Patent ID: 8734909

Claim:
A die for extrusion coating an elongated substrate, said die comprising: a die block defining at least a portion of a pressurizable coating cavity, said die block further defining a coating supply channel for supplying a pressurized coating material to said coating cavity; a guide plug removably coupled to said die block and defining a substrate inlet for receiving said substrate and directing said substrate towards said coating cavity, wherein said substrate inlet includes an inner profile and an entrance profile, with said inner profile having a lateral cross-section of a different shape than a lateral cross-section of said entrance profile; and a die plate removably coupled to said die block and defining a substrate outlet for discharging said substrate from said die, said substrate outlet having a non-circular lateral cross-section substantially corresponding in shape to the shape of said inner profile, wherein said die is configured to maintain an elevated pressure of at least 25 pounds per square inch (psi) in said coating cavity when said pressurized coating is supplied to said coating channel and said substrate is received in said substrate inlet, said coating cavity, and said substrate outlet, wherein said guide plug includes an outer profile protrusion that extends forward from a front face of said guide plug, and wherein said outer profile protrusion of said guide plug is correspondingly-shaped with at least a portion of said die block, so as to form a substantially airtight seal when said guide plug is coupled with said die block.