Method of applying polymer coating to a substrate
AssigneesToyota Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Iowa Research Foundation
InventorsCynthia G. Templeman, Eric M. Leonard, Beth A. Ficek, Alec B. Scranton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An object of complex three-dimensional configuration, such as an automotive vehicle body, is coated with a combination of a coating formulation and a photoactivated mixture containing active centers that have been produced prior to application. The two liquids can be intimately mixed prior to application to the object, or the coating formulation can be applied prior to the application of the photoactivated mixture. The coating formulation is cured by the active centers that have been produced prior to application.
Claims11
A method of producing a polymerized coating on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a supply of photoinitiator;
- photochemically activating said supply of photoinitiator to form a pre-activated photoinitiator;
- applying said pre-activated photoinitiator to the substrate;
- and
- polymerizing a bulk coating formulation with said pre-activated photoinitiator to form said polymerized coating on the substrate.
An applicator for applying a supply of polymerizable coating to a substrate including:
- an applicator for applying a photoinitiator to a substrate;
- a line connecting the supply of photoinitiator with the applicator, the line having a wall defining a conduit for delivering the supply of photoinitiator, the line having an opaque portion and a light transmissive portion which permits light energy to pass through;
- and
- a source of light energy adjacent said light transmissive portion of the line.
A method of forming a polymerized coating on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- feeding a supply of photoinitiator through a feed line to an applicator;
- directing a photoinitiator containing spray from said applicator toward a substrate;
- irradiating the photoinitiator containing spray between the applicator and substrate to pre-activate the photoinitiator;
- and
- polymerizing a bulk coating formulation with the preactivated photoinitiator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.