Apparatus for non-contact printing of actives onto web materials and articles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144016-B2
Application number	US-201615335913-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for providing non-contact application of fluids onto web materials and articles is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a gravure roll having a hollow rotating shell having a plurality of cavities disposed within the outer surface thereof and a stationary cylindrical core having a central bore and a channel disposed therein. A fluid disposed within a respective cavity of the plurality of cavities disposed within the outer surface of the hollow rotating shell is removed from the respective cavity by the positive pressure when the positive pressure is fluidly communicated from the central bore through the channel and into the cavity from the surface of the stationary cylindrical core.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing non-contact application of fluids onto web materials and articles, the apparatus comprising:
a gravure roll comprising:
a hollow rotating shell having a plurality of cavities disposed within the outer surface thereof;
a stationary cylindrical core having a central bore and a channel disposed therein, said central bore being disposed about an axis of said stationary cylindrical core, said channel being in fluid communication with said central bore and in fluid communication with a surface of said stationary cylindrical core, said channel having a single entry point and a single exit point and extending from said central bore to said surface of said stationary cylindrical core, said channel being capable of fluidly communicating a positive pressure from said central bore to said surface of said stationary cylindrical core;
wherein said hollow rotating shell is disposed about, and rotatable about, said stationary cylindrical core;
wherein each of said plurality of cavities disposed within said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell are rotated about said stationary cylindrical core and said axis so that a portion of each of said cavities are positioned in contacting and fluid engagement with said channel at said surface of said stationary cylindrical core and said positive pressure is fluidly communicateable from said central bore through said channel and into said cavity from said surface of said stationary cylindrical core; and,

wherein a fluid disposed within a respective cavity of said plurality of cavities disposed within said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell is removed from said respective cavity by said positive pressure when said positive pressure is fluidly communicated from said central bore through said channel and into said cavity from said surface of said stationary cylindrical core;
wherein a web or article receiving the removed fluid is positioned proximate to but spaced apart from said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell in non-contacting fashion; and
a roll, said roll being disposed proximate to said hollow rotating shell, said fluid being disposable upon a surface of said roll when said fluid disposed within said respective cavity of said plurality of cavities disposed within said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell is removed from said respective cavity by said positive pressure when said positive pressure is fluidly communicated from said central bore through said channel and into said cavity from said surface of said stationary cylindrical core.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a coating applicator, said coating applicator disposing said fluid upon said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said coating applicator further comprises a heating element.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a coater blade, said coater blade being disposed in contacting engagement with said surface of said hollow rotating shell and capable of distributing said fluid disposed upon said surface into each of said plurality of cavities.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said coater blade is operably connected to a pivot, said pivot causing said coater blade to contact said surface of said hollow rotating shell at an angle ranging from about 4 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to said tangent of said hollow rotating shell.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said coater blade exerts a constant pressure upon said surface of said hollow rotating shell.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stationary cylindrical core further comprises a sealing material disposed upon a surface thereof, said sealing material providing sealing engagement between said stationary cylindrical core and an internal surface of said hollow rotating shell.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further a source of positive pressure, said source of positive pressure being operably connected and in fluid engagement with said central bore and said channel disposed within stationary cylindrical core.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said roll further comprises a web material disposed thereabout, said fluid being disposable upon said web material when said web material is disposed proximate to said respective cavity of said plurality of cavities disposed within said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said web material further comprises at least one article disposed thereupon, said fluid being disposable upon said at least one article when said at least one article is disposed proximate to said respective cavity of said plurality of cavities disposed within said outer surface of said hollow rotating shell.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said roll further comprises a source of negative pressure operable connected to a surface thereof, said source of negative pressure being capable of motivating said fluid disposed from said cavity of said hollow rotating shell to said surface of said roll.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said cavities disposed upon said surface of said hollow cylindrical wall are successively brought in register with said channel as said hollow rotating shell orbits about said surface of said stationary cylindrical core.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Oetjen David Christopher

Classifications

• A61F13/15764

  Transferring, feeding or handling devices; Drives · CPC title

• B05B1/06 Primary

  in annular, tubular or hollow conical form · CPC title

• B05C5/0233

  rotating valve, e.g. rotating perforated cylinder · CPC title

• B05C1/10 Primary

  the liquid or other fluent material being supplied from inside the roller · CPC title

• B05C5/025

  only at particular part of the work (at particular part of separate articles B05C5/0212) · CPC title