Patent ID: 7690870

Claim:
A device ( 1 ) for transporting and supporting a flat, sheet-shaped article ( 9 ), said device comprising: at least one support wall ( 3 ) having a first side and an opposite second side, the first side of said support wall facing and supporting the article via a support fluid; plural feed openings ( 21 ) in said support wall, said feed openings configured to receive the support fluid so that the support fluid is directed to and supports the article ( 9 ); plural drain openings ( 23 ) in said support wall, said drain openings configured to drain the support fluid, each drain opening being assigned to a corresponding one of the feed openings ( 21 ); and a draining chamber ( 33 ) common to all drain openings ( 23 ) of said support wall and on the second side of said support wall, wherein a support force exerted by the support fluid in an edge area of the article ( 9 ) is equal to a support force exerted by the support fluid over a surface in a middle area of the article ( 9 ), wherein a drain line ( 35 ) proceeds from the draining chamber ( 33 ), wherein the drain line ( 35 ) is connected to a supply line ( 31 ) by way of a pressure increasing device ( 37 ), wherein the draining chamber ( 33 ), through which support fluid is drawn off, and a supply chamber ( 39 ) through which support fluid is supplied, are on the second side of the support wall ( 3 ) facing away from the space ( 8 ) between the article ( 9 ) and the support wall ( 3 ), wherein the draining chamber ( 33 ) extends over the entire surface of the second side of the support wall ( 3 ), wherein the pressure increasing device ( 37 ) is connected on an intake side to the draining chamber ( 33 ) and on a pressure side to the supply chamber ( 39 ), and wherein an inside cross section of each feed opening ( 21 ) is larger than the sum of the inside cross sections of the drain openings ( 23 ) assigned to the feed opening ( 21 ).