Electrolysis: processes – compositions used therein – and methods – Electrolytic coating – Involving measuring – analyzing – or testing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-27
2004-06-22
Nicolas, Wesley A. (Department: 1742)
Electrolysis: processes, compositions used therein, and methods
Electrolytic coating
Involving measuring, analyzing, or testing
C205S137000, C205S138000, C205S152000, C205S141000, C205S333000, C204S198000, C204S199000, C204S202000, C204S206000, C198S300000, C198S301000, C226S195000, C226S010000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752915
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for conveying a web (a elongated substrate) used as elements or parts with functional film formed thereon, which is wound up in coil form and handled in the apparatus. The present invention, specifically relates to a web conveying apparatus wherein when a web in coil form is unwound for film deposition and then rewound up in coil form, expansion or wrinkle does not occur at the web edges and the web is conveyed along its predetermined path without strain then wound up in coil form with edge alignment. The present invention also relates to a electrodeposition apparatus and a electrodeposition method using such a web conveying apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
When films are continuously stacked on metal sheet, for example, a steel sheet or a stainless steel sheet, as a substrate, on which solar cells can be formed, a commercially effective production of webs can be performed by making a web into a spool in coil or roll form, passing it through stack deposition process while unwinding the coil for delivery, and rewinding up the web in coil form. However, in order to implement such a mechanism, it is important that a web is conveyed in a stack deposition process without meandering and that wind-up misalignment does not occur in winding up. In particular, when the length of an unwound web is large, even very small convey deviation causes large misalignment at the wind-up portion. It is also difficult to correct a web where misalignment once occurred, in the case of a metal where elastic deformation range is very small.
A conveying system which the invention is directed to, and wherein web misalignment does not occur, is disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,125 (“Method for continuously producing tandem amorphous photovoltaic cells”, Energy Conversion Devices, Nov. 27, 1984). In this invention (refer to FIG. 9 in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,125), deviation of a web is detected by using a optical-based, light-blocking edge detector, and the output signal is fed back to a servomotor, and output of the servomotor is transmitted through a link mechanism to a wheel gear that is provided on one end face of a roller with being eccentric to the axis of the roller, so that the axis of the roller is tilted and tension applied to the web at one side of the roller is varied with respect to tension at the other side of the roller, so as to axially move the web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,951 (“Method provided for corrective lateral displacement of a longitudinally moving web held in a planar configuration”, Energy Conversion Devices, May 12, 1987) suggests to prevent warping or deformation of a web by using a magnet roller to prevent the web from rocking and eliminate deviation of the convey path.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-270710 (“meandering correction mechanism for web, Toppan Printing Co., LTD., laid opened to public on Oct. 19, 1993) discloses a mechanism wherein web meandering is corrected by varying the direction of a guide roll (the term “roller” in the invention has same meaning as “roll(s)” mentioned in above example for conventional art, and so forth.), or axially moving the roll. In fact, this invention intends to combine varying direction of the guide role and axially moving the roll, which effects easily coarse meandering correction but does not effect easily fine meandering correction, since when the amount of meandering is large, if direction of the guide roll is only changed, wrinkles may occur and meandering correction may not be possible.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-239508 (“controlling apparatus for web travel”, Shin-Oji Paper, laid opened to public on Aug. 30, 1994.) discloses a meandering correction mechanism wherein fixed roles and displacement rolls are combined. This invention intends that when correcting web meandering on the displacement rolls that turn back a web between fixed rolls, relative positioning between the displacement rolls are implemented by a press-contact force regulation mechanism.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-296317 (a metal strip conveying apparatus, made open to public by Nippon Steel on Nov. 10, 1998) describes a method to prevent zigzag movement with combination of a free loop, a pinch roller and a crown roll.
As a related art, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-197124 (a method to control zigzag movement of metal plates) discloses a system to form a catenary and judge zigzag amounts from difference in catenary level at the both ends so as to adjust the zigzag by tilting an axis of a roll. Forming catenaries positively is adopted often in order to adjust velocity in case of conveying metal plates and the like.
Incidentally, in case of forming functional film on a metal web, whether it is CVD method in a vacuum apparatus, a spattering method, a heat evaporation method, or an electrodeposition method being a wet system filming, the relationship with the opposite electrode requires rather serious care. In addition, from the point of view to prevent cut or contamination, etc., it is preferable to cause the filmed surface to avoid contact with a roller, etc. as much as possible. Moreover, it is advisable that sandwiching it with a pair of rollers as often conducted in a rotary press or a rolling apparatus is not adopted from the like point of view.
Thus, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,125, when to convey a web, adopted is such a technique to apply a constant tension between a delivery roller and a wind-up roller so that the object is conveyed with a supporting roller applied from a rear surface of the web (the opposite side of a filmed surface of the function film) in almost all cases. In the case where magnetic SUS, etc. is used as a web, it is also possible to convey in a suspended fashion assisted by a magnet roller as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,951. Accordingly, in general, it is not a common practice to form a catenary or “slack” positively as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-197124.
The present inventors have tried to produce an electrodeposition apparatus as shown in FIG.
2
and to form an oxide on the web of SUS430. A general configuration as well as operation of the actually produced electrodeposition apparatus is shown in FIG.
2
. Moreover, divided and enlarged views thereof are shown in
FIG. 3
to FIG.
9
.
FIG. 2
as well as
FIG. 3
to
FIG. 9
shares common names and reference numerals for respective portions.
Procedure to film or deposit an electrodeposited film onto the web in which the present apparatus was used will be described with reference to FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
to FIG.
9
.
The apparatus roughly breaks down to a wind-off apparatus
2012
to deliver a coiled web, a first electrodeposition vessel
2066
to cause the first electrodeposited film to be processed or deposited, a second electrodeposition vessel
2116
to cause the second electrodeposited film to be deposited or processed, a first circulating vessel
2120
to circulate-supply a heated electrodeposition bath to the first electrodeposition vessel, a second circulating vessel
2222
to circulate-supply a heated electrodeposition bath to the second electrodeposition vessel, a fist discharging vessel
2172
to temporarily store the bath when to discharge the electrodeposition bath in the first electrodeposition vessel, a second discharging vessel
2274
to temporarily store the bath when to discharge the electrodeposition bath in the second electrodeposition vessel, a filter circulation system to clean the bath by removing powder in the electrodeposition bath inside the first electrodeposition vessel (a pipe system linked to the first electrodeposition vessel filter circulation filter
2161
), a filter circulation system to clean the bath by removing powder in the electrodeposition bath inside the second electrodeposition vessel (a pipe system linked to the second electrodeposition vessel filter circulation filter
2263
), a pipe system to deliver compressed air for bath mixing respectively to the f
Arao Kozo
Miyamoto Yusuke
Sonoda Yuichi
Toyama Noboru
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