Slot die coater
Patent Information
- Application Number
- KR1020220087994
- Authority / Receiving Office
- KR · KR
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-07-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-07-18
Smart Images

Figure 112022074427530-PAT00001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technology Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a slot die coater, and more particularly to a slot die coater capable of controlling the discharge amount of a coating liquid flowing through a discharge port. Background Technology
[0002] As technology development and demand for mobile devices increase, the demand for secondary batteries as an energy source is rapidly increasing, and these secondary batteries necessarily include electrode assemblies, which are power generation components. The electrode assembly has a form in which a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode are stacked at least once, and the positive electrode and negative electrode are manufactured by coating and drying a positive active material slurry and a negative active material slurry onto a current collector made of aluminum foil and copper foil, respectively. As positive active materials for these secondary batteries, lithium-containing manganese oxides such as layered crystalline lithium-containing cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), layered crystalline LiMnO2, and spinel crystalline LiMn2O4, as well as lithium-containing nickel oxide (LiNiO2), are generally used. Additionally, carbon-based materials are mainly used as negative active materials; however, due to the recent increase in demand for high-energy lithium secondary batteries, mixed use with silicon-based materials and silicon oxide-based materials, which have an effective capacity more than 10 times that of carbon-based materials, is being considered. In order to make the charge and discharge characteristics of a secondary battery uniform, the positive active material slurry and the negative active material slurry must be evenly coated on the current collector, and a slot die coater has been used conventionally.
[0003] In general, for a slot die coater performing a slot die coating process, the coating liquid must be applied thinly and uniformly to the substrate to increase the precision of the coating. To achieve this, it is important to quantitatively control the coating liquid discharged from the slot die to the discharge port to apply a coating liquid of the desired thickness.
[0004] However, conventional slot die coaters had the problem that they could not control the discharge volume of the coating liquid, or even if they could, the coating liquid applied to the substrate was not uniformly distributed along the width direction of the discharge port. In particular, since the coating liquid inlet of a conventional slot die coater is located in the center of the slot die, it is difficult to ensure the flow of the coating liquid to the edge of the slot die if the pump pressure injecting the coating liquid into the manifold through the inlet is insufficient. Additionally, if deformation occurs in the slot die due to continuous use or environmental issues, a problem may arise where the coating liquid is not discharged evenly along the width direction of the slot die.
[0005] Therefore, a slot die coater is required that can improve coating uniformity by controlling the flow of the coating liquid along the width direction of the discharge port. The problem to be solved
[0006] The present invention was devised in consideration of the aforementioned problems, and the objective of the present invention is to improve coating uniformity by controlling the discharge amount of the coating liquid flowing through the discharge port.
[0007] Accordingly, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a slot die coater capable of controlling the discharge amount of a coating liquid flowing through a discharge port.
[0008] However, the technical problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and other unmentioned problems will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the invention below. means of solving the problem
[0009] A slot die coater of the present invention for solving the above-described problem comprises: a first die block and a second die block; a slot defined between the first die block and the second die block; and a manifold provided in the first die block or the second die block and configured to receive a coating liquid in an internal space; and a slot die coater that applies the coating liquid by discharging it onto a substrate through a discharge port communicating with the slot, wherein the slot die coater comprises: a mounting slot provided along the width direction of the discharge port and communicating with the internal space of the manifold; and an opening / closing part provided in the mounting slot and configured to control the discharge amount of the coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold to the discharge port.
[0010] The above opening and closing part can operate to open and close a cross section perpendicular to the direction of gravity or the opposite direction of gravity of the manifold.
[0011] The above opening and closing part can operate to partially open and close the above cross-section to any position.
[0012] The above opening / closing member may include a first member configured to open and close the cross section and a second member connected to the first member to control the operation of the first member from outside the first die block or the second die block.
[0013] The first member may have a plate shape.
[0014] The first member may be configured to have a width greater than the width of the cross-section and a length greater than the length.
[0015] The above opening and closing part may be composed of a plurality of segments arranged continuously along the width direction of the discharge port.
[0016] The above plurality of segments may have the same length in the width and length directions.
[0017] The above plurality of segments can each operate independently.
[0018] The second member may be connected orthogonally to the first member, and configured to be caught on the rear surface of the first die block or the second die block from the opposite direction of the discharge port when the first member closes the cross-section for more than a certain length.
[0019] The above mounting slot is provided with a pin, the second member is provided with a hole configured to allow the pin to be inserted, and the opening / closing part can advance in the direction of the discharge port along the pin and retract in the opposite direction of the discharge port.
[0020] It may further include a control unit that controls the operation of the opening and closing part through the second member from outside the first die block or the second die block.
[0021] It may further include a sensing unit capable of sensing the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge opening of the coating liquid applied by discharging onto the above-mentioned substrate.
[0022] The above control unit can control the operation of the opening and closing unit according to the height distribution sensed by the sensing unit.
[0023] The above mounting slot may be located in the opposite direction of the above discharge port. Effects of the invention
[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, the uniformity of the coating can be improved by controlling the discharge amount of the coating liquid flowing from inside the manifold to the discharge port. A uniform coating result can be obtained by controlling the flow and amount of the coating liquid inside the slot coater die. Accordingly, a coating layer with a uniform coating thickness in the width direction of the substrate can be formed.
[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, if it is determined that the discharge amount of coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold to the discharge port is excessively large, the discharge amount can be reduced by operating the opening / closing part to partially close the cross-section perpendicular to the direction of gravity or the direction opposite to gravity of the manifold. If it is determined that the discharge amount of coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold to the discharge port is insufficient when it is partially closed, the discharge amount can be increased by operating the opening / closing part to partially open the cross-section further.
[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, the operation of the first member can be easily controlled from outside the first die block or the second die block through a second member that is bent at a right angle to the first member and connected thereto. The first member can be prevented from closing beyond a certain length by the second member catching on the rear surface of the first die block or the second die block. Furthermore, the degree of control of the coating liquid flow of the opening and closing part can be directly adjusted by an operator from outside the die blocks, allowing for flow control without the need to disassemble the assembled state of the die blocks. Therefore, since disassembly and reassembly of the die blocks are not required, idle time during the production process can be reduced, which is desirable from the perspective of high productivity.
[0027] According to another aspect of the present invention, a plurality of segments can be individually operated depending on the state of the coating liquid discharged onto the substrate. Accordingly, the discharge volume of the coating liquid discharged at positions corresponding to the individually operated segments can be controlled. That is, by dividing the die block into sections in the width direction and installing a segment in each section and operating it, the flow in the desired area can be finely controlled through the opening and closing mechanism. In particular, if the coating liquid inlet is located at the center of the manifold, and the coating liquid fails to reach the edge in the width direction of the outlet due to low pump pressure, the discharge volume of the coating liquid can be adjusted to decrease near the center so that the pump pressure reaches the edge. Therefore, the coating uniformity can ultimately be improved.
[0028] In addition to the above, the present invention may have various other effects, which are described in each embodiment, or effects that can be easily inferred by those skilled in the art, etc., will be omitted. Brief explanation of the drawing
[0029] The following drawings attached to the present invention illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention together with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the partial exterior and interior of a slot die coater according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a slot die coater according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing the operation process of a first die block and an opening / closing part included in a slot die coater according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the operation process of a slot die coater according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the entire cross-section cut along the plane of the partial cross-section shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary form of an opening and closing part included in a slot die coater according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation process of an opening and closing part included in a slot die coater according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a slot die coater including a control unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a diagram schematically showing the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge port of a coating liquid coated by a conventional slot die coater on a substrate. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a slot die coater including a control unit and a sensing unit according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge opening of a coating liquid coated by a slot die coater according to another embodiment of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention
[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The drawings attached to this specification are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and serve to further enhance understanding of the technical concept of the present invention in conjunction with the detailed description of the invention provided below; therefore, the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited only to the matters described in such drawings. Identical reference numerals denote identical components. Furthermore, in the drawings, the thickness, proportion, and dimensions of the components are exaggerated for the effective explanation of the technical content.
[0031] Terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but should be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention.
[0032] Although terms indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back have been used in this specification, these terms are used merely for convenience of explanation, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that they may vary depending on the location of the object or the position of the observer.
[0033] Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all of the technical ideas of the present invention, and that various equivalents and modifications that can replace them may exist at the time of filing this application.
[0034] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing partial external and internal views of a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first die block (100) and a second die block (200), a slot (S) defined between the first die block (100) and the second die block (200), and a manifold (300) provided in the first die block (100) or the second die block (200) and configured to contain a coating liquid in an internal space, and is a device for discharging and applying a coating liquid onto a substrate through a discharge port (O) connected to the slot (S). The 'substrate' described below is a current collector and the 'coating liquid' is an active material slurry. However, the scope of the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the substrate may be a porous support constituting a separator and the coating liquid may be an organic material. That is, if thin film coating is required, the substrate and the coating liquid may be any type.
[0036] In the drawings, the width direction of the discharge port (O) is indicated as the X-axis direction, and the discharge direction of the coating liquid is indicated as the Y-axis direction. The Z-axis direction refers to a direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. When examining the positional relationship of the first die block (100) and the second die block (200) in the Z-axis direction, the first die block (100) may be located at the top, in which case the second die block (200) is located at the bottom. Alternatively, the first die block (100) may be located at the bottom, in which case the second die block (200) is located at the top. A slot (S), which is a space for discharging the coating liquid, is defined between the first die block (100) and the second die block (200). The slot (S) can be defined by the shape of the part where the first die block (100) and the second die block (200) face each other, or by changing the shape of the contact surface between the first die block (100) and the second die block (200) or by combining a member such as a shim on the contact surface. The first die block (100) and the second die block (200) can be assembled together through a fastening member such as a bolt. The slot die coater (10) is installed with the direction of discharge of the coating liquid (Y-axis direction) nearly horizontal (nearly ± 5 degrees). However, it is not limited to the form given as an example here, and for example, it can be configured as a vertical die with the direction of discharge of the coating liquid upward (Z-axis direction).
[0037] A manifold (300) is provided in a first die block (100) or a second die block (200) and is configured to contain a coating liquid in its internal space. For example, the manifold (300) is provided in the first die block (100) located at the top and has a hollow semi-cylindrical structure, with the semi-circular outer surface located at the top and the rectangular outer surface located at the bottom to face the slot (S). This manifold (300) is connected to a coating liquid supply chamber (not shown) installed externally via a supply pipe and receives the coating liquid through an inlet. When the manifold (300) is filled with coating liquid, the coating liquid is induced to flow along the slot (S) and is discharged and applied onto a substrate through an outlet (O). However, the present invention does not limit the position or shape of the first die block (100), the second die block (200), and the manifold (300).
[0038] Referring again to FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2, a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting slot (400) and an opening / closing part (500).
[0039] Referring to FIG. 2, the mounting slot (400) is connected to the internal space of the manifold (300) and is provided along the width direction (X-axis extension direction) of the discharge port (O). The mounting slot (400) is provided in the first die block (100) or the second die block (200) in which the manifold (300) is provided, and is in contact with the outer surface of the manifold (300) so as to be connected to the internal space of the manifold (300), and may be formed in the shape of a hollow rectangular prism.
[0040] Referring to FIG. 2, the opening / closing part (500) is provided in the mounting slot (400) and is configured to control the discharge amount of coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold (300) to the discharge port (O). For example, in the manifold (300) provided in the shape of a hollow semi-cylindrical column in the first die block (100), the opening / closing part (500) can control the discharge amount of coating liquid flowing to the discharge port (O) by adjusting the area of the rectangular outer surface facing the slot (S).
[0041] According to this configuration of the present invention, the amount of coating liquid flowing from inside the manifold (300) to the discharge port (O) can be controlled to improve coating uniformity. By controlling the flow of coating liquid and the amount of coating liquid inside the slot die coater (10), a uniform coating result can be obtained. Accordingly, a coating layer with a uniform coating thickness in the width direction of the substrate can be formed.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 2, the mounting slot (400) may be located in the opposite direction of the discharge port (O). For a discharge port (O) located in the positive direction of the Y-axis, the mounting slot (400) may be provided in the negative direction of the Y-axis, which is opposite to the position of the discharge port (O), along the width direction of the discharge port (O) and in communication with the internal space of the manifold (300). In this case, the effect on the discharge port (O) can be reduced by the operation of the opening / closing part (500) provided in the mounting slot (400). In addition, it is desirable in terms of work management because maintenance can be performed on the opposite side of the work surface where coating is performed.
[0043] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing the operation process of a first die block (100) and an opening / closing part (500) included in a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 3, the opening / closing unit (500) can operate to open and close a cross-section (A) perpendicular to the direction of gravity or the direction opposite to gravity of the manifold (300). When the first die block (100) is located at the top and the second die block (200) is located at the bottom, if the manifold (300) is provided in the first die block (100), the opening / closing unit (500) can operate to open and close a cross-section (A) perpendicular to the direction of gravity of the manifold (300). However, the present invention is not limited to the shape and operation method of such an opening / closing unit (500). For example, if the manifold (300) is provided in the second die block (200), the opening / closing unit (500) can operate to open and close a cross-section (A) perpendicular to the direction opposite to gravity of the manifold (300).
[0045] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the operation process of a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view cut along the line A-A' of FIG. 1.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the opening / closing unit (500) can operate to partially open and close the cross section (A) to any position. State (a) in FIG. 4 is a state where the opening / closing unit (500) has the cross section (A) fully open. State (b) in FIG. 4 is a state where the opening / closing unit (500) has the cross section (A) fully closed. The opening / closing unit (500) can operate to partially close the cross section (A) to any position from the state (a) where the cross section (A) is fully open to the state (b) where the cross section (A) is fully closed. As in state (b) in FIG. 4, the opening / closing unit (500) can be configured to have a width greater than the width of the cross section (A) and a length greater than the length of the cross section (A) so that the cross section (A) can be fully closed.
[0047] According to this configuration of the present invention, if it is determined that the discharge amount of coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold (300) to the discharge port (O) is excessively large, the opening / closing part (500) can be operated to partially close the cross section (A) to reduce the discharge amount. Alternatively, if it is determined that the discharge amount of coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold (300) to the discharge port (O) is insufficient when the cross section (A) is partially closed, the opening / closing part (500) can be operated to partially open the cross section (A) further to increase the discharge amount.
[0048] In addition, when a malfunction occurs in the existing slot die coater and the discharge amount needs to be controlled, the only control method available is to control the injection port that injects the coating liquid into the internal space of the manifold. Consequently, the coating liquid already in the internal space of the manifold is discharged onto the substrate, resulting in waste of the coating liquid. However, according to the slot die coater (10) of one embodiment of the present invention, the opening / closing part (500) controls the discharge of the coating liquid already in the internal space of the manifold (300) onto the substrate, thereby preventing waste of the coating liquid and enabling more effective control.
[0049] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary form of an opening and closing part included in a slot die coater according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0050] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the opening / closing unit (500) may include a first member (510) configured to open and close a cross-section (A) and a second member (520) connected to the first member (510) to control the operation of the first member (510) from outside the first die block (100) or the second die block (200). The first member (510) may have a plate shape capable of opening and closing the cross-section (A) of the manifold (300). However, the present invention is not limited to the shape of such first member (510).
[0051] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the second member (520) is connected orthogonally to the first member (510), and can be configured to be caught on the rear surface of the first die block (100) or the second die block (200) in the opposite direction of the discharge port (O) when the first member (510) closes the cross-section (A) for more than a certain length. As shown in FIG. 5, the second member (520) may be connected to the first member (510) by being bent in the positive direction of the Z-axis. However, the present invention is not limited to the shape of the first member (510) and the second member (520) in this manner, and for example, the second member (520) may be connected to the first member (510) by being bent in the negative direction of the Z-axis.
[0052] According to this configuration of the present invention, the operation of the first member (510) can be easily controlled from outside the first die block (100) or the second die block (200) through the second member (520) which is bent at a right angle to the first member (510). The first member (510) can be prevented from closing beyond a certain length by the second member (520) being caught on the rear surface of the first die block (100) or the second die block (200).
[0053] The movement control of the second member (520) can be implemented by various technical means and combinations thereof that implement and control movement in a forward and backward uniaxial direction, such as cylinders, stepper motors, linear motors, and LM guides, and it will be known to those skilled in the art even without detailed description here. In addition, the movement control of the second member (520) is performed outside the first die block (100) or the second die block (200). Therefore, the degree of coating liquid flow control of the opening / closing part (500) can be directly adjusted by an operator outside the die blocks (100, 200), allowing flow control to be performed without the need to disassemble the assembled state of the die blocks (100, 200). Accordingly, since disassembly and reassembly of the die blocks are not required, the idle time during the production process can be reduced, which is desirable from the perspective of high productivity.
[0054] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the first die block (100) may be provided with a pin (110). The first die block (100) may be provided with a pin (110) formed along a direction parallel to the direction in which the opening / closing part (500) moves (Y-axis extension direction). The pin (110) may be connected to the first die block (100) or the second die block (200) which is provided with a mounting slot (400). The second member (520) may be provided with a hole (530) into which the pin (110) can be inserted. The hole (530) may be formed to correspond to the shape of the pin (110) so as not to create a gap depending on the shape of the pin (110). The opening / closing part (500) may advance along the pin (110) toward the discharge port (O) and retract in the opposite direction of the discharge port (O). In this case, the opening / closing part (500) moves along the pin (110) so that it does not deviate from the movement path toward the discharge port (O) and the opposite direction of the discharge port (O) while moving.
[0055] Referring to FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 5, the opening / closing part (500) may be composed of a plurality of segments (501) arranged continuously along the width direction (X-axis extension direction) of the discharge port (O). Each segment (501) may have the same width and length in the width and length directions. The opening / closing part (500) may be composed of 10 segments (501) having the same width and length as shown in FIG. 5. However, the present invention is not limited to the number or shape of such segments (501).
[0056] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation process of an opening / closing part (500) included in a slot die coater (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention.
[0057] Referring to FIG. 6, a plurality of segments (501) can each operate independently. As illustrated in FIG. 6, in an opening / closing unit (500) composed of 10 segments (501), the 7th segment and the 8th segment located along the positive direction of the X-axis can operate independently. However, the present invention is not limited to the number or order of segments that can operate independently, and a plurality of segments (501) can each operate independently. The meaning of independent operation may be that they are independent and not mutually affected by the temporal order of operation or the degree of the position of operation.
[0058] According to this configuration of the present invention, a plurality of segments (501) can be individually operated depending on the state of the coating liquid discharged onto the substrate. Accordingly, the discharge amount of the coating liquid discharged at a position corresponding to each individually operated segment (501) can be controlled. That is, by dividing the die block into sections in the width direction and installing a segment (501) in each section and operating it, the flow of the desired part can be finely controlled through the opening / closing part (500). In particular, if the coating liquid injection port is located at the center of the manifold (300), and the coating liquid does not reach the edge in the width direction of the discharge port (O) due to low pump pressure, the discharge amount of the coating liquid can be adjusted to be smaller near the center so that the pump pressure reaches the edge. Therefore, the coating uniformity can ultimately be improved.
[0059] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a slot die coater (10) including a control unit (600) according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0060] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 7, the control unit (600) can control the operation of the opening / closing unit (500) through the second member (520) outside the first die block (100) or the second die block (200). The control unit (600) can control the opening / closing unit (500) through the second member (520) located outside the first die block (100) or the second die block (200). For example, the control unit (600) may be an electrical device configured to control the opening / closing unit (500) to move forward in the direction of the discharge port (O) and backward in the direction opposite to the discharge port (O) by applying an electrical signal. The control unit (600) may include, for example, a memory device, and a series of programs for driving and controlling the second member (520) may be stored in such a memory device.
[0061] FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge port (O) of the coating liquid (C) discharged and coated onto the substrate (B) by a conventional slot die coater (20). Referring to FIG. 8, the coating liquid (C) coated onto the substrate (B) in the conventional slot die coater (20) was not uniformly distributed along the width direction of the discharge port (O).
[0062] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a slot die coater (10) including a control unit (600) and a sensing unit (700) according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge port (O) of the coating liquid (C) discharged and coated onto a substrate (B) by the slot die coater (10) according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[0063] A sensing unit (700) included in a slot die coater (10) according to the present invention can sense the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge port of the coating liquid (C) discharged and applied onto a substrate (B). Referring to FIG. 9, a control unit (600) can operate in conjunction with such a sensing unit (700). That is, the control unit (600) can control the operation of the opening / closing unit (500) according to the height distribution sensed by the sensing unit (700). When the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge port (O) of the coating liquid (C) discharged and applied onto the substrate (B) is not uniform overall as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit (600) controls the operation of the opening / closing unit (500) accordingly. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, the coating liquid (C) coated on the substrate (B) can become uniform overall along the width direction of the discharge port. For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 9, the sensing unit (700) can collect information about the height of the coating liquid (C) at various points on the substrate, particularly along the width direction. If it is detected that the height of a specific point is lower than a predetermined height, the amount of coating liquid at that part must be increased to increase the loading amount. The sensing unit (700) sends information about the opening / closing unit (500) corresponding to the specific point to the control unit (600), and the control unit (600) starts the operation of the opening / closing unit (500). At this time, so that the amount of coating liquid can be increased, the opening / closing unit (500) may be driven to open a cross-section (A) perpendicular to the direction of gravity or the opposite direction of gravity of the manifold (300) through the second member (520) of the segment (501) corresponding to the specific point. Conversely, if it is detected that the height of a specific point is higher than a predetermined height, the amount of coating liquid at that part must be reduced to decrease the loading amount. The sensing unit (700) sends information about the opening / closing unit (500) corresponding to a specific point to the control unit (600), and the control unit (600) starts the operation of the corresponding opening / closing unit (500).At this time, so that the amount of coating liquid can be reduced, the opening / closing unit (500) may be driven to close the cross section (A) perpendicular to the direction of gravity or the opposite direction of gravity of the manifold (300) through the second member (520) of the segment (501) corresponding to a specific point. In this way, if a sensing unit (700) is further provided and linked with the control unit (600), the uniformity of the coating in the width direction of the coated product through the slot die coater (10) can be controlled more precisely.
[0064] As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is evident to those skilled in the art that many various obvious variations are possible from this description without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be interpreted by the claims described to include examples of such many variations. Explanation of the symbols
[0065] 10: Slot die coater 100 : 1st Die Block 110 : Pin 200: 2nd Die Block 300 : Manifold 400 : Mounting slot 500 : Opening / closing part 501 : Segment 510 : First part 520 : Second part 530 : Hall 600 : Control unit 700 : Sensing unit S: Slot O : Discharge port A: Cross-section B : Entry C: Coating solution
Claims
Claim 1 A slot die coater comprising: a first die block and a second die block; a slot defined between the first die block and the second die block; and a manifold provided in the first die block or the second die block and configured to receive a coating liquid in an internal space; wherein the coating liquid is discharged and applied onto a substrate through a discharge port communicating with the slot; a mounting slot communicating with the internal space of the manifold and provided along the width direction of the discharge port; and an opening / closing part provided in the mounting slot and configured to control the discharge amount of the coating liquid flowing from the internal space of the manifold to the discharge port, wherein the opening / closing part operates to open and close a cross-section perpendicular to the direction of gravity or the direction opposite to gravity of the manifold. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A slot die coater according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening / closing part can operate to partially open and close the cross-section to any position. Claim 4 A slot die coater according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing portion comprises a first member configured to open and close the cross section and a second member connected to the first member to control the operation of the first member from outside the first die block or the second die block. Claim 5 In paragraph 4, the slot die coater is characterized in that the first member has a plate shape. Claim 6 A slot die coater according to claim 4, wherein the first member is configured to have a width greater than the width of the cross-section and a length greater than the length. Claim 7 A slot die coater according to claim 4, wherein the opening / closing portion is composed of a plurality of segments arranged continuously along the width direction of the discharge port. Claim 8 A slot die coater according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of segments have the same width and length in the width and length directions. Claim 9 A slot die coater according to claim 7, characterized in that the plurality of segments each operate independently. Claim 10 A slot die coater according to claim 4, characterized in that the second member is connected orthogonally to the first member, and is configured to be caught on the rear surface of the first die block or the second die block from the opposite direction of the discharge port when the first member closes the cross-section by more than a certain length. Claim 11 A slot die coater according to claim 10, wherein the mounting slot is provided with a pin, the second member is provided with a hole configured to allow the pin to be inserted, and the opening / closing part is characterized by advancing along the pin toward the discharge port and retracting in the opposite direction toward the discharge port. Claim 12 A slot die coater according to claim 4, further comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the opening and closing part through the second member outside the first die block or the second die block. Claim 13 A slot die coater according to claim 12, further comprising a sensing unit capable of sensing the height distribution in the width direction of the discharge opening of the coating liquid discharged and applied on the above-mentioned substrate. Claim 14 A slot die coater according to claim 13, wherein the control unit controls the operation of the opening and closing unit according to the height distribution sensed by the sensing unit. Claim 15 A slot die coater according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting slot is located in the opposite direction of the discharge port.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Slot die with variable manifold and method for controlling the same
KR1020180120029A