Product metering device
AssigneeLanda Labs (2012) Ltd.
InventorsBenzion Landa, Anton Krassilnikov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metering device is disclosed for regulating the depth of a flowable product coating a surface movable relative to the metering device by directing an air curtain towards the surface. The metering device comprises a body having an interior chamber, an inlet for connecting the chamber to a source of gas under super-ambient pressure; and an opening communicating with the chamber and having a mouth through which gas is discharged from the chamber towards the surface to form the air curtain. A porous or reticulated membrane is secured to, or formed integrally with, the body of the device to lie in the path of the gas discharged through the mouth of the opening.
Claims19
A method of forming a coating of a flowable product of a desired depth on a surface, which method comprises:
- a. coating at least a portion of the surface with a surplus of the flowable product;
- b. causing relative movement between the surface and a product metering device so that the product coating passes the product metering device;
- and
- c. directing a gas curtain at least towards the product coated portion of the surface from the product metering device, the device comprising a gas knife having:
- i. a body having an interior chamber and an outer surface;
- ii. an inlet for connecting the chamber to a source of gas under a pressure greater than an ambient pressure;
- iii. an opening communicating with the chamber and having a mouth through which a stream of the gas is discharged;
- and
- iv. a porous or reticulated flowrate reducing membrane secured to the outer surface of the body of the gas knife so as to overlie the mouth of the opening and to be traversed by the gas stream discharged from the mouth of the opening, the gas passing through the flowrate reducing membrane forming the gas curtain that is directed towards the surface or a portion thereof;
- wherein the flowrate reducing membrane has a flow resistance such that, under a pressure differential of 1,000 kPa across the membrane, a gas flow rate therethrough is in a range of 0.01 to 5 liters/minute/mm2.
A method of regulating depth or levelling a coating of a flowable product comprising:
- causing relative movement between a surface having the coating of the flowable product on at least a portion of the surface and a product metering device;
- and the product metering device directing a gas curtain at least towards the at least a portion of the surface, the product metering device comprising a body having an interior chamber and an outer surface, an inlet for connecting the chamber to a source of gas under pressure greater than an ambient pressure;
- an opening communicating with the chamber and having a mouth through which a stream of the gas is discharged, and a porous or reticulated flow rate reducing membrane secured to the outer surface of the body of the product metering device so as to overlie the mouth of the opening and to be traversed by the gas stream discharged from the mouth of the opening, the gas passing through the flow rate reducing membrane forming the gas curtain that is directed toward at least the at least portion of the surface, wherein the flowrate reducing membrane has a flow resistance such that, under a pressure differential of 1,000 kPa across the membrane, a gas flow rate therethrough is in the range of 0.01 to 5 liters/minute/mm2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.