# US 11,440,044 B2 · Apparatus and method for coating substrates with washcoats > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,044 B2 - Document ID: US11440044B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/695,817 - Filed: 2019-11-26 - Published: 2020-06-04 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-29 - Assignees: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company - Applicants: Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company - Inventors: Neil Burgess; Jamie Savage; Craig Thomson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440044B2 ## CPC - B05C 5/027: {Coating heads with several outlets, e.g. aligned transversally to the moving direction of a web to be coated (B05C5/0254 takes precedence)} - B01D 46/0001: {Making filtering elements} - B01D 46/2418: {Honeycomb filters (used for filtering exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine F01N3/022; ceramic honeycomb structures per se C04B38/0006)} - B01D 53/9418: {for removing nitrogen oxides by selective catalytic reduction [SCR] using a reducing agent in a lean exhaust gas} - B01J 37/0215: {Coating} - B05B 1/18: Roses; Shower heads - B05B 12/16: for controlling the spray area (B05B3/00 takes precedence) - B05B 12/20: Masking elements, i.e. elements defining uncoated areas on an object to be coated - B05B 12/22: movable relative to the spray area - B05C 7/04: the liquid or other fluent material flowing or being moved through the work; the work being filled with liquid or other fluent material and emptied - B01D 2255/9155: Wall flow filters - B01D 2279/30: for treatment of exhaust gases from IC Engines - B05C 9/02: for applying liquid or other fluent material to surfaces by single means not covered by groups B05C1/00 - B05C7/00, whether or not also using other means - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract A substrate coating apparatus comprises a source of a washcoat, a washcoat showerhead comprising a showerhead plate having a plurality of nozzle apertures for discharging the washcoat towards a face of the substrate located below the washcoat showerhead, a conduit fluidly connecting the source of the washcoat to the washcoat showerhead for supplying washcoat to the washcoat showerhead and a partition ring located between the washcoat showerhead and the face of the substrate. The partition ring is dimensioned to be smaller than the face of the substrate and the substrate coating apparatus is configured in use to bring the partition ring into contact with the face of the substrate to thereby define a central region of the face of the substrate which lies within an interior of the partition ring and a peripheral region of the face of the substrate which lies outside the partition ring. The showerhead plate of the washcoat showerhead is configured in use to discharge washcoat onto both the central region and the peripheral region of the face of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate coating apparatus comprising: a source of a washcoat; a washcoat showerhead comprising a showerhead plate having a plurality of nozzle apertures for discharging the washcoat towards a face of a substrate located below the washcoat showerhead; a conduit fluidly connecting the source of the washcoat to the washcoat showerhead for supplying washcoat to the washcoat showerhead; and a partition ring located between the washcoat showerhead and the face of the substrate; wherein the partition ring is dimensioned to be smaller than the face of the substrate and the substrate coating apparatus is configured in use to bring the partition ring into contact with the face of the substrate to thereby define a central region of the face of the substrate which lies within an interior of the partition ring and a peripheral region of the face of the substrate which lies outside the partition ring; wherein the showerhead plate of the washcoat showerhead is configured in use to discharge washcoat onto both the central region and the peripheral region of the face of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate coating apparatus is configured in use to bring the partition ring into contact with the face of the substrate such that the partition ring is centrally located on the face of the substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition ring is mobile in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the substrate such that a face-to-face contact between the partition ring and the face of the substrate may be maintained during movement of the substrate along the longitudinal axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a guide mechanism for maintaining alignment of the partition ring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the guide mechanism comprises a plurality of guide pins that extend transverse to a longitudinal axis of the partition ring and are configured to contact an exterior surface of the partition ring at spaced locations around a circumference of the partition ring. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the guide mechanism comprises a guide ring that extends transverse to a longitudinal axis of the partition ring and is configured to contact an exterior surface of the partition ring. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition ring is sized relative to the face of the substrate such that the width of the peripheral region is 8 to 12 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the showerhead plate overhangs in use both the central region and at least a part of the peripheral region of the face of the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the showerhead plate diameter is equal to or greater than a diameter of the substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a collecting collar that is locatable around the face of the substrate to collect and channel washcoat towards the peripheral region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of nozzles apertures of the showerhead plate are arranged in concentric circular arrays. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the showerhead plate comprises no nozzle apertures in an annulus above the location of the partition ring. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the washcoat showerhead further comprises a housing having an inlet for receiving the washcoat from the conduit and a baffle; the housing and showerhead plate defining a showerhead cavity and the baffle being located within the showerhead cavity; the baffle comprising an impermeable central body and a plurality of arms extending from the impermeable central body, the plurality of arms defining a plurality of flow apertures circumferentially arranged around the impermeable central body; the baffle being mounted in the showerhead cavity such that the impermeable central body is spaced from the showerhead plate; the impermeable central body being aligned below the inlet of the housing such that washcoat entering the showerhead cavity through the inlet is diverted to flow around the impermeable central body and through the plurality of flow apertures before being discharged through the nozzle apertures of the showerhead plate towards the face of the substrate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the baffle comprises four arms extending from the impermeable central body, the four arms defining four flow apertures circumferentially arranged around the impermeable central body; and optionally the four arms are equispaced circumferentially around the impermeable central body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the impermeable central body has a diameter greater than a diameter of the inlet to the housing; and optionally wherein a central longitudinal axis of the inlet and a central axis of the impermeable central body are coincident. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the impermeable central body has a diameter of 25 to 50 mm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the inlet of the housing has an internal diameter of up to 25.4 mm (1 inch). ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein an upper face of the impermeable central body facing the inlet comprises a protrusion; wherein the protrusion is a conical, or part-conical surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the showerhead cavity has a depth of 15 to 30 mm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The substrate coating apparatus as claimed in any of claim 13, wherein the impermeable central body is spaced from the showerhead plate by a gap of 5 to 10 mm. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A substrate coating system comprising the substrate coating apparatus of claim 1 and a substrate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The substrate coating system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the substrate comprises a peripheral zone extending along the longitudinal length of the substrate, wherein the peripheral zone has an enhanced strength relative to a central zone of the substrate by virtue of an increased wall thickness in the peripheral zone compared to the central zone.