US 7,842,332 B2Granted

Method for intermittently applying thin-film coatings

AssigneePanasonic Corporation

InventorsKazutaka Teramoto, Tetsuya Hayashi

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Abstract

A method for intermittently applying thin-film coatings is realized, by which a coating of extremely thin film reduced to 20 μm or less in thickness is deposited intermittently with high productivity and at the same time, the trailing coating edge of the thin film is formed in a highly accurate shape having good linearity. This is achieved as follows. A band-shaped substrate (1) traveling in one direction is kept looped over a stationary reference-roller (4) and a movable actuation roller (7), and is brought into contact with an application roller (19) which carries a coating agent (18) on its circumferential surface and rotates in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the substrate (1). The actuation roller (7) is moved to come into or out of contact with the substrate (1) with a predetermined timing. A tension roller (8) is also controllably moved to come into or out of contact with the substrate (1), following the actuation roller (7) coming into or out of contact with the substrate (1), so that the tension applied to the substrate (1) is kept constant all the time.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for intermittently applying thin-film coatings, comprising:

looping a band-shaped substrate (1, 35) on a backside thereof over a stationary reference roller (4) and an actuation roller (7), which are disposed oppositely in parallel to each other;
supporting a portion to be applied with a coating agent (18) in parallel to the reference roller and the movable actuation roller and allowing the portion to travel in one direction;
bringing an application roller (19) carrying a coating agent into contact with the substrate halfway between the reference roller and the actuation roller so that the coating agent is transferred and deposited onto the surface of the substrate to thereby deposit and form a coating of thin film;
moving the actuation roller with a predetermined timing to be retreated from the backside of the substrate to thereby separate the substrate from the application roller;
in synchronization with this, moving a tension roller (8) to be advanced towards the frontside of the substrate and thereby provide tension on the substrate;
after that, moving the actuation roller with a predetermined timing to be advanced towards the frontside of the substrate to bring the substrate into contact with the application roller;
in synchronization with this, moving the tension roller to be retreated from the backside of the substrate to reduce the tension exerted on the substrate and to form the thin film is formed on the surface of the substrate on an intermittent basis;
and
providing control such that, for the tension applied to the substrate to be kept constant all the time, the tension roller is moved to be retreated from the backside of the substrate and to be advanced towards the frontside thereof so as to follow the actuation roller being moved to be retreated from the backside of the substrate.

6 more elements

A method for intermittently applying thin-film coatings, the method comprising:

looping a band-shaped substrate (1, 35) on a backside thereof over a stationary reference roller (4) and a movable actuation roller (7), which are disposed oppositely in parallel to each other, and over a backup roller (5) which is disposed halfway between these two rollers;
supporting a portion to be applied with a coating agent (18) in parallel to the reference roller and the actuation roller;
allowing the backup roller to push the substrate at a predetermined contact pressure against an application roller disposed on the frontside of the substrate, to allow the substrate to travel in one direction;
transferring a coating agent carried on a circumferential surface of the application roller to the surface of the substrate to deposit and form a coating of thin film;
moving the actuation roller with a predetermined timing to be retreated from the backside of the substrate to thereby separate the substrate from the application roller;
in synchronization with this, moving a tension roller (8) to be advanced towards the frontside of the substrate and to thereby provide tension on the substrate, while the backup roller is moved to be retreated from the backside of the substrate and to thereby separate the substrate from the application roller;
and
after that, moving the actuation roller with a predetermined timing to be advanced towards the frontside of the substrate;
in synchronization with this, moving the tension roller to be retreated from the backside of the substrate to reduce the tension exerted on the substrate;
and moving the backup roller to advance the substrate towards the frontside thereof, allowing the substrate to be brought into contact with the application roller, thereby forming the thin film on the surface of the substrate on an intermittent basis.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/791,663Filed 25 Nov 2005
Priority: JP 2004-34169726 Nov 2004
Published: US 2009/0092742 A19 Apr 2009
Granted: 30 Nov 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B05C 1/165
Only at particular parts of the work: using a roller or other rotating member which contacts the work along a generating line
B05C 1/0826
Using a roller or other rotating member which contacts the work along a generating line: the work being a web or sheets
B05C 1/12
Using a roller or other rotating member which contacts the work along a generating line: the work being fed round the roller
B05D 1/28
Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials: performed by transfer from the surfaces of elements carrying the liquid or other fluent…