Vacuum coating apparatus

• US 5,286,294 A
• Filed: 04/07/1992
• Issued: 02/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gen Gen Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gen Gen Corporation
• Inventors: Imai, Yoshihiko, Ebi, Tadamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Savage, Matthew O.
• Application Number:
  US07/864,857
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 118/63, 118/65, 118/50, 118/666, 118/667, 118/405, 118/429
• US Class Current: 118/667
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 15/00 Enclosures for apparatus; Booths spray booths B05B16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/02 the work being immersed in the liquid or other fluent material

Abstract

A vacuum coating apparatus for forming a thin film evenly coated over a material to be treated as well as providing excellent productivity. The vacuum coating apparatus includes a chamber, an evacuating device, a fluid supplier, a hood, and a gas reservoir. During operation, the chamber is subjected to a partial vacuum by the evacuating device and filled with treatment fluid. At this time, air at predetermined temperature supplied from the gas reservoir is admitted into the chamber. As a result, the temperature and viscosity of the treatment fluid in the chamber become constant. The material to be treated is then fed into the chamber via an inlet port and an outlet port. An air flow caused by evacuation removes excess fluid on the material at the outlet port, resulting in evenly forming a thin coating film.

Claims

1. A vacuum coating apparatus comprising:

a chamber filled with a treatment liquid and provided with an inlet port and an outlet port through which a material to be treated is fed;

an evacuating device for subjecting said chamber to a partial vacuum;

a fluid supplier for supplying said treatment liquid to said chamber such that said treatment liquid is applied over a surface of the material as the material passes through said chamber;

a hood for covering said inlet port and outlet port of said chamber, said hood having an inlet and outlet opening aligned with said inlet port and outlet port of said chamber for passing said material therethrough;

a feeder for feeding said material through said inlet and outlet openings in said hood and said inlet and outlet parts of said chamber; and

a gas reservoir having a gas temperature controller device for supplying gas at a substantially constant predetermined temperature to said hood and maintaining the viscosity of said treatment liquid substantially constant independent of a change of environmental temperature surrounding said hood wherein said vacuum in said chamber and the gas supply to said hood causes an air flow over the material such that excess liquid on said material is removed.

2. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas temperature controller device includes a heat exchanger located in said gas reservoir for performing one of heating and cooling of the gas to be supplied to said hood.

3. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said gas temperature controller device has a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of said treatment liquid in said chamber.

4. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas temperature controller device includes a heat exchanger and a device for supplying water controlled to be at a desired temperature into said heat exchanger.

5. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a recirculation passage is defined between said evacuating device and said gas reservoir.

6. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said chamber has templates at said inlet port and outlet port through which said material is fed, and said templates have openings through which said material is fed with their cross sections substantially similarly shaped to that of said material but of a larger size for allowing passing of said material therethrough.

7. A vacuum coating apparatus comprising:

a chamber filled with a treating liquid and provided with an inlet port and an outlet port through which a material to be treated is fed;

an evacuating device for subjecting said chamber to a partial vacuum;

a fluid supplier for supplying said treatment liquid to said chamber such that said treatment liquid is applied to a surface of the material as the material passes through said chamber;

a hood for covering said inlet port and said outlet port of said chamber, said hood having an inlet and outlet opening aligned with said inlet port and said outlet port, respectively, of said chamber for passing material therethrough; and

a feeder for feeding gas into said chamber, said feeder including a heat exchanger for heating or cooling said gas, a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of said treatment liquid in said chamber, and a controller responsive to said temperature sensor to maintain said treatment liquid at a predetermined temperature, wherein said feeder supplies gas at a predetermined temperature to said hood to maintain the viscosity of said treatment liquid substantially constant independent of a change in environmental temperature surrounding said hood, and wherein said vacuum in said chamber and the gas supply to said hood causes air flow over the material such that excess liquid on said material is removed.

8. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said heat exchanger comprises a water to gas heat exchanger and means responsive to said controller means for supplying water at a predetermined temperature into said heat exchanger.

9. A vacuum coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a recirculation passage is defined between said evacuating device and said feeder.