Coating apparatus, coating method, and method for manufacturing optical film

• US 7,713,579 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nojo, Kazuhiko, Ogawa, Tomonari
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed; Shamim
• Application Number:
  US11/729,889
• Publication Number:
  US 20070231479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 427/162
• US Class Current: 427/162
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0254 Coating heads with slot-shaped outlet B05C5/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0266 adjustable in length, e.g. for coating webs of different width

Abstract

The coating apparatus includes a base for supporting a slot die, wherein the base has a height of not more than 5 m from a ground level, and a mean cross sectional area of not less than 3 m² in terms of a horizontal direction.

Claims

1. A coating method comprising the steps of:

preparing a medium; and

forming a coating film on the medium by using a coating apparatus, said coating apparatus comprising a base for supporting a slot die, wherein the base has an above-ground section having a height of not more than 5 m from a ground level, and a mean cross sectional area of not less than 3 m² in terms of a horizontal direction, wherein

a top portion of the base shows acceleration of not more than 0.3 Gal at a frequency of not less than 5 Hz according to a root-mean-square value obtained by a ⅓

octave-band peak hold analysis of a 60-second sampling data;

the base is made of concrete or reinforced concrete; and

further comprising at least one of a vibration damping apparatus and a vibration isolation apparatus which is interposed between the slot die and the base.

4. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base supports both an applicator which includes the slot die, and a coating roll apparatus which supports a medium to which a coating solution ejected from the slot die is applied.

6. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slot die is a die coater or a slide coater.

8. The coating method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of drying the coating film on the medium.

9. The coating method according to claim 1, wherein the cross sectional area is determined based on a dimension other than height as the cross sectional is viewed from above the base towards the ground, and the height is measured from the ground upward.

10. The coating method according to claim 1, wherein the cross sectional area is determined based on a length and width of a portion of the base that is above the ground.

2. A method for manufacturing an optical film, comprising the steps of:

forming a coating film on a medium by using a coating apparatus comprising a base for supporting a slot die, wherein the base has an above-ground section having a height of not more than 5 m from a ground level, and a mean cross sectional area of not less than 3 m² in terms of a horizontal direction, wherein

a top portion of the base shows acceleration of not more than 0.3 Gal at a frequency of not less than 5 Hz according to a root-mean-square value obtained by a ⅓

octave-band peak hold analysis of a 60-second sampling data;

the base is made of concrete or reinforced concrete; and

further comprising at least one of a vibration damping apparatus and a vibration isolation apparatus which is interposed between the slot die and the base; and

manufacturing an optical film including the coating film.

3. The coating method according to claim 2, wherein the optical film is an anti-reflection film.

5. The coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the base supports both an applicator which includes the slot die, and a coating roll apparatus which supports a medium to which a coating solution ejected from the slot die is applied.

7. The coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the slot die is a die coater or a slide coater.