JP2008517764A - Coating die with simplified assembly features - Google Patents

Abstract

  At least a first portion (12) and a second portion (14) that together define a cavity in fluid communication with the first applicator slot and to fasten the first portion relative to the second portion. And a slot application die (10) having at least one simple attachment / detachment fixture (48, 52) disposed on the surface. The present invention is particularly suitable for making a multi-layer coating die that includes a third portion, where the second portion and the third portion together define a second cavity in fluid communication with the second applicator slot. The preferred back-operated quick-release fastening eliminates the need for disassembly of the entire die to access one of the internal parts to replace the shim or to clean the slot.

Description

  The present invention relates generally to a die configuration for applying a coating material to, for example, a web of indeterminate length material, and more particularly to a coater having features that facilitate easy assembly and disassembly.

  It is known to apply a fluid onto a web of material. Such application is often conveniently performed using an application die having a cavity in communication with the applicator slot. The pressurized liquid is poured into the cavity and then extruded from the applicator slot onto a desired substrate, such as an indefinite length of material or a web of individual articles.

  In die application, it is highly desirable to accurately control the die shape to achieve a die assembly with uniform slot height. The uniformity of the slot height depends on the flatness, the rigidity and the joining method of the two parts including the die. A shim may be used between the die parts (often used), and its dimensional uniformity is also a factor. This desirably uniform slot is in fluid communication with the cavity inside the die so that a uniform flow is maintained across the width of the die when the fluid to be applied is pumped into the cavity under pressure. .

  More complex multi-layer dies with two or more applicator slots are well known, and two of many liquid layers can be uniformly applied simultaneously to apply indeterminate length materials or webs of individual articles. Used to spread. As the number of layers increases and errors occur in stages during assembly, precise control of the die shape becomes more difficult. In general, measurement slots for layers in manifolds and multi-layer dies are precisely machined using standard fasteners such as bolts that are threaded over one part and into the next. It is formed by joining the formed metal parts and clamping the parts together. This creates several problems with the multi-layer die, such as having to disassemble the entire die in order to access one of the inner layers in order to change shims or to clean the slot. This often happens to cover the top of the fixture that joins the lower part of the next layer to the next lower part.

  The use of bolts to assemble the coating die causes a second problem, for example in dies that do not have fixed pins between the layers, to ensure a specific alignment. If it is desirable that the two layers that together define the manifold cavity and associated applicator slot be repositionable during assembly to change the overbite between the edges of the outlet end of the slot Such alignment pins are often essential. The reaction torque from the first bolt that is to be tightened tends to twist the upper part relative to the lower part and is not fixed so that the part does not rotate before snugly fitting the bolt Often impairs placement.

  The present invention accurately joins the main die parts together so that the user can independently assemble, reposition or disassemble individual layers without interfering with other layers already assembled. A multilayer slot coating die is provided. This is conveniently achieved by a series of quick-release fixtures that are preferably attached to specially designed recesses inside the die body. With respect to such a simple detachable fixture, it is particularly advantageous that the cam is rotated along an axis parallel to the die splitting plane. With such fixtures, the user who assembles the die has unlimited access to the fixture through the exposed back of the die at any point during the assembly process, even after multiple layers are assembled up and down. be able to.

  More particularly, the present invention provides at least a first portion and a second portion that together define a cavity of a die that is in fluid communication with the first applicator slot, and a first relative to the second portion. It can be thought of as a device comprising a die having at least one quick-release fixture arranged to fasten the parts. More generally, there is at least a second quick release fixture arranged to fasten the first part relative to the second part, and any force that tends to twist the die parts relative to each other. More preferably, it is less likely to be affected. In practice, a very wide die may require multiple quick-release fasteners to provide sufficient stability and clamping force.

  In a preferred embodiment, the quick release fixture is of a type that allows the first part of the die to be fastened to the second part by the quick release fixture over a range of relative positions. This range is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the first applicator slot. This allows the operator to assemble the die so as to provide an accurate amount of offset when one edge of the applicator slot advances relative to the other edge relative to the substrate being coated. Can do. When the lower web edge of the slot is advanced relative to the roll relative to the upper web edge, the offset is referred to in the industry as “overbite” and when the opposite is true, it is referred to as “underbite”. There is. Additional information regarding the use of offset die edges in die coating is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,759,274 to Maier et al. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference. Compared to the applicator slot, it is particularly advantageous if the quick release fixture can be operated from the rear of the die.

  The present invention is particularly suitable for making a multi-layer coating die that includes a third portion, where the second portion and the third portion together define a second cavity in fluid communication with the second applicator slot. The preferred rear-operated quick-release fixture eliminates the need for disassembly of the entire die to access one of the internal parts to replace the shim or to clean the slot.

  One particularly convenient quick-release fixture that can be used in connection with the present invention is configured to be attached to one of the first part or the second part and extend to a recess in the other part. The other part, which includes a stud, has a rotatable cam that is positioned so as to exert a variable force on the stud when rotating.

  Even in situations where it is desirable to provide non-simple detachment fixtures such as bolts to handle the anticipated forces that tend to separate the die parts, the simple detachment fixtures of the type just described are Assembly can be facilitated. More specifically, such a cam-lock fixture retains, without torque, about the axis perpendicular to the die separation surface, such as a bolt, when torque is applied. . Thus, such a cam lock fixture is provided to secure the die part together before the bolt is used and, if used, its fastening to withstand the tendency to twist the die part out of the bolt. Power can be used.

  With this in mind, the present invention can also be thought of as a method of assembling a coating die, comprising at least a first die portion and a second die portion that together define a cavity in fluid communication with the first applicator slot. And at least one simple attachment / detachment fixture arranged to fasten the first portion with respect to the second portion, and operating the simple attachment / detachment fixture. In many preferred embodiments of the method, the quick release fixture is of a type that allows the first part of the die to be fastened to the second part by the quick release fixture over a range of relative positions. It is. This range is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the first applicator slot. In these embodiments, the method includes a first to a second portion within the position range to achieve a predetermined offset between the first portion and the second portion in the application slot. Can further include positioning the portion.

  In some preferred variations of this method, the quick release fixture is configured to hold without exerting a torsional force about an axis perpendicular to the separation surface of the die portion. In these variations, the method is most easily adapted to the further step of fastening the first part to the second part by at least one non-simple removal fixture.

  In the drawings, like parts have like reference numerals.

  It should be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Various modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description without departing from the scope of this invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein.

Definitions Dispensing chambers of most application dies have a common general shape. They are oriented in a direction that substantially intersects the web and are connected to applicator slots (sometimes referred to in the industry as slits or lands), which are also referred to as distribution chambers or channels in the industry. Included). As used herein, the term “manifold” means a cavity as defined above, as well as any other passage between the cavity and the applicator slot, including the applicator slot.

  As used herein, the term “fastening” means using a mechanism to apply a force that tends to fix two objects in positional relationship to each other. The term does not imply that two objects are actually in contact. With respect to the present invention, the die portions are often slightly separated by incompatible shims. However, when the mechanism is used to fix the relative position, the die parts are fastened.

  Referring now to FIG. 1, a specific front perspective view of a coating die 10 is shown. The application die 10 includes a first die portion 12, a second die portion 14 and a third die portion 16. In many advantageous embodiments, the portions are separated by shims as illustrated herein as shims 18 and 20. Thereby, the height of the applicator slot can be conveniently adjusted. First applicator slot 22 and second applicator slot 24 are conveniently defined by shim 18 and shim 20, respectively. Applicator slot 22 is in fluid communication with the fluid distribution cavity defined by first die portion 12 and second die portion 14, and applicator slot 24 is defined by second die portion 14 and third die portion 16, respectively. However, these cavities are not visible in this view of the assembled application die 10.

  In the present invention, there is at least one quick-release fixture used to fasten the first portion 12 to the second portion 14. The simple detachment fixture can be operated without repetitive movements and a wide variety of mechanical means will be apparent to those skilled in the art. A rotatable, linear cam configuration, taper connection and over-center toggle are non-limiting examples of simple removable fixtures. With respect to the present invention, the simple detachable fixture is of a type that allows the first portion to be fastened to the second portion by the simple detachable fixture over a range of positions relative to each other, this range being the first. Means oriented in a direction perpendicular to the other applicator slot are highly preferred. In addition, a mechanized device may be used to engage or release the quick release fixture.

  A simple detachment fixture that can provide this advantage is shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective detail view with the main focus on the simple attachment / detachment fixture. The separated portion of the first die portion 12 is shown separated from the second die portion 14 by the original dividing line. The first die portion 12 includes a recess 40 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the dividing line. The recess 40 intersects a lateral hole 42 that extends to the opening 44 in the rear surface 46 of the first die portion 12. The recess 40 is sized to accommodate a stud 48 that is attached to the die portion 14. The stud 48 has a seating surface 50 that is conveniently formed to interact with the rotatable cam 52. The stud 48 is attached so that the seating surface 50 can be fixed at any one of a plurality of positions in a direction perpendicular to the separation surface of the die portions 12 and 14. The rotatable cam 52 is formed such that it can exert a variable force that tends to pull the first die portion 12 against the second die portion 14 depending on the rotational position relative to the seating surface 50. The rotatable cam 52 is conveniently provided with a tool feature 54 so that it can be manipulated in the side hole 42 with a tool such as a square drive wrench or hex wrench, depending on the details of the feature. A set screw 56 is provided to hold the rotatable cam 52 which is spring loaded in the lateral hole 42 after assembly. The rotatable cam 52 preferably has a notch 58 in the exposed surface to provide tactile feedback to the user. Whenever the notch 58 is rotated to near the tip of the set screw 56, it clicks into the correct rotational position for release and die disassembly. The rotatable cam 52 is also marked with a mark on the exposed surface to point to the correct rotational position for release. The set screw 56 also provides a means for adjusting the axial position of the rotatable cam 52 by the tip of the ramp on which the spring loaded cam 52 rests. By further screwing the set screw 56 into the die, the rotatable cam is returned into the recess containing the rotatable cam.

Example 1
The applicating die, which has two applicator slots each 25 cm wide and is shown in its entirety in FIG. 1, is made of stainless steel and comprises six simple detachment fixtures, which are shown in its entirety in FIG. ing. More specifically, these simple attachment and detachment fixtures include studs suitable for D1-2 "cam lock spindle ends. The studs are 7/16" (11 mm) in diameter and are seated there. The surface is inclined 40 ° from the normal. The studs are equipped with 3 / 8-24UNF screws so that the height of the studs can be adjusted incrementally by 41 mils (1 mm) during initial assembly. The straight cam is nominally 5/8 "(15.8 mm) in diameter, and the 210 ° profile is 0.063" -0.004 "(1.6-0.1 mm) smaller than the outer circumference, approximately 60 mils (1 The eccentricity of the stud follower with respect to the cam was 0.358 "(9.1 mm).

  The coating die was tested under pressure to compare the performance of a conventional holding screw commonly used for joining with the die portion and the performance of a cam lock fixture. A 3.7 mil (0.09 mm) layer of 3M 5490 extruded PTFE (3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota) tape was applied to the split surface of the upper block, Next, it was laminated on the lower block. Piping to Rosemount 3051C pressure transmitter (Emerson Process Management, Rosemount Division, Chanhassen, Minnesota) and pneumatic regulator For this purpose, a mounting bracket was screwed into the supply port of the lower block.

  A Mitutoyo Digimatic digital indicator (Mitutoyo / MTI Corporation, Aurora, Illinois) with the axis of the indicator perpendicular to the split plane and the slot exit It was attached to the lower block using a magnetic stand so that it was just above the upper block located on the symmetry line of the assembly near the end. The indicator was then set to zero relative to the upper surface of the upper block parallel to the dividing plane.

  Subsequently, the blocks were joined together manually using a 1/4 "square end driver to fasten the cams clockwise. When the block was pressurized to 60 psig, the indicator reading was 3 mils (0 The air was blown out of the die along the edge of the dividing plane facing the supply port side, then the air pressure was released and the cam was given a torque of about 60 in-lbs. When pressurized, this time the indicator reading did not change and there was no audible sound of leakage.When the air supply was stopped, the pressure in the block slowly dropped to zero in a period of 3 minutes. became.

Comparative Example For comparison, the coating die was replaced with the coating die of Example 1 except that the simple detachment fixture was replaced by a conventional 3 / 8-24 socket head cap screw that completely penetrated the upper block. The structure was almost similar. These were given a torque of 60 in-lbs, ie 1/6 of the maximum torque of this fixture. Subsequently, as described above in Example 1, the block was taped and pressurized. The result was similar to the test in which the simple removable fixture was also given a torque of 60 in-lbs. Similar results occurred when the torque of the cap screw increased to 480 in-lbs. Lowering the holding screw torque to 30 in-lbs resulted in a lip distortion of 0.3 mil (0.0076 mm). This proves that the simplicity of the simple removable fixture can be achieved without reducing the sealing force.

1 is a perspective view of an exemplary coating die according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective detail view highlighting a preferred type of simple removable fixture.

Claims (19)

A die having at least a first portion and a second portion that cooperatively define a manifold in fluid communication with the first applicator slot;
At least one simple detachment fixture arranged to secure the first part relative to the second part;
A device comprising:   The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least a second quick-release fixture arranged to fasten the first part relative to the second part.   The simple attachment / detachment fixture may fasten the first portion to the second portion with the simple attachment / detachment fixture over a predetermined relative position range in a direction perpendicular to the first applicator slot. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is of a type that can be used.   The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quick release fixture is operable from the rear of the die relative to the applicator slot.   The applicator die is a multilayer die further comprising at least a third portion, the second portion and the third portion cooperating with a second manifold in fluid communication with a second applicator slot. The device of claim 1, wherein:   The apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one quick-release fixture is arranged to fasten the second part relative to the third part. The simple desorption fixture is
A stud bolt attached to one of the first part and the second part and adapted to extend into the other recess;
A rotatable cam arranged at a position to generate a force against the stud when rotating;
The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:   8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the force on the stud bolt is variable depending on the amount of rotation of the rotatable cam relative to the stud bolt.   The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the rotatable cam is accessible from the back of the die relative to the applicator slot.   The first detachable fixture can fasten the first part to the second part over a predetermined relative position range in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the applicator slot. Item 10. The apparatus according to Item 9. Providing at least a first die portion and a second die portion that cooperatively define a manifold in fluid communication with the first applicator slot;
Providing at least one simple detachment fixture arranged to fasten the first part relative to the second part;
Actuating the simple desorption fixture;
A method for assembling a coating die including: Providing a second simple attachment / detachment fixture arranged to fasten the first part with respect to the second part;
Activating the second simple desorption fixture;
The method of claim 11, further comprising: The simple attachment / detachment fixture may fasten the first portion to the second portion with the simple attachment / detachment fixture over a predetermined relative position range in a direction perpendicular to the first applicator slot. And the method further comprises:
Positioning the first part relative to the second part within the position range so as to achieve a predetermined offset between the first part and the second part in the applicator slot; Including that,
The method of claim 11.   The method of claim 11, wherein the quick release fixture is operable from the rear of the die relative to the applicator slot.   The application die is a multi-layer die, and the method includes providing at least a third portion, the second portion and a second manifold in fluid communication with the second applicator slot. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising cooperating to define. The simple desorption fixture is
A stud bolt attached to one of the first part and the second part and adapted to extend into the other recess;
A rotatable cam arranged at a position to generate a force against the stud when rotating;
The method of claim 11, comprising:   The method of claim 16, wherein the force on the stud bolt is variable depending on the amount of rotation of the rotatable cam relative to the stud bolt. Positioning a shim having a thickness selected from a predetermined thickness range between the first portion and the second portion;
The method of claim 17, wherein rotation of the rotatable cam exerts a variable force on the stud bolt when any of the selectable shims are so positioned.   The method according to claim 12, wherein the simple detachable fixture is configured to hold without generating a torsional force about an axis perpendicular to a separation surface of the die portion.

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