Controlled-Environment Enclosures for Glass Article Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing glass article manufacturing processes are susceptible to environmental conditions and solvent vapor contamination, which can affect coating performance and introduce contaminants.
Innovation Solution
Enclosures with controlled environments that maintain temperature, humidity, and airflow to capture solvent vapors and prevent particle contamination, using laminar flow and negative pressure to ensure clean, conditioned air surrounds the glass articles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If spray coating techniques are used to apply coatings to glass articles, then coating application is achieved, but the performance depends on ambient environmental conditions and solvent vapors contaminate the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts solvent vapors from the ambient environment by introducing them into a controlled enclosure where they can be captured and removed through filtration systems, separating the harmful vapors from the general workspace atmosphere
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a controlled atmospheric environment within the enclosure that maintains specific temperature, humidity, and air composition parameters, effectively creating an inert-like environment that prevents unwanted chemical reactions and controls solvent vapor behavior
2Device complexity
If ambient environment is used for glass article coating, then process simplicity is maintained, but particles in the ambient environment contaminate the glass article
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a controlled environment within the enclosure that filters and conditions the air to remove particles while maintaining appropriate atmospheric parameters for coating curing, creating a clean atmosphere similar to inert environments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces air filtration systems and environmental control mechanisms as intermediary elements between the ambient environment and the glass articles, allowing beneficial atmospheric conditions while blocking harmful particles
3Object-affected harmful factors
If controlled environment enclosure is implemented, then solvent vapors are captured and particles are prevented, but the complexity of the manufacturing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the manufacturing space into separate zones: an enclosed controlled environment for coating operations and the ambient workspace, allowing environmental control to be applied only where needed rather than throughout the entire facility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions within the enclosure system including environmental control, vapor capture, particle filtration, and temperature/humidity regulation into a single integrated structure, reducing overall system complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The enclosures effectively reduce solvent vapor release and particle contamination, ensuring high-quality coatings and preventing environmental pollution, while optimizing airflow for uniform coating application.
Implementation Method 1
using laminar flow and negative pressure to ensure clean, conditioned air surrounds the glass articles
Implementation Method 2
using laminar flow and negative pressure to ensure clean, conditioned air surrounds the glass articles
Data Source
AI summary
An enclosure for providing a controlled environment includes a central plane extending through a top end of the enclosure and a bottom end of the enclosure and bisecting the enclosure along a width of the enclosure, an inlet at the bottom end of the enclosure having an inlet width, Winlet, an enclosure wall extending from the inlet to the top end of the enclosure, an entry port at the top end of the enclosure, and an outlet between the entry port and the chamber region of the enclosure wall. The enclosure wall comprises a chamber region and a transition region between the inlet and the chamber region. The width of the chamber region, Wchamber, is substantially constant through the chamber region. The width of the enclosure in the transition region decreases from Wchamber to Winlet, and a ratio of Winlet to Wchamber is from 1:2 to 1:5.