Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Material treated by electromagnetic energy – Ultraviolet energy
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2001-05-01
Doerrler, William (Department: 3744)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Material treated by electromagnetic energy
Ultraviolet energy
C034S278000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223453
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present is directed to an ultraviolet curing apparatus using an inert atmosphere chamber to exclude the presence or oxygen during the curing process.
The present invention is also directed to a removable nozzle cartridge with adjustable nozzles for delivery of inert gas, such as nitrogen, into a curing chamber.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to apply ultraviolet curable coating to various types of object and to expose the same to ultraviolet radiation to produce a cured coating with desirable properties. For some curing chemistries, the presence of oxygen tends to inhibit the curing process, and so for such chemistries the amount of oxygen must be controlled. A common way of accomplishing this is to provide a curing chamber in which a flow of nitrogen is used to display the oxygen so that an inert atmosphere is provided.
A curing chamber is a relatively large and expensive structure, costing in the order of $150,000. The inert gas is introduced into the chamber by a variety of nozzles which are typically permanently secured to the chamber framework. When an improvement occurs in the nozzle technology, a brand new curing chamber would have to be built to incorporate the improvement, making the existing one obsolete. There is, therefore, a need for a curing chamber where the nozzles are removably secured to the chamber structure so that when improvement occurs in the nozzle technology, the existing chamber can be retrofitted with the new nozzles.
Prior art curing chambers are typically built for specific applications, such as using a specific ultraviolet processor for curing a product traversing through the chamber at a specific speed. If the user desires to increase the curing speed to cure more products per given time, the existing curing chamber may not be adequate, since the nozzles built into the machine may not be adequate to maintain the required inert atmosphere at the higher speed. In this case, the user would either deliver increased amount of nitrogen into the chamber to compensate for the increased speed or invest in a new curing chamber, requiring additional investments and space. Increasing the amount of nitrogen delivered to the curing chamber to accommodate the new application is relatively expensive, since nitrogen is an expensive commodity. There is, therefore, a need for a curing chamber where the nozzles can be changed or adjusted without replacing the entire curing chamber to accommodate the user's new application, without increasing nitrogen consumption or purchasing a new curing chamber.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention provide a an inert gas curing chamber where the gas delivery system is removable so that the curing chamber can be used for different product runs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a gas delivery system to a curing chamber that is in cartridge form so that it can be easily removed or replaced as desired or different applications.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a gas delivery system for a curing chamber that provides a relatively uniform flow distribution across the path of the product being cured.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a gas delivery system for a curing chamber wherein the direction of gas flow coming from the system can be adjusted to accommodate increased product travel speed within the chamber without increasing gas consumption.
It is still further another object of the present invention to provide a gas delivery system for a curing chamber that is removable from the chamber so that adjustments to the system can be made outside of the chamber.
In summary, the present invention provides a curing apparatus comprising a curing chamber for accommodating a controlled atmosphere for a product being treated and an irradiator for providing radiation directed at the product. The curing chamber has spaced inlet and outlet openings for the product establishing a path of travel underneath the irradiator. First and second nozzle assemblies are disposed adjacent respective inlet and outlet openings for supplying inert gas into the chamber and maintaining an inert atmosphere within the chamber. The nozzle assemblies are removably secured to the chamber. A pre-chamber is provided in the nozzle assemblies to moderate the pressure distribution of the gas within the nozzle assemblies.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.
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Matheson Derek S.
Moulthrop Andrew G.
Doerrler William
Drake Malik N.
Fusion UV Systems Inc.
Shlesinger & Arkwright & Garvey LLP
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