US 6,764,805 B2 · Coating apparatus having a cascade wall and metering blade, and a cleaning and recirculation arrangement for the coating apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for applying at least one solution of a predetermined viscosity to photosensitive material. The apparatus includes at least an application roller that applies the coating solution onto the photosensitive material. The application roller partially extends into a solution tray of the coating apparatus and is partially submerged in solution in the solution tray. In an arrangement of the present invention, a cascade wall and metering blade are positioned within the solution tray so as to define a first section at which solution enters the tray, and a second section which receives solution that spills over from the first section and includes a port which leads coating solution back to a coating solution tank for recycling or leads cleaning solution to drain. The apparatus further includes a washing arrangement that washes the coating apparatus in an efficient manner. The washing arrangement includes a retractable scrubber bar arrangement that moves away from the application roller when the coating apparatus is in a coating mode of operation and is movable toward the application roller by way of brushes in a cleaning mode of operation. The apparatus and method further includes a recirculation system that alternatively supplies coating solution to the coating solution tray and cleaning solution to both the solution tray and washing arrangement.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A method of coating a photosensitive material with a coating solution, the method comprising the steps of:

locating an application roller at least partially within a solution tray of a coating apparatus, wherein a wall having a metering blade extending therefrom is provided in said tray, such that said metering blade extends to a surface of said application roller, and said wall and said metering blade are positioned in said tray so as to divide the tray into a first section and a second section which is separate from said first section and defines a spill-over basin;
supplying a coating solution to said first section of said solution tray such that said application roller is partially submerged in said coating solution;
metering the coating solution on said application roller with said metering blade, as said application roller is rotated while being at least partially submerged in said coating solution;
passing a photosensitive material through a nip between said application roller and a drive roller, said nip being downstream of said metering blade with respect to a direction of rotation of said application roller, such that the coating solution is applied to a surface of said photosensitive material as said photosensitive material passes through said nip;
and
catching coating solution from said first section which passes over said metering blade in said spill-over basin defined by the second section of said solution tray.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coating apparatus having a cascade wall and metering blade, and a cleaning and recirculation arrangement for the coating apparatus

Life of this patent

Coating apparatus having a cascade wall and metering blade, and a cleaning and recirculation arrangement for the coating apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims5