Patent ID: 6027567
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: B05C,H05K,Y10S

Abstract:
A flow coater for coating a surface of a plate member with coating liquid, said flow coater comprising: means defining a conveyance path extending substantially in a horizontal direction in order to convey the plate member; a coating liquid supplying head arranged above the conveyance path and extending parallel to a transverse direction of the conveyance path, said coating liquid supplying head containing a coating liquid which flows down curtainly onto the plate member while the plate member is conveyed along the conveyance path; a pipeline, a coating liquid supplying tank connected to said coating liquid supplying head through said pipeline; a pump for supplying the coating liquid accomodated in the coating liquid supplying tank to said coating liquid supplying head through said pipeline; a collection tray arranged below said coating liquid supplying head across the conveyance path so as to be parallel to the transverse direction of the conveyance path, said collection tray serving to collect the coating liquid which has flowed down from said coating liquid supplying head, and returning the coating liquid to the supplying tank through a discharge pipe; and a temperature controller for controlling the temperature of the coating liquid,wherein said collection tray has a bottom face, and said coil-shaped pipe constituting said heat exchanger unit is placed detachably on the bottom face of said collection tray, and the bottom face of said collection tray is tapered so as to slope down along a direction of flow of the coating liquid flowing in said collection tray;wherein said temperature controller includes:a supply source for supplying therefrom a temperature control medium, anda heat exchanger unit to which the temperature control medium is circulatively supplied from said supply source, said heat exchanger unit serving to carry out the heat exchange between the coating liquid and the temperature control medium;wherein said heat exchanger unit is arranged in said collection tray so as to directly contact the coating liquid which has flowed down curtainly from said coating liquid supplying head; andwherein said heat exchanger unit has a pipe which is wound into a coil-shaped structure along a coil axis, said coil axis extending along a longitudinal direction of said collection tray.