can also be applied to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270'. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 31D , first printhead assembly 1080 may abut first printhead assembly docking pad 1245 with sufficient force applied in the Z-axis direction by first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 such that The first printhead assembly opening 1242 can be sealed. Thus, for FIG. 31D , when first printhead assembly opening 1242 is sealably closed, first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230 ′ can be isolated from the remaining volume of gas enclosure assembly 1010 . the

As previously taught for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIGS. 31A-31C , the printhead can remain positioned over the first printhead assembly opening 1242 so as not to cover or seal the first printhead during various maintenance procedures. Assembly opening 1242 , thereby closing first printhead assembly opening 1242 . In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1010, for various maintenance procedures, the printhead assembly enclosure can be placed in contact with the shim to cover the printhead assembly opening by adjusting the Z-axis. In this regard, Figure 31E can be interpreted in two ways. In a first interpretation, the first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 and the second printhead assembly docking gasket 1285 may be made of a compressible gasket material, such as described above for the hermetic sealing of the various frame members. In FIG. 31E , first printhead assembly 1080 has been positioned above first maintenance system assembly 1250 in the Z-axis direction such that gasket 1245 has been compressed to sealably close first printhead assembly opening 1242 . In contrast, second printhead assembly 1081 has been positioned over second maintenance system assembly 1290 in the Z-axis direction to contact second printhead assembly docking pad 1285 to cover second printhead assembly opening 1282 . In a second interpretation, the first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 and the second printhead assembly docking gasket 1285 may be inflatable gaskets, as previously described with respect to FIG. 28 . In FIG. 31E , first printhead assembly 1080 may be positioned above first maintenance system assembly 1250 in the Z-axis direction to contact first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 prior to first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 being inflated, The first printhead assembly opening 1242 is thereby covered. In contrast, second printhead assembly 1081 has been positioned in the Z-axis direction above second maintenance system assembly 1290 such that when second printhead assembly docking gasket 1285 is inflated, second printhead assembly opening 1282 is accessible. Closed hermetically. the

FIG. 31F shows that the maintenance volume shown, for example, using first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' can be sealed using a cover such as, for example but not limited to, a gate valve assembly. The following teachings for the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' can be applied to various embodiments of the maintenance system panel assembly and gas enclosure assembly. As shown in FIG. 31F , closing first printhead assembly opening 1242 and second printhead assembly opening 1282 using, for example but not limited to, first printhead assembly gate valve 1247 and second printhead assembly gate valve 1287, respectively, provides first printhead Continuous operation of assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081. As shown in FIG. 31F for the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230', the first printhead assembly opening 1242 is sealably closed using the first printhead assembly gate valve 1247 (as described for FIGS. 27A and 27B ) and sealably Closing the first channel 1261 around the base 1070 (as described with respect to FIG. 28 ) can be done remotely and automatically. Similarly, as shown with respect to the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' of FIG. 31F, the second printhead assembly opening 1282 is sealably closed using the second printhead assembly gate valve 1287 (as described with respect to FIGS. 27A and 27B ) Can be done remotely and automatically. It is contemplated that various printhead maintenance procedures may be facilitated by isolating, for example, the maintenance volume defined by the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' while still providing access to the first print head. The continuity of the printing process of the head assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081. the

As previously described, first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 and second printhead assembly docking gasket 1285 may be secured around first printhead assembly opening 1242 and second printhead assembly opening 1282, respectively. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 31F , first printhead assembly docking gasket 1245 and second printhead assembly docking gasket 1285 may be secured around first printhead assembly enclosure edge 1088 and second printhead assembly enclosure edge 1089, respectively. Knot. When maintenance of first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly 1081 is indicated, first printhead assembly gate valve 1247 and second printhead assembly gate valve 1287 may be opened, and first printhead assembly 1080 and second printhead assembly Assembly 1081 may interface with first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270', as previously described. the

For example and without limitation, any maintenance procedure that may provide maintenance to first maintenance system assembly 1250 and second maintenance system assembly 1290 may be performed by isolating first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270', respectively. to proceed without interrupting the printing process. It is also contemplated that loading a new printhead or printhead assembly into or removing a printhead or printhead assembly from the system can be accomplished by isolating the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270', respectively. to proceed without interrupting the printing process. Such activities may be facilitated automatically, such as, but not limited to, using bots. For example, without limitation, robotic retrieval of printheads stored in a maintenance volume such as first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' of FIG. A faulty printhead on the printhead assembly 1082 of the printhead assembly 1080 or on the printhead assembly 1083 of the second printhead assembly 1081 is replaced with a functional printhead. After that, the robot deposits the faulty printhead in a module in either the first maintenance system assembly 1250 or the second maintenance system assembly 1290 . This maintenance procedure can be performed in an automated fashion without interrupting the ongoing printing process. the

After the robot deposits the faulty printhead in the first maintenance system assembly 1250 or the second maintenance system assembly 1290, maintenance volumes such as the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' and the second intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1270' can be passed through respectively The first printhead assembly opening 1242 and the second printhead assembly opening 1282 are hermetically closed and isolated using, for example and without limitation, first printhead assembly gate valve 1247 and second printhead assembly gate valve 1287, respectively. Furthermore, the maintenance volume can then be vented to atmosphere, for example according to the aforementioned teaching, so that faulty printheads can be removed and replaced. As will be described in more detail later, due to the volumetric design of the various embodiments of the gas cleaning system relative to the overall gas enclosure assembly, gas cleaning resources can be dedicated to purging a significantly reduced volume of the maintenance volume space, thereby significantly reducing the cost of the maintenance volume. System recovery time. In this respect, maintenance procedures requiring the opening of the maintenance volume to atmosphere can be carried out with either little or no interruption to the ongoing printing process. the

FIG. 32 shows an enlarged view of the first maintenance system assembly 1250 of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings. As previously mentioned, a maintenance system may include, for example but not limited to, an ink drop calibration station for performing various printhead calibration procedures, a purge station for collecting and containing ink expelled from a printhead during a purge or priming procedure , and an ink suction station for removing excess ink after a purge or prime procedure has been performed at the purge station. Additionally, the maintenance system may include one or more stations for receiving one or more printheads or printhead assemblies that have been disassembled from the first printhead assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081, or for storage in a maintenance program Printheads or printhead assemblies that may be loaded into the first printhead assembly 1080 and the second printhead assembly 1081 during this period. the

Various embodiments of maintenance system components according to the present teachings, such as first maintenance system component 1250 of FIG. The first maintenance system component 1250 may be mounted on the first maintenance system positioning system 1251 . The first maintenance system positioning system 1251 can provide Y-axis movement to selectively enable each of the various modules and printing heads having a printhead assembly (e.g., printhead assembly 1082 of FIG. 31B ) with at least one printhead. The head assembly is aligned with the first printhead assembly opening 1242 . Positioning of the various modules and printhead assemblies having a printhead arrangement with at least one printhead can be performed using a combination of maintenance system positioning system 1251 and first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 . Maintenance system positioning system 1251 can provide Y-X positioning of the various modules of first maintenance system assembly 1250 relative to first printhead assembly opening 1242, while first printhead assembly positioning system 1090 can provide first printhead assembly 1080 in the first X-Z positioning above the printhead assembly opening 1242 . In this regard, a printhead assembly with at least one printhead can be positioned above or within first printhead assembly opening 1242 to receive maintenance. the

33 shows an enlarged perspective view of the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230' showing the glove port covered and with the glove. As noted, it is contemplated that various maintenance system panel assemblies, such as the first intermediate maintenance system panel assembly 1230', may have a volume of approximately ^2m3 . It is contemplated that various embodiments of the maintenance system panel assembly may have a volume of approximately 1 m ³ , and in various embodiments of the maintenance system panel assembly the volume may be approximately 10 m ³ . For various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly, such as gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIG. 29 , the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 1% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 2% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. In various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 10% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, the frame member assembly section may be less than or equal to about 50% of the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly.

Gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings may have a gas circulation and filtration system inside the gas enclosure assembly. Such an internal filtration system may have multiple fan filter units within the interior and may be configured to provide a laminar flow of gas within the interior. Laminar flow may be in the direction from the top of the interior to the bottom of the interior or any other direction. While the gas flow produced by the circulation system is not necessarily laminar, a laminar flow of gas can be used to ensure thorough and complete turnover of the gas in the interior. Laminar flow of gas can also be used to minimize turbulence, which is undesirable because it can allow particles in the environment to collect in regions of such turbulence, preventing the filtration system from removing those particles from the environment. Furthermore, in order to maintain the desired temperature in the interior, it is possible to provide a thermal regulation system using a plurality of heat exchangers, for example operated by means of a fan or another gas circulation device, close to a fan or another gas circulation device, or in combination with a fan or another gas circulation device. Combined use with gas circulation device. The gas purge circuit may be configured to circulate gas from within the gas enclosure assembly through at least one gas purge component external to the enclosure. In this regard, a circulation and filtration system inside the gas enclosure combined with a gas purge loop external to the gas enclosure can provide continuous circulation of a remarkably low particulate inert gas with remarkably low levels of reactive species throughout the gas enclosure. Gas purification systems can be configured to maintain very low levels of undesired components such as organic solvents and their vapors as well as water, water vapor, oxygen, etc. the

FIG. 34A is a schematic diagram illustrating a gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 . Various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 may include a gas enclosure assembly 1500 in accordance with the present teachings, a gas purge circuit 2130 in fluid communication with gas enclosure assembly 1500 , and at least one thermal regulation system 2140 . Additionally, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems can have a pressurized inert gas recirculation system 2169 that can supply inert gas for operating various devices, such as substrate suspension stages for OLED printing systems. Various embodiments of the pressurized inert gas recirculation system 2169 may use compressors, blowers, and combinations of both as sources for various embodiments of the inert gas recirculation system 2169, as will be described in more detail subsequently. Additionally, gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 may have a filtration and circulation system (not shown) within gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 . the

For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings, the piping is designed to separate the inert gas circulating through the gas purge loop 2130 of FIG. 34A from the inert gas that is continuously filtered and circulated within various implementations of the gas enclosure assembly. Gas purification circuit 2130 includes an outlet line 2131 from gas enclosure assembly 1500 to solvent removal component 2132 and then to gas purification system 2134 . The inert gas, purged of solvent and other reactive gaseous species such as oxygen and water vapor, is then returned to gas enclosure assembly 1500 through inlet line 2133 . The gas purge loop 2130 may also include suitable tubing and connections, as well as sensors, such as oxygen sensors, water vapor sensors, and solvent vapor sensors. A gas circulation unit such as a fan, blower or motor may be provided separately or integrated in, for example, the gas purification system 2134 to circulate gas through the gas purification circuit 2130 . According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, although the solvent removal system 2132 and the gas purification system 2134 are shown as separate units in the schematic diagram shown in FIG. Together. Thermal regulation system 2140 may include at least one cooler 2141, which may have a fluid outlet line 2143 for circulating coolant into the gas enclosure assembly and a fluid inlet line 2145 for returning coolant to the cooler. the

The gas purge loop 2130 of FIG. 34A may have a solvent removal system 2132 disposed upstream of the gas purge system 2134 such that inert gas circulated from the gas enclosure assembly 1500 passes through the solvent removal system 2132 via outlet line 2131 . According to various embodiments, the solvent removal system 2132 may be a solvent capture system based on the adsorption of solvent vapor from the inert gas passing through the solvent removal system 2132 of FIG. 34A . One or more beds of adsorbents such as, but not limited to, activated carbon, molecular sieves, etc. can effectively remove a wide range of organic solvent vapors. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly, cold capture techniques may be employed to remove solvent vapor in the solvent removal system 2132. As previously stated, for various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings, sensors such as oxygen sensors, water vapor sensors, and solvent vapor sensors can be used to monitor such species from continuously circulating through a gas enclosure assembly system such as FIG. 34 The 2100's gas enclosure assembly system is effective for the removal of inert gases. Various embodiments of the solvent removal system can indicate when an adsorbent, such as activated carbon, molecular sieve, etc., has reached capacity so that one or more beds of the adsorbent can be regenerated or replaced. Regeneration of the molecular sieve may involve heating the molecular sieve, contacting the molecular sieve with a constituent gas, combinations thereof, and the like. Molecular sieves configured to trap various species including oxygen, water vapor, and solvents can be regenerated by heating and exposure to a constituent gas comprising hydrogen, for example, a constituent gas comprising approximately 96% nitrogen and 4% hydrogen, wherein the Percentages are volume percent or weight percent. Physical regeneration of activated carbon can be performed using a similar procedure with heating in an inert environment. the

Any suitable gas cleaning system may be used for gas cleaning system 2134 of gas cleaning circuit 2130 of FIG. 34A. Gas purification systems available from, for example, MBRAUN Inc. (Statham, New Hampshire) or Innovative Technology (Amesbury, Massachusetts) may be used for integration into various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings. Gas purge system 2134 may be used to purge one or more inert gases within the gas enclosure assembly and system 2100, eg, to purge the entire gaseous environment within the gas enclosure assembly. As previously mentioned, in order to circulate the gas through the gas purification circuit 2130, the gas purification system 2134 may have a gas circulation unit, such as a fan, a blower, or a motor. In this regard, the gas purification system may be selected according to the volume of the enclosure, which may define the volumetric flow rate for moving the inert gas through the gas purification system. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems comprising gas enclosure assemblies having a volume of up to about 4 m ³ , a gas purification system capable of moving about 84 m ³ /h may be used. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems comprising gas enclosure assemblies having a volume of up to about 10 m ³ , a gas purification system capable of moving about 155 m ³ /h may be used. For various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly having a volume between about 52-114 ^m3 , more than one gas purification system may be used.

Any suitable gas filter or purification device may be included in the gas purification system 2134 of the present teachings. In some embodiments, a gas purification system may include two purification units in parallel such that one unit may be taken off-line for maintenance while the other unit may be used to continue system operation without interruption. In some embodiments, for example, a gas purification system may include one or more molecular sieves. In some embodiments, the gas purification system may include at least a first molecular sieve and a second molecular sieve, such that when one molecular sieve becomes saturated with impurities or is deemed not to operate efficiently enough, the system may switch to the other molecular sieve while regenerating the saturated or inefficient molecular sieves. A control unit may provide for determining the operating efficiency of each molecular sieve, for switching between the operation of different molecular sieves, for regenerating one or more molecular sieves, or for combinations thereof. Molecular sieves can be regenerated and reused as previously described. the

With respect to the thermal regulation system 2140 of FIG. 34A , at least one fluid cooler 2141 may be provided for cooling the gas enclosure assembly and the gaseous environment within the system 2100 . For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings, fluid cooler 2141 delivers cooling fluid to a heat exchanger within the enclosure, wherein the inert gas passes through a filtration system within the enclosure. At least one fluid cooler may also be provided within the gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 to cool heat originating from equipment housed within the gas enclosure 2100 . For example and without limitation, at least one fluid cooler may also be provided for the gas enclosure assembly and system 2100 to cool heat originating from the OLED printing system. Thermal regulation system 2140 may include heat exchange or Peltier devices and may have various cooling capacities. For example, for various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems, the chiller may provide a cooling capacity of between about 2 kW to about 20 kW. Fluid coolers 1136 and 1138 may cool one or more fluids. In some embodiments, fluid coolers may use various fluids as coolants, such as, but not limited to, water, antifreeze, refrigerants, and combinations thereof, as heat exchange fluids. Suitable leak-free locking connections may be used to connect related pipes and system components. the

Various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly as shown with respect to gas enclosure assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 and 24 or with respect to gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIGS. 29 and 30 can have a first frame member assembly section defining a first volume and defining A second frame member assembly section of the second volumes, wherein each volume is separable from the other volume. For the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 1000 of FIGS. 23 and 24 or for the gas enclosure assembly 1010 of FIGS. 29 and 30, all system features described for the gas enclosure assembly of FIG. System features of such embodiments are included where the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section define a second volume, wherein each volume is separable from the other volume. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 34B, for gas assemblies and systems 2150, for various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies having a first frame member assembly section defining a first volume and a second frame member assembly section defining a second volume , each volume may be placed in separate fluid communication with the gas purification circuit 2130 . the

As shown in Figure 34B, the gas enclosure assembly 1500 of the gas enclosure assembly and system 2150 can have a first frame member assembly section 1500-S1 defining a first volume and a second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 defining a second volume . If all valves V ₁ , V ₂ , V ₃ , and V ₄ are open, gas purge circuit 2130 operates substantially as previously described for gas enclosure assembly and system 1500 of FIG. 34A . With _V3 and _V4 closed, only the first frame member assembly section 1500-S1 is in fluid communication with the gas purge circuit 2130. For example, without limitation, during maintenance procedures that require the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 to be vented to the atmosphere, when the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 is sealably closed and thus disconnected from the frame member assembly section 1500 This valve state can be used when -S1 is isolated. With V ₁ and V ₂ closed, only the second frame member assembly section 1500 - S2 is in fluid communication with the gas purge circuit 2130 . For example, without limitation, such a valve state may be used during recovery of the second frame member assembly section 1500-S2 after the section is vented to atmosphere. As previously stated, the requirements for the gas purge circuit 2130 are specified relative to the total volume of the gas enclosure assembly 1500 . Thus, by dedicating resources of the gas purification system to frame member assembly sections (e.g., second frame member assembly section 1500-S2, which is shown in FIG. 34B as having a volume significantly smaller than the total volume of gas enclosure 1500), Recovery, recovery time can be significantly reduced.

As shown in Figures 35 and 36, one or more fan filter units may be configured to provide a generally laminar flow of gas through the interior. According to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly according to the present teachings, one or more fan units are positioned proximate to a first interior surface of the gaseous environment enclosure and one or more ductwork inlets are positioned proximate to an opposing second interior surface of the gaseous environment enclosure. surface. For example, the gaseous environment enclosure may include an inner roof and a bottom inner perimeter, the one or more fan units may be positioned proximate the inner roof, and the one or more ductwork inlets may include a plurality of inlet openings positioned proximate the bottom inner perimeter, It is part of the piping system, as shown in Figure 15-17. the

35 is a cross-sectional view taken along the length of a gas enclosure assembly and system 2200 according to various embodiments of the present teachings. Gas enclosure assembly and system 2200 of FIG. 35 can include gas enclosure 1500 that can house OLED printing system 50 , as well as gas purification system 2130 (see also FIG. 34 ), thermal regulation system 2140, filtration and circulation system 2150, and plumbing system 2170. Thermal regulation system 2140 may include fluid cooler 2141 in fluid communication with cooler outlet line 2143 and cooler inlet line 2145 . Cooling fluid may exit fluid cooler 2141, flow through cooler outlet line 2143, and be delivered to a heat exchanger, which may be located in multiple fan filter units for various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system shown in FIG. near each of the . Fluid may return to cooler 2141 from a heat exchanger near the fan filter unit through cooler inlet line 2145 to maintain a constant desired temperature. As previously described, cooler outlet line 2141 and cooler inlet line 2143 are in fluid communication with a plurality of heat exchangers, including first heat exchanger 2142 , second heat exchanger 2144 , and third heat exchanger 2146 . According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system shown in FIG. , the second fan filter unit 2154 and the third fan filter unit 2156 are in thermal communication. the

In Figure 35, a number of arrows show flow to and from the various fan filter units, and also show flow within the ductwork 2170 comprising a first ductwork pipe 2173 and a second ductwork pipe 2174, as A simplified schematic diagram of Figure 34 is shown. First conduit system tube 2173 may receive gas through first conduit inlet 2171 and may exit through first conduit outlet 2175 . Similarly, a second conduit system tube 2174 may receive gas through a second conduit inlet 2172 and exit through a second conduit outlet 2176 . Additionally, as shown in FIG. 34 , ductwork 2170 separates the inert gas that is internally recirculated through filter system 2150 by effectively defining a space 2180 that is in fluid communication with gas purification system 2130 via gas purification outlet line 2131 . Such circulation systems, including various embodiments of the piping systems described with respect to FIGS. 15-17 , provide substantially laminar flow, minimize turbulent flow, and facilitate circulation, turnover, and filtration of particulate matter of the gaseous environment within the enclosure interior, and Provides circulation through the gas purification system external to the gas enclosure assembly. the

36 is a cross-sectional view taken along the length of a gas enclosure assembly and system 2300 according to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly in accordance with the present teachings. Similar to gas enclosure assembly 2200 of FIG. 35 , gas enclosure assembly system 2300 of FIG. 36 may include gas enclosure assembly 1500 that may accommodate OLED printing system 50, as well as gas purification system 2130 (see also FIG. 34 ), thermal regulation system 2140, Filtration and circulation system 2150 and piping system 2170. For various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly 2300, the thermal regulation system 2140 can include a fluid cooler 2141 in fluid communication with a cooler outlet line 2143 and a cooler inlet line 2145, which can be in fluid communication with a plurality of heat exchangers, such as a first thermal The exchanger 2142 and the second heat exchanger 2144 are shown in FIG. 36 . According to various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system shown in FIG. Each of the heat exchangers 2144 may be in thermal communication with circulating inert gas. In this regard, inert gas returned for filtration from a duct inlet (e.g., first duct inlet 2171 and second duct inlet 2172 of duct system 2170) may be circulated through a first fan filter unit, such as filtration system 2150 of FIG. 36, respectively. 2152, the second fan filter unit 2154 and the third fan filter unit 2156 were previously thermally conditioned. the

As can be seen from the arrows showing the direction of the inert gas circulating through the enclosure of Figures 35 and 36, the fan filter unit is configured to provide a generally laminar flow from the top of the enclosure down towards the bottom. For example, fan filter units available from Flanders Corporation (Washington, North Carolina) or Envirco Corporation (Sanford, North Carolina) may be used for integration into various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies according to the present teachings. Various embodiments of fan filter units can exchange between about 350 cubic feet per minute (CFM) and about 700 CFM of inert gas passing through each unit. As shown in Figures 35 and 36, since the fan filter units are arranged in parallel rather than in series, the amount of inert gas that can be exchanged in a system comprising multiple fan filter units is proportional to the number of units used . Near the bottom of the enclosure, the gas flow is directed towards a plurality of ductwork inlets, represented schematically as a first duct inlet 2171 and a second duct inlet 2172 in FIGS. 35 and 36 . As previously described for FIGS. 15-17 , locating the duct inlet at approximately the bottom of the enclosure and allowing the gas to flow downward from the upper fan filter unit facilitates good turnover of the gas environment within the enclosure and facilitates passage through the enclosure in conjunction with the enclosure. Complete turnaround and removal of the entire gas environment using the gas cleaning system. The piping system separates the flow of inert gas circulating through the gas cleaning loop 2130, reactive species (e.g. Levels of each of water and oxygen, and each solvent) may be maintained at, for example, 100 ppm or less, such as 1.0 ppm or less, 0.1 ppm or less in various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly. the

According to various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly system for an OLED printing system, the number of fan filter units may be selected based on the physical location of the substrate in the printing system during processing. Thus, while 3 fan filter units are shown in Figures 35 and 36, the number of fan filter units may vary. For example, FIG. 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along the length of a gas enclosure assembly and system 2400 similar to the gas enclosure assemblies and systems shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 and FIGS. 29 and 30 . Gas enclosure assembly and system 2400 may include gas enclosure assembly 1500 housing OLED printing system 1050 supported on base 1220 . The substrate suspension stage 1054 of the OLED printing system defines the travel that the substrate can move through the system 2400 during OLED printing of the substrate. Accordingly, the filtration system 2150 of the gas enclosure assembly and system 2400 has a suitable number of fan filter units, shown at 2151-2155, corresponding to the physical travel of the substrate through the OLED printing system 1050 during processing. Furthermore, the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 37 shows that the contouring of various embodiments of the gas enclosure can effectively reduce the volume of inert gas required during the OLED printing process while providing easy access to the interior of the gas enclosure 1500. (Remote access during handling, for example using gloves fitted in individual glove ports, or direct access through various removable panels in the case of maintenance operations). the

Various embodiments of gas enclosures and systems may use a pressurized inert gas recirculation system for operating various pneumatically operated devices and equipment. Additionally, as previously described, embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings may be maintained at a slight positive pressure relative to the external environment, such as, but not limited to, between about 2 mbarg and about 8 mbarg. Maintaining a pressurized inert gas recirculation system within a gas enclosure system can be challenging due to the dynamic and ongoing balancing act associated with maintaining a slight positive internal pressure on the gas enclosure and system while continuously introducing Pressurized gas into gas enclosure assemblies and systems. Furthermore, the variable demands of various devices and equipment can create irregular pressure distributions for the various gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings. Under such conditions, maintaining dynamic pressure balance with the gas enclosure maintained at a slight positive pressure relative to the external environment can provide integrity for the ongoing OLED printing process. the

As shown in FIG. 38 , various embodiments of a gas enclosure assembly and system 3000 can have an external gas circuit 2500 for integrating and controlling a source of inert gas 2509 and clean dry air for various aspects of the operation of the gas enclosure assembly and system 3000 (CDA) source 2512. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the gas enclosure assembly and system 3000 may also include various embodiments of an internal particle filtration and gas circulation system as well as various embodiments of an external gas purification system, as previously described. In addition to the external circuit 2500 for integrating and controlling the source of inert gas 2509 and the source of CDA 2512, the gas enclosure assembly and system 3000 can have a compressor circuit 2160 that can supply inert gas for operation that can be provided in the gas enclosure assembly and Various devices and equipment inside the system 3000. the

Compressor circuit 2160 of FIG. 38 may include a compressor 2162 , a first reservoir 2164 , and a second reservoir 2168 configured in fluid communication. Compressor 2162 may be configured to compress the inert gas drawn from gas enclosure assembly 1500 to a desired pressure. The inlet side of compressor circuit 2160 may be in fluid communication with gas enclosure assembly 1500 via gas enclosure assembly outlet 2501 through line 2503 having valve 2505 and check valve 2507 . Compressor circuit 2160 may be in fluid communication with gas enclosure assembly 1500 via external gas circuit 2500 on the outlet side of compressor circuit 2160 . Reservoir 2164 may be disposed between compressor 2162 and the junction of compressor circuit 2160 and external gas circuit 2500, and may be configured to generate a pressure of 5 psig or higher. A second reservoir 2168 may be in the compressor circuit 2160 for damping fluctuations due to the compressor piston cycling at approximately 60 Hz. For various embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160, the first reservoir 2164 may have a capacity between about 80 gallons and about 160 gallons, and the second reservoir may have a capacity between about 30 gallons and about 60 gallons. According to various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly and system 3000, compressor 2162 may be a zero ingress compressor. Various types of zero-entry compressors can operate without leakage of ambient gas into various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings. Various embodiments of the zero-entry compressor can be run continuously, such as during OLED printing processes for applications that utilize various devices and equipment requiring compressed inert gas. the

Reservoir 2164 may be configured to receive and accumulate compressed inert gas from compressor 2162 . Reservoir 2164 may supply compressed inert gas to gas enclosure assembly 1500 as needed. For example, reservoir 2164 may provide gas to maintain pressure in various components of gas enclosure assembly 1500, such as, but not limited to, one or more of the following: pneumatic robot, substrate levitation stage, air bearing, air bushing, compressed gas tool , pneumatic actuators, and combinations thereof. As shown in FIG. 38 for gas enclosure assembly and system 3000, gas enclosure assembly 1500 may have OLED printing system 50 encapsulated therein. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 30 , the OLED printing system 50 may be supported by a granite stage 70 and may include a substrate suspension table 54 for transporting the substrate into place in the printhead chamber and for supporting the substrate during the OLED printing process. substrate. Furthermore, air bearings 58 supported on bridges 56 may be used instead of, for example, linear mechanical bearings. For various embodiments of the gas enclosures and systems of the present teachings, the use of various pneumatically operated devices and equipment can provide low particle generation performance as well as low maintenance. Compressor circuit 2160 may be configured to continuously supply pressurized inert gas to various devices and devices of gas enclosure 3000 . In addition to supplying pressurized inert gas, substrate suspension stage 54 of OLED printing system 50 (which uses air bearing technology) also utilizes vacuum system 2550, which communicates with gas enclosure assembly 1500 via line 2552 when valve 2554 is in the open position . the

A pressurized inert gas recirculation system according to the present teachings may have a pressure control bypass circuit 2165 for the compressor circuit 2160 as shown in FIG. Dynamic balancing of various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings is provided. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings, a bypass circuit can maintain a constant pressure within reservoir 2164 without disturbing or changing the pressure within enclosure 1500 . The bypass circuit 2165 may have a first bypass inlet valve 2161 on the inlet side of the bypass circuit 2165 which is closed unless the bypass circuit 2165 is used. The bypass circuit 2165 may also have a back pressure regulator, which may be used when the second valve 2163 is closed. The bypass circuit 2165 may have a second reservoir 2168 disposed at the outlet side of the bypass circuit 2165 . For embodiments using the compressor circuit 2160 with zero entry to the compressor, the bypass circuit 2165 can compensate for small excursions in pressure that can occur over time during use of the gas enclosure assembly and system. Bypass circuit 2165 may be in fluid communication with compressor circuit 2160 on the inlet side of bypass circuit 2165 when bypass inlet valve 2161 is in the open position. When the bypass inlet valve 2161 is open, the inert gas diverted through the bypass loop 2165 can be recycled to the compressor if the inert gas from the compressor loop 2160 is not needed in the interior of the gas enclosure assembly 1500 . When the pressure of the inert gas in the reservoir 2164 exceeds a preset threshold pressure, the compressor circuit 2160 is configured to divert the inert gas through a bypass circuit 2165 . The preset threshold pressure of reservoir 2164 may be between about 25 psig to about 200 psig at a flow rate of at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm), or may be at a flow rate of at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm). Between about 50 psig to about 150 psig, or at a flow rate of at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm) may be between about 75 psig to about 125 psig, or at a flow rate of at least about 1 cubic foot per minute (cfm) The time can be between about 90 psig to about 95 psig. the

Various embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160 may use various compressors other than zero entry compressors, such as variable speed compressors or compressors that may be controlled to be on or off. As previously stated, a zero ingress compressor ensures that no environmentally reactive species can be introduced into gas enclosure components and systems. Accordingly, any compressor configuration that prevents the introduction of environmentally reactive species into the gas enclosure assembly and system may be used for compressor circuit 2160 . According to various embodiments, the gas enclosure assembly and compressor 2162 of the system 3000 may be housed in, for example and without limitation, a hermetically sealed enclosure. The housing interior may be configured to be in fluid communication with a source of inert gas, such as the same inert gas that forms the inert gas environment of gas enclosure assembly 1500 . For various embodiments of compressor circuit 2160, compressor 2162 may be controlled at a constant speed to maintain a constant pressure. In other embodiments of the compressor circuit 2160 that do not use zero entry compressors, the compressor 2162 may be turned off when a maximum threshold pressure is reached and turned on when a minimum threshold pressure is reached. the

In FIG. 39 for gas enclosure assembly and system 3100 , blower circuit 2190 and blower vacuum circuit 2550 are shown for operating OLED printing system 1050 with substrate suspension stage 1054 housed in gas enclosure assembly 1500 . As previously described for compressor circuit 2160 , blower circuit 2190 may be configured to continuously supply pressurized inert gas to substrate suspension table 54 . the

Various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems that may use a pressurized inert gas recirculation system may have various circuits using various sources of pressurized gas, such as at least one of compressors, blowers, and combinations thereof. In FIG. 39 for gas enclosure assembly and system 3100 , compressor circuit 2160 may be in fluid communication with external gas circuit 2500 , which may be used to supply inert gas for high consumption manifold 2525 as well as low consumption manifold 2513 . For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings, as shown in FIG. 39 for a gas enclosure assembly and system 3000, a high consumption manifold 2525 may be used to supply inert gas to various devices and equipment, such as but Without limitation, one or more of: substrate suspension tables, pneumatic robots, air bearings, air bushings, and compressed gas tools, and combinations thereof. For various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings, low consumption manifold 2513 may be used to supply inert gas to various devices and equipment, such as but not limited to one or more of the following: isolators and pneumatic Actuators and combinations thereof. the

For various embodiments of gas enclosure assembly and system 3100, blower circuit 2190 may be used to supply pressurized inert gas to various embodiments of substrate suspension table 1054, while compressor circuit 2160 in fluid communication with external gas circuit 2500 may be used to supply The pressurized inert gas is supplied to, for example and without limitation, one or more of: pneumatic robots, air bearings, air bushings, and compressed gas tools, and combinations thereof. In addition to supplying a pressurized inert gas, the substrate suspension stage 54 of the OLED printing system 1050 (which uses air bearing technology) also utilizes a vacuum system 2550 that communicates with the gas enclosure assembly 1500 via line 2552 when the valve 2554 is in the open position . The housing 2192 of the blower circuit 2190 can maintain a first blower 2194 for supplying a pressurized source of inert gas to the substrate suspension table 1054 and a second blower 2550 used as a vacuum source for the substrate suspension table 1054 in an inert gas environment. Attributes that may make blowers suitable for use as a source of pressurized inert gas or vacuum for various embodiments of a substrate suspension table include, for example, but not limited to: they have high reliability, making them low maintenance; have variable speed control; and have Wide range of volume flow rates (various embodiments capable of providing volume flow rates between about 100 m ³ /h and about 2500 m ³ /h). Various embodiments of the blower circuit 2190 may also have a first isolation valve 2193 at the inlet end of the blower circuit 2190 and a check valve 2195 and a second isolation valve 2197 at the outlet end of the compressor circuit 2190 . Various embodiments of the blower circuit 2190 may have an adjustable valve 2196 (which may be, for example, but not limited to, a gate valve, a butterfly valve, a needle valve, or a ball valve) and a valve for maintaining the inert gas from the blower assembly 2190 to the substrate suspension system 1054 at Heat exchanger 2198 of defined temperature.

39 shows an external gas circuit 2500, also shown in FIG. 38, for integration and control of various aspects of operation for the gas enclosure assembly and system 3000 of FIG. 38 and the gas enclosure assembly and system 3100 of FIG. Inert gas source 2509 and clean dry air (CDA) source 2512. The external gas circuit 2500 of FIGS. 38 and 39 may include at least four mechanical valves. These valves include a first mechanical valve 2502 , a second mechanical valve 2504 , a third mechanical valve 2506 and a fourth mechanical valve 2508 . These individual valves are located at locations in the individual flow lines that allow control of both inert gas (eg, such as nitrogen, any noble gas, and any combination thereof) and air source (eg, clean dry air (CDA)). A case inert gas line 2510 extends from a case inert gas source 2509 . Shell inert gas line 2510 continues linearly as low depletion manifold line 2152 , which is in fluid communication with low depletion manifold 2513 . Crossover line first section 2514 extends from first flow junction 2516 at the intersection of housing inert gas line 2510 , low consumption manifold line 2152 , and crossover line first section 2514 . The cross-line first section 2514 extends to a second flow junction 2518 . Compressor inert gas line 2520 extends from reservoir 2164 of compressor circuit 2160 and terminates at second flow junction 2518 . CDA line 2522 extends from CDA source 2512 and continues as high consumption manifold line 2524 , which is in fluid communication with high consumption manifold 2525 . The third flow junction 2526 is located at the intersection of the crossing line second section 2528 , the clean dry air line 2522 and the high consumption manifold line 2524 . Cross-circuit second section 2528 extends from second flow junction 2518 to third flow junction 2526 . the

The following is an overview of some of the various modes of operation in conjunction with the description of the external gas circuit 2500 with reference to Figure 40, which is a table of valve positions for the various modes of operation of the gas enclosure assembly and system. the

The table of Figure 40 shows the process modes in which the valve states result in an inert gas only compressor mode of operation. In process mode, the first mechanical valve 2502 and the third mechanical valve 2506 are in the closed configuration as shown in FIG. 38 and as shown in the valve state of FIG. 40 . The second mechanical valve 2504 and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in an open configuration. Due to these specific valve configurations, compressed inert gas is allowed to flow to both the low consumption manifold 2513 and the high consumption manifold 2525. Under normal operation, inert gas from the housing inert gas source and clean dry air from the CDA source are prevented from flowing to either of the low depletion manifold 2513 and the high depletion manifold 2525 . the

As shown in Figure 40 and with reference to Figure 39, there is a series of valve states for maintenance and recovery. Various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings may require maintenance from time to time, in addition to recovering from system failures. In this particular mode, the second mechanical valve 2504 and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in a closed configuration. The first mechanical valve 2502 and the third mechanical valve 2506 are in an open configuration. The case inert gas source and the CDA source provide inert gas to be supplied by the low consumption manifold 2513 to those components that are at low consumption and also have dead volumes that are difficult to effectively purge during recovery. Examples of such components include pneumatic actuators. In contrast, those components that are consumed can supply CDA by means of high consumption manifold 2525 during maintenance. Isolating the compressor using valves 2504, 2508, 2530 prevents reactive species such as oxygen and water vapor from contaminating the compressor and the inert gas within the reservoir. the

After maintenance or restoration has been completed, the gas enclosure must be purged through several cycles until the various reactive ambient species, such as oxygen and water, have reached sufficiently low levels for each, such as 100 ppm or less, such as 10 ppm or lower, 1.0 ppm or lower, or 0.1 ppm or lower. As shown in Figure 40 and with reference to Figure 39, during the purge mode, the third mechanical valve 2506 is closed and the fifth mechanical valve 2530 is also in the closed configuration. The first mechanical valve 2502, the second mechanical valve 2504, and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are in an open configuration. Due to this particular valve configuration, only case inert gas is allowed to flow and is allowed to flow to both the low depletion manifold 2513 and the high depletion manifold 2525 . the

As shown in Figure 40 and with reference to Figure 38, both the "no flow" mode and the leak test mode are modes to use as needed. A "no flow" mode is a mode having a valve state configuration in which the first mechanical valve 2502, the second mechanical valve 2504, the third mechanical valve 2506, and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are all in a closed configuration. This closed configuration results in a "no flow" mode of the system where no gas from the inert gas source, the CDA source or the compressor source can reach either the low consumption manifold 2513 or the high consumption manifold 2525. This "no-flow mode" can be useful when the system is not in use and can remain idle for extended periods of time. The leak test mode can be used to detect leaks in the system. The leak test mode uses compressed inert gas exclusively, which isolates the system from the high consumption manifold 2525 of FIG. 39 to leak check the low consumption components of the low consumption manifold 2513 (eg, isolators and pneumatic actuators). In this leak test mode, the first mechanical valve 2502, the third mechanical valve 2506, and the fourth mechanical valve 2508 are all in a closed configuration. Only the second mechanical valve 2504 is in the open configuration. As a result, compressed nitrogen can flow from compressor inert gas source 2519 to low consumption manifold 2513 with no gas flow to high consumption manifold 5525. the

Various embodiments of the suspension table can be used in any of the various embodiments of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings to stably transport loads such as OLED flat panel display substrates. It is contemplated that a frictionless levitation table may provide stable transport for printing of loads such as OLED substrates in any of the various embodiments of the inert gas enclosure of the present teachings. the

For example, in FIG. 1 , gas enclosure assembly and system 2000 may include gas enclosure assembly 1500 having inlet gate 1512 and outlet gate 1522 for moving substrates, such as OLED flat panel display substrates, into and out of gas enclosure system 2000 . In FIG. 37 , gas enclosure assembly and system 2400 may have gas enclosure assembly 1500 shown supported on base 1200 , which may house OLED printing system 50 . The substrate suspension stage 54 of the OLED printing system 50 defines the travel that a substrate (not shown) can move through the inert gas enclosure assembly and system 2400 during inkjet printing of an OLED flat panel display substrate. As previously described with reference to Figure 38, various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems may have external circuits including, for example but not limited to, compressor circuits and vacuum sources that may provide pressurized inert gas and vacuum. As previously described with reference to Figure 39, various embodiments of an external circuit using blower technology can provide a source of pressurized inert gas and vacuum for operating the levitation table. the

As previously described, various embodiments of the gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings can handle a range of OLED sizes that progress from smaller than Gen 3.5 substrates (which have dimensions of approximately 61 cm x 72 cm) and beyond. Flat panel display substrates. It is contemplated that various embodiments of the gas enclosure assembly and system can handle mother glass sizes of Gen 5.5 (having dimensions of approximately 130 cm x 150 cm) as well as Gen 7.5 (having dimensions of approximately 195 cm x 225 cm), and that each substrate can be cut Into eight 42" or six 47" slabs and larger. As mentioned earlier, Gen 8.5 is about 220cm x 250cm, and each substrate can be cut into six 55" or eight 46" slabs. However, substrate generation sizes continue to increase such that the currently available Gen 10, which has dimensions of approximately 285cm x 305cm, does not appear to be the last generation substrate size. Furthermore, the dimensions documented in terms derived from the use of glass-based substrates are applicable to substrates of any material suitable for OLED printing. Accordingly, there are various substrate sizes and materials that require stable delivery during printing in various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems of the present teachings. the

A levitation table according to various embodiments of the present teachings is shown in FIG. 41 . A prior art levitation table 700 may have a region 710 where both pressure and vacuum may be applied through multiple ports. Such a zone with both pressure and vacuum control can effectively provide a fluidic spring with bi-directional stiffness between the zone 710 and the substrate (not shown), thereby creating a barrier to the gap between the substrate and the zone 710. significant control. The gap that exists between the load and the surface of the levitation table is called the levitation height. A region such as region 710 of levitation table 700 of FIG. 41 can provide a controllable levitation height for a load such as a substrate, where multiple pressure and vacuum ports are used to form a fluid spring with bi-directional stiffness. the

Adjacent to zone 710 are a first transition zone 720 and a second transition zone 722 , respectively, and then adjacent to first transition zone 720 and second transition zone 722 are pressure-only zones 740 and 742 , respectively. In the transition zone, the pressure to vacuum nozzle ratio gradually increases toward the pressure-only zone to provide a gradual transition from zone 710 to zones 740 and 7422 . As shown in Fig. 41, Fig. 42 shows enlarged views of these three regions. For various embodiments of the substrate suspension table, such as that shown in FIG. 41, only the pressure zones 740, 742 are shown as consisting of rail structures. For various embodiments of the substrate suspension stage, pressure-only zones, such as pressure-only zones 740, 742 of FIG. the

For the various embodiments of the suspension table shown in FIG. 41, there may be approximately uniform heights between the pressure-vacuum zone, the transition zone, and the pressure-only zone such that, within tolerances, the three zones lie generally in one plane. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the various regions may vary in length. For example and without limitation, to provide a sense of scale and scale, the transition zone may be about 400mm, while the pressure-only zone may be about 2.5m, and the pressure-vacuum zone may be about 800mm for each substrate. the

In FIG. 41 , pressure zones 740 and 742 alone do not provide a fluid spring with bi-directional stiffness, and thus do not provide the control that zone 710 may provide. Therefore, the levitation height of the load is typically greater on the pressure-only zone than the substrate on the pressure-vacuum zone, in order to allow enough height that the load will not collide with the levitation table in the pressure-only zone. For example and without limitation, it may be desirable to process an OLED panel substrate to have a levitation height between about 150 μ to about 300 μ above a pressure-only region such as regions 740 and 742 , and then about 30 μ above a pressure-vacuum region such as region 710 to a suspension height of approximately 50μ. the

As a result of the combination of having different zones that provide variable levitation heights, and a uniform height across the levitation table for all zones, for various embodiments of the levitation table 700, as the substrate travels above the levitation table, substrate bending. 43A and 43B illustrate substrate bending as substrate 760 travels over levitation stage 700 . In FIG. 43A , when the substrate 760 travels above the levitation stage 700, the portion of the substrate 760 that stays above the pressure-vacuum zone 710 has a first levitation height FH ₁ , while the portion of the substrate 760 that stays above only the pressure zone 740 has a first levitation height FH 1 . Two floating heights FH ₂ , and the portion of the substrate 760 staying above the transition region 720 has a variable floating height. In FIG. 43B , when the substrate 760 travels in the opposite direction above the levitation stage 700 , the portion of the substrate 760 that rests above the pressure-vacuum region 710 has a first levitation height FH ₁ , while the substrate 760 rests above only the pressure region 742 The portion of the substrate ₇₆₀ that rests above the transition region 722 may have a variable floating height. As a result, bending in the substrate 760 is evident in either direction of travel of the substrate 150 above the levitation stage 200 .

In various embodiments of gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings that can accommodate printing systems for printing substrates such as, but not limited to, OLED display panels, some degree of substrate bending may have no negative impact on the article. However, for various embodiments of printing processes using gas enclosure assemblies and systems according to the present teachings, substrate bowing can have a negative impact on the article. the

Accordingly, various embodiments of the suspended stage shown in FIG. 44 may have a variable transition height in order to keep a load, such as an OLED flat panel display substrate, substantially flat as the substrate moves over the suspended stage. Fig. 44 shows a first transition zone 820 and a second transition zone 822 having an oblique arrangement between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the first pressure-only zone 840 and second pressure-only zone 842, respectively. The sloped arrangement of the first transition zone 820 and the second transition zone 822 provides a height difference between the pressure-vacuum zone 810 and the first pressure-only zone 820 and the second pressure-only zone 822 . As shown in FIG. 44 , within tolerances, the first pressure-only zone 820 and the second pressure-only zone 822 generally lie in the same plane, while the pressure-vacuum zone 810 generally lies in a plane parallel to the pressure-only zone. The generally parallel planes defined by the pressure-vacuum zone 810 relative to the first pressure-only zone 820 and the second pressure-only zone 822 are offset by a height difference that compensates for differences in levitation heights above the respective zones. the

As previously described for the various embodiments of the substrate suspension table shown in FIG. 41 , only the pressure zones 840 , 642 are shown in FIG. 44 as consisting of rail structures. For various embodiments of the substrate suspension stage, pressure-only zones, such as pressure-only zones 840, 842 of FIG. the

As shown in FIGS. 45A and 45B , for various embodiments of a levitation table 700 according to the present teachings, the result of the combination of having different zones that provide variable levitation heights and different heights across the levitation table for all zones is , the substrate may remain in a generally flat arrangement as it travels over the levitation table. the

In FIG. 45A , when the substrate 860 travels above the levitation stage 800, the portion of the substrate 860 that stays above the pressure-vacuum zone 810 has a first levitation height FH ₁ , while the portion of the substrate 860 that stays above only the pressure zone 840 has a first levitation height FH 1 . 2. Suspension height FH ₂ . However, the transition region 820 has a sloped arrangement that provides a height difference between the pressure-vacuum region 810 and the pressure-only region 840 that compensates for the difference in levitation height between the pressure-vacuum region 810 and the pressure-only region 840, the substrate 860 maintains a generally flat arrangement as it travels over these three distinct zones. In FIG. 45B , when the substrate 860 travels above the levitation stage 800, the portion of the substrate 860 that stays above the pressure-vacuum zone 810 has a first levitation height FH ₁ , while the portion of the substrate 860 that stays above only the pressure zone 842 has a first levitation height FH 1 . 2. Suspension height FH ₂ . However, the transition region 842 has a sloped arrangement that provides a height difference between the pressure-vacuum region 810 and the pressure-only region 842 that compensates for the difference in levitation height between the pressure-vacuum region 810 and the pressure-only region 842, the substrate 860 maintains a generally flat arrangement as it travels over these three distinct zones. As a result, the substrate 860 may maintain a generally flat arrangement in either direction of travel of the substrate 860 above the suspension stage 800 .

Various embodiments of levitation table 700 and levitation table 800 may be housed in gas enclosures, including gas enclosure assemblies of the present teachings such as, but not limited to, those shown and described with respect to FIGS. 3, 23, and 29, which may Integrates with various systems that perform the functions described for FIG. 34 . Various embodiments of gas enclosures and various embodiments of gas enclosures and systems (which may have external circuits capable of providing pressurized inert gas and vacuum, such as, but not limited to, those described with respect to FIGS. 38 and 39 Those) may use various embodiments of a levitation table for transporting loads in an inert gas environment according to the present teachings. the

All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. the

While embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous modifications, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the disclosure. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the disclosure described herein may be employed in practicing the disclosure. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the disclosure and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. the

Claims (15)

1. A gas enclosure assembly and system combination comprising: A gas enclosure assembly having an interior containing an inert gas environment, wherein the gas enclosure assembly comprises: a first frame member assembly section defining a first interior volume, wherein the first frame member assembly section includes a plurality of frame member assemblies each having a plurality of panel sections; a second frame member assembly section defining a second interior volume, wherein the second frame member assembly section includes a plurality of frame member assemblies each having a plurality of panel sections; and at least one opening in a panel section common to the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section, wherein the opening is in the first frame member assembly section and the providing fluid communication between the second frame member assembly sections; a printing system having a printhead assembly including at least one printhead; and a maintenance system for maintaining the printhead assembly; the maintenance system is housed within the second frame member assembly section, wherein closing of the opening connects the maintenance system to the first frame member assembly separate. 2. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1, further comprising: A first frame member and an opposing second frame member, wherein the first frame member and the opposing second frame member are each the first frame member assembly section and the second frame member assembly section Common framing members; a base supporting the printing system and the maintenance system; the base spanning through the first frame member and the second frame member; and A first base seal between the first frame member and the base, and a second base seal between the second frame member and the base. 3. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 2, wherein the sealable closure of the opening between the first interior volume and the second interior volume is incompatible with the first A base seal and the second base seal cooperate to isolate the first interior volume from the second interior volume. 4. A gas enclosure assembly and system combination comprising: A gas enclosure assembly having an interior volume containing an inert gas environment, wherein the gas enclosure assembly comprises: a first frame member assembly section defining a first interior volume; and a second frame member assembly section defining a second interior volume; printing system, which includes: a printhead assembly including at least one printhead; a motion system for positioning the printing system within the gas enclosure assembly; and a maintenance system for maintaining the printhead assembly; the maintenance system is housed within the second frame member assembly section, wherein the motion system is capable of positioning the printhead for maintenance by the maintenance system. 5. A gas enclosure assembly and system combination according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the second internal volume is less than or equal to 1% of the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. 6. A gas enclosure assembly and system combination according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the second internal volume is less than or equal to 10% of the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. 7. A gas enclosure assembly and system combination according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the second internal volume is less than or equal to 20% of the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. 8. The combination of a gas enclosure assembly and a system according to claim 1 or 4, further comprising a gas purification system, the gas purification system configured to cooperate with a group selected from the gas enclosure assembly, the first frame The member assembly section is in fluid communication with the internal gas enclosure assembly of the second frame member assembly section. 9. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 8, wherein the gas purification system maximum capacity is based on the internal volume of the gas enclosure assembly. 10. The gas enclosure assembly and system combination of claim 9, wherein said gas purification maximum capacity is available when said gas purification system is configured in fluid communication with said second frame member assembly section to purge the second frame member assembly section interior volume. 11. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 1 or 4, wherein the printing system has a substrate support device. 12. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 11, wherein the substrate support device defines a travel over which the substrate is movable through the printing system. 13. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 11, wherein the substrate support apparatus is capable of supporting substrates having dimensions between 130 cm x 150 cm and 285 cm x 305 cm. 14. The combination gas enclosure assembly and system of claim 11, wherein the printing system is capable of printing OLED substrates, wherein the substrate support device is capable of supporting the substrate. 15. A gas enclosure assembly and system combination as claimed in claim 1 or claim 4 wherein the inert gas environment contained within said interior comprises water and oxygen both at levels of 100 ppm or less.