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US 7,022,207 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for peeling a thin film from a liner
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorDonald Ivan Hirsch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for peeling a thin film, typically 100 microns or less in thickness, from a liner by use of a rotatable peel rod supported in an air bearing. The air bearing comprises a support plate having arcuate surfaces which are substantially coaxial with a cylindrical film-bearing segment of the peel rod. Air openings in the arcuate surfaces conduct a flow of air into an air bearing gap between the arcuate surfaces and the peel rod.
Claims9
A method for removing a film from a liner comprising the steps of:
- passing a bilayer of a film and a liner over a rotatable peel rod supported in an air bearing such that said film contacts said peel rod;
- and
- peeling said film from said liner;
- wherein said peel rod comprises a film-bearing segment which is essentially cylindrical and has a center axis, and wherein said air bearing comprises a support plate having one or more arcuate surfaces which are substantially coaxial with said film-bearing segment of said peel rod, said support plate comprising one or more air openings in said arcuate surfaces for conducting a flow of air into an air bearing gap between said arcuate surfaces and said film-bearing seament of said peel rod;
- and
- wherein said air openings comprise a groove in said arcuate surfaces traversing substantially the entire length of said air bearing gap.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.