coating device

Abstract

The present invention provides a coating device that can reduce the workload of workers performing maintenance tasks, including disassembly, cleaning, and assembly. [Solution] This coating apparatus 100 is a coating apparatus for applying a coating liquid to a material to be coated 90, and comprises a coating section 50 including a coating channel 51 having an inlet 52 into which the coating liquid 1 flows, and a manifold 30 including a supply channel 31 for supplying the coating liquid 1 to the inlet 52 of the coating section 50. Multiple coating channels 51 are provided, arranged adjacent to the coating section 50, and connected to the respective inlets 52 of the coating channels 51.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating apparatus, and particularly to a coating apparatus including a coating section and a manifold. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, a coating apparatus including a coating section and a manifold has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 mentioned above discloses a coating apparatus including a coating section (coating die) and a supply flow divider (manifold). In Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the coating section divides the coating liquid supplied from a main supply port by the supply flow divider, and supplies the divided coating liquid to a plurality of supply ports of the coating section arranged at the supply end of the coating section via a plurality of coating section supply pipes. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 114700233 Specification [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, the coating apparatus described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above requires a plurality of coating section supply pipes for supplying coating liquid to the plurality of supply ports of the coating section, which results in a large number of components constituting the coating apparatus and a complicated structure, and thus it is considered that there is a problem that the work burden on an operator who performs maintenance work of the coating apparatus including disassembly, cleaning, assembly, etc. is heavy.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the problems as described above, and one object of the present invention is to provide a coating apparatus capable of reducing the work burden on an operator who performs maintenance work including disassembly, cleaning, assembly, etc. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a coating apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a coating apparatus for applying a coating liquid to a material to be coated, comprising a coating section including a coating channel having an inlet into which the coating liquid flows, and a manifold including a supply channel for supplying the coating liquid to the inlet of the coating section, wherein a plurality of coating channels are provided, and the manifold is arranged adjacent to the coating section and connected to each of the inlets of the coating channels.

[0008] In one aspect of this invention, the coating apparatus is positioned adjacent to the coating section and connected to the inlets of each of the multiple coating channels. This simplifies the structure of the coating apparatus that supplies coating liquid to multiple coating channels. As a result, the workload of workers performing maintenance on the coating apparatus, including disassembly, cleaning, and assembly, can be reduced.

[0009] In the coating apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the inlets of the multiple coating channels are connected to the manifold without the need for piping. This eliminates the need for piping to supply coating liquid from the manifold to the multiple coating channels, thereby simplifying the structure of the coating apparatus and suppressing an increase in the number of parts. As a result, the workload of workers performing maintenance work on the coating apparatus, including disassembly, cleaning, and assembly, can be further reduced.

[0010] In the coating apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, the manifold includes openings positioned to correspond to some inlets so as to be connectable to some of the coating channels selected from among a plurality of coating channels. With this configuration, the desired coating channel to which the coating liquid is supplied can be selected depending on the presence or absence of the openings in the manifold.

[0011] In this case, preferably, the opening is formed in an opening component that constitutes a manifold connected to the inlet, and the manifold is configured so that the opening component is replaceable. This allows for the selection of the coating flow path for supplying the coating liquid by replacing the opening component of a manifold with a different opening position. In general, coating equipment requires the application position of the coating liquid to be changed according to the specifications of the final product, including the material to be coated. In this configuration, changing the application position of the coating liquid is possible simply by replacing the opening component of the manifold. As a result, in the coating equipment, it is possible to standardize parts other than the opening component of the manifold while accommodating changes in the specifications of the material to be coated.

[0012] In the coating apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, a first flow rate adjustment mechanism is further provided, which is connected to the manifold without piping and to the coating section without piping, and adjusts the flow rate of the coating liquid supplied from the manifold to the coating section. With this configuration, the flow rate of the coating liquid can be adjusted at a position close to the application position by the first flow rate adjustment mechanism. As a result, the responsiveness of the control for applying the coating liquid to the material to be coated can be improved.

[0013] In this case, preferably, the system further includes a discharge pipe connected to the manifold for discharging the coating liquid in the manifold's supply channel. This allows the coating liquid to be discharged from the manifold via the discharge pipe when the pressure of the coating liquid remaining in the manifold becomes high. As a result, the pressure rise of the coating liquid in the manifold can be suppressed. Furthermore, the coating liquid can be discharged from the manifold via the discharge pipe. This suppresses the settling of components contained in the coating liquid remaining in the manifold.

[0014] In the coating apparatus according to the first aspect described above, preferably, a supply pipe connected to a manifold and supplying coating liquid to the manifold, and a second flow rate adjustment mechanism provided in the supply pipe for adjusting the flow rate of coating liquid flowing into the manifold are further included, and the supply passage of the manifold and the inlet of the coating passage are directly connected without piping. With this configuration, the flow rate of coating liquid flowing into the manifold can be adjusted collectively by the second flow rate adjustment mechanism without having to install the first flow rate adjustment mechanism in each of the multiple coating passages. As a result, the number of flow rate adjustment mechanisms that adjust the flow rate can be reduced, further simplifying the coating apparatus. In addition, this eliminates the need for piping to supply coating liquid from the manifold to the coating passage, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of coated parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a coating apparatus that can reduce the workload of workers performing maintenance work, including disassembly, cleaning, and assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing a coating apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows the coating liquid applied to the material to be coated according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a left front view of the coating section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the coating section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a plan view of the coating area according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the spacer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the spacer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] This is an exploded perspective view of the coating area according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a disassembled perspective view of the manifold according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10]It is a diagram illustrating a coating apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a left front view of a coating unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a front view of a coating unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a plan view of a coating unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] It is an exploded perspective view of a coating unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a diagram illustrating a coating apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] It is a diagram illustrating coating liquid applied on a workpiece according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a left front view of a coating unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a rear view of a coating unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] It is a front view of a coating unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 20] It is a plan view of a spacer according to a third embodiment. [Figure 21] It is a front view of a spacer according to a third embodiment. [Figure 22] It is an exploded perspective view of a coating unit according to a modified example. [Figure 23] It is an exploded perspective view of a manifold according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] [First Embodiment] (Configuration of coating apparatus) The configuration of a coating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the coating apparatus 100 in the first embodiment is configured to apply coating liquid 1 onto a workpiece 90.

[0020] The coating apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment comprises a coating liquid tank 10, a pump 20, a supply pipe 21, a manifold 30, a first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41, a coating section 50, and a discharge pipe 61. In the drawings, the short direction (one direction in the horizontal plane) of the coating section 50 is defined as the X direction. The up-down direction (vertical direction) of the coating section 50 is defined as the Z direction. The upward direction is defined as the Z1 direction, and the downward direction as the Z2 direction. The longitudinal direction of the coating section 50 is defined as the Y direction.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the coating liquid 1 is applied to the material to be coated 90 at a desired position and with a desired thickness. The coating liquid 1 is, for example, an insulating material. In the coating device 100, the application section 50 can change the position to which the coating liquid 1 is applied to the material to be coated 90. In addition, the coating device 100 can adjust the discharge amount of the coating liquid 1 using the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 so that the coating liquid 1 is applied to the material to be coated 90 with a desired thickness.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the coating liquid tank 10 is configured to store the coating liquid 1. The coating liquid 1 is sent from the coating liquid tank 10 to the pump 20 via the supply pipe 21.

[0023] Pump 20 is configured to supply the coating liquid 1. Pump 20 is operated at a predetermined output range. The coating liquid 1 flows into pump 20 from the coating liquid tank 10 via the supply pipe 21. Pump 20 supplies the coating liquid 1 to the coating section 50 via the supply pipe 21, manifold 30, and first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, the coating section 50 includes a coating channel 51 having an inlet 52 into which the coating liquid 1 flows. The coating section 50 also includes a slit 53 and a discharge port 54. The coating section 50 is made of, for example, stainless steel.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, multiple coating channels 51 are provided. Each of the multiple coating channels 51 extends inward from the Z1-side surface of the coating section 50 (Z2 direction). The multiple coating channels 51 are arranged along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the coating section 50. The coating channels 51 are directly connected to the slit 53. The coating liquid 1 flows from the manifold 30 through the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 to the inlet 52, and flows out through the coating channels 51 to the slit 53. The coating channels 51 have, for example, a cylindrical shape.

[0026] The coating channel 51 has an inlet 52 into which the coating liquid 1 flows. As shown in Figure 5, the inlet 52 is located on the Z1 side of the coating section 50. The coating liquid 1 flows into the inlet 52 from the manifold 30 through the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41. The inlet 52 has, for example, a circular shape.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the slit 53 is provided inside the coating section 50 such that its short direction aligns with the short direction (X direction) of the coating section 50, and as shown in Figure 4, its long direction aligns with the long direction (Y direction) of the coating section 50. The slit 53 is connected to a plurality of coating channels 51. The coating liquid 1 supplied from the coating channels 51 to the slit 53 flows out to the discharge port 54. For example, the coating section 50 is provided with one slit 53. The width of the slit 53 (the width of the discharge port 54 in the Z direction) is constant. The coating liquid 1 may also flow out from the coating channels 51 to the first notch 56 of the spacer 55, which will be described later.

[0028] The discharge port 54 is provided at the X1 side end of the slit 53. The coating liquid 1 supplied from the slit 53 is discharged from the discharge port 54 onto the material to be coated 90. This coats the material to be coated 90 with the coating liquid 1. The material to be coated 90 is attached to the roller 91 such that the width direction B of the material to be coated 90, as shown in Figure 2, is aligned with the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the discharge port 54. The material to be coated 90 is conveyed by the roller 91 in the A direction (direction perpendicular to the B direction) of the material to be coated 90, as shown in Figure 2. The roller 91 rotates with an axis aligned with the Y direction as its axis of rotation.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, a spacer (shim) 55 may be provided in the slit 53. As shown in Figure 6, the spacer 55 has a first spacer notch 56. As shown in Figure 7, the thickness t (in the Z direction) of the spacer 55 is constant to match the shape of the slit 53. The first spacer notch 56 is connected to the coating channel 51, and the coating liquid 1 flows into it. The coating liquid 1 that flows into the first spacer notch 56 passes through the first spacer notch 56 and is discharged onto the material to be coated 90 from the discharge port 54 connected to the first spacer notch 56. As a result, the coating liquid 1 is applied to the position of the material to be coated 90 corresponding to the first spacer notch 56.

[0030] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the manifold 30 is provided with a supply pipe connection port 34 for connecting to the supply pipe 21. Specifically, the supply pipe connection port 34 is provided on the Y2 side of the manifold 30. The manifold 30 is connected to each inlet 52 of the first coating flow path 51 without piping. Specifically, the manifold 30 is connected to the first inlet 52 via a first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41, which will be described later. The manifold 30 is positioned adjacent to the coating section 50. Specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the manifold 30 is positioned on the Z1 side of the coating section 50.

[0031] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the manifold 30 includes a supply channel 31 for supplying the coating liquid 1 to the inlet 52 of the coating section 50. The manifold 30 includes an opening component 33 having an opening 32 positioned to correspond to some of the inlets 52 so as to be connectable to some of the coating channels 51 selected from among a plurality of coating channels 51 (see Figure 8). The opening component 33 is configured to be replaceable.

[0032] As shown in Figure 9, the supply channel 31 is provided inside the manifold 30 such that its short and long directions are aligned with the short direction (X direction) and long direction (Y direction) of the manifold 30, respectively. The supply channel 31 supplies the coating liquid 1 supplied from the supply pipe 21 to a plurality of coating channels 51. The supply channel 31 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0033] The opening 32 is provided in the opening component 33 at a position corresponding to the selected inlet 52, so as to enable connection between the inlet 52 of a selected portion of the coating channels 51 and the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30. The coating liquid 1 flows out through the opening 32 into the coating channel 51 corresponding to the position of the opening 32. For example, two openings 32 are provided. The opening 32 has, for example, a circular shape.

[0034] Furthermore, the coating channel 51 for supplying the coating liquid 1 can be changed by replacing the opening component 33. That is, the coating channel 51 for supplying the coating liquid 1 can be changed by replacing the opening component 33, which have openings 32 formed in different positions. The opening component 33 is composed of, for example, one opening component 33. The opening 32 is connected to the inlet 52 via the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41, which will be described later. The opening component 33 may be composed of multiple plates.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the supply pipe 21 is connected to the manifold 30 and supplies the coating liquid 1 to the manifold 30. The supply pipe 21 also connects the coating liquid tank 10 to the pump 20, and the pump 20 to the manifold 30. The coating liquid 1 flows from the coating liquid tank 10 through the supply pipe 21 to the pump 20, and flows from the pump 20 through the supply pipe 21 to the manifold 30.

[0036] The discharge pipe 61 is connected to a discharge pipe connection port (not shown) of the manifold 30 and discharges the coating liquid 1 from the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30. The discharge pipe 61 is also connected to the coating liquid tank 10, forming a circulation path that returns the coating liquid 1 to the coating liquid tank 10. In addition, a pressure regulating valve (not shown) may be installed in the discharge pipe 61 to prevent the pressure of the coating liquid 1 accumulating in the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30 from exceeding a certain level.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, in the first embodiment, the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 is configured to connect the manifold 30 and the coating section 50 without piping. The first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 adjusts the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 supplied from the manifold 30 to the coating section 50. The first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 also equalizes the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 supplied from the manifold 30 to each of the coating channels 51. Specifically, the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 is provided between the manifold 30 and the coating channels 51. Furthermore, the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 is directly connected to the opening 32 of the manifold 30 and the inlet 52 of the coating channels 51 without piping. The first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 is, for example, an on / off valve that switches between a fully open state and a fully closed state of the coating channel 51 connected to the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41. The flow rate of the coating liquid 1 supplied to the coating channels 51 may be adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41. Furthermore, the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 may control the pressure of the coating liquid 1 supplied to the coating channel 51. The first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 may be controlled by a computer or operated manually. Two first flow rate adjustment mechanisms 41 are arranged, for example, corresponding to the number of openings 32.

[0038] (Effects of the first embodiment) Next, the effects of the first embodiment will be described.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the manifold 30 is positioned adjacent to the coating section 50 and connected to the inlets 52 of each of the multiple coating channels 51. This simplifies the structure of the coating apparatus 100 that supplies the coating liquid 1 to the multiple coating channels 51. As a result, the workload of workers performing maintenance on the coating apparatus 100, including disassembly, cleaning, and assembly, can be reduced.

[0040] In the first embodiment, as described above, the coating device 100 has multiple coating channels 51 connected to the manifold 30 without piping. This eliminates the need for piping to supply the coating liquid 1 from the manifold 30 to the multiple coating channels 51, thereby simplifying the structure of the coating device 100 and suppressing an increase in the number of parts. As a result, the workload of workers performing maintenance work on the coating device 100, including disassembly, cleaning, and assembly, can be reduced.

[0041] In the first embodiment, as described above, the manifold 30 includes openings 32 positioned to correspond to some inlets 52 so as to be connectable to some of the coating channels 51 selected from among a plurality of coating channels 51. This makes it possible to select the desired coating channel 51 to supply the coating liquid 1 depending on the presence or absence of the openings 32 in the manifold 30.

[0042] In the first embodiment, as described above, the opening 32 is formed in the opening component 33 that constitutes the manifold 30 connected to the inlet 52, and the manifold 30 is configured so that the opening component 33 is replaceable. This allows for a change in the selection of the coating flow path 51 that supplies the coating liquid 1 by replacing the opening component 33 of manifolds 30 that have different opening 32 positions. In addition, generally, the coating apparatus 100 needs to change the coating position of the coating liquid 1 according to the specifications of the final product including the material to be coated 90. In this configuration, changing the coating position of the coating liquid 1 is possible simply by replacing the opening component 33 of the manifold 30. As a result, in the coating apparatus 100, it is possible to standardize parts other than the opening component 33 of the manifold 30 while accommodating changes in the specifications of the material to be coated 90.

[0043] In the first embodiment, as described above, the coating apparatus 100 is further equipped with a first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 that is connected to the manifold 30 without piping and to the coating section 50 without piping, and adjusts the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 supplied from the manifold 30 to the coating section 50. This allows the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 to be adjusted at a position close to where the coating liquid 1 is applied by the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41. As a result, the responsiveness of the control for applying the coating liquid 1 to the material to be coated 90 can be improved.

[0044] In the first embodiment, as described above, the coating apparatus 100 is further equipped with a discharge pipe 61 connected to the manifold 30 for discharging the coating liquid 1 in the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30. This allows the coating liquid 1 to be discharged from the manifold 30 via the discharge pipe 61 when the pressure of the coating liquid 1 accumulating in the manifold 30 becomes high. As a result, the pressure rise of the coating liquid 1 accumulating in the manifold 30 can be suppressed. In addition, the coating liquid 1 can be discharged from the manifold 30 via the discharge pipe 61. This suppresses the settling of components contained in the coating liquid 1 accumulating in the manifold 30.

[0045] [Second Embodiment] Next, the configuration of the coating apparatus 100a according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0046] As shown in Figure 10, in the second embodiment, a second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 is provided in place of the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 in the first embodiment. Components identical to those in the first embodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals in the figure, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0047] In the second embodiment, the second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 is provided in the supply piping 21 and adjusts the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 flowing into the manifold 30a. That is, the second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 adjusts the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 supplied to the multiple coating channels 51 of the coating section 50 all at once. The second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 is, for example, an on / off valve that switches between a fully open state and a fully closed state of the supply piping 21. The second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 may also adjust the flow rate of the coating liquid 1 flowing into the manifold 30a by adjusting the opening degree of the second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42. The second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 may also control the pressure of the coating liquid 1 flowing into the manifold 30a. The second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 may be controlled by a computer or operated manually.

[0048] As shown in Figure 11, the manifold 30a is connected to the coating channel 51 via the inlet 52.

[0049] As shown in Figure 12, the coating liquid 1 flows from the manifold 30a into the inlet 52, passes through the coating channel 51, and flows out into the slit 53. Alternatively, the coating liquid 1 may flow from the coating channel 51 into the first notch 56 of the spacer 55.

[0050] The coating channel 51 has an inlet 52 into which the coating liquid 1 flows. As shown in Figure 13, the inlet 52 is located on the Z1 side of the coating section 50. The coating liquid 1 flows into the inlet 52 from the manifold 30a. The inlet 52 has, for example, a circular shape.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, in the second embodiment, the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30a and the inlet 52 of the coating channel 51 are directly connected without piping. Specifically, the manifold 30a is positioned on the Z1 side of the coating section 50 such that the opening component 33 faces the Z2 side. The opening component 33 is also positioned so that the opening 32 and the inlet 52 of the coating channel 51 are in communication. As a result, the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30a and the inlet 52 of the coating channel 51 are directly connected without piping.

[0052] The other configurations of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0053] (Effects of the second embodiment) Next, the effects of the second embodiment will be described.

[0054] In the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, the coating apparatus 100a further includes a supply pipe 21 connected to the manifold 30a and supplying coating liquid 1 to the manifold 30a, and a second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 provided in the supply pipe 21 and adjusting the flow rate of coating liquid 1 flowing into the manifold 30a. The supply channel 31 of the manifold 30a and the inlet 52 of the coating channel 51 are directly connected without piping. As a result, the flow rate of coating liquid 1 flowing into the manifold 30a can be adjusted collectively by the second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 without having to install the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 in each of the multiple coating channels 51. As a result, the number of flow rate adjustment mechanisms that adjust the flow rate can be reduced, further simplifying the coating apparatus 100a. In addition, this eliminates the need for piping to supply coating liquid 1 from the manifold 30a to the coating channels 51, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0055] [Third Embodiment] Next, the configuration of the coating apparatus 100b according to the third embodiment will be described.

[0056] As shown in Figure 15, in the third embodiment, unlike the first and second embodiments, not only coating liquid 1 but also coating liquid 101 is applied to the material to be coated 90 simultaneously. Components identical to those in the first embodiment are shown in the figure with the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0057] The coating apparatus 100b according to the third embodiment further comprises a coating liquid tank 110, a pump 120, and a supply pipe 121. The supply pipe 121 connects the coating liquid tank 110 and the pump 120, and also connects the pump 120 to the coating unit 150. The coating liquid 101 flows from the coating liquid tank 110 through the supply pipe 121 to the pump 120, and flows from the pump 120 through the supply pipe 121 to the coating unit 150.

[0058] As shown in Figure 16, coating liquid 1 and coating liquid 101 are applied to desired positions on the material to be coated 90. Coating liquid 101 is, for example, a component material of the positive electrode (battery material).

[0059] In the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 17, the coating section 150 further includes a second coating channel 151 having a second inlet 152 into which a coating liquid 101 different from the coating liquid 1 flows.

[0060] As shown in Figure 18, the second coating channel 151 is provided inside the coating section 150 such that the longitudinal direction of the second coating channel 151 is aligned with the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the coating section 150. As shown in Figure 17, the coating liquid 101 flows into the coating section 150 from the second inlet 152 of the second coating channel 151. The second coating channel 151 is directly connected to a slit 153 inside the coating section 150, causing the coating liquid 101 to flow out into the slit 153. The second coating channel 151 has, for example, a cylindrical shape.

[0061] The second coating channel 151 has a second inlet 152 through which a coating liquid 101 different from the coating liquid 1 flows. As shown in Figure 18, for example, the second inlet 152 is provided on the X2 side of the coating section 150. The coating liquid 101 flows into the second coating channel 151 through the second inlet 152. The second inlet 152 has, for example, a circular shape.

[0062] As shown in Figure 19, a spacer (shim) 155 may be provided in the slit 153. As shown in Figure 20, the spacer 155 further has a second spacer notch 157. As shown in Figure 21, the thickness t (in the Z direction) of the spacer 155 is constant to match the shape of the slit 153. The coating liquid 101 flows from the second coating channel 151 into the slit 153, passes through the second spacer notch 157, and is discharged onto the material to be coated 90 from the discharge port 54 connected to the second spacer notch 157. As a result, the coating liquid 101 is applied to the position of the material to be coated 90 corresponding to the second spacer notch 157. The coating liquid 1 and the coating liquid 101 are discharged from the discharge port 54 onto the material to be coated 90 without mixing.

[0063] The other configurations of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0064] (Effects of the third embodiment) Next, the effects of the third embodiment will be described.

[0065] In the third embodiment, as described above, the coating apparatus 100b further includes a second coating channel 151 having a second inlet 152 into which a coating liquid 101 different from the coating liquid 1 flows. This allows the coating liquid 1 and the coating liquid 101 different from the coating liquid 1 to be supplied to the coating section 50 simultaneously. As a result, the coating apparatus 100 can apply the coating liquid 1 and the coating liquid 101 to the material to be coated 90 simultaneously.

[0066] [Differentiation] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (exceptions) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0067] For example, in the first to third embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the manifold 30 is positioned on the Z1 side of the coating section 50, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the manifold 30 may be positioned on the X2 side or the Z2 side of the coating section 50.

[0068] In the first to third embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the supply pipe connection port 34 of the manifold 30 is provided on the Y2 side, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the supply pipe connection port 34 of the manifold 30 may be provided on the X2 side, Y1 side, or Z1 side of the manifold 30.

[0069] In the first and second embodiments described above, examples were shown in which the openings 32 are provided in the opening component 33 at positions corresponding to the selected inlet 52, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in Figure 22, in the present invention, multiple openings 32 are provided in the opening component 33 at positions corresponding to the selected inlet 52 and the unselected inlet 52, and as shown in Figure 23, a blocking plate 35 may be provided in the openings 32 corresponding to the unselected inlet 52 to prevent the coating liquid 1 from flowing out.

[0070] In the first to third embodiments described above, examples were shown in which the opening component 33 is configured to be replaceable, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the opening component 33 may be fixed to the manifold 30 in a way that makes it irreplaceable.

[0071] In the first to third embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the manifold 30 and the coating unit 50 are connected without piping by the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the manifold 30 and the coating unit 50 may be connected without piping by a mechanism other than the first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41.

[0072] In the first and third embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the discharge pipe 61 is connected to the coating liquid tank 10, forming a circulation path that returns the coating liquid 1 to the coating liquid tank 10. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the discharge pipe 61 is not connected to the coating liquid tank 10, and the coating liquid 1 may be discharged directly (to the outside) from the discharge pipe 61.

[0073] In the second embodiment described above, a second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42 is provided in the supply piping 21, and an example is shown in which the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30a and the inlet 52 of the coating channel 51 are directly connected. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, in addition to the second flow rate adjustment mechanism 42, a first flow rate adjustment mechanism 41 may be further arranged between the supply channel 31 of the manifold 30a and the inlet 52 of the coating channel 51.

[0074] In the third embodiment described above, an example was shown in which a coating liquid 101 different from the coating liquid 1 flows into one coating section 150, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the coating section 50 into which the coating liquid 1 flows and the coating section 150 into which the coating liquid 101 flows may be provided separately.

[0075] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, examples were shown in which the coating devices 100, 100a, and 100b are configured to apply coating liquids 1 and 101 from the discharge port 54 to the material to be conveyed 90 in a substantially horizontal direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the coating devices 100, 100a, and 100b may be configured to apply coating liquids 1 and 101 from the discharge port 54 to the material to be conveyed 90 in a substantially vertical direction.

[0076] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, the coating apparatus 100, 100a, and 100b were shown to transport the material to be coated 90 using a roll-to-roll method, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the coating apparatus 100 may transport the material using a single-sheet method.

[0077] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, the coating devices 100, 100a, and 100b were shown to apply two lines of coating liquid 1 to the material to be coated 90, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the coating devices 100, 100a, and 100b may be configured to apply one or three or more lines of coating liquid 1 to the material to be coated 90.

[0078] Furthermore, in the third embodiment described above, the coating device 100b was shown to apply one strip of coating liquid 101 to the material to be coated 90, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the coating device 100b may be configured to apply two or more strips of coating liquid 101 to the material to be coated 90.

[0079] Furthermore, while the first to third embodiments described above show an example where one discharge port 54 is provided in the coating section 50 or 150, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the discharge port 54 may be divided into multiple ports, or one discharge port 54 may be divided into multiple ports. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1. 101 Coating Liquid 21, 121 Supply piping 30, 30a manifold 31 Supply channel 32 openings 33 Opening component 41 1st flow rate adjustment mechanism 50, 150 coating area 51 Coating channel 52 Inlet 61 Discharge pipe 90 Material to be coated 100, 100a, 100b coating apparatus

Claims

1. A coating apparatus for applying a coating liquid to a material to be coated, A coating section including a coating channel having an inlet into which the coating liquid flows, The application section comprises a manifold including a supply channel for supplying the coating liquid to the inlet of the application section, Multiple coating channels are provided, The manifold is positioned adjacent to the coating section and connected to each of the inlets of the coating flow path in the coating apparatus.

2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the manifold is connected to each of the inlets of the coating flow path without the use of piping.

3. The aforementioned manifold is Includes an opening component having an opening positioned at a location corresponding to some of the inlets so as to be connectable to some of the coating channels selected from the plurality of coating channels, The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening component is configured to be replaceable.

4. The coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a first flow rate adjustment mechanism for connecting the manifold and the coating unit without piping, and for adjusting the flow rate of the coating liquid supplied from the manifold to the coating unit.

5. The coating apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a discharge pipe connected to the manifold for discharging the coating liquid in the supply channel of the manifold.

6. The system further comprises a supply pipe connected to the manifold for supplying the coating liquid to the manifold, and a second flow rate adjustment mechanism provided in the supply pipe for adjusting the flow rate of the coating liquid flowing into the manifold, The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply channel of the manifold and the inlet of the coating channel are directly connected without the use of piping.

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