Die head apparatus, coating method, and laminated body forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933437-B2
Application number	US-201816483991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2017
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A die head apparatus is provided with a front blade, a rear blade, a center blade, and an internal impurity removal space. The front blade and the center blade are configured to form a pool of a slurry. The internal impurity removal space is positioned between the center blade and the rear blade. A distance separating the rear blade and the substrate is set to be smaller than the distance separating the center blade and the substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A die head apparatus for forming a coating film by applying a slurry to a substrate that is transported, the die head apparatus comprising:
a front blade that is positioned to abut a flat surface of the substrate from a direction above the substrate, the substrate extending along a horizontal direction that is orthogonal to a vertical length of the front blade that extends in a direction of gravity;
a rear blade positioned downstream of the front blade in a transport direction of the substrate;
a center blade positioned between the front blade and the rear blade; and
an internal impurity removal space positioned between the center blade and the rear blade that removes impurities contained in a coating film of the slurry formed by passing by the center blade;
the front blade and the center blade being configured to form a pool of the slurry, and
a distance separating the rear blade and the substrate being set smaller than a distance separating the center blade and the substrate.

2. The die head apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the center blade has a rotation application portion that applies a rotational force to the slurry in the pool.

3. The die head apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the rotation application portion is configured from an irregularly shaped portion formed on a surface of the center blade facing the front blade, and
the irregularly shaped portion has at least one of an inclined portion and a curved portion.

4. The die head apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the center blade has a guide portion that guides the slurry constituting the coating film in a direction away from the substrate and toward the internal impurity removal space.

5. The die head apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the guide portion is configured from an inclined portion formed on a surface of the center blade facing the rear blade.

6. The die head apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the rear blade has a guide portion that guides impurities contained in the coating film to a surface of the coating film.

7. The die head apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the guide portion of the rear blade is configured from an irregularly shaped portion formed on a surface of the rear blade facing the center blade,
the irregularly shaped portion has at least one of an inclined portion and a curved portion, and
a distance separating a start position of the irregularly shaped portion and the substrate is set to be larger than the distance separating the center blade and the substrate.

8. The die head apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the curved portion of the irregularly shaped portion constituting the guide portion of the rear blade has a roller shape.

9. The die head apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the internal impurity removal space is under negative pressure.

10. The die head apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the impurities are bubbles or dust.

11. A laminated body forming apparatus comprising a plurality of the die head apparatuses according to claim 1 for forming a laminated body on the substrate that is transported, wherein
the plurality of the die head apparatuses are arranged in series along the transport direction of the substrate, and the laminated body forming apparatus further comprises
a plurality of external impurity removal spaces that remove impurities contained in a coating film of a slurry are respectively provided on downstream sides of the plurality of die head apparatuses in the transport direction.

12. The laminated body forming apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the impurities are bubbles or dust.

13. The laminated body forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the front blade has a triangular cross-sectional shape with a slanting edge that faces the center blade.

14. A coating method for forming a coating film by applying a slurry to a substrate that is transported by use of a die head apparatus, which has a front blade positioned to abut a flat surface of the substrate from a direction above the substrate, the substrate extending along a horizontal direction that is orthogonal to a vertical length of the front blade that extends in a direction of gravity, a rear blade positioned downstream of the front blade in a transport direction of the substrate, a center blade positioned between the front blade and the rear blade, and an internal impurity removal space positioned between the center blade and the rear blade, and in which a distance separating the rear blade and the substrate is set to be smaller than a distance separating the center blade and the substrate, the coating method comprising:
applying the slurry to the substrate to form the coating film with the center blade as the substrate passing through the slurry pool that is formed between the front blade and the center blade;
removing the impurities contained in the coating film of the slurry that is applied to the substrate as the substrate passes through the internal impurity removal space by floating the impurities to a surface of the coating film so that the impurities escape; and
forming the coating film with a uniform thickness by smoothing the surface of the coating film as the substrate passes the rear blade.

15. The coating method according to claim 14 , wherein
the impurities are bubbles or dust.

16. A laminated body forming apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of die head apparatuses for forming a coating film by applying a slurry to a substrate that is transported, each of the die head apparatuses comprising,
a front blade,
a rear blade positioned downstream of the front blade in a transport direction of the substrate,
a center blade positioned between the front blade and the rear blade, and
an internal impurity removal space positioned between the center blade and the rear blade that removes impurities contained in a coating film of the slurry formed by passing by the center blade,
the front blade and the center blade being configured to form a pool of the slurry, and a distance separating the rear blade and the substrate being set smaller than a distance separating the center blade and the substrate,

the plurality of die head apparatuses being arranged in series along the transport direction of the substrate, and
the laminated body forming apparatus further comprises a plurality of external impurity removal spaces that remove impurities contained in a coating film of a slurry are respectively provided on downstream sides of the plurality of die head apparatuses in the transport direction,
the plurality of the die head apparatuses including
a first die head apparatus, and
a second die head apparatus that is adjacent to the first die head apparatus and that is positioned downstream of the first die head apparatus in the transport direction of the substrate,
a front blade of the second die head apparatus also serves as a rear blade of the first die head apparatus,
the external impurity removal space positioned between the first die head apparatus and the second die head apparatus also serves as an internal impurity removal space of the first die head apparatus, and
a distance separating the front blade of the second die head apparatus and the substrate is set to be smaller than a distance separating a center blade of the first die head apparatus and the substrate.

17. The laminated body forming apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein
the front blade of the second die head apparatus has a guide portion that guides impurities remaining in the coating fil

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Kosemura Tooru
• Saitoh Masaki
• Yamashita Hiroshi

Classifications

• B05C11/045

  characterised by the blades themselves · CPC title

• B05C11/042

  allowing local positioning, loading or deforming along the blades · CPC title

• H01M8/124

  characterised by the process of manufacturing or by the material of the electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/88

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title