Apparatus for coating a moving glass substrate
First Claim
1. A coating apparatus comprising:
- a means for directing a vapor in a first direction, said vapor directing means having a first side and an opposing second side;
a first means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the first gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means;
a first exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the first side of the vapor directing means and the first gas directing means, the first exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction;
a second means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the second gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means;
a second exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the second side of the vapor directing means and the second gas directing means, the second exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction,wherein a coating zone is formed between said first and second exhaust means, the first and second gas directing means providing an inert gas curtain isolating an atmosphere within the coating zone from an atmosphere external of the coating zone, andwherein said first and second exhaust means and said vapor directing means are positioned relative to one another such that the distance between said first exhaust means and said vapor directing means is defined as "x" and the distance between the second exhaust means and said vapor directing means is defined as "y", wherein the values of "x" and "y" are different.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for coating a moving substrate which provides means for directing a coating composition vapor toward a substrate surface and moving portions of the vapor in opposite directions. The apparatus of the present invention may have the exhaust means on either side of the vapor directing means spaced at different distances from the vapor directing means, or the exhaust means may be spaced equally from the vapor directing means, but at different distances from the substrate surface. In another embodiment, the apparatus comprises the means to alter the flow volume of the vapor directing means and the two exhaust means such that the flow volume of the first and second exhaust means are not equal, such as by the exhaust means having openings of unequal surface area, wherein the exhaust means may be spaced equally or unequally from the vapor directing means at the same or different distances from the substrate surface. In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a structural element bridging the space between the vapor directing means and the exhaust means, which may be spaced equally or unequally from the vapor directing means, and at the same or different distances from the substrate surface.
113 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A coating apparatus comprising:
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a means for directing a vapor in a first direction, said vapor directing means having a first side and an opposing second side; a first means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the first gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means; a first exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the first side of the vapor directing means and the first gas directing means, the first exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction; a second means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the second gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means; a second exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the second side of the vapor directing means and the second gas directing means, the second exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction, wherein a coating zone is formed between said first and second exhaust means, the first and second gas directing means providing an inert gas curtain isolating an atmosphere within the coating zone from an atmosphere external of the coating zone, and wherein said first and second exhaust means and said vapor directing means are positioned relative to one another such that the distance between said first exhaust means and said vapor directing means is defined as "x" and the distance between the second exhaust means and said vapor directing means is defined as "y", wherein the values of "x" and "y" are different. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A coating apparatus comprising:
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a means for directing a vapor in a first direction, said vapor directing means having a first side and an opposing second side; a first means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the first gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means; a first exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the first side of the vapor directing means and the first gas directing means, the first exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction; a second means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the second gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means; a second exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the second side of the vapor directing means and the second gas directing means, the second exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction, wherein a coating zone is formed between said first and second exhaust means, the first and second gas directing means providing an inert gas curtain isolating an atmosphere within the coating zone from an atmosphere external of the coating zone, and a means for controlling a flow volume of said first and second exhaust means such that the flow volume of said first and second exhaust means are different. - View Dependent Claims (5, 12)
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6. A coating apparatus comprising:
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a means for directing a vapor in a first direction comprising a nozzle having an elongated outlet opening, said outlet opening having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, said vapor directing means having an first side and an opposing second side; a first means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the first gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means; a first exhaust means having an elongated inlet opening, the first exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the first side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the first side of said vapor directing means and the first gas directing means, the first exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction; a second means for directing an inert gas in the first direction, the second gas directing means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means; a second exhaust means having an elongated inlet opening, the second exhaust means in a spaced facing relationship to the second side of the vapor directing means between and spaced from the second side of the vapor directing means and the second gas directing means, the second exhaust means pulling an atmosphere in a direction opposite the first direction; wherein a coating zone is formed between said first and second exhaust means, the first and second gas directing means providing an inert gas curtain isolating an atmosphere within the coating zone from an atmosphere external of the coating zone; and whereby a first dimension is defined as a generally horizontal dimension extending along a direction parallel to the transverse axis of the nozzle, a second dimension is defined as a generally horizontal dimension extending along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle, the second dimension being substantially perpendicular to the first dimension, and a third dimension is defined as a generally vertical dimension mutually perpendicular to both the first and second dimensions; wherein at least two of the inlet openings, the first outlet opening and the second outlet opening occupy differing positions in said third dimension. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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13. A coating apparatus for depositing a coating on a substrate, the coating having a varying chemical composition as the distance from the substrate/coating interface increases, comprising:
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a means for moving a substrate in a downstream direction along an article movement path lying in a generally horizontal plane; a means for directing a vapor comprising at least two chemical compositions toward the article movement path, the vapor directing means being positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path, said vapor directing means producing an upstream flow of the vapor and a downstream flow of the vapor along the surface of a substrate moved along said article movement path by said substrate moving means wherein at least a portion of said chemical composition in upstream vapor flow and said downstream vapor flow are deposited on the surface of the substrate; a first means for directing an inert gas toward the article movement path, the first inert gas directing means being positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and in an upstream direction from the vapor directing means to produce a downstream flow of inert gas along the surface of a substrate moved along said article movement path by said substrate moving means; a first exhaust means positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and interposed between said first inert gas directing means and said vapor directing means, said first exhaust means exhausting at least a portion of the upstream flow of said vapor and said downstream flow of said inert gas; a second means for directing an inert gas toward the article movement path, the second inert gas directing means being positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and in a downstream direction from the vapor directing means to produce an upstream flow of inert gas along the surface of a substrate moved along said article movement path by said substrate moving means; a second exhaust means positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and interposed between said second inert gas directing means and said vapor directing means, said second exhaust means exhausting at least a portion of the downstream flow of said vapor and said upstream flow of said inert gas; and a means for controlling the ratio of the chemical compositions deposited on the surface of a substrate moved along said article movement path such that a first ratio is obtained upstream of said vapor directing means and a second ratio is obtained downstream of said vapor directing means; wherein a coating is deposited on a surface of a substrate moved along said article movement having a varying chemical composition as a distance from the substrate/coating interface increases. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A coating apparatus for depositing a coating on a substrate comprising:
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a means for moving a substrate in a downstream direction along an article movement path lying in a generally horizontal plane; a means for directing a vapor comprising at least two chemical compositions toward the article movement path, the vapor directing means being positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path; a first means for directing an inert gas toward the article movement path, the first inert gas directing means being positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and in an upstream direction from the vapor directing means; a second means for directing an inert gas toward the article movement path, the second inert gas directing means being positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and in a downstream direction from the vapor directing means; a first exhaust means positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and interposed between said first inert gas directing means and said vapor directing means; a second exhaust means positioned in spaced relation above the article movement path and interposed between said second inert gas directing means and said vapor directing means; and a means for controlling the ratio of the chemical compositions deposited on the surface of a substrate moved along said article movement path such that a first ratio is obtained upstream of said vapor directing means and a second ratio is obtained downstream of said vapor directing means. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification