Patent ID: 7037375

Claim:
A device for the direct or indirect application of liquid or viscous coating medium onto a moving application surface, in the direct application the application surface is a surface of a material web, in the indirect application the application surface is a surface of a transfer element, which transfers the coating medium to the surface of the material web, said application surface including a direction of travel, said device comprising: an applicator; and a weakening device located prior to said applicator as viewed in the direction of travel, said weakening device for weakening a boundary layer of air carried along by the application surface, said weakening device including: a blowing device located prior to said applicator as viewed in the direction of travel, said blowing device producing an air flow in an opposite direction to the direction of travel; and a suction device being located prior to said blowing device as viewed in the direction of travel, said suction device suctioning both at least a part of said air flow and at least a part of said boundary layer of air; and a conditioning device being located prior to said weakening device as viewed in the direction of travel, said conditioning device essentially removes a plurality of uppermost layers of said boundary layer of air.