Fluid Replacement System
First Claim
1. An apparatus for treating a travelling porous web of material in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere comprising a process chamber (1) through which a moving web of porous material (2) is transported from an inlet at a first end of said process chamber (1) to an outlet at a second end of said process chamber (1) and a means for introducing and controlling required gas intended to provide said the predetermined gaseous atmosphere within said process chamber (1), wherein said inlet and outlet each comprise a sealing means (4a,4b) designed to enable passage of the web of porous material (2) therethrough whilst minimising the ingress of an external gas boundary layer around the web of porous material (2), characterised in that said apparatus also comprises(i) at least one intermediate chamber (10) upstream of said process chamber (1) which intermediate chamber (10) comprises a purging means (11) for purging the web of porous material (2) with required gas prior to entry into said process chamber (1) to replace fluid trapped in the web of porous material (2) upon entry into said intermediate chamber (10) with required gas prior to entry of the web of porous material (2) into said process chamber (1), and a gas removing means (12) for extracting the fluids purged out of the web of porous material (2);
- and/or(ii) at least one post-process chamber (18) downstream of said process chamber (1) which post-process chamber (18) comprises a purging means (19a) for purging the web of porous material (2) with a gas subsequent to passage through said process chamber (1) to replace required gas trapped in the web of porous material (2) upon entry into said post-process chamber (18) with the gas, and a gas removing means (19b) for extracting the fluids purged out of the web of porous material 2.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for treating a travelling porous web of material in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere comprising a process chamber (1) through which a moving web of porous material (2) is transported from an inlet at a first end of the process chamber (1) to an outlet at a second end of the process chamber (1) and a means for introducing and controlling required gas intended to provide said predetermined gaseous atmosphere in the chamber, (1). The inlet and outlet each comprise a sealing means (4a, 4b) designed to enable passage of the web of material therethrough whilst minimising the ingress of an external gas boundary layer around said material. The apparatus additionally comprises one or more intermediate chamber (s) (10) upstream of the process chamber (1) and/or one or more post-processing chamber (s) (18) downstream of the process chamber Each intermediate chamber (s) (10) and/or post-processing chamber comprises a purging means (11) for purging the porous web (2) with a gas to replace fluid trapped in the porous web (2) a gas removing means (12) for extracting the fluids purged out of the porous web (2).
32 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for treating a travelling porous web of material in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere comprising a process chamber (1) through which a moving web of porous material (2) is transported from an inlet at a first end of said process chamber (1) to an outlet at a second end of said process chamber (1) and a means for introducing and controlling required gas intended to provide said the predetermined gaseous atmosphere within said process chamber (1), wherein said inlet and outlet each comprise a sealing means (4a,4b) designed to enable passage of the web of porous material (2) therethrough whilst minimising the ingress of an external gas boundary layer around the web of porous material (2), characterised in that said apparatus also comprises
(i) at least one intermediate chamber (10) upstream of said process chamber (1) which intermediate chamber (10) comprises a purging means (11) for purging the web of porous material (2) with required gas prior to entry into said process chamber (1) to replace fluid trapped in the web of porous material (2) upon entry into said intermediate chamber (10) with required gas prior to entry of the web of porous material (2) into said process chamber (1), and a gas removing means (12) for extracting the fluids purged out of the web of porous material (2); - and/or
(ii) at least one post-process chamber (18) downstream of said process chamber (1) which post-process chamber (18) comprises a purging means (19a) for purging the web of porous material (2) with a gas subsequent to passage through said process chamber (1) to replace required gas trapped in the web of porous material (2) upon entry into said post-process chamber (18) with the gas, and a gas removing means (19b) for extracting the fluids purged out of the web of porous material 2. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19)
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17. A process for pre and/or post-treating a travelling porous web of material (2) which is to be or has been treated in a process chamber (1) using a predetermined gaseous atmosphere comprising the steps of transporting the web of porous material (2) through one or more intermediate chambers (10, 15, 30) prior to processing in the process chamber (1), and/or through one or more post-processing chambers (42, 43, 44) subsequent to processing in the process chamber (1) wherein during the residence of the web of porous material (2) within each intermediate chamber (10, 15, 30) and/or within the or each post-process chamber (42, 43, 44), the chamber is purged with a suitable gas to replace fluid trapped in the web of porous material (2) with a required gas.
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18. (canceled)
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20. An apparatus for treating a travelling porous web of material in a predetermined gaseous atmosphere, said apparatus comprising
a process chamber (1) having an inlet at a first end of said process chamber (1) and an outlet at a second end of said process chamber (1), wherein said inlet and outlet each comprise a sealing means (4a, 4b) designed to enable passage of a web of porous material (2) therethrough whilst minimising the ingress of an external gas boundary layer (3) around the web of porous material (2); -
a means for introducing and controlling gas intended to provide the predetermined gaseous atmosphere within said process chamber (1); and at least an upstream intermediate chamber (10) and/or a downstream post-process chamber (18) wherein said intermediate chamber (10) has an inlet at a first end of said intermediate chamber (1) and an outlet at a second end of said intermediate chamber (1), wherein said inlet and outlet each comprise a sealing means (4a, 4b), a purging means (11) for purging the web of porous material (2) with required gas prior to entry into said process chamber (1) to replace fluid trapped in the web of porous material (2) upon entry into said intermediate chamber (10) with required gas prior to entry of the web of porous material (2) into said process chamber (1), and said post-process chamber (18) has an inlet at a first end of said post-process chamber (18) and an outlet at a second end of said post-process chamber (18), wherein said inlet and outlet each comprise a sealing means (4b,4e), a purging means (19a) for purging the web of porous material (2) with a gas prior to entry into said process chamber (1) to replace required gas trapped in the web of porous material (2) upon entry into said post-process chamber (18) with the gas, and a required gas removing means (19b) for extracting the required gas purged out of the web of porous material (2).
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Specification