Patent Publication Number: US-6699326-B2

Title: Applicator

Description:
The present application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Serial No. 60/234,618, filed Sep. 22, 2000, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to applicator and to coaters of the type used to deposit a layer or layers of liquid onto an object such as a web or a sheet. 
     Various types of applicators are known in the art and are used to deposit layers of liquid onto objects. One type of applicator is known as a slot applicator and is used to deposit a thin layer of liquid over a wide area. Examples of such applicators are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,289, entitled “APPLICATOR”, which issued Dec. 22, 1998 to Sony Corporation and U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,791, entitled “METHOD OF MULTIPLE COATING” which issued Sep. 4, 1956. These types of applicators are used to deposit layers of coatings in the production of magnetic tapes, adhesive tapes, photographic materials and paper, for example. 
     Typically, prior art slot applicators must be specially designed for the type of liquid which they will dispense and the particular relationship between the applicator and the substrate. Thus, it is frequently not possible to use a single applicator for more than one particular application. Applicators tend to be limited to a particular liquid and a particular substrate configuration. This also makes maintaining, reconfiguring or replacing applicators difficult, time consuming and expensive. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An applicator includes a slot and a reservoir which extends from the slot and has a shape which generally conforms to the slot. The reservoir is configured to contain a liquid therein. A piston which conforms to the reservoir is configured to move in the reservoir to thereby urge the liquid in the reservoir toward the slot. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a applicator (slide die configuration) in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan cross-sectional view of the applicator (slide die configuration) of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are exploded perspective views showing a multiple slot applicator configuration of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing the multiple slot applicator of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a side view showing two spaced apart applicators. 
     FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an applicator (slide die) including a vacuum to assist in initial liquid application. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In various aspects, the present invention provides a slot applicator configuration which can be used for more than one particular type of liquid or substrate. The applicator of the present invention can be stacked in order to apply more than one layers of liquid. The invention includes the use of the applicator in a coating apparatus. 
     One aspect of the present invention includes the recognition that typical prior art slot applicators did not provide a universal solution, or even a general solution, whereby one applicator could be used for dispensing more than one type of liquid or in more than one type of configuration with a particular substrate. In attempting to design such a universal applicator, I realized that a major source of variations and design constraints was the reservoir which is used in typical prior art applicators. In such a configuration, the liquid is loaded into the reservoir and then forced out of the reservoir, at a relatively high pressure, through a conduit and toward the slot. The high pressure and physical configuration of the reservoir and narrow channel called a slot put stress on the liquid. Further, with such a configuration it is difficult to ensure uniform distribution of the fluid across the width of the slot. The configuration of these elements was therefore particularly dependent upon physical properties of the liquid being dispensed. Typically, a design optimized for one type of liquid would not then be optimized for another type of liquid. 
     Based upon this recognition, the present invention includes a slot applicator which does not require a reservoir. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view and FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a slide applicator  10  in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention. Slot applicator  10  includes a slot  12  which is formed by a top side  14  and a bottom side  16  with side walls  18  which extend therebetween. The top side  14  and bottom side  16  and slot  12  extend in a transverse direction having a width W. A reservoir  20  is configured to contain a liquid and has a shape which generally conforms to the shape of the slot  12 . The reservoir  20  includes top and bottom walls  22  and  24  which are sealed by side walls  26  and  28 . The piston  30  forms a seal against walls  22 ,  24 ,  26  and  28 . A piston  30  fits in the reservoir and is configured to urge the liquid from the reservoir out through the slot  12 . The leading edge of the piston  30  forms a seal  32  which provides a seal against walls  14  and  18  and side shims  36 . 
     FIG. 1 also shows push rods  40  which are received in tracks  42  seen in bottom wall  22 . Push rods  40  are coupled to an actuator  44  which can comprise, for example, a screw drive  46  driven by motor  47 . The reservoir  20  is completed with a rear wall  50 . A rear shim  52  is positioned adjacent rear wall  50 . In the example embodiment found in FIG. 1, sides  14  and  16  have an angled surface, however, any appropriate configuration can be used. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the angle formed at the leading edge of piston  30  by seal  32 . Although other configurations can be used, an angled configuration reduces the likelihood that air will be trapped in the reservoir  20 . The liquid is delivered through an orifice  60  which is carried in the wall  22 . As the liquid is dispensed from orifice  60 , it progresses through the stages indicated by liquid fronts  62 . The angle of leading edge seal  32  urges the liquid in a continuous forward direction which reduces the likelihood that air is trapped behind the liquid front. Additionally, if the reservoir  20  is angled such that the slot  12  is at a higher position than the orifice  60 , the air will tend to rise from the reservoir  20  and exit the reservoir  20  through slot  12 . 
     Referring back to FIG. 1, applicator guides  70  are provided on both sides of slot  12 . Applicator guides  70  are used to keep liquid on the angled surface (slide surface) of the slide die. When designed for the purpose of maintaining applicator substrate distance they can also serve this purpose. The guides  70  can be simple shims that have a desired size to provide the appropriate distance or angle between the slot  12  and the substrate or, in more complex embodiments, guides  70  can comprise wheels or other types of bearings to provide reduced friction. Guides  70  can be easily interchanged when a different separation distance is required, for example, if a different liquid is being dispensed or a different substrate is being used. The guides  70  are an economical way to provide a mechanism to follow the topography and contours of the substrate without requiring a separate control mechanism. 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B are exploded perspective views of an applicator  100  having multiple slots for dispensing a liquid. In the embodiment of FIGS. 3A and 3B, only two individual applicators,  10 A and  10 B are illustrated. However, any number of such applicators can be stacked as desired. In FIG. 3, letters have been added to the numerals used to identify elements in FIG. 1 such that similar numerals can be used for similar elements. Note that in FIG. 3 a single piece can be used which functions as both a bottom side  22 A for applicator  10 A and as a top side  24 B or applicator  10 B. Note that with the invention elements do not need to be shared in this manner. FIG. 3 also illustrates opposed tapers to top side  14 A and bottom side  16 B such that the two slots of applicator  100  come to a point. This configuration is known as a slot die. FIG. 3B illustrates removably replaceable lips  14 A and  16 B. 
     FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of applicator  100  shown in the process of applying a film of liquid to a substrate  108 . Substrate  108  is carried on a backing plate and moved in the direction indicated by arrow  112 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, guide  70  is illustrated as a wheel or roller which is used to maintain the distance between the applicator  100  and substrate  108 . This distance can be adjusted by changing the diameter of the wheel or by altering the position of its axis. The distance can also be maintained by installing the applicator on a positioning mechanism. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a coating device  130  which uses multiple dies,  100 A and  100 B. A web  132  is carried on some type of movement device such as roller  134 . Applicators  100 A and  100 B deposit patches  136  of multi-layer liquid onto web  132 . During operation, dies  100 A and  100 B are used alternately such that when one of the dies is emptied, the die can be filled through orifice  60 A, B while the other die is used to deposit patch or patches  136 . In FIG. 5, pistons inside the die  100 A moved forward by rods  30 A,  30 B are urging liquid out to form patches  136  while die  100 B is filled. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an applicator slide coating die  200  in accordance with another aspect of the present invention. Applicator  200  is shown as being configured to deposit a layer of liquid onto web  132  carried on roller  134 . A vacuum pump  202  generates an air flow  204  between slide surface and shield  206 . Shield  206  includes a partial opening  208  such that the vacuum from vacuum pump  202  draws a layer of liquid from applicators  10 A,  10 B and  10 C which is then deposited onto web  132  through opening  208 . In an alternative configuration, a vacuum is applied behind the web  132  through a roller or belt which has perforations. In this configuration the vacuum is drawn through the web such that the liquid is drawn from the applicators. Note that FIG. 6 is an illustration of a applicator die having three separate applicators for depositing three layers of liquid. Upstream vacuum box  230  can be used to draw the liquid from the applicator to provide increased coating spreads. The vacuum box  230  can be used with or without the shield  206  and vacuum pump  202 . 
     The applicator coating die of the present invention can be constructed from relatively thin material plates because the liquid pressure inside the applicator is small. Because the applicator plates are thin it is possible to build a slot coating die which has multiple, stacked applicators for providing multiple layers of liquid for simultaneous coating. Further, prior art applicators require additional spacing for the liquid distribution cavity and, in some instances, a secondary distribution chamber limiting the amount of coated layers to usually 3-4 for slot coating. The use of applicators can be staggered such that one applicator can be filling while another applicator is dispensing liquid. In one embodiment, the applicator is tilted at a small angle such that air is not trapped during the filling process. In another aspect, the lips which form the slot are removable and replaceable such that lips having differing geometric shapes can be easily interchanged. Flow restricting elements can be built into the lips in the form of teeth or grooves such that liquid stripes are extruded from the applicator. This also allows for the orientation of particles of the coating liquid. Air flow between slide die surface and a shield, generated by a vacuum pump, for example, can be used to initialize the coating process. The substrate can be carried on a wheel or flexible belt. Additionally, the substrate can be attached to a rigid substrate such as a glass plate. The rigid substrate is then moved past the applicator. 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention can be used with other types of applicators and is not limited to slot die configuration illustrated herein, such as slide and curtain dies, and the figures can be considered as illustrations of such.