Process and Apparatus for Coating a Porous Substrate with a Coating Liquid

A pickup assembly for engaging a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• (a) a cover plate;
• (b) a pin mounting block configured to fit in the cover plate and configured to receive a pair of actuating pedals in an arrangement enabling the actuating pedals to move between a retracted position and an engagement position;
• and
• (c) a plurality of pin supports having a plurality of pins extending from surfaces thereof, the plurality of pin supports being mounted to the actuating pedals such that the plurality of pins are directed to the cover plate and such that movement of the plurality of pin supports is controlled by the actuating pedals,
• (d) wherein the plurality of pins is extended from a surface of the cover plate when the actuating pedals are in the engagement position thereby enabling the plurality of pins to engage the surface of the substrate,
• (e) and wherein the plurality of pins is retracted away from the surface of the cover plate when the actuating pedals are in the retracted position thereby enabling the plurality of pins to release the surface of the substrate.

A process for engaging and releasing a porous substrate, comprising:

• (a) providing an apparatus having a platform for placement of the porous substrate, said apparatus also having an engagement head including at least two pin sets that may be extended or retracted in unison by a single actuation source, each pin set including a plurality of pins arranged in a plurality of parallel pin rows at a predetermined pin angle, wherein pins of immediately neighboring pin rows are arranged such that pin angles for the pins in a pin row are inversely symmetrical to pin angles for the pins in a neighboring pin row,
• (b) placing the substrate on the platform of the apparatus;
• (c) lowering the engagement head to a pickup position;
• (d) extending the pin sets of the engagement head to engage a surface of the substrate without damaging or deforming the substrate;
• (e) lifting the engaged substrate from the substrate platform;
• (f) lowering the engagement head with the engaged substrate to a release position;
• and
• (g) retracting the pin sets of the engagement head to release the substrate.

A process for applying a uniform coating of a coating liquid to a surface of a porous substrate, comprising:

• (a) providing an apparatus having a platform for placement of the porous substrate disposed in a coating vessel, said apparatus also having an engagement head including a sensor array and a plurality of extendable and retractable pins for engaging, retaining, and releasing the substrate evenly into the coating vessel, wherein the plurality of pins are arranged in a plurality of parallel pin rows at a predetermined pin angle, wherein pins of immediately neighboring pin rows are arranged such that pin angles for the pins in a pin row are inversely symmetrical to pin angles for the pins in a neighboring pin row;
• (b) placing the coating vessel containing the substrate on the platform of the apparatus;
• (c) extending the pins of the engagement head to engage a surface of the substrate;
• (d) lifting the engaged substrate out of the coating vessel;
• (e) verifying that the substrate is evenly engaged using the sensor array;
• (f) pouring the coating liquid into the empty coating vessel;
• (g) after the coating liquid has been poured into the coating vessel, lowering the evenly engaged substrate to a release position, and
• (h) retracting the pins of the engagement head to release the substrate evenly into the coating vessel thereby enabling uniform coating of a surface of the substrate.