Coating and curing apparatus and methods
AssigneeEnki Technology, Inc.
InventorsBrenor L. Brophy, Peter R. Gonsalves, Sina Maghsoodi, Thomas E. Colson, Yu S. Yang, Ze'ev R. Abrams
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Abstract
Disclosed is a coating apparatus including flow coating and roll-coating that may be used for uniform sol-gel coating of substrates such as glass, solar panels, windows or part of an electronic display. Also disclosed are methods for substrate preparation, flow coating and roll coating. Lastly, systems and methods for curing sol-gel coatings deposited onto the surface of glass substrates using high temperature air-knives, infrared emitters and direct heat applicators are disclosed.
Claims21
A solar panel glass coating and curing apparatus configured to coat sol-gel on solar panel glass, comprising:
- a combination roll coating and curing facility, comprising:
- a first conveyor system adapted to transport a flat substrate,
- at least one roll coating facility adapted to receive the flat substrate from the first conveyor system, the at least one roll coating facility comprising a doctor roller and an application roller;
- a second conveyor system adapted to receive the flat substrate from the at least one roll coating facility, wherein the second conveyor system is adapted to transport the flat substrate to at least one curing facility and wherein the substrate remains flat when it is transported by the first conveyor system and the second conveyor system;
- a source of a sol-gel coating for use in the combination roll coating and curing facility, the source comprising space for a reservoir of the sol-gel coating material between the doctor roller and the application roller of the at least one roll coating facility, the reservoir in fluid communication with the doctor roller and the application roller;
- a processor that controls a process parameter of the at least one roll coating facility;
- and
- at least one infrared emitter of the at least one curing facility, wherein the at least one infrared emitter is adapted to direct radiation to a portion of the flat substrate as it is transported through the at least one curing facility,
- wherein the at least one roll coating facility is adapted to coat the flat substrate with a continuous film of sol-gel coating material and wherein the at least one infrared emitter is adapted to cure the continuous sol-gel coating material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.