Back to results
US 5,683,510 AGranted
Coater with air collector
AssigneeBeloit Technologies, Inc.
InventorsAlfred C. Li, Rex A. Becker, James R. Burns
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Air entrained within the pond of a coating applicator is influenced toward a designated region for removal. The region is formed by a recessed air collector which sets up a high-recirculation, low-pressure zone within the pond. Entrained air bubbles migrate to the collector. The collected air and excess coating is drawn out of the collector cavity by a plurality of perforations which discharge to a collection cavity at a lower pressure or partial vacuum. The collector structure may be employed in various coater/size press configurations.
Claims19
A coater apparatus for applying coating material to a substrate carried on a rotatable backing roll, said apparatus comprising:
- a coater head housing disposed in close proximity to the backing roll such that the substrate guided by the backing roll moves between the backing roll and the coater head housing, wherein the coater head housing defines a pond which opens toward the substrate and which extends along the substrate in a cross-machine direction, and wherein the pond receives and retains coating material, and wherein the pond is connected to a pressurized source of coating material;
- portions of the coater head housing which define a baffle plate upstream of the pond, wherein the baffle plate has portions defining a lip spaced from the backing roll, and wherein excess coating material within the pond overflows the baffle plate lip to escape the pond;
- a wedge member which is fixed to the housing and which defines an application region between the wedge member and the substrate, wherein the wedge member has an application surface which more closely approaches the substrate as the wedge member extends downstream;
- portions of the wedge member which define an air collector recess which is depressed below the wedge member application surface;
- and
- a low pressure chamber which connects with the pond through perforations in the wedge member which extend through the air collector recess, wherein the coating flows over the air collector recess, setting up a recirculation region within the air collector recess which collects air entrained within the coating, and wherein air and excess coating are drawn out of the air collector recess to the low pressure chamber.
3 more elements
A coater for applying coating material to a substrate, the coater comprising:
- a rotatable backing roll which engages the substrate to be coated;
- a coater head housing positioned adjacent the substrate and the backing roll, wherein the housing defines a pond which opens toward the web and which extends along the web in a cross-machine direction, and wherein the coating is fed under pressure to the coater head housing and into the coating pond;
- a wedge member fixed to the coater head housing within the pond, wherein the wedge member extends toward the substrate to define a wedge-shaped application region of the pond, and wherein the wedge member has an application surface over which coating travels, and wherein coating is applied from the pond above the wedge member to the substrate;
- portions of the wedge member which define a recessed air collector recess which is depressed below the application surface;
- portions of the coater head housing which define a low pressure chamber;
- and
- portions of the application surface which define perforations in the air collector recess which connect between the air collector recess and the low pressure chamber, wherein entrained air and coating within the air collector recess flow through the air collector recess perforations into the low pressure chamber.
4 more elements
A short dwell coater apparatus for applying coating material to a substrate carried on a rotatable backing roll;
- said apparatus comprising:
- a coater head housing disposed in close proximity to the backing roll, wherein the substrate is guided by the backing roll, and wherein the coater head housing defines a pond chamber which opens toward the backing roll and which extends along the backing roll in a cross-machine direction, and wherein the pond receives and retains coating material, and wherein the pond is connected to a pressurized source of coating material;
- portions of the coater head housing which define a baffle plate upstream of the pond, wherein the baffle plate has portions defining a lip spaced from the backing roll, and wherein excess coating material within the pond overflows the baffle plate lip to escape the pond;
- a wedge member which is fixed to the housing and which defines an application region between the wedge member and the backing roll, wherein the member has an application surface which more closely approaches the backing roll as the wedge member extends downstream;
- portions of the wedge member which define an air collector recess which is depressed below the wedge member application surface;
- and
- a low pressure chamber which connects with the coating pond through perforations in the air collector recess, wherein coating flows over the air collector recess, setting up a recirculation region within the recess which collects air entrained within the coating, and wherein air and excess coating flow out of the air collector recess to the low pressure chamber.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.