US 6,444,269 B1Granted

Apparatus and method for coating sheet or strip articles

AssigneeAlcan International Limited

InventorsRobert A. Innes, David G. Hallam

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A coating head, and coating apparatus and methods using the coating head, for applying a solvent free coating material to a strip article advancing longitudinally in a coating line. The head includes a die having a transverse slit through which the coating material is deposited on the strip surface and having a land portion with an extended land surface on the exit side of the slit, the die being supported for movement normal to the strip surface, and one or more air or hydraulic cylinders exerting a load on at least the land portion of the die to urge the land surface toward the strip, wherein the die is constituted of a main body and the land portion, and the land portion is so connected to the main die body as to be capable of flexing relative to the main die body in a direction normal to the strip surface but to resist flexing in the direction of strip advance in the coating line.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of continuously applying a layer of liquid coating material to a major surface of an elongated flexible strip article (10), including continuously longitudinally advancing an elongated flexible strip article (10) having a major surface to be coated along a path, supplying liquid coating material to an elongated, open-sided slit (34) with an entry side and an exit side defined in a die (28) of a coating head, said die including a land portion (60) at the exit side of the slit (34);

characterized by:
(a) providing an extended land surface (30a) at the exit side of slit (34);
(b) supporting the die (28) in facing relation to a major surface of a strip article (10) advancing in the path while permitting individual translational movement of the die (28) in a direction normal to the last-mentioned strip (10) major surface, said die (28) being positioned such that the slit (34) opens toward and extends transversely of the last-mentioned strip (10) major surface, such that said land surface (30a) is disposed facing the last-mentioned major surface of the advancing strip article (10) and converging toward the path in the direction of strip article advance, and such that the last-mentioned article (10) major surface drags a layer of coating material from the slit (34), the layer being thereby deposited on the last-mentioned article (10) major surface;
(c) continuously exerting a load on at least said land portion (60) of said die (28) such that the layer of coating material deposited on said last-mentioned article (10) major surface is pressed between said land surface (30a) and said last-mentioned article (10) major surface to maintain said layer at a predetermined constant thickness while said layer alone holds the head (20) entirely away from contact with the article (10) major surface;
(d) said die (28) including a main body defining at least the entry side of the slit (34), and said land portion (60) being so connected to said main body as to flex relative thereto in said normal direction as variations in an advancing strip article (10) pass the land surface, but to resist flexing in the direction of article advance in said path;
(e) said land portion being formed integrally with said main body;
and
(f) said load-exerting means exerting said load directly on the land portion.

5 more elements

A coating head for continuously coating a major surface of a strip article (10) while the article is advancing longitudinally along a defined path, said coating head (20) having a die (28) defining an elongated slit (34), with an entry side and an exit side, for depositing a layer of liquid coating material on a facing major surface of a strip article (10) advancing along the path, a land portion (60) at the slit exit side and means for supplying liquid coating material to the slit (34);

said coating head being characterized by:
(a) said land portion (60) having an extended land surface (30a) at the exit side of slit (34);
(b) means for supporting the die (28) with the slit (34) and land surface (30a) facing the path and the slit (34) extending transversely of the path such that during a coating operation a major surface of a strip article (10) advancing in the path past the slit (34) drags a layer of coating material from the slit, said supporting means permitting movement of the die (28) relative thereto in a direction normal to the path and to the slit (34);
(c) means for continuously exerting a load on at least the land portion (60) of the die during operation as aforesaid such that the layer of coating material deposited on the last-mentioned article (10) major surface is pressed between the land surface (30a) and the last-mentioned article (10) major surface to maintain the layer at a predetermined constant thickness while the layer alone holds the die (28) entirely away from contact with the last-mentioned article (10) major surface;
(d) said die (28) including a main body defining at least the entry side of the slit, and said land portion (60) being so connected to said main body as to be capable of flexing relative thereto in said normal direction but to resist flexing in the direction of article advance in said path;
(e) said land portion being formed integrally with said main body;
and
(f) said load-exerting means exerting said load directly on the land portion.

5 more elements

A coating line for continuously coating a major surface of a strip article (10) while the article is advancing longitudinally along a defined path, including means for defining a path and direction of continuous longitudinal advance of a strip article (10) having a major surface to be coated;

and a coating head (20) including a die (28) defining an elongated slit (34), with an entry side and an exit side, for depositing a layer of liquid coating material on a facing major surface of a strip article (10) advancing along the path, and having a land portion (60) at the slit exit side and means for supplying liquid coating material to the slit;
characterized by:
(a) said land portion (60) having an extended land surface (30a) at the exit side of slit (34);
(b) means for supporting the die (28) with the slit (34) and land surface (30a) facing the path and the slit (34) extending transversely of the path such that during coating operation a major surface of a strip article (10) advancing in the path past the slit (34) drags a layer of coating material from the slit, said supporting means permitting movement of the die (28) relative thereto in a direction normal to the path and to the slit (34);
(c) means for continuously exerting a load on at least the land portion (60) of the die during operation as aforesaid such that the layer of coating material deposited on the last-mentioned article (10) major surface is pressed between the land surface (30a) and the last-mentioned article (10) major surface to maintain the layer at a predetermined constant thickness while the layer alone holds the die (28) entirely away from contact with the last-mentioned article (10) major surface;
(d) said die (28) including a main body defining at least the entry side of the slit, and said land portion (60) being so connected to said main body as to be capable of flexing relative thereto in said normal direction but to resist flexing in the direction of article advance in said path;
(e) said land portion being formed integrally with said main body;
and
(f) said load-exerting means exerting said load directly on the land portion.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/446,564Filed 8 May 2000 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Jun 1997
Granted: 3 Sep 2002
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

B05C 5/0295
The liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g. from an outlet device in contact or almost in…:…
B05C 5/0254
The liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g. from an outlet device in contact or almost in…:…
B05C 9/04
Apparatus or plant for applying liquid or other fluent material to surfaces by means not covered by any preceding group, or in which the means…
B05C 5/0262
Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet: adjustable in width, i.e. having lips movable relative to each other in order to modify the slot width,…