Double-Sided Coater Using Transverse Guide Roll and Floating Drier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional double-sided gravure kiss coaters face instability in substrate contact and increased size due to drying requirements, leading to suboptimal coating performance.
Innovation Solution
A compact double-sided coater design featuring two gravure kiss coaters with small-diameter rolls and a floating drier, where the first coater coats one surface laterally and the second coater coats the other surface from below, with a guide roll transitioning the substrate from vertical to horizontal, ensuring stable and uniform coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a dryer is placed before the downstream guide roll to dry the substrate surface, then the substrate can be properly dried, but the distance between guide rolls must increase, causing the coater size to increase one-dimensionally
Solution Approach 1:
The invention repositions the dryer from a longitudinal arrangement (before the downstream guide roll) to a transverse arrangement (between the two coaters). This dimensional change allows the dryer to be integrated into the width direction rather than extending the length, thus drying the substrate without increasing the coater's one-dimensional size.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the dryer with the coating system by positioning it between the first and second coaters in the transverse direction. This integration allows the dryer to share space with the coating mechanisms, eliminating the need for separate longitudinal space and reducing the overall coater footprint.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the distance between guide rolls is increased to allow drying time, then the substrate can be dried, but the contact between substrate and gravure roll becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the dryer to the transverse direction between the coaters, the substrate remains in stable contact with the guide rolls in the longitudinal direction while still allowing drying to occur. The dryer operates in a different spatial dimension that does not interfere with the substrate-guid roll contact stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If two coaters are arranged in the longitudinal direction, then both sides of the substrate can be coated, but the coater size increases one-dimensionally
Solution Approach 1:
The invention arranges the first and second coaters in the transverse direction rather than the longitudinal direction. The first coater coats one surface while the substrate travels vertically, and the second coater coats the other surface from below after the guide roll transitions the substrate to horizontal travel. This two-dimensional arrangement enables double-sided coating without increasing the coater's longitudinal footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The coaters are positioned asymmetrically relative to the substrate path - the first coater is upstream and lateral, while the second coater is downstream and below the substrate. This asymmetric arrangement allows both coaters to operate simultaneously in the transverse direction without interfering with each other, achieving compact double-sided coating.
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
This configuration enables highly accurate double-sided coating while downsizing the coater, reducing contact time and area, and maintaining coating uniformity between surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a floating drier drying the substrate with the coated surfaces
Implementation Method 2
a coating section contacting the traveling substrate while floating
Implementation Method 3
allowing the gravure roll to contact the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A double-sided coater 1 includes a first coater 5a coating a surface not contacting a guide roll 4b, and a second coater 5b coating another surface contacting the guide roll 4b. Each of the first and second coaters 5a and 5b includes a gravure kiss coater including a small-diameter gravure roll 10 and a coating liquid supplier 30. The guide roll 4b guides a substrate S from a vertical direction to a horizontal direction to allow the first coater 5a to coat the substrate S from a lateral point while the substrate S travels vertically, and to allow the second coater 5b to coat the substrate S from a lower point while the substrate S travels horizontally.