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US 8,939,445 B2Granted
Vacuum roll with internal rotary valve
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsAdam Nicholas Schoultz, Steven Todd Moore, Joseph John Sina, Charles Robert Sample, Gerald Keith Sosalla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum roll includes an inner rotor, an intermediate stator, and an outer shell roll. The inner rotor has open and closed portions and is adapted to rotate within the intermediate stator which is rotationally fixed and also has open and closed portions. The outer shell roll has open and closed portions and is adapted to move around the intermediate stator. Together the inner rotor and the intermediate stator define an internal rotary valve interface adapted to control fluid communication between the interior chamber and the outer shell.
Claims17
A vacuum roll comprising,
- an inner rotor, an intermediate stator, and an outer shell roll, wherein
- the inner rotor is adapted to rotate around a first axis and defines an interior chamber, an open portion, and a closed portion, in a circumferential direction,
- the intermediate stator is rotationally fixed and has a second axis and surrounds the inner rotor, the intermediate stator defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction,
- the outer shell roll is adapted to move about a third axis and surrounds the intermediate stator, the outer shell roll defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction, and
- together the inner rotor and the intermediate stator define an internal rotary valve interface adapted to control fluid communication between the interior chamber and the outer shell roll.
2 more elements
A method for creating a circumferential vacuum profile in a vacuum roll comprising,
- providing a vacuum roll having an inner rotor, an intermediate stator, and an outer shell roll, wherein,
- the inner rotor is adapted to rotate about a first axis, defines an interior chamber and also defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction,
- the intermediate stator is rotationally fixed and has a second axis, surrounds the inner rotor, and defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction, and
- the outer shell roll is adapted to move about a third axis, surrounds the intermediate stator, and defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction;
- applying vacuum to the interior chamber;
- communicating vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by moving the outer shell roll around the intermediate stator to at least partially align the open portion of the outer shell roll with the open portion of the intermediate stator while also rotating the inner rotor within the intermediate stator to at least partially align the open portion of the inner rotor with the open portion of the intermediate stator,
- blocking vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by rotating the inner rotor within the intermediate stator to completely align the closed portion of the inner rotor with the open portion of the intermediate stator or rotating the outer shell roll around the intermediate stator to completely align the open portion of the outer shell roll with the closed portion of the intermediate stator.
4 more elements
A method for creating a circumferential vacuum profile in a vacuum roll comprising,
- providing a vacuum roll having an inner rotor, an intermediate stator, and an outer shell roll, wherein,
- the inner rotor rotates about a common axis, defines an interior chamber and also defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction,
- the intermediate stator is rotationally fixed about the common axis, surrounds the inner rotor, and defines a first open portion, a second open portion, and a closed portion in the circumferential direction, and
- the outer shell roll rotates about the common axis, surrounds the intermediate stator, and defines an open portion and a closed portion in the circumferential direction;
- applying vacuum to the interior chamber;
- communicating vacuum from the interior chamber to the first open portion of the intermediate stator by rotating the inner rotor within the intermediate stator to at least partially align the open portion of the inner rotor with the first open portion of the intermediate stator to define a first valve ON condition;
- blocking vacuum from the interior chamber to the first open portion of the intermediate stator by rotating the inner rotor within the intermediate stator to completely align the closed portion of the inner rotor with the first open portion of the intermediate stator to define a first valve OFF condition;
- communicating vacuum from the interior chamber to the second open portion of the intermediate stator by rotating the inner rotor within the intermediate stator to at least partially align the open portion of the inner rotor with the second open portion of the intermediate stator to define a second valve ON condition;
- blocking vacuum from the interior chamber to the second open portion of the intermediate stator by rotating the inner rotor within the intermediate stator to completely align the closed portion of the inner rotor with the second open portion of the intermediate stator to define a second valve OFF condition;
- blocking vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by completely aligning the open portion of the outer shell roll with the closed portion of the intermediate stator to define a first shell position;
- communicating vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by moving the outer shell roll around the intermediate stator in a first direction to at least partially align the open portion of the outer shell roll with the first open portion of the intermediate stator to define a second shell position while in the first valve ON condition;
- communicating vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by moving the outer shell roll around the intermediate stator in the first direction to at least partially align the open portion of the outer shell roll with the second open portion of the intermediate stator to define a third shell position while in the second valve ON condition;
- communicating vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by moving the outer shell roll around the intermediate stator in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to the third shell position while in the second valve ON condition;
- blocking vacuum from the interior chamber to the open portion of the outer shell roll by moving the outer shell roll around the intermediate stator in the second direction to the second shell position while in the first valve OFF condition.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.