# US 12,600,120 B2 · Coating apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,600,120 B2 - Document ID: US12600120B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/741,285 - Filed: 2024-06-12 - Published: 2024-12-19 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-06-19 - Assignees: Taikisha Ltd.; Fu-SE Vacuum Forming Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Taikisha Ltd.; Fu-SE Vacuum Forming Ltd. - Inventors: Yoshio Higashi; Yukiya Takizawa; Seidai Watanabe; Yoichi Kumon; Hitoshi Okamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600120B2 ## CPC - B29C 63/02: using sheet or web-like material (B29C63/26 {and B29C63/38} take precedence) - B32B 38/1833: {Positioning, e.g. registration or centering} - B32B 38/0036: {Heat treatment (for heating or cooling of layers during lamination B32B37/06, B32B37/08)} - B32B 2309/12: Pressure - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM ## Abstract A coating apparatus including: a plurality of first gripping units configured to grip a first side of a film conveyed above a work to be coated, the plurality of first gripping units being aligned along the first side; a plurality of second gripping units configured to grip a second side of the film opposing the first side, the second gripping units being aligned along the second side; and an elevating unit configured to raise and lower the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units along a shape of the work to be coated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coating apparatus comprising: a plurality of first gripping units configured to grip a first side of a film conveyed above a work to be coated, the plurality of first gripping units being aligned along the first side; a plurality of second gripping units configured to grip a second side of the film opposing the first side, the plurality of second gripping units being aligned along the second side; an elevating unit configured to raise and lower the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units along a shape of the work to be coated; and a plurality of heating units configured to heat the film conveyed above the work to be coated; wherein the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units are aligned at positions opposing each other, and each of the plurality of heating units is arranged corresponding to a set of a first gripping unit of the plurality of first gripping units and a second gripping unit of the plurality of second gripping units arranged at positions opposing each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elevating unit includes: a plurality of first elevating units configured to separately raise and lower the plurality of first gripping units; and a plurality of second elevating units configured to separately raise and lower the plurality of second gripping units. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of first elevating units and the plurality of second elevating units each raise and lower a set of the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit arranged at positions opposing each other to the same height, among the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units aligned at positions opposing each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The coating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of heating units is capable of being raised and lowered. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The coating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the heating units is raised and lowered in synchronization with the corresponding set of the first gripping unit and the second gripping unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The coating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of first elevating units include: a plurality of first support members that individually support the plurality of first gripping units; and a plurality of first moving mechanisms that are aligned along the first side and are configured to separately move the plurality of first support members in an up-down direction, and wherein the plurality of second elevating units include: a plurality of second support members that separately support the plurality of second gripping units; and a plurality of second moving mechanisms that are aligned along the second side and are configured to separately move the plurality of second support members in an up-down direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The coating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of first moving mechanisms and the plurality of second moving mechanisms are aligned opposing each other, and wherein each of the heating units is supported between a first support member of the plurality of first support members and a second support member of the plurality of second support members, the first support member and the second support member supporting a set corresponding to a first moving mechanism of the plurality of first moving mechanisms and a second moving mechanism of the plurality of second moving mechanisms, the first moving mechanism and the second moving mechanism being arranged at positions opposing each other. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first gripping units and each of the plurality of second gripping units includes: a gripping portion configured to grip the film conveyed above the work to be coated, and a support portion that rotatably supports the gripping portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first gripping units and each of the plurality of second gripping units includes a pair of elastic members configured to sandwich the film. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first gripping units and each of the plurality of second gripping units includes a pair of rotation members configured to sandwich the film. ### Claim 11 A coating apparatus comprising: a chamber in which a work to be coated is placed; a conveying unit configured to convey a film above the work to be coated; a plurality of first gripping units configured to grip a first side of the film conveyed above a work to be coated, the plurality of first gripping units being aligned along the first side; a plurality of second gripping units configured to grip a second side of the film opposing the first side, the plurality of second gripping units being aligned along the second side; an elevating unit configured to raise and lower the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units along a shape of the work to be coated; and an air pressure adjustment unit configured to adjust air pressure in the chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The coating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein each gripping unit of the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units is capable of being switched to a gripping state of gripping the film, and a release state of not gripping but releasing the film. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The coating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the elevating unit raises and lowers each of the gripping units when each of the gripping units is in the release state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The coating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the conveying unit conveys the film while the plurality of first gripping units and the plurality of second gripping units are in the release state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The coating apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the conveying unit includes: a third gripping unit configured to grip a leading end in a conveying direction of the film; and a third moving mechanism configured to move the third gripping unit horizontally, and the film to be conveyed by the conveying unit is conveyed so as to pass through a path on which the first side of the film is grippable by the plurality of first gripping units, and pass through a path on which the second side of the film is grippable by the plurality of second gripping units. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The coating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the chamber forms a sealed space surrounded by the film and a jig on which the work to be coated is placed, and an outer space outside of the sealed space; and the air pressure adjustment unit adjusts the air pressure in the sealed space and the outer space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The coating apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a work elevation unit configured to raise and lower the work to be coated in the chamber.