Recirculating powder applicator

• US 10,427,177 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Corning Optical Communications LLC (Corning Incorporated)
• Inventors: Blazer, Bradley Jerome, Conrad, Craig Miller, Li, Ming, McAlpine, Warren Welborn
• Primary Examiner(s): Arbes, Carl J
• Application Number:
  US15/338,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20170297044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 14/48 specially adapted for particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/40 Construction elements specially adapted therefor, e.g. floors, walls or ceilings ceiling elements filtering inflow of air into the booth B05B16/60; walls specially adapted for promoting separation of excess material B05B14/44
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/90 comprising conveying means for moving objects or other work to be sprayed in and out of the booth, e.g. through the booth
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1468 the means for supplying particulate material comprising a recirculation loop
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/021 Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the surface of an elongated body, e.g. a wire, a tube
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 19/04 the particulate material being projected, poured or allowed to flow onto the surface of the work B05C19/02 takes precedence; involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B B05C19/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/12 Applying particulate materials B05D1/06, B05D1/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 23/30 on continuously-operating extrusion presses
• CPC Class Codes: D06B 1/16 the treating material being supplied from inside the roller
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 7/14 for coating or wrapping ropes, cables, or component strands thereof applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces in general B05; wrapping elongated cores in general B65H81/06
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/44384 the means comprising water blocking or hydrophobic materials G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4486 Protective covering
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 13/14 by extrusion extrusion in general B29C48/00

Abstract

A recirculating powder applicator includes an applicator body having an inlet on an upstream surface and an outlet on a downstream surface, wherein the inlet and outlet define a passage that extends transversely through the thickness of the applicator body, a powder conduit, an air inlet, an exhaust aperture located on one of the upstream or downstream surfaces, and a circulation chamber located on the interior of the applicator body. The powder conduit and air inlet are in fluid communication with the passage and the passage is in fluid communication with the circulation chamber. A method of applying powder to a substrate during a continuous process includes using a recirculating powder applicator.

Claims

1. A recirculating powder applicator, comprising:

an applicator body including an inlet on an upstream surface and an outlet on a downstream surface, wherein the inlet and the outlet define a passage that extends transversely through the thickness of the applicator body;

a powder conduit;

an air inlet;

an exhaust aperture located on one of the upstream or downstream surfaces; and

a circulation chamber located on the interior of the applicator body, wherein the circulation chamber has a curved outer wall with an interior radius of curvature that decreases along the length of the wall;

wherein the powder conduit and the air inlet are in fluid communication with the passage and wherein the passage is in fluid communication with the circulation chamber.

2. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 1, wherein the circulation chamber includes a depression that is toroidal in shape around the exhaust aperture such that the exhaust aperture extends into the circulation chamber.

3. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inlet and the outlet includes an air nozzle.

4. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 1, wherein at least one of the inlet and the outlet has a tapered interior surface.

5. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 4, wherein the tapered interior surface is tapered at an angle of between 1 and 10°

.

6. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 5, wherein the tapered interior surface is tapered at an angle of about 4°

.

7. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 1, wherein the applicator body is further comprised of an upstream plate and a downstream plate that are reversibly joinable.

8. The recirculating powder applicator of claim 7, wherein the circulation chamber is machined into only one of the upstream and the downstream plates and wherein the other of the upstream and the downstream plates has a substantially flat interior surface.