Optical Coating Cartridge System for Rapid Material Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coating systems face difficulties in quickly switching between different coating materials and curing methods due to the need for purging and cleaning of reservoirs and apparatuses, making it challenging to accommodate various coating materials and substrates efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A coating system with replaceable cartridges containing a recirculation loop, diaphragm and piston pumps, and multiple coating apparatuses, including ultrasonic and spin coating, allows for quick material switching and efficient application of different coatings, along with independent curing stations for thermal, UV, and IR curing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single coating material reservoir and coating apparatus are used, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but it cannot accommodate different coating materials and substrates efficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The coating system is divided into separate functional modules: multiple replaceable cartridges (each containing a reservoir and coating apparatus), a shared recirculation loop with pumps, and a curing station. This segmentation allows individual cartridges to be swapped for different coating materials without affecting the entire system, resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The recirculation loop and pumps serve multiple cartridges simultaneously, acting as a universal resource shared across different coating materials. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity while enabling accommodation of various coating materials through the universal recirculation infrastructure.
2Productivity
If the coating material reservoir and coating apparatus are purged and cleaned to switch materials, then cross-contamination is prevented, but the switching time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material is extracted into separate replaceable cartridges that can be quickly swapped. By taking the coating material out of a shared reservoir and placing it in individual cartridges, the system eliminates the need for purging and cleaning of a common reservoir, dramatically reducing material switching time while preventing cross-contamination through physical separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, fixed reservoir configuration to a dynamic, replaceable cartridge system. This allows the coating material storage to adapt quickly to different materials by simply replacing cartridges rather than cleaning, enabling fast material switching while maintaining system readiness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single curing station is used, then the system structure is simplified, but it cannot cure different types of coating materials effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The curing station is configured with localized, adjustable curing zones that can be tailored to specific coating material requirements. Each curing position can be independently controlled to provide appropriate UV, thermal, or other curing methods for different materials, enabling versatile curing capabilities while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design.
4Productivity
If multiple discrete processing stations are used for small batches, then each coating material can be processed with dedicated equipment, but the production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple coating apparatuses and their associated reservoirs are merged into a single integrated system with a shared recirculation loop and common curing station. This combining approach maintains the ability to process different coating materials (equivalent to multiple discrete stations) while consolidating shared resources to improve production efficiency and reduce the overall number of independent processing stations.
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
Enables rapid and efficient application of multiple coating materials on optical articles with minimal waste, supporting automated production and product tracking, while maintaining control over coating quality and orientation.
Implementation Method 1
a first pump and a second pump in fluid communication with the recirculation loop. The second pump of each of the engaged at least one replaceable cartridge may be operable to aspirate the select amount of the coating material from the recirculation loop
Implementation Method 2
The first coating apparatus may include an ultrasonic discharge nozzle configured for atomizing the select amount of coating material from the engaged at least one coating reservoir
Implementation Method 3
The second coating apparatus may be a spin coating apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
A coating system for coating an optical article includes at least one replaceable cartridge having a reservoir configured for containing a volume of a coating material. a recirculation loop in fluid communication with the reservoir, and a first pump and a second pump in fluid communication with the recirculation loop. The coating system further includes at least one coating apparatus operable to coat at least a portion of the optical article with a select amount of the coating material from an engaged at least one replaceable cartridge. The second pump of each of the engaged at least one replaceable cartridge is operable to aspirate the select amount of the coating material from the recirculation loop and deliver the select amount of the coating material to the at least one coating apparatus.