Method and apparatus for coating substrates using an air knife
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorWilliam K. Leonard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The method of coating a substrate with plurality of layers of coatings includes moving the substrate along a path through the coating station. A composite layer is formed of first and second coating fluids. The substrate contacts the flowing composite layer to interpose the first coating fluid between the substrate and the second coating fluid. The composite layer is doctored with a gas from a gas knife to remove some portion of the composite layer from the substrate.
Claims24
A method of coating a substrate with plurality of layers of coatings comprising the steps of:
- moving the substrate along a path through a coating station;
- metering at least one first coating fluid and a second coating fluid, wherein the first coating fluid formulation differs from the second coating fluid formulation;
- forming a composite layer comprising the at least one first coating fluid and the second coating fluid;
- contacting the substrate with the flowing composite layer to interpose the first coating fluid between the substrate and the second coating fluid to apply an excess of the second coating layer on the substrate;
- and
- doctoring the composite layer with a gas from a gas knife to remove some portion of the second coating layer from the substrate to produce a multiple layer composite coating on the substrate downweb of the gas knife to leave a coating comprising a plurality of distinct, superposed layers of the first and second coating fluids.
A method of coating a substrate with plurality of layers of coatings comprising the steps of:
- moving the substrate along a path through a coating station;
- metering at least one first coating fluid and a second coating fluid, wherein the first coating fluid formulation differs from the second coating fluid formulation;
- forming a composite layer comprising the at least one first coating fluid and the second coating fluid;
- contacting a transfer surface with the flowing composite layer to interpose the second coating fluid between the transfer surface and the first coating fluid;
- transferring some portion of the coating fluid to the substrate from the transfer surface to interpose the first coating fluid between the substrate and the second coating fluid to apply an excess of the second coating layer on the substrate;
- and
- doctoring the composite layer with a gas from a gas knife to remove some portion of the second coating layer from the substrate to produce a multiple layer composite coating on the substrate downweb of the gas knife to leave a coating comprising a plurality of distinct, superposed layers of the first and second coating fluids.
An apparatus for coating a substrate with plurality of layers of coatings comprising:
- means for bringing together a first coating fluid and a second coating fluid to create a metered plurality of flowing layers of fluid in face-to-face contact with each other to form a composite layer, wherein the first coating fluid formulation differs from the second coating fluid formulation;
- means for moving the substrate at a spaced distance from the means for bringing together to permit the composite layer to form a continuous flowing fluid bridge to the substrate for the coating width and to deposit the coating layer on the substrate to interpose the first coating fluid between the substrate and the second coating fluid to apply an excess of the second coating layer on the substrate;
- and
- a gas knife which doctors the composite layer with a gas to remove some portion of the second coating layer from the substrate and to produce a multiple layer composite coating on the substrate downweb of the gas knife to leave a coating comprising a plurality of distinct, superposed layers of the first and second coating fluids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.