Patent DE-102011118441-A1 (DE)
Title: Plant, useful for continuously treating flat substrates, comprises bath container, which is filled up to fluid level with liquid treatment medium, transport device, by which substrates are guided by guiding elements, and inflow elements
Inventor: HAUCHWITZ ENRICO
IPC: C23F1/08
Filed: 2011-11-12
Abstract: The plant comprises: a bath container (6), which is filled up to a fluid level (8) with a liquid treatment medium (10); a transport device, by which substrates (4) are guided by guiding elements and transported by the treatment medium in a horizontal transport plane in a feed direction in such a way that a treatment side of the substrates is immersed into the treatment medium; a circulation device, by which the treatment medium is circulated into the bath container, where the circulation device comprises a suction device, by which the treatment medium is withdrawn from the bath container. The plant comprises: a bath container (6), which is filled up to a fluid level (8) with a liquid treatment medium (10); a transport device, by which substrates (4) are guided by guiding elements and transported by the treatment medium in a horizontal transport plane in a feed direction in such a way that a treatment side of the substrates is immersed into the treatment medium; a circulation device, by which the treatment medium is circulated into the bath container, where the circulation device comprises a suction device, by which the treatment medium is withdrawn from the bath container and a delivery device, by which the treatment medium is again discharged into the bath container; and inflow elements that are arranged on an elevation level below the transport plane in the bath container. The delivery device of the circulation device comprises delivery nozzles that are arranged and adapted on the elevation level below the inflow elements in such a way that one of the delivery nozzles emits a main part of the treatment medium directed in a direction of the inflow elements. The delivery nozzles are arranged in an area, and form the inflow elements viewed from a light contour of the inflow elements, where a respective light contour is defined by the inflow elements, on which the respective delivery nozzle releases the treatment medium. The delivery device further comprises: nozzle bars with delivery apertures, where each delivery aperture forms a delivery nozzle; and single nozzles, which form the respective delivery nozzle. The nozzle bars are arranged: parallel to each other; to the feed direction of the substrates; vertical to the feed direction; and in a common horizontal plane. The single nozzles are fed individually or in groups from single nozzles circulating the treatment medium. A flow rate is adjusted to the circulated treatment medium, which is fed to the delivery device. The circulation device is arranged in such a way that: all delivery nozzles are fed to the circulated treatment medium with the same flow rate; and an individual flow rate of the treatment medium is fed to the individual delivery nozzles or groups from the delivery nozzles independently of the remaining delivery nozzles or independently of the remaining groups from the delivery nozzles. The inflow elements are formed by the guiding elements of the transport device and designed as transport rollers. An independent claim is included for a method for treating flat substrates.