Systems and methods for rapid coating of glass articles

Abstract

This document discloses a system and method for coating glass articles. The method of coating the glass articles includes transporting the glass articles on a conveyor belt through the focal point of a coating station, wherein the coating station includes a plurality of spray nozzles that spray a plurality of paint solutions toward the focal point of the coating station. The plurality of paint sprays include at least one front spray and at least one back spray of droplets of a paint solution, wherein the spray droplets contact the surface of the glass articles to form a coating on the glass articles. The system includes the conveyor belt, the coating station, and a paint material system coupled to the coating station, the paint material system supplying droplets of the paint solution to the plurality of spray nozzles. The plurality of spray nozzles are oriented at a specific spray angle relative to the direction of travel of the glass articles in the coating station.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 603,835, filed November 29, 2023, pursuant to 35 USC §119, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This specification generally relates to systems and methods for the continuous processing of glass articles, and in particular to systems and methods for applying coatings to the surface of glass articles. Background Technology

[0004] Historically, glass has been used to produce a wide variety of articles. Specifically, due to its airtightness, optical transparency, and excellent chemical durability compared to other materials, glass has been a preferred material for pharmaceutical applications, including but not limited to vials, syringes, ampoules, cartridges, jars, and other glass articles. The production of these articles from glass begins with the provision of a glass tube, which can then be formed and separated into multiple glass articles. Specifically, glass used for pharmaceutical packaging must possess sufficient mechanical and chemical durability to avoid affecting the stability of the pharmaceutical formulation contained therein. Glasses with suitable chemical durability include those glass compositions within the ASTM standard 'Type IA' and 'Type IB' glass compositions that have a proven history of chemical durability.

[0005] Coatings can be added to the surface of glass articles to alter their properties. In some cases, coatings can be added to glass articles to change the coefficient of friction, increase the strength of the glass articles, reduce the incidence of incident damage to the surface of the glass articles, or a combination of these purposes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for systems and methods for continuously and efficiently applying coatings to glass articles. According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a method for coating a glass article may include guiding the glass article through a focal point of a coating station; and directing a plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station as the glass article passes through the focal point, wherein: each of the plurality of paint sprays may contain atomized droplets of a paint solution; and directing the plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station as the glass article passes through the focal point may apply the paint solution to the surface of the glass article as it passes through the coating station.

[0007] The second aspect may include the first aspect, wherein the plurality of paint sprays may include at least one front spray and at least one rear spray.

[0008] The third aspect may include the second aspect, wherein the at least one front spray and the at least one rear spray may each be oriented with a spray incident angle of less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein the spray incident angle is defined as an acute angle formed between the mainstream vector and the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station, the mainstream vector representing the average direction of the contents of the spray in at least one front spray or at least one rear spray.

[0009] The fourth aspect may include the second aspect, wherein the at least one front spray and the at least one rear spray may each be oriented with a spray incident angle of less than 90 degrees and greater than 0 degrees, wherein: the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station may be a linear direction of travel or a line tangent to a curved path of travel at the focal point of the coating station; the centerline of the glass article may be a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; the cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article; and the spray incident angle is defined as an acute angle formed between the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station and the mainstream vector of the coating spray, the mainstream vector including the average spray direction of the coating spray in the cross-sectional plane of the glass article.

[0010] The fifth aspect may include any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the at least one front spray and the at least one rear spray may each be oriented to have a spray angle of less than 45 degrees.

[0011] The sixth aspect may include any one of the first to fifth aspects, which includes directing the two paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station.

[0012] The seventh aspect may include any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the two coating sprays may both be orthogonal to the direction of travel of the glass article through the focal point of the coating station.

[0013] The eighth aspect may include any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein each of the two paint sprays may be oriented to have a spray angle of less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein: the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station is a linear direction of travel or a line tangent to a curved path of travel at the focal point of the coating station; the centerline of the glass article is a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; the cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article; and the spray angle is defined as an acute angle formed between the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station and the spray direction of the paint spray in the cross-sectional plane of the glass article.

[0014] The ninth aspect may include any one of the first to fifth aspects, which includes directing three or more paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station.

[0015] The tenth aspect may include the ninth aspect, wherein the three or more paint sprays may be uniformly distributed around the focal point of the coating station.

[0016] The eleventh aspect may include any one of the ninth to tenth aspects, and includes at least two front sprays or at least two rear sprays.

[0017] The twelfth aspect may include any one of the ninth to tenth aspects, comprising at least one front spray, at least one rear spray and at least one neutral spray, wherein the at least one neutral spray may be oriented to have a spray direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station.

[0018] The thirteenth aspect may include any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein directing the plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station may include: atomizing the paint solution to generate a stream of atomized droplets of the paint spray; and creating a plurality of flow patterns of the droplets with a plurality of gas nozzles to generate the plurality of paint sprays, and directing the plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point.

[0019] The fourteenth aspect may include any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein directing the plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station may include generating the plurality of paint sprays with a plurality of spray nozzles, the plurality of spray nozzles being oriented such that the average flow direction of each of the spray nozzles may be directed toward the focal point of the coating station.

[0020] The fifteenth aspect may include any one of the first to fourteenth aspects, further comprising redirecting stray droplets of the coating solution back toward the glass article in the coating station, wherein: the stray droplets may include oversprays or droplets of the coating solution deflected from the surface of the glass article; and the stray droplets may be redirected by an airflow generated by one or more gas nozzles.

[0021] The sixteenth aspect may include any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, wherein the glass article comprises a glass container having a bottom, and wherein the method may further include redirecting stray droplets toward the heel, bottom, or both of the glass container.

[0022] The seventeenth aspect may include any one of the first to sixteenth aspects, and further includes: measuring the thickness profile of the polymer coating on the glass article downstream of the coating station; and, based on the thickness profile of the polymer coating, varying the distance from the nozzle to the focal point, the flow rate of the polymer solution, the spray angle of one or more of the plurality of coating sprays, or a combination of these.

[0023] The eighteenth aspect may include any one of the first to the seventeenth aspects, and further includes passing the glass article through the coating station at a speed greater than or equal to 300 mm / s, greater than or equal to 500 mm / s, greater than or equal to 1000 mm / s, or greater than or equal to 1500 mm / s.

[0024] The nineteenth aspect may include any one of the first to eighteenth aspects, which includes passing a plurality of glass articles continuously through the coating station.

[0025] The twentieth aspect may include the nineteenth aspect, wherein the plurality of glass articles may be drug containers.

[0026] The 21st aspect may include the 19th or 20th aspect, wherein the plurality of glass articles may be pharmaceutical glass vials.

[0027] The twenty-second aspect may include any one of the first to twenty-first aspects, wherein when the centerline of the glass article coincides with the focal point of the coating station, each of the plurality of paint sprays has an average spray direction parallel to the cross-sectional plane of the glass article, wherein: the travel direction of the glass article through the coating station is a linear travel direction or a line tangent to a curved travel path at the focal point of the coating station; the centerline of the glass article is a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station and perpendicular to the travel direction of the glass article through the coating station; and the cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane parallel to the travel direction and perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article.

[0028] The twenty-third aspect may include any one of the first to twenty-first aspects, wherein when the centerline of the glass article coincides with the focal point of the coating station, one or more of the plurality of paint sprays have an average spray direction forming a non-zero angle with a plane perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article, wherein: the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station is a linear direction of travel or a line tangent to a curved path at the focal point of the coating station; the centerline of the glass article is a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; and the cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article.

[0029] The twenty-fourth aspect may include any one of the first to twenty-third aspects, wherein the rotational speed of the glass article is zero when the glass article passes through the focal point of the coating station.

[0030] The twenty-fifth aspect may include any one of the first to twenty-fourth aspects, wherein the method does not include rotating the glass article.

[0031] The twenty-sixth aspect may include any one of the first to twenty-fifth aspects, and may relate to a coated glass article prepared according to the method of any one of the first to twenty-fifth aspects, wherein the coated glass article may include a plurality of splicing regions, wherein the splicing region is defined as the region where the thickness of the polymer coating increases due to the overlap of two coating sprays in the coating spray.

[0032] The twenty-seventh aspect may include the twenty-sixth aspect, wherein the coated glass article may be a drug container.

[0033] The twenty-eighth aspect may include the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh aspect, wherein the coated glass article is a pharmaceutical glass vial.

[0034] According to a twenty-ninth aspect of this disclosure, a system for coating glass articles with a polymer coating may include a coating station and a conveyor belt operable to convey a plurality of the glass articles through the coating station, wherein: the coating station may include a plurality of spray nozzles, each of the plurality of spray nozzles may be fixedly positioned; the plurality of nozzles may be radially distributed around a spray focus of the coating station; and the plurality of spray nozzles may be configured to direct a spray containing polymer coating material toward each of the plurality of glass articles as each of the plurality of glass articles passes through the coating station.

[0035] The thirtieth aspect may include the system of the twenty-ninth aspect, wherein the coating station may include two spray nozzles.

[0036] The thirty-first aspect may include the thirtieth aspect, wherein the two spray nozzles may each be oriented to guide the spraying of the polymer coating solution in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the plurality of glass articles through the coating station.

[0037] The thirty-second aspect may include any one of the thirtieth or thirty-first aspects, wherein the two spray nozzles may comprise a first spray nozzle and a second spray nozzle, wherein: the first spray nozzle may be positioned upstream of the focal point of the coating station and is oriented to direct a first spray of the polymer coating solution toward the focal point of the coating station; and the second spray nozzle may be positioned downstream of the focal point of the coating station and is oriented to direct a second spray of the polymer coating solution toward the focal point of the coating station.

[0038] The thirty-third aspect may include the thirty-second aspect, wherein the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle may each form a spray angle of less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein the spray angle may be defined as an acute angle formed between the average direction of the spray vector of the first spray nozzle or the second spray nozzle and the direction of travel of the plurality of glass articles through the coating station.

[0039] The thirty-fourth aspect may include the thirty-second aspect, wherein the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle may each have a spray angle of less than 45 degrees, wherein the spray angle may be defined as an acute angle formed between the average direction of the spray vector of the first spray nozzle or the second spray nozzle and the direction of travel of the plurality of glass articles through the coating station.

[0040] The thirty-fifth aspect may include any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-fourth aspects, wherein the coating system may include three or more spray nozzles.

[0041] The thirty-sixth aspect may include the thirty-fifth aspect, wherein the three or more spray nozzles may be uniformly spaced in an angular direction around the focal point of the coating system.

[0042] The thirty-seventh aspect may include any one of the thirty-fifth or thirty-sixth aspects, wherein the three or more spray nozzles may include at least two front spray nozzles or at least two rear spray nozzles.

[0043] The thirty-eighth aspect may include any one of the thirty-fifth or thirty-sixth aspects, wherein the three or more spray nozzles may include at least one front spray nozzle, at least one rear spray nozzle, and at least one neutral spray nozzle, wherein the neutral spray nozzle may be oriented to have a spray direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station.

[0044] The thirty-ninth aspect may include any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-eighth aspects, and further includes one or more gas jets positioned to guide airflows that may redirect droplets of the coating solution back toward the glass article in the coating station.

[0045] The fortieth aspect may include any one of the twenty-ninth to thirty-ninth aspects, wherein the conveyor belt is operable to convey the glass article through the coating station at a speed greater than or equal to 300 mm / s, greater than or equal to 500 mm / s, greater than or equal to 1000 mm / s, or greater than or equal to 1500 mm / s.

[0046] Further features and advantages of the systems and methods disclosed herein will be set forth in the following detailed description, and will be apparent in part from the description or recognized by those skilled in the art through practice of the embodiments described herein, including the following detailed description, the claims, and the drawings.

[0047] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description describe various embodiments and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and characteristics of the claimed subject matter. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the various embodiments, and are incorporated in and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate the various embodiments described herein and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and operation of the claimed subject matter. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 A side view of a system for applying a coating to a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein is schematically depicted.

[0049] Figure 2 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments according to those shown and described herein. Figure 1 A top view of the system;

[0050] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view depicting an example structure of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0051] Figure 4 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments according to those shown and described herein. Figure 1 A top view of the spray area of ​​the coating station of the system, which includes a basic two-spray nozzle configuration;

[0052] Figure 5 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments according to those shown and described herein. Figure 1 A top view of the spray zone of the coating station of the system, the system comprising a two-spray nozzle configuration with a first off-axis angle;

[0053] Figure 6 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments according to those shown and described herein. Figure 1 A top view of the spray zone of the coating station of the system, the system comprising a two-spray nozzle configuration with a second off-axis angle;

[0054] Figure 7 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments according to those shown and described herein. Figure 1 A top view of the spray zone of the coating station of the system, which includes a two-spray nozzle configuration with a third off-axis angle;

[0055] Figure 8 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments according to those shown and described herein. Figure 1 A top view of the spray area of ​​the coating station of the system, which includes a three-spray nozzle configuration;

[0056] Figure 9 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments shown and described herein, from Figure 8 The top view of the spray zone of the coating station with the depicted three spray nozzle configuration provides a first comparison of two nozzles;

[0057] Figure 10The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments shown and described herein, from Figure 8 The top view of the spray zone of the coating station with the depicted three spray nozzle configuration provides a second comparison of two nozzles;

[0058] Figure 11 The illustration schematically depicts one or more embodiments shown and described herein, from Figure 8 The top view of the spray zone of the coating station with the depicted three-nozzle configuration provides a third comparison of two nozzles;

[0059] Figure 12 A perspective view of the spray area of ​​a coating station according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein is schematically depicted, the coating station comprising N spray nozzles and a heel bend;

[0060] Figure 13 The average thickness of the coating (y-axis) is graphically depicted as a function of the height positioning (x-axis) used to apply the coating to the vial at a first throughput rate, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

[0061] Figure 14 The average thickness (y-axis) of the coating is graphically depicted as a function of the coating used in accordance with one or more embodiments shown and described herein. Figure 13 The throughput rate of the second largest throughput rate varies with the height of the coating applied to the vial (x-axis);

[0062] Figure 15 This is a photograph of the bottom of a glass vial coated by redirecting oversprayed and reflected droplets of the coating composition to the bottom of the vial, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

[0063] Figure 16 The average thickness of the coating (y-axis) varies with the height of the base of the coated glass vial (x-axis) according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

[0064] Figure 17 The average thickness of the coating (y-axis) varies with the height of the space occupied by the coated glass vial (x-axis) according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

[0065] Figure 18 A series of bright-field images depicting coated glass articles produced by a three-spray nozzle coating process according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0066] Figure 19A graphically depicts a linear filmetric of a coating on a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the height positioning (x-axis) for applying the coating at a first off-axis angle and a first throughput rate;

[0067] Figure 19 B graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the amount of film used to measure the thickness of the coating. Figure 19 The first off-axis angle of A and the ratio Figure 19 The throughput rate of A is the second throughput rate, which varies with the height positioning (x-axis) of the coating layer.

[0068] Figure 19 C graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the amount of film used to measure the coating. Figure 19 The first off-axis angle of A and the ratio Figure 19 The throughput rate of A and 19B is greater than the third throughput rate of the coating height positioning (x-axis) variation;

[0069] Figure 20 A graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the ratio of the coating thickness to the thickness of the glass article shown and described herein. Figure 19 The second off-axis angle of A is larger than the second off-axis angle. Figure 19 The first throughput rate of A varies with the height positioning (x-axis) of the coating layer.

[0070] Figure 20 B graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the amount of film used to measure the thickness of the coating. Figure 20 The second off-axis angle of A and the ratio Figure 20 The throughput rate of A is the second throughput rate, which varies with the height positioning (x-axis) of the coating layer.

[0071] Figure 20 C graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the amount of film used to measure the coating. Figure 20 The second off-axis angle of A and the ratio Figure 20 The throughput rate of A and 20B is greater than the third throughput rate of the coating height positioning (x-axis) variation;

[0072] Figure 21A graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the ratio of the coating thickness to the thickness of the glass article shown and described herein. Figure 19 A and Figure 20 The height positioning (x-axis) of the coating layer with a large off-axis angle A is changed by the third off-axis angle.

[0073] Figure 21 B graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the amount of film used to measure the thickness of the coating. Figure 21 The third off-axis angle of A, compared to Figure 21 The throughput rate of A is the second throughput rate, which varies with the height positioning (x-axis) of the coating layer.

[0074] Figure 21 C graphically depicts a linear film measurement of the coating of a glass article according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the amount of film used to measure the coating. Figure 21 The third off-axis angle of A and the ratio Figure 21 The throughput rate of A and 21B is greater than the third throughput rate of the coating height positioning (x-axis) variation;

[0075] Figure 22 Linear film measurements of the coating of a glass vial according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein are graphically depicted, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the speed (x-axis) for applying the coating at a first off-axis angle and at a first throughput speed, a second throughput speed, and a third throughput speed.

[0076] Figure 23 Linear film measurements of the coating of a glass vial according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein are graphically depicted, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the speed (x-axis) for applying the coating at a second off-axis angle and at a first throughput speed, a second throughput speed, and a third throughput speed.

[0077] Figure 24 Linear film measurements of the coating of a glass vial according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein are graphically depicted, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the speed (x-axis) for applying the coating at a third off-axis angle and at a first throughput speed, a second throughput speed, and a third throughput speed.

[0078] Figure 25A graphical comparison of linear film measures of the coatings of glass vials according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein is presented, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the skew angle, centerline distance (CLD), and (x-axis) of the coating applied at a first off-axis angle, a second off-axis angle, and a third off-axis angle, and at a first throughput rate, a second throughput rate, and a third throughput rate, as well as with the first CLD and the second CLD; and

[0079] Figure 26 A composite frame and whisker diagram graphically depicts the linear film measurement of the coating of a glass vial according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein, wherein the average thickness (y-axis) varies with the speed (x-axis), CLD, and skew angle at which the coating is applied with a first off-axis angle, a second off-axis angle, and a third off-axis angle, various speeds, and various CLD values. Detailed Implementation

[0080] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Where possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts. Reference now to Figure 1 This illustration schematically depicts one embodiment of a system 100 for applying a coating 104 to glass articles 102 according to the present disclosure. The system 100 includes a coating station 120 and a conveyor belt 110 operable to transport a plurality of glass articles 102 through the coating station in a travel direction 112. Reference Figure 2 Coating station 120 includes a plurality of spray nozzles 122, each of which is fixedly positioned. The plurality of spray nozzles 122 may be radially distributed around a spray focal point of coating station 120. The plurality of spray nozzles 122 are configured to direct a spray of paint 130 containing polymer coating material onto each of the plurality of glass articles 102 as each glass article 102 passes through coating station 120 to produce a coated glass article 105. The coated glass article 105 exits coating station 120, which contains a coating 104 on the surface of the glass article 102.

[0081] refer to Figure 2A method for coating a glass article 102 according to one or more embodiments may include passing the glass article 102 through a focal point 103 of a coating station 120; and directing a plurality of paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 as the glass article 102 passes through the focal point 103. Each of the plurality of paint sprays 130 may contain atomized droplets of a paint solution. Directing the plurality of paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 as the glass article 102 passes through the focal point 103 applies a paint solution to the surface of the glass article 102 as it passes through the coating station 120.

[0082] This application provides a coating station and a method for coating glass articles, wherein the coating station and the method have a high throughput of coated articles, wherein the processing speed is up to 1500 mm / s, and has no adverse effect on the coating thickness or coating morphology.

[0083] Unless expressly stated otherwise, it is not intended that any method described herein require its steps to be performed in a particular order, nor does it require a particular orientation for any device. Therefore, in cases where a method claim does not actually describe the order in which its steps are followed, or where any device claim does not actually describe the order or orientation of individual components, or where the claims or description do not otherwise specifically state that the steps are limited to a particular order, or where a particular order or orientation of the device's components is not described, it is never intended to infer any order or orientation. This applies to any possible non-expressive basis for interpretation, including: logical questions relating to the arrangement of steps, the flow of operations, the order of components, or the orientation of components; simple meanings derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; and the number or type of embodiments described in the specification.

[0084] As used herein, directional terms (e.g., up, down, right, left, front, back, top, bottom) refer only to the accompanying drawings and coordinate axes provided therewith, and are not intended to imply absolute orientation.

[0085] As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural indicators. Thus, for example, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, a reference to a “a” or “an” component includes an aspect having two or more such components.

[0086] As used in this article, "axial direction" refers to the direction parallel to the central axis A of the glass product.

[0087] As used herein, the terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the positioning of a process or feature of the system relative to the direction of travel of the glass article 102 through the system 100. For example, if the glass article encounters the first feature before encountering the second feature, the first feature is located “upstream” of the second feature. Conversely, if the glass article 102 encounters the second feature before encountering the first feature, the first feature is located “downstream” of the second feature.

[0088] Due to its superior airtightness, optical transparency, and excellent chemical durability compared to other materials, glass is a preferred material for pharmaceutical applications, including but not limited to vials, syringes, ampoules, cartridges, jars, vacuum blood collection tubes, beakers, or other glass products. These pharmaceutical glass containers and other types of glass products can be produced by transforming a glass tube of a certain length into one or more glass products through multiple heating and forming operations.

[0089] In this embodiment, the glass article 102 may be a glass container, such as, but not limited to, vials, syringes, ampoules, cartridges, jars, vacuum blood collection tubes, beakers, or other forms and sizes. In this embodiment, the glass article 102 may be a glass vial, such as a glass vial with ISO size designations from 2R to 50R, wherein the average wall thickness is from about 0.5 mm to about 3 mm or about 1.0 mm. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view depicts an example structure of a glass article 102 containing a glass vial. The glass vial 102 includes: a top portion 154 having an internal opening 160; a neck connecting the top portion 154 to a cylindrical tubular body 159, the cylindrical body 159 including a shoulder 152 near the neck; an outer sidewall surface 151 connected to the shoulder; a base 158 connected to the sidewall surface 151; and a lower / bottom surface 156 connected to the base. Although... Figure 3 The text describes a cylindrical shape, but other solid shapes, such as rectangles or polygons, may also be considered. The systems and methods disclosed herein are described in the context of glass article 102 as a glass vial. However, it should be understood that the systems 100 and methods disclosed herein can be applied to other forms of specification (such as, but not limited to, syringes, ampoules, cartridges, cans, vacuum blood collection tubes, beakers, or other forms of specification) to achieve similar effects.

[0090] There are no particular limitations on the glass composition of glass articles, and they may contain any compatible composition suitable for pharmaceutical and coating applications, such as type 1B borosilicate glass (e.g., Corning® VELOCITY® borosilicate glass), ion-exchanged or non-ion-exchanged aluminosilicate glass (e.g., Corning® VALOR® aluminosilicate glass), or any other glass material that exhibits similar trends in SHR and CDR and ICP-MS measurements.

[0091] Glass compositions, such as VALOR ® Glass (Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY) or VELOCITY ® Glass (Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York) is a preferred glass composition, but not essential. VALOR® glass is a tubular glass packaging solution with Type I hydrolytic properties, significantly reducing particulate contamination and preventing cracking. ® Glass can be formed into vials (Corning Incorporated, Corning, New York), specifically designed for pharmaceutical applications, and optimized for rupture resistance and crack prevention through ion-exchange strengthening and a thermally stable outer coating. VALOR ® Such external coatings on glass vials apply only to the exterior of the vials and therefore do not increase the risks associated with extractable and leached materials. The external coating reduces the coefficient of friction of the vials, resulting in less resistance on the fill line compared to conventional borosilicate vials. External coatings can be added to the outer surface of glass articles to improve their reliability, fracture resistance, and chemical resistance during manufacturing and subsequent packaging and / or transportation. Compositions of such coatings may include any coating capable of being used as a spray coating as described in one or more embodiments as disclosed herein. Coating compositions may include organic materials and contain organic coatings, such as, but not limited to, those described in U.S. Patent No. 9,763,852, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In embodiments, the coating may contain a low-frictional-thermally-stable polymer coating, such as a low-frictional-thermally-stable polyimide coating.

[0092] Existing coating methods typically integrate a spindle device with a single spray nozzle in a spray zone. As the glass article passes through the spray zone of the coating station, the spindle device rotates the corresponding glass article. However, these coating methods are complex and costly to maintain, and require synchronization of the single spray nozzle activation with the spindle device's rotational speed and the glass article's travel speed. Therefore, careful calibration of the coating station is necessary for efficient glass article coating. Due to the complexity of single-spray coating methods with spindle rotation, the average linear velocity of glass articles coated using this configuration is limited to a maximum linear velocity of 250 mm / s for conventional coating stations.

[0093] Besides the slower passage through the coating station and consequently lower throughput of coated articles, conventional systems employing coating methods involving single spray nozzles combined with rotation result in surface morphology defects in the coating formed on glass articles due to pooling effects. Pooling effects refer to the formation of unevenly thick areas of coating solution on the surface of the coated glass article due to gravity and other forces applied to the uncured coating solution as the coated article moves through the coating station. Unless corrected by additional steps, these uneven thickness areas resulting from pooling during the coating process solidify and become permanent surface morphology defects within the coating formed on the glass article. These defects caused by pooling negatively impact product yield, which in turn increases processing costs and further reduces overall throughput. To counteract the pooling issues in traditional single-spray nozzle coating processes, it is necessary to adjust process parameters such as the linear velocity (i.e., conveyor speed), rotational speed, and spray load (e.g., throughput, pressure, viscosity, and solids content of the coating spray) of the glass product, in addition to carefully calibrating the synchronization between the single-spray nozzle and the rotation of the glass product. This further increases the complexity of coating glass products using traditional coating processes, including single-spray nozzles. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of errors or defects in the product and reduces throughput, and may lead to long-term downtime.

[0094] This application discloses a system and method for coating glass articles, which implements two or more spray nozzles that reduce or eliminate coating morphology defects in the coated glass articles, while also enabling an increase in the linear speed of the glass articles through the coating station, thereby increasing the overall throughput. The systems and methods disclosed herein can reduce capital and operating costs by eliminating the need for costly spindle equipment and by improving the efficiency of the coating process.

[0095] Figure 4 A close-up top view of the spray zone of a coating station 120 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The coating station includes two spray nozzles arranged in a basic configuration, during which the glass article 102 does not rotate. In this basic configuration, the spray nozzles 122 are oriented 180° apart from each other and point towards a common center point within the glass article 102, which may coincide with the focal point 103 of the spray zone of the coating station 120 as the glass article 102 passes through the coating station 120. The glass article 102 may travel in a direction 112 perpendicular to the centerline direction 113 (i.e.,...). Figure 4The coordinate axes (+ / -Y directions) pass through focus 103, such that the line connecting the centerline distance (CLD) between the two spray nozzles 122 extends parallel to the centerline direction 113 and perpendicular to the travel direction 112, passing through focus 103. This basic configuration is considered a "coaxial" configuration of the two spray nozzles 122 in the coating station 120. In an embodiment, the incident angle between the paint spray 130 and the spray nozzle 122 is defined as the angle between the main current vector and the travel direction 112 (+ / -Y directions). Figure 4 The angle between the Y-axis and the coordinate axis in the figure, wherein the mainstream vector represents the average flux of the spray contents leaving the spray nozzle 122 in the direction toward the focus 103. Therefore, for a dual-nozzle coaxial configuration, such as Figure 4 As shown, the incident angle of the corresponding spray nozzle 122 is 0°.

[0096] The other two spray nozzle configurations (such as) Figure 5 , 6 The spray nozzle configuration of 7 is considered an "off-axis" configuration, in which the orientation of the spray nozzles 122 causes the spray contents to have a non-orthogonal angle of incidence toward the glass article and the focal point of the coating station. The angle of incidence in the off-axis configuration ranges from greater than 0° (parallel to the centerline direction 113, perpendicular to the travel direction 112) to less than 90° (parallel to the travel direction 112, perpendicular to the centerline direction 113). Without being bound by theory, by orienting the two spray nozzles 122 off-axis, the contents / droplets of the paint spray from the off-axis angle of incidence produce a different residence time on the glass article in the spray zone compared to a paint spray oriented coaxially toward the glass article and the focal point. In this case, residence time refers to the amount of time that droplets of the paint solution emitted by the spray nozzles must interact with the surface of the glass article in the vicinity of the focal point of the coating station before the glass article is removed from the coating station. Unbound by theory, for a configuration with an incident angle of 90°, the droplet will be reflected parallel to the direction of travel, and for a configuration with an incident angle of 0° (e.g., coaxial), the droplet may miss the glass due to the shorter residence time. Therefore, the residence time of a dual-nozzle configuration with an incident angle less than 90° (e.g., 67°) will be longer than that of a dual-nozzle configuration with an incident angle of 0° (coaxial) or a dual-nozzle configuration with an off-axis incident angle of 22°.

[0097] In fact, it has been observed that the residence time of the paint spray can be adjusted by changing the incident angle of the paint spray oriented towards the focal point, thus providing a simple and cost-effective solution for implementing a spinless coating process. Initially, in this study, pooling defects were still observed at low off-axis incident angles (i.e., approximately 22.5°), but unexpectedly, without changing any other process parameters, the pooling effect decreased at an incident angle of 45° and disappeared completely at a steeper off-axis incident angle of 67.5°. That is, the coating throughput and the travel speed of the glass articles remained constant, but the incident angle alone was sufficient to explain the presence or absence of pooling defects. Therefore, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for coating glass articles to reduce or eliminate coating morphology defects without affecting product speed or total throughput and at a lower cost than spinless coating processes.

[0098] Processing vials at high off-axis incident angles reveals another unexpected phenomenon related to the speed at which the glass travels between the spray nozzles. For example... Figure 22 , 23 As shown in Figures 24 and 25, the average thickness of the coating on the glass article is nominally stable and constant at high off-axis angles (i.e., 67.5°), while shallower off-axis angles (i.e., 45° and 22.5°) show a significant decrease in average thickness (nominally reduced by 20% and 30%, respectively), as the bottle speed nearly doubles between 500 mm / s and 900 mm / s. However, the decrease in average thickness at the 67.5° off-axis angle is statistically indistinguishable, and the average thickness remains stable over a wide speed range. This is believed to be the first demonstration that a coating process can significantly increase product speed (the speed at which the glass article travels through the coating station) without significantly interfering with the coating appearance or morphology. Therefore, this disclosure, as described herein, discloses a coating process that is insensitive to processing speed under the studied conditions. This phenomenon has not been observed in conventional coating processes.

[0099] Refer again Figure 1 and 2 This diagram schematically depicts one embodiment of a system 100 disclosed herein for coating glass articles 102 with a polymer coating 104. System 100 includes a coating station 120 and a conveyor belt 110 operable to convey a plurality of glass articles 102 through the coating station 120. The coating station includes a plurality of spray nozzles 122, each of which can be fixedly positioned and oriented relative to a focal point 103. Reference Figure 2Multiple spray nozzles 122 may be radially distributed around the focal point of the spray zone of the coating station 120, and each of the multiple spray nozzles 122 may be configured to direct a paint spray 130 containing a polymer paint solution to each of the multiple glass articles 102 as each of the multiple glass articles 102 passes through the focal point 103 of the spray zone of the coating station 120.

[0100] Conveyor belt 110 is configured to accommodate a plurality of glass articles 102 and can transport the glass articles 102 toward and through coating station 120 in a conveying / travel direction 112. Conveyor belt 110 holds the glass articles by engaging with the surface of each of the glass articles 102 in the coating station that has not received a coating. In an embodiment, conveyor belt 110 may be configured not to rotate the glass articles as they move past the focal point 103 of coating station 120. In an embodiment, conveyor belt 110 may be configured to translate the glass articles 102 through coating station 120 without rotating them.

[0101] The construction of conveyor belt 110 can incorporate any existing or future-developed conveyor system capable of transporting glass articles, such as glass vials, including aluminosilicate vials of sizes from 2R to 50R (e.g., VALOR from Corning). ® Aluminosilicate vials) or borosilicate vials (such as the VELOCITY vials from Corning). ® (Borosilicate vials) or other glass articles suitable for pharmaceutical applications. In an embodiment, conveyor belt 110 may be a linear conveyor belt that transports / transfers the glass article 102 in a straight line through coating station 120. In an embodiment, conveyor belt 110 may include curved rollers that transport the glass article 102 through focus 103 along an arcuate travel path.

[0102] Coating station 120 includes a spray zone (by...) Figure 2(Indicated by the dashed line in the diagram), the spray zone has an input side, a focal point 103, and an output side. The input side engages with the conveyor belt 110 as it transports the glass article 102 to the coating station 120. At the focal point, the glass article 102 is sprayed with a polymer coating solution by spray nozzles 122. The output side outputs coated glass article 105 for further downstream processing, such as curing the polymer coating solution to form a polymer coating 104. The spray zone includes a plurality of spray nozzles 122, each of which points towards the focal point 103. The focal point 103 of the coating station is the location where the glass article 102 is coated. The focal point 103 is a common center point corresponding to the geometric center of the glass article 102, which overlaps with the intersection of the centerline 113, the direction of travel 112, and the axial direction 114. In embodiments, the coating station 120 may include two, three, four, or more than four spray nozzles 122. In one embodiment, the coating station 120 may include two spray nozzles 122. In an embodiment, the coating station 120 may include three spray nozzles 122.

[0103] Each of the plurality of spray nozzles 122 of the coating station 120 can be fluidly coupled to a coating material system 124, which supplies the contents of a polymer coating solution in a suitable liquid form to the spray nozzles 122 located within the spray zone of the coating station 120. The coating material system 124 can be tightly attached to the coating station, or it can be placed remotely from the coating station 120 and connected to it via a series of pipes / tubes. In an embodiment, the coating material system 124 may include a tank and a stirrer. Although in Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, which includes a tank and a stirrer, it should be understood that the coating material system 124 may include any existing or future-developed system for preparing polymer coating solutions and delivering polymer coating solutions to spray nozzles 122.

[0104] Spray nozzle 122 may be fixed within the spray zone of coating station 120 and configured to output a polymer coating solution in the form of a coating spray 130 having a mainstream vector oriented toward the focal point 103 of coating station 120. The mainstream vector refers to the average flux (magnitude and direction) of the spray contents exiting spray nozzle 122. Spray nozzle 122 may have any existing or future nozzle configuration capable of outputting the polymer coating solution as multiple droplets, as described in one or more embodiments herein. Spray nozzle 122 may be oriented relative to the focal point 103 of coating station 120 such that the spray nozzle forms a fixed angle of incidence between the mainstream vector and at least the travel / conveyance direction 112 and one or more directions orthogonal to the travel / conveyance direction. That is, spray nozzle 122 may be oriented to have an off-axis angle of incidence (e.g., ≠ 90 degrees) within the spray zone of coating station 120. The off-axis incident angle of the spray nozzle can be defined as the angle formed between the main flow vector of the spray nozzle 122 and the travel direction 112 in the XY plane, wherein the off-axis incident angle is less than 90° and greater than 0°, wherein a 90° incident angle is defined as parallel to the travel direction 112, and a 0° incident angle is perpendicular to the travel direction 112 and parallel to the centerline direction 113. In an embodiment, as... Figure 5-7 As shown, the spray nozzles 122 can be arranged on opposite sides of the conveyor belt 110, or as... Figure 8 and 9 As shown, multiple spray nozzles 122 can be installed on one side of the conveyor belt.

[0105] After the glass article 102 enters the spray zone of the coating station 120, each corresponding glass article 102 reaches the focal point 103 of the coating station 120, where the spray nozzle 122 is activated to output a paint spray 130 containing a composition of a desired polymeric paint solution oriented toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120. As the glass article 102 passes the focal point 103, droplets of the paint spray 130 contact and adhere to the surface of the glass article 102, thereby covering the surface of the glass article 102 with the polymeric paint solution 104. In an embodiment, the coating station 120 may be configured to produce a continuous flow of paint spray 130 as the glass article 102 continuously translates through the coating station 120.

[0106] The paint spray 130 output from each of the spray nozzles 122 may comprise a paint composition in the form of an atomized stream / droplet cloud. In embodiments, the paint composition may be a heat-resistant paint as described in U.S. Patent No. 10,273,049, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In embodiments, the paint material may be an organic paint, such as, but not limited to, a low-friction paint, as described in U.S. Patent No. 9,763,852, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In embodiments, the paint material may comprise a polymer composition comprising at least one polymer. The polymer may include, but is not limited to, thermally stable polymers or mixtures of polymers, such as, but not limited to, polyimides, polybenzimidazoles, polysulfones, polyetheretherketones, polyetherimides, polyamides, polyphenylene, polybenzothiazoles, polybenzoxazoles, polydithiazoles, and polyaromatic heterocyclic polymers having or not having organic or inorganic fillers. Other types of coating materials suitable for coating glass products were considered, such as glass vials used for pharmaceutical applications, such as vials in sizes from 2R to 50R (as defined in ISO 836201:2018), and vials bearing the Corning Valor trademark. ® Aluminosilicate vials sold under the Corning Incorporated trademark VELOCITY ® We sell borosilicate vials, as well as other Class I chemical durability vials or Class B glass vials conforming to ASTM standard E438-92.

[0107] The atomized stream / droplet cloud of each paint spray 130 can advance toward the focal point 103 of the spray zone of the coating station with a mainstream vector corresponding to the majority of the droplet stream, the mainstream vector comprising an average vector consistent with the orientation of the corresponding spray nozzle outputting the paint spray. The combined stream of droplets from each paint spray 130 reaches the area near the focal point 103 within the spray zone of the coating station 120, and the droplets contact and adhere to the surface of the glass article 102, coalescing to form a polymer coating 104 on the surface of the glass article 102, thereby producing a coated glass article 105, which leaves the coating station 120 for further downstream processing.

[0108] To further enhance the droplet flow efficiency within the spray zone of the coating station 120, an airflow 142 can be introduced through one or more gas nozzles 140 fixed within the spray zone of the coating station. (Reference) Figure 12In the spray zone where the glass article 102 initially did not come into contact with the surface of the glass article 102 as it passed through the focal point 103, droplets 131 of paint retained from the paint spray 130 can be redirected using an airflow 142 to contact another area of ​​the glass article 102 before it leaves the spray zone. The airflow 142 can be provided by one or more gas nozzles 140 placed within the coating station and can be adjusted to produce a desired droplet flow profile that influences the surface morphology of the polymer paint solution 104 on the resulting coated glass article 105 to the desired specifications. By using this configuration (redirecting paint droplets using airflow 142), system efficiency can be improved and operating costs reduced by recovering unused droplets from the paint spray 130, thus avoiding waste of polymer paint solution material. The redirected flow pattern / profile of the paint droplets can include any number or type of flow patterns as needed. Figure 12 A non-limiting example is shown, in which paint droplets 131 are redirected by airflow 142 toward the heel and / or underside / bottom of glass article 102.

[0109] Figure 4 A basic configuration for a spinless coating process according to embodiments described herein is shown, wherein two spray nozzles are coaxially oriented. While this configuration allows for spinless coating of glass articles and is an improvement over single-spray configurations, the resulting coating may still have some defects in surface morphology due to droplet collection and reflection. According to embodiments herein, this application further improves the coaxial dual-spray nozzle configuration by adjusting the angles of the two spray nozzles so that they are oriented at an off-axis incident angle, with one spray nozzle providing a front spray and the other providing a rear spray, for example as... Figure 5-7 As shown.

[0110] refer to Figure 5-7 According to embodiments of this disclosure, coating station 120 may include two spray nozzles 122. The spray nozzles 122 may be oriented such that the flow rate of coating material from each spray nozzle is directed toward the focal point 103 of coating station 120. As previously discussed, the focal point 103 of coating station 120 is located at a common center point in the XYZ coordinate system, which coincides with the geometric center of the glass article 102 as it is conveyed through coating station 120. The X direction coincides with the "coaxial" direction 113 and the centerline extending through the focal point 103 of coating station 120. The Y direction coincides with the travel direction 112 of conveyor belt 110. The Z direction coincides with the axial direction 114, which extends through the geometric center of the glass bottle perpendicular to both the X and Y directions.

[0111] In one embodiment, two spray nozzles 122 may be spaced apart and oriented 180° relative to each other, wherein the openings of the nozzles face each other on the conveyor belt 110, as shown below. Figure 5-7 exemplified. Figure 5 The nozzle 122 is shown to be off-axis at an angle of 22.5°. Figure 6 The nozzle 122 is shown to be oriented at a 45° off-axis, and Figure 7 The nozzle 122 is shown to be oriented at 67.5° off-axis. Although Figure 5-7 Off-axis incident angles of 22.5, 45, and 67.5 are depicted, but embodiments of this disclosure may include other off-axis incident angles. In embodiments, nozzle 122 may be angled at off-axis incident angles of less than 90 degrees and greater than 0 degrees, less than 85 degrees and greater than 20 degrees, less than 80 degrees and greater than 30 degrees, less than 75 degrees and greater than 40 degrees, less than 70 degrees and greater than 45 degrees, less than 70 degrees and greater than 60 degrees, or any subrange thereof. By placing the spray nozzle at an off-axis incident angle, an unexpected phenomenon occurs: the surface morphology of the coating on the glass article 102 improves with increasing off-axis angle, regardless of the speed at which the glass article passes through the focal point. Unbound by theory, it is believed that placing the spray nozzle off-axis to the direction of travel / conveyance produces forward and backward sprays, which increases the residence time of the spray contents of the coating solution at the focal point of the coating station, thereby reducing or eliminating surface morphology defects on the coated glass article without changing any other process parameters. This solution provides a cost-effective and simple method to eliminate common pooling defects and other surface morphology defects in single-spray non-rotation coating processes, while significantly increasing throughput speed compared to single-spray coating processes.

[0112] Now for reference Figure 8 In one embodiment, the coating station 120 may include three spray nozzles 122. Similar to the two-nozzle configuration, the three-nozzle configuration employs three nozzles 122 that are radially fixed around the focal point 103 of the spray area of ​​the coating station 120. The nozzles may be oriented such that both front and rear sprays still exist. Figure 8 The coating station 120 provides two nozzles, 122C and 122A, for front and rear spraying, respectively, and these nozzles are oriented around the focal point 103 to form an internal angle of approximately 120 degrees between them. That is, in a three-nozzle configuration where the spray nozzles 122 are evenly distributed in the angular direction around the focal point 103, the coating station 120 still has at least two nozzles forming a front and rear spray, and similar to a dual-nozzle configuration described herein, having an off-axis angle of incidence relative to the direction of travel 112 and the centerline direction 113. Although Figure 8An interior angle of approximately 120° is depicted, but the interior angle is not limited to 120° and may include angles greater than or less than 120°, such as angles greater than 110° but less than 180°, 110° to 170°, 120° to 160°, 130° to 140°, and any other angles in between, provided that at least two nozzles in the three-nozzle configuration remain off-axis relative to the centerline direction 113 and / or the travel direction 112 to maintain at least one rear spray and at least one front spray.

[0113] The three-nozzle embodiment may also include a neutral spray nozzle oriented to intersect the interior angle formed between the other two nozzles. For example, in Figure 8 In this context, 122B is a neutral spray nozzle, oriented coaxially with the centerline 113 passing through the focal point, and substantially bisects the interior angle between nozzles 122A and 122C. Although Figure 8 The three nozzles depicted show a front spray 122C, a rear spray 122A, and a neutral spray 122B, wherein the neutral spray 122B is coaxial, but other configurations are also considered and are considered within the scope of this disclosure. Other configurations can be achieved by rotating three or more nozzles about a focal axis, making configurations with two front sprays or two rear sprays possible. Compared to a dual-nozzle configuration, providing three nozzles 122, as described in the embodiments of this disclosure, allows for even higher production speeds in a non-rotational coating process. Furthermore, the three-nozzle configuration described in the embodiments herein can produce coated glass articles 105 with an acceptable vial appearance that meets the standard requirements for coated pharmaceutical vials, even with increased coating process speed and reduced solids content per delivered spray.

[0114] In an embodiment, the three-nozzle configuration may also include a heel bend or gas nozzle 140 (see reference) in the spray zone of the coating station. Figure 12 This ensures proper coating and product function at the heel. The heel bend or gas nozzles included in the spray zone can create a flow pattern that redirects overspray (i.e., droplets of paint spray that do not initially contact the glassware in the spray zone) toward the heel and bottom / underside of the glassware.

[0115] although Figure 8 The invention depicts three spray nozzles, but this disclosure is not limited to three nozzles, and the spray area of ​​the coating station may include N spray nozzles 122 oriented around the focal off-axis of the coating station, or include additional neutral spray nozzles. Figure 12 This configuration is depicted in perspective, showing N spray nozzles 122 in the coating station. In embodiments, N can be 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more than 6 spray nozzles. In addition to N spray nozzles, such as... Figure 12 The depiction also includes the addition of heel bends or gas nozzles to further ensure proper coating of the heel and underside of the glassware by redirecting excessive spray.

[0116] This document describes a method for coating a glass article using a system 100 according to an embodiment. The method may include: passing a glass article 102 through a focal point 103 of a coating station 120; and guiding a plurality of paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 as the glass article passes the focal point. Each of the plurality of paint sprays 130 may contain atomized droplets 131 of a paint solution. The plurality of paint sprays 130 are guided to the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 while the glass article 102 passes through the focal point 103. The contents of the paint sprays 130 contact the surface of the glass article 102 and apply the paint solution to the surface of the glass article 102 as the glass article passes through the coating station 120. Guiding the plurality of paint sprays 130 may include guiding at least two paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120, wherein one or more of the plurality of paint sprays 130 are guided toward the focal point 103 from an incident direction different from that of another paint spray among the one or more paint sprays 130.

[0117] In one embodiment, guiding a plurality of paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 may include: atomizing a paint solution to generate a stream of atomized droplets 131 of paint sprays 130; and creating a plurality of flow patterns of droplets with a plurality of gas nozzles to generate a plurality of paint sprays 130, and guiding the plurality of paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103. In another embodiment, guiding a plurality of paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 may include generating a plurality of paint sprays 130 with a plurality of spray nozzles 122, the plurality of spray nozzles being oriented such that the average flow direction of each of the spray nozzles 122 is guided toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120. Guiding the plurality of paint sprays 130 may include guiding at least two of the paint sprays 130 toward the focal point 103 in a direction not orthogonal to the direction of travel of the glass article 102 through the focal point 103 of the coating station 120. The at least two of the paint sprays 130 may include at least one front spray and at least one rear spray. At least one front spray and at least one rear spray can each be oriented with a spray angle less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein the spray incident angle is defined as the acute angle formed between the average direction of the mainstream vector of the spray contents of the at least one front spray or the at least one rear spray and the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station. The direction of travel 112 of the glass article through the coating station can be a linear direction of travel or a line tangent to a curved path of travel at the focal point 103 of the coating station 120. The centerline 113 of the glass article 102 is a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article 102 and the focal point 103 of the coating station 120 and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article 102 through the coating station 120. The cross-sectional plane of the glass article 102 is a plane parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article 102. The spray incident angle is defined as the acute angle formed between the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station and the spray direction of the mainstream vector of the spray contents of the coating spray in the cross-sectional plane of the glass article. In an embodiment, multiple paint sprays, including at least one front spray and at least one rear spray, can be oriented to have a spray incident angle of less than or equal to 45 degrees.

[0118] In an embodiment of the method, when the centerline of the glass article coincides with the focal point 103 of the coating station 120, each of the plurality of coating sprays 130 may have a main stream vector that defines an average spray direction parallel to the cross-sectional plane of the glass article 102.

[0119] In an embodiment of the method, when the centerline of the glass article 102 coincides with the focal point 103 of the coating station 120, one or more of the multiple coating sprays 130 may have a main spray vector that defines the average spray direction at a non-zero angle to a plane perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article 102.

[0120] In embodiments of the method, guiding multiple paint sprays 130 may further include guiding three or more paint sprays toward the focal point 103 of the coating station 120. In embodiments, the three or more paint sprays may be uniformly distributed around the focal point 103 of the coating station 120. The three or more paint sprays 130 may include at least two front sprays or at least two rear sprays. The three or more paint sprays 130 may include at least one front spray, at least one rear spray, and at least one neutral spray, wherein the at least one neutral spray may be oriented to have a spray direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article 102 through the coating station 120. In embodiments, the three or more paint sprays 130 may include two sprays forming an interior angle with respect to each other, the interior angle being defined between corresponding main flow vectors representing the average flow direction of the contents of the two sprays toward the focal point of the coating station. The interior angle may be less than 180 degrees and greater than or equal to 120 degrees.

[0121] In an embodiment, the method may further include redirecting stray droplets of the paint solution back toward the glass article 102 in the coating station 120, wherein the stray droplets may include oversprays or droplets of the paint solution deflected from the surface of the glass article. The stray droplets may be redirected by an airflow generated by one or more gas nozzles 140 arranged in the coating station 120. The method may further include redirecting the stray droplets toward the heel, bottom, or both of the glass article 102, which comprises a glass container having a bottom.

[0122] In an embodiment, the method may further include passing the glass article 102 through the coating station 120 at a speed greater than or equal to 300 mm / s, greater than or equal to 500 mm / s, greater than or equal to 1000 mm / s, greater than or equal to 1500 mm / s, or greater than or equal to 1800 mm / s. The method may further include passing the glass article 102 through the coating station 120 at a variable speed adjustable between 300 mm / s and 1800 mm / s. In an embodiment, when the glass article 102 passes the focal point 103 of the coating station 120, the rotational speed of the glass article 102 about the centerline of the glass article is zero. In an embodiment, the method does not include rotating the glass article 102.

[0123] In an embodiment, the method may further include continuously passing a plurality of glass articles 102 through a coating station 120, wherein the plurality of glass articles 102 are pharmaceutical containers or pharmaceutical vials. The pharmaceutical vials may comprise aluminosilicate or borosilicate glass vials with a size ranging from 2R to 50R.

[0124] As described herein, the method according to one or more embodiments may further include measuring the thickness profile of a polymer coating on a glass article downstream of the coating station; and, based on the thickness profile of the polymer coating, varying the distance from the nozzle to the focal point, the flow rate of the polymer solution, the spray angle of one or more of a plurality of coating sprays, or a combination of these.

[0125] Example

[0126] The various embodiments of coated glass articles disclosed herein will be further illustrated by the following examples. These examples are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0127] Example 1: Two spray nozzles

[0128] As described in one or more embodiments disclosed herein, a first series of experimental examples were conducted using a dual-spray nozzle configuration. Figure 5-7 The two spray nozzles depicted contain the orientation within the coating station. Figures 19 to 26 A comparison is depicted between the off-axis angle of the spray nozzle and the size of the surface morphology of the coating on the glass article. For two spray nozzle examples, a 16.75R glass vial is conveyed at a constant speed through the spray zone of a coating station containing two spray nozzles 122 spaced 180° apart from each other and off-axis oriented with respect to a centerline direction 113, resulting in front spray and rear spray. The off-axis angles relative to the centerline direction 113 are set to 22.5°, 45°, and 67°, the speeds are set to 500 mm / s, 700 mm / s, and 900 mm / s, and the spacing between the spray nozzles (also referred to as the centerline distance (CLD)) is set to 110 mm.

[0129] The example coated glass vials were analyzed using a linear film measurement method, and Figure 19 , 20 The results are described in 21. Figure 19 , 20 Figures 21 and 21 illustrate one or more embodiments of a linear film measurement line scan of a coated 16.75R vial via a coating station with a dual-spray nozzle configuration, according to the disclosure herein. The linear film measurement measures the thickness of the coating along the height of the vial, from the shoulder (left side of the figure) to the heel (right side of the figure). Figure 19 A, 19B, and 19C show an off-axis angle of 22.5°. Figure 20 A, 20B, and 20C show an off-axis angle of 45°, and Figure 21 A, 21B, and 21C show an off-axis angle of 67.5°. Figure 19 A, 20A, and 21A are at a speed of 500 mm / s. Figure 19 B, 20B, and 21B are at a speed of 700 mm / s, and Figure 19 C, 20C, and 21C are applied at a speed of 900 mm / s, where the speed refers to the speed of the glass product as it moves through the focal point of the coating station.

[0130] Now for reference Figure 19 The average coating thickness of both AC and 20A-C sprays, with an off-axis angle not exceeding 45°, on the glass vials showed some convergence at the base of the vials, independent of the travel speed of the vials through the coating station. Specifically, Figure 19 A-19C and 20A-20C each show an average thickness starting from 40 ( Figure 19 (A and 20A) or centered on 40 ( Figure 19 One or more peaks of (B and 20B) are present in the heel section of the glass vial, while the rest of the vial has a relatively stable average thickness.

[0131] Now for reference Figure 21 As the off-axis angle increases to greater than 45°, the two sprays become more forward and backward than they intersect with the vial path through the focal point, and at an off-axis angle of 67.5°, the convergence near the base is significantly reduced or completely eliminated. Specifically, Figure 21 A depicts a coating with an average thickness that stabilizes at approximately 50 nm and is substantially linear across the entire height of the vial, without any discernible peaks, including the base region near a value of 40. Therefore, by changing the off-axis angle of the two spray nozzles to 67.5°, the pooling at the base of the vial is eliminated at a rate of 500 mm / s (twice the throughput rate of 250 mm / s for conventional processes) through the coating station. Thus, compared to conventional coating methods using a single spray nozzle approach, providing a dual spray nozzle configuration as described in one or more embodiments herein improves the surface morphology of the coated vial, reduces complexity by eliminating the need to rotate the vial or synchronize multiple moving parts, and also provides a significantly higher travel speed through the coating station, resulting in a higher overall throughput. Figure 21 B and Figure 21 C shows that even at speeds up to 900 mm / s, an off-axis angle of 67.5° provides the same effect. Therefore, it has been demonstrated that a dual-nozzle configuration according to one or more embodiments described herein can increase the throughput of coated glass vials to 3-5 times the speed of a conventional coating station with a single spray nozzle in which the glass vials rotate. This increase in throughput can be achieved without sacrificing the appearance and surface morphology of the coating.

[0132] Figure 22 ,23 Figures 24 and 24 depict the rate dependence of the average coating thickness obtained using linear film measures from 16.75R vials of the experimental example series. Figure 22 and Figure 23 As shown, the off-axis angles of 22.5° and 45° indicate that the average coating thickness of the glass vials varies with the speed of the vials passing through the coating station. Specifically, in Figure 22 In the study, for an off-axis angle of 22.5°, the average coating thickness on the glass vial decreased by 25 nm as the speed of the vial passing through the coating station increased from 500 mm / s to 900 mm / s. Figure 23 In the study, for an off-axis angle of 45°, as the speed at which the glass vials passed through the coating station increased from 500 mm / s to 900 mm / s, the average thickness of the coating on the glass vials decreased by 10 nm.

[0133] For an off-axis angle of 67.5°, an unexpected result emerged: the average coating thickness on the glass vials showed no dependence on the vial's speed. That is, even when the speed of the glass vials passing through the coating station nearly doubled, increasing from 500 mm / s to 900 mm / s, the average coating thickness remained the same. While not bound by theory, this observation demonstrates the effect of off-axis orientation of the spray nozzle at a 67.5° angle to the centerline direction, providing an average coating thickness independent of the vial's speed, and reducing congestion at the heel by providing both front and rear sprays along the vial's path as it passes through the spray zone of the coating station.

[0134] Figure 25 This is a composite graph of the results from a series of off-axis dual-gun experimental examples. The average coating thickness is on the Y-axis, while the off-axis angle, CLD, and velocity are on the X-axis. Angle 22.5° is located on the left side of the graph, angle 45° in the middle, and angle 67.5° on the right side. Figure 25 As depicted, the average coating thickness decreases with increasing glass vial travel speed (where the centerline distance (CLD) is relatively small (e.g., 110 mm)) at skew angles of 22.5° and 45°. However, this phenomenon was not observed at the same CLD of 110 mm and in this figure at the high-angle configuration with a skew angle of 67.5°.

[0135] Figure 26This is a combined box and whisker diagram illustrating various conditions tested in the dual-gun configuration experimental example series. The effect of the spray incident angle on the overall coating thickness is significant, as the average coating thickness increases with increasing incident angle. More specifically, at zero-degree off-axis (i.e., coaxial), the average coating thickness decreases significantly with increasing speed. With increasing off-axis incident angle, even with increased speed, the average coating thickness increases compared to the coaxial incident angle. Furthermore, while the apparent dependence of coating thickness on speed decreases between runs, this figure most clearly shows that the coating thickness increases with increasing off-axis incident angle, while the speed dependence of thickness is offset. The increased presence of both front and rear spray gun results contributes to more robust stability under a variety of operating conditions.

[0136] Example 2: Three spray nozzles

[0137] A second series of examples was implemented using the three-nozzle configuration described and illustrated herein. The second example series used 16.75R vials of the same size as the dual-nozzle examples, and all other processing parameters were the same as the first example series, except that a third nozzle was included in the spray zone of the coating station. The three nozzles were oriented around a focal point, as shown... Figure 7 The coated glass vials obtained through the spray zone of a coating station with a three-nozzle configuration were analyzed using methods similar to those used in the dual-nozzle example, such as COSMOS, bright field, and linear film measurement.

[0138] Figure 13 Linear film metric measurements of the coating on a coated glass vial in a three-nozzle configuration are depicted. (Reference) Figure 13 The first line, 1304, represents the average thickness of the coating on the glass vial, as measured from the neck to the heel of the vial traveling through the coating station at a speed of 900 mm / s. The second line, 1302, represents the average thickness of the coating on the coated glass vial, as measured from the neck to the heel of the vial traveling through the coating station at a speed of 1800 mm / s. Figure 13 As shown, even at a speed of 1800 mm / s, the average coating thickness of line 1302 from the neck to the heel remains close to 20 nm. Therefore, this figure illustrates the high efficiency of the spin-coating process according to one or more embodiments described herein. That is, acceptable vial appearance can be obtained with higher productivity than previously assumed. Furthermore, suitable coatings can be achieved on glass vials at a significantly higher throughput (above 1800 mm / s) compared to a single-spray spin-coating process (250 mm / s).

[0139] The three-gun, spin-free coating process can also be adapted to larger vial sizes, with minimal parameter adjustments, thus further outperforming complex single-spray processes. Figure 18 A bright-field (BF) image of a larger 6R glass vial is shown, sprayed using settings typically found for 16.75R vials (e.g., 130 mm CLD and 1300 mm / s travel speed) in a three-nozzle configuration. The image shows stripes / stitching, indicating irregularities in coating thickness on the vial, such as areas of greater average thickness and areas of thinner thickness (see [link to image]). Figure 18 (The arrows in the image). However, despite the imperfect results, the images confirm the adaptability of the rotationless coating process described herein, as the three-nozzle coating method coats larger glass vials without altering the setup between different vial sizes. This demonstrates the simplicity and adaptability of the systems and methods described herein for the rotationless coating process during pharmaceutical manufacturing setups, where less complex process parameters (such as changing the number of nozzles to four or more, or altering the CLD, travel speed, and nozzle pressure between nozzles) can be adjusted for the spray residence time before coating occurs, thereby providing the ability to achieve a uniform coating process for vials of any size in a rotationless coating process. Such adaptability is not readily available in conventional single-spray processes with rotation, as the entire process line must be calibrated for each corresponding vial size and carefully recalibrated by adjusting the rotational and travel speeds of the spindle equipment.

[0140] In one or more examples and embodiments disclosed herein, the vial moves at a constant speed past the focal point of the coating station; however, variable speeds may also be considered. Furthermore, although spin coating processes are not discussed in this disclosure, rotation with corresponding angular velocities can be implemented to customize and adjust the coating morphology on glass articles.

[0141] While various embodiments of system 100 and methods for coating glass articles 102 using system 100 have been described herein, it should be understood that each of these embodiments and techniques may be used alone or in combination with one or more embodiments and techniques.

[0142] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Therefore, this specification is intended to cover modifications and variations to the various embodiments described herein, provided that such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for coating glass articles, the method comprising: To make the glass products pass through the focal point of the coating station; as well as As the glass article passes the focal point, multiple paint sprays are directed toward the focal point of the coating station, wherein: Each of the plurality of paint sprays contains atomized droplets of paint solution; and As the glass article passes through the focal point, the multiple coating sprays are directed toward the focal point of the coating station, which applies the coating solution to the surface of the glass article as it passes through the coating station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paint sprays comprises at least one pre-spray and at least one post-spray.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one front spray and the at least one rear spray are each oriented with a spray incident angle of less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein the spray incident angle is defined as an acute angle formed between the mainstream vector and the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station, the mainstream vector representing the average direction of the contents of the spray in the at least one front spray or the at least one rear spray.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one front spray and the at least one rear spray are each oriented with a spray incident angle of less than 90 degrees and greater than 0 degrees, wherein: The glass article travels through the coating station in a linear direction or along a curved path tangent to the focal point of the coating station. The centerline of the glass article is a line that passes through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station and is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; The cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the center line of the glass article; and The spray incident angle is defined as the acute angle formed between the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station and the mainstream vector of the coating spray, the mainstream vector including the average spray direction of the coating spray in the cross-sectional plane of the glass article.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one front spray and the at least one rear spray are each oriented to have a spray angle of less than 45 degrees.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing two paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein both coating sprays are orthogonal to the direction of travel of the glass article through the focal point of the coating station.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the two paint sprays is oriented to have a spray angle of less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein: The glass article travels through the coating station in a linear direction or along a curved path tangent to the focal point of the coating station. The centerline of the glass article is a line that passes through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station and is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; The cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the center line of the glass article; and The spray angle is defined as the acute angle formed between the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station and the spray direction of the coating spray in the cross-sectional plane of the glass article.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing three or more paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the three or more paint sprays are uniformly distributed around the focal point of the coating station.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising at least two pre-sprays or at least two post-sprays.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising at least one pre-spray, at least one post-spray, and at least one neutral spray, wherein the at least one neutral spray is oriented to have a spray direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station comprises: Atomize the paint solution to generate the atomized droplets of the paint spray; and Multiple flow patterns of the droplets are created using multiple gas nozzles to generate the multiple paint sprays, and the multiple paint sprays are directed toward the focal point.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein directing the plurality of paint sprays toward the focal point of the coating station comprises generating the plurality of paint sprays with a plurality of spray nozzles, the plurality of spray nozzles being oriented such that the average flow direction of each of the spray nozzles is directed toward the focal point of the coating station.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising redirecting stray droplets of the coating solution back toward the glass article in the coating station, wherein: The stray droplets comprise excessive sprays or droplets of the coating solution deflected from the surface of the glass article; and The stray droplets are redirected by an airflow generated by one or more gas nozzles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the glass article comprises a glass container having a bottom, and wherein the method further comprises redirecting stray droplets toward the heel, bottom, or both of the glass container.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The thickness profile of the polymer coating on the glass article is measured downstream of the coating station; Based on the thickness profile of the polymer coating, the distance from the nozzle to the focal point, the flow rate of the polymer solution, the spray angle of one or more of the plurality of coating sprays, or a combination of these, are varied.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising passing the glass article through the coating station at a speed greater than or equal to 300 mm / s, greater than or equal to 500 mm / s, greater than or equal to 1000 mm / s, or greater than or equal to 1500 mm / s.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing a plurality of glass articles continuously through the coating station.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of glass articles are drug containers.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of glass articles are pharmaceutical glass vials.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein when the centerline of the glass article coincides with the focal point of the coating station, each of the plurality of coating sprays has an average spray direction parallel to the cross-sectional plane of the glass article, wherein: The glass article travels through the coating station in a linear direction or along a curved path tangent to the focal point of the coating station. The centerline of the glass article is a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station, and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; and The cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane that is parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the center line of the glass article.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein when the centerline of the glass article coincides with the focal point of the coating station, one or more of the plurality of coating sprays have an average spray direction forming a non-zero angle with a plane perpendicular to the centerline of the glass article, wherein: The glass article travels through the coating station in a linear direction or along a curved path tangent to the focal point of the coating station. The centerline of the glass article is a line passing through the geometric center of the glass article and the focal point of the coating station, and perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station; and The cross-sectional plane of the glass article is a plane that is parallel to the direction of travel and perpendicular to the center line of the glass article.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotational speed of the glass article is zero when the glass article passes through the focal point of the coating station.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the method does not include rotating the glass article.

26. A coated glass article prepared according to the method of claim 1, wherein the coated glass article comprises a plurality of splicing regions, wherein the splicing region is defined as the region where the thickness of the polymer coating increases due to the overlap of two coating sprays in the coating spray.

27. The coated glass article of claim 26, wherein the coated glass article is a pharmaceutical container.

28. The coated glass article according to claim 26, wherein the coated glass article is a pharmaceutical glass vial.

29. A system for coating glass articles with a polymer coating, the system comprising a coating station and a conveyor belt operable to convey a plurality of the glass articles through the coating station, wherein: The coating station includes multiple spray nozzles, each of which is in a fixed position. The plurality of spray nozzles are radially distributed around the spray focus of the coating station; and The plurality of spray nozzles are configured to direct a spray containing polymer coating material toward each of the plurality of glass articles as each glass article passes through the coating station.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the coating station comprises two spray nozzles.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein each of the two spray nozzles is oriented to guide the spraying of the polymer coating solution in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the plurality of glass articles through the coating station.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the two spray nozzles comprise a first spray nozzle and a second spray nozzle, wherein: The first spray nozzle is positioned upstream of the focal point of the coating station and is oriented to direct a first spray of the polymer coating solution toward the focal point of the coating station; and The second spray nozzle is positioned downstream of the focal point of the coating station and is oriented to direct a second spray of the polymer coating solution toward the focal point of the coating station.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle each form a spray angle of less than or equal to 67.5 degrees, wherein the spray angle is defined as an acute angle formed between the average direction of the spray vector of the first spray nozzle or the second spray nozzle and the direction of travel of the plurality of glass articles through the coating station.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle each have a spray angle of less than 45 degrees, wherein the spray angle is defined as an acute angle formed between the average direction of the spray vector of the first spray nozzle or the second spray nozzle and the direction of travel of the plurality of glass articles through the coating station.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the coating system comprises three or more spray nozzles.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the three or more spray nozzles are uniformly spaced in an angular direction around the focal point of the coating system.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the three or more spray nozzles comprise at least two front spray nozzles or at least two rear spray nozzles.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the three or more spray nozzles comprise at least one front spray nozzle, at least one rear spray nozzle, and at least one neutral spray nozzle, wherein the neutral spray nozzle is oriented to have a spray direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the glass article through the coating station.

39. The system of claim 29, further comprising one or more gas jets positioned to guide an airflow that redirects droplets of the coating solution back toward the glass article in the coating station.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the conveyor belt is operable to convey the glass article through the coating station at a speed greater than or equal to 300 mm / s, greater than or equal to 500 mm / s, greater than or equal to 1000 mm / s, or greater than or equal to 1500 mm / s.

Images