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US 10,488,108 B2Granted
Indirect acoustic drying system and method
AssigneeHeat Technologies, Inc.
InventorsZinovy Zalman Plavnik, Glenn Johnson Emory, Aliaksandr Hrynchuk, Jason Lye, Richard Terrell Sisk, Leonid Anatolyevich Volozhanin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is an acoustic head for indirectly drying a material, the acoustic head including at least one ultrasonic transducer facing the material, the material having a first side, and a second side, the second side opposite the first side, the second side defining a surface to be dried, the ultrasonic transducer positioned facing the first side; and an air delivery unit positioned facing the first side of the material.
Claims26
A method of opposite-side drying and curing of a coating on a material, the method comprising:
- applying a water-based coating to be dried to a substrate to form a material,
- wherein the substrate defines a first side and a second side opposite from the first side,
- wherein the substrate comprises a continuous web,
- wherein the material defines a first side and a second side opposite the first side,
- wherein the first side of the substrate defines the first side of the material,
- wherein the coating to be dried at least partially covers the second side of the substrate,
- wherein the coating and any exposed portion of the second side of the substrate together define the second side of the material,
- wherein the coating comprises solids and a liquid bulk;
- providing an acoustic head,
- wherein the acoustic head is positioned facing only the first side of the material,
- wherein the acoustic head comprises an ultrasonic transducer facing only the first side of the material,
- wherein the ultrasonic transducer comprises two walls,
- wherein each of the two walls defines an inner surface and a groove defined in the inner surface,
- wherein the inner surface of a first wall of the two walls is spaced apart from and faces the inner surface of a second wall of the two walls,
- wherein an air passage is formed between the inner surfaces of the two walls, and
- wherein an exit of the ultrasonic transducer is offset from the first side of the material by a separation distance;
- moving the material in a transverse direction relative to the acoustic head;
- forcing airflow through the air passage of the ultrasonic transducer;
- inducing acoustic waves in an ultrasonic range with the grooves of the inner surfaces of the two walls of the ultrasonic transducer;
- and
- drying the coating using the acoustic waves such that the liquid bulk of the coating evaporates and the solids of the coating remain on and adhere to the substrate after drying the coating,
- wherein drying the coating using the acoustic waves comprises directing the acoustic waves at only the first side of the material, and wherein no second acoustic head is positioned adjacent to and facing the second side of the material opposite from the acoustic head.
19 more elements
A system for opposite-side drying of a coating on a material, the system comprising:
- the material,
- wherein the material comprises a substrate and a water-based coating applied to the substrate,
- wherein the substrate defines a first side and a second side opposite from the first side,
- wherein the first side of the substrate defines a first side of the material,
- wherein the coating is applied to and completely covers the second side of the substrate,
- wherein the coating defines a second side of the material,
- wherein the second side of the material faces an opposite direction from the first side of the material, and
- wherein the coating comprises solids that are configured to remain on and adhere to the substrate after drying of the coating;
- and
- an acoustic head comprising:
- an air delivery enclosure positioned adjacent to and facing only the first side of the material;
- and
- an ultrasonic transducer positioned inside a portion of the air delivery enclosure nearest the material,
- wherein an exit of the ultrasonic transducer faces only the first side of the material,
- wherein the exit of the ultrasonic transducer is offset from the first side of the material by a separation distance,
- wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to produce acoustic waves in an ultrasonic range, and
- wherein both the air delivery enclosure and the ultrasonic transducer are configured to dry the coating with the acoustic waves when the acoustic waves are directed at only the first side of the material and when the coating to be dried is only on the second side of the material;
- and
- wherein no second acoustic head is positioned adjacent to and facing the second side of the material opposite from the acoustic head.
16 more elements
A system for indirectly drying a coating, the system comprising:
- a material comprising a substrate and a water-based coating applied to the substrate,
- wherein the substrate defines a first side and a second side opposite from the first side,
- wherein the substrate comprises a continuous web,
- wherein the first side of the substrate defines a first side of the material,
- wherein the coating is applied to the second side of the substrate,
- wherein the coating and an exposed portion of the second side of the substrate together define a second side of the material,
- wherein the second side of the material faces an opposite direction from the first side of the material, and
- wherein the coating comprises solids configured to remain on and adhere to the substrate after drying of the coating;
- an acoustic head,
- wherein the acoustic head comprises an ultrasonic transducer facing only the first side of the material,
- wherein an exit of the ultrasonic transducer is offset from the first side of the material by a separation distance,
- wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to produce acoustic waves in an ultrasonic range;
- wherein the acoustic head further comprises an air delivery enclosure,
- wherein the air delivery enclosure is also positioned facing only the first side of the material, and
- wherein both the air delivery enclosure and the ultrasonic transducer are configured to dry the coating with the acoustic waves when the acoustic waves are directed at only the first side of the material and when the coating to be dried is only on the second side of the material;
- and
- wherein no second acoustic head is positioned adjacent to and facing the second side of the material opposite from the acoustic head.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.