US 2020/0408464 A1 · APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DRYING A SHEET OF MATERIAL

Abstract

An air knife for discharging a stream of gas onto a sheet of material. The air knife includes a main body including an inlet portion and an outlet portion, and a plurality of inlet ports. The inlet portion defines a plenum. The outlet portion defines an exit orifice in fluid communication with the plenum. The inlet ports project from the inlet portion and each inlet port comprises a passageway in fluid communication with the plenum. In some embodiments, the inlet ports project from a rear, or trailing, wall of the main body. In other embodiments, the outlet portion terminates at an exit face in which the exit orifice is formed, with a tip region of the outlet portion forming a taper angle of not more than 90 degrees in extension to the exit face.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of drying a moving sheet of material, comprising:

conveying the sheet of material adjacent an air knife in a conveyance direction;
supplying the air knife with a drying gas, the drying gas exiting an exhaust slot of the air knife in a direction toward the sheet of material, the exhaust slot comprising a length;
and
wherein a pressure drop between an inlet to the air knife and the exhaust slot of the air knife is less than 90.6 kPa and a velocity of the drying gas exiting the air knife over the length of the exhaust slot does not vary over the length of the exhaust slot by more than 1% from an average velocity of the drying gas exiting the exhaust slot.

1 more element

An apparatus for drying a sheet of material, the apparatus comprising:

a conveyance device establishing a path of travel for the sheet of material;
a supply of gas;
and
an air knife comprising:
a main body comprising:
an inlet portion defining a plenum,
an outlet portion defining an exit orifice in fluid communication with the plenum, and
a plurality of inlet ports projecting from the inlet portion, each inlet port of the plurality of inlet ports defining a passageway in fluid communication with the plenum;
wherein the plurality of inlet ports are in fluid communication with the supply of gas;
and
wherein the exit orifice is arranged adjacent the path of travel to discharge a stream of gas received from the supply of gas onto a surface of the sheet of material conveyed by the conveyance device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and methods for drying a sheet of material

Life of this patent

Apparatus and methods for drying a sheet of material

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25