Coating apparatus – Projection or spray type – Plural projectors
Utility Patent
1997-10-30
2001-01-02
Edwards, Laura (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Projection or spray type
Plural projectors
C118S316000, C118S325000, C134S06400P
Utility Patent
active
06168663
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to equipment for handling, processing and cleaning thin panels, including highly flexible sheet members.
In the art of conveyorized fluidic processing of extremely thin articles, such as flexible electronic circuits, it is desirable not only to have a machine that both transports the thin articles from conveyor roller to conveyor roller with minimal damage and delivers fluid efficiently and effectively to its surface(s), but also to have such a machine whose parts are easily disassembled for maintenance purposes. This fluidic processing includes, among others, circuit feature etching, photo resist image developing, surface treatments and depositions, rinsing and drying.
When the fluid process incorporates delivering the fluid in streams as a sprayed liquid or ducted air over and/or under a conveyorized roller system with the axes of the rollers transverse the direction of desired article travel, it is necessary to mechanically support the thin articles from below and also often from above while attempting to minimize the interference such support tends to impart on the fluid streams. Without sufficient mechanical support, thin articles tend to buckle, wrinkle and/or jam in the conveyor system, causing unwanted machine downtime and loss of product. Towards such minimized interference, narrow rods with wheels are used for mechanical support, rather than solid cylindrical rollers, the spaces between the wheels being intended to allow for more free travel of the sprayed liquid to reach the surface of the article. Often an opposing set of upper rods and wheels are used to keep the articles from lifting and/or buckling.
To minimize downtime during maintenance, both rollers and wheeled rods along with fluid delivery devices, have been designed so as to be able to be disengaged and removed easily and individually from the conveyor system. However, in the case of systems for thin articles, to effectively “hand-off” the article from roller to roller so that gravity or the force of the impinging fluid does not cause the thin article to lift or dive between rollers, multiple clip-on guides which attach to conveyor rods or wires are used for mechanical support. The surface of these guides or wires which are nearest to the desired path of article travel approximately form (a) plane(s) above or below the article, above (between) which the article is directed to travel. A disadvantage of such guides or wires is that they tend to interfere with the spray streams, however, and detract from uniformity of processing. Another disadvantage is that such guides or wires need to be individually removed before free access to the wheeled rods can be obtained, such removal being exceptionally tedious where many guides or wires are used. A design that overcomes this impediment to speedy maintenance removal of wheeled rods is to have the wheels of a larger diameter than the center spacing between adjacent rods, or in other words, overlapping wheels. These wheels are effective at guiding the articles and allow for easy removal and installation for maintenance purposes, but still interfere with the delivery of fluid to the article surface.
Thus there is a need for apparatus that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY
The present invention meets this need by providing an apparatus having a plenum for delivering fluid through one or more orifices or a sieve that is aligned transverse to an article transport path. Wings extend upstream and/or downstream of the plenum and integrate with wheeled rod(s) immediately adjacent thereto. In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a platen member located proximate the feed path, parallel thereto; at least one fluid port formed in the platen member for receiving a pressurized fluid and directing the fluid toward the feed path in a transversely elongated ejecting strip of fluid; a first roller shaft rotatably supported transversely to the feed path and having a spaced plurality of rollers thereon for contacting the panel upstream of the fluid port; a second roller shaft rotatably supported transversely to the feed path and having one or more rollers thereon for contacting the panel downstream of the fluid port; means for driving the first and second roller shafts for advancing the panel proximate the platen member; and the platen member having first wing portions extending between adjacent rollers of the first roller shaft for stripping the panel from the rollers of the first roller shaft, the ejecting strip of fluid making unimpeded contact along the full transverse width of the panel as the panel is advanced.
The platen member can define a main platen surface extending in close proximity to the feed path, end extremities of the first wing portions defining spaced segments of a first transition surface that extends between the rollers of the first roller shaft not closer to the feed path than the nip of the rollers of the first roller shaft, the first transition surface smoothly joining the main platen surface for facilitating passage of the sheet member over the platen member. The platen member can further include second wing portions extending between adjacent rollers of the second roller shaft. End extremities of the second wing portions can define spaced segments of a second transition surface that extends between the rollers of the second roller shaft not closer to the feed path than the nip of the rollers of the second roller shaft for facilitating passage of the sheet member onto the rollers of the second roller shaft. The main platen surface can be substantially planar and horizontal.
An exit extremity of the fluid port can be elongated in a direction transverse to the feed path. Preferably the apparatus has a linear array of closely spaced fluid ports for producing the elongated ejecting strip of fluid. The apparatus can further include a transversely elongate chamber member fixedly connected to the platen member for defining a fluid chamber, the fluid ports being fluid-connected to the chamber. The chamber member can be integrally formed with the platen member. The apparatus can further include a pair of releasable mounts, each of the releasable mounts being fixably connected proximate a respective end extremity of the chamber member for releasably supporting the platen member and the chamber member relative to the feed path. The fluid ports can extend substantially a full width of the feed path.
The apparatus can further include a third roller shaft rotatably supported transversely to the feed path and rotationally coupled to the means for driving, the third roller shaft having a spaced plurality of rollers thereon for contacting the panel upstream of the rollers of the first roller shaft, the rollers of the third roller shaft being located in offset overlapping relation to the rollers of the first roller shaft. The apparatus can further include a fourth roller shaft rotatably supported transversely to the feed path and rotationally coupled to the means for driving, the fourth roller shaft having a spaced plurality of rollers thereon for contacting the panel downstream of the rollers of the second roller shaft, the rollers of the fourth roller shaft being located in offset overlapping relation to the rollers of the second roller shaft.
The means for driving can include a powered drive shaft rotatably supported and oriented parallel to the feed path, the drive shaft being coupled in geared relation to each of the roller shafts. The apparatus can further include at least one auxiliary roller shaft rotatably supported transverse to the feed path and having a plurality of rollers thereon for contacting the panel on a side thereof opposite the first and second roller shafts.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus for guiding and processing a flexible panel in a feed path in association with a first and second roller shafts, each roller shaft having a spaced plurality of rollers thereon for contacting and advancing the panel, includes the platen member defining a main platen surface; mean
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld L.L.P.
Edwards Laura
McDonald Eamon P.
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