Coating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11141753-B2
Application number	US-201716343359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2017
Priority date	Oct 19, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A coating system (1) is provided which includes an ultrasonic sprayer (3) capable of spraying a coating fluid onto a target surface (5). A convective or infrared heater (21) is associated with the sprayer and is operable to heat the spray (23) produced by the sprayer (3).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coating system which includes a sprayer configured to spray a coating fluid onto a target surface and mounted spaced apart from a conveyor assembly bed on which the target surface is operatively located, characterised in that an electromagnetic radiation emitting device configured to produce a beam of electromagnetic radiation is located adjacent the sprayer and is directed towards spray produced by the sprayer so as to cause a degree of evaporation of solvent in the spray to increase the viscosity of the spray, and wherein the coating system further includes at least one reflector configured to focus the beam of electromagnetic radiation, wherein each of the at least one reflector is configured to direct the beam of electromagnetic radiation which penetrates the spray back through the spray towards the electromagnetic radiation emitting device.

2. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 in which the sprayer is an ultrasonic sprayer.

3. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 in which the electromagnetic radiation emitting device is a source of electromagnetic radiation selected from infrared, ultraviolet and microwave radiation.

4. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the beam of electromagnetic radiation is focused on the spray.

5. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the beam of electromagnetic radiation is shaped or sized to approximate a spray path defined by the spray.

6. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 which includes at least one sensor configured to measure air permeability and surface roughness of the coating on the target surface.

7. The coating system as claimed in claim 6 in which each of the at least one sensor is connected to a controller configured to control operation of either or both of the sprayer and the electromagnetic radiation emitting device in consequence of the measurements from each of the at least one sensor.

8. The coating system as claims in claim 1 which includes a plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting devices associated with the sprayer, and wherein each of said plurality of electromagnetic radiation emitting devices is configured to modify a different characteristic of the spray.

9. The coating system of claimed in claim 8 , wherein at least one of said electromagnetic radiation emitting devices is positioned to cause a reaction to take place in the spray.

10. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device is configured at least partially to encircle the spray.

11. The coating system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target surface is a surface of a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM).

Assignees

• Univ Cape Town

Inventors

• Sousa Duarte Rui
• Hussain Nabeel

Classifications

• B05B1/24

  incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically · CPC title

• B65G15/00

  Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration (having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• B05C5/0295

  Floating coating heads or nozzles · CPC title

• B05B13/0221 Primary

  characterised by the means for moving or conveying the objects or other work, e.g. conveyor belts (B05B13/0207 takes precedence; conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title