Dosing device for dosing a granular material, spraying device and method for applying a granular material to a substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11400463-B2
Application number	US-201816498542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2018
Priority date	Mar 29, 2017
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A dosing device for dosing a granular material containing a reservoir for storing the granular material, a dosing disc, and a suction device and a spraying device containing such a dosing device and a method for applying a granular material to a substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spraying device ( 100 ) for applying a granular material ( 16 ) to a surface of a substrate ( 112 ), the spraying device ( 100 ) comprising a dosing device ( 10 ), the dosing device ( 10 ) supplying a gas stream comprising the granular material ( 16 ), at least one nozzle ( 108 ), at least one supply line ( 104 ) connecting the dosing device ( 10 ) to the at least one nozzle ( 108 ) and means for moving a substrate ( 112 ) relative to the at least one nozzle ( 108 ),
wherein the spraying device ( 100 ) comprises means for electrostatically charging the particles ( 17 ) of the granular material ( 16 ),
and wherein the dosing device ( 10 ) comprises

a reservoir ( 12 ) for storing the granular material ( 16 ),
a dosing disc ( 20 ), and
a suction device ( 24 ), wherein
the dosing disc ( 20 ) is rotatable around a rotational axis ( 22 ),
the reservoir ( 12 ) has a dosing opening ( 14 ) facing the dosing disc ( 20 ),
the dosing opening ( 14 ) being arranged above the dosing disc ( 20 ) such that a dosing gap is formed between a surface of the dosing disc ( 20 ) and a surface ( 26 ) surrounding the dosing opening ( 14 ), the dosing opening ( 14 ) being arranged eccentric with respect to the rotational axis ( 22 ),
the suction device ( 24 ) having an opening ( 25 ) facing the dosing disc ( 20 ), the opening ( 25 ) being arranged above the dosing disc ( 20 ) and being arranged eccentric with respect to the rotational axis ( 22 ),
the size of the dosing gap being such that a monolayer ( 18 ) of the particles ( 17 ) of the granular material ( 16 ) is dosed from the reservoir ( 12 ) through the dosing opening ( 14 ) onto the surface of the dosing disc ( 20 ),
the suction device ( 24 ) being constructed and arranged such that the monolayer ( 18 ) of particles ( 17 ) is being sucked into the suction device ( 24 ) and mixed with a gas stream when the particles ( 17 ) are being transported to the suction device ( 24 ) by rotation of the dosing disc ( 20 ).

2. The spraying device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in the dosing device ( 10 ), the dosing disc ( 20 ) has a surface flatness of 0 to 5 μm and/or has a surface roughness in of from 0.1 to 4 μm.

3. The spraying device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in the dosing device ( 10 ), the surface of the dosing disc ( 20 ) is patterned such that the surface has a plurality of indentations ( 34 ), the shape of the indentations ( 34 ) being such that exactly one particle ( 17 ) of the granular material ( 16 ) fits in one of the indentations ( 34 ).

4. The spraying device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in the dosing device ( 10 ), the size of the dosing gap is larger than the average diameter of the particles ( 17 ) and smaller than or equal to two times the average diameter of the particles ( 17 ).

5. The spraying device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in the dosing device ( 10 ), the suction device ( 24 ) is a Venturi nozzle.

6. The spraying device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in the dosing device ( 10 ), the amount of dosed particles ( 17 ) is controlled by parameters selected from the rotational speed of the dosing disc ( 20 ), the shape of the dosing opening ( 14 ), the distance between the axis of rotation ( 22 ) and the center of the dosing opening ( 14 ) and combinations of at least two of these parameters.

7. The spraying device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein, in the dosing device ( 10 ), the reservoir ( 12 ) comprises an agitator ( 28 ) for stirring the particles ( 17 ) of the granular material ( 16 ) in the vicinity of the dosing opening ( 14 ).

8. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the at least one supply line ( 104 ) is at least partially constructed from a conductive material such that the particles ( 17 ) are charged by collisions with the conductive material of the at least one supply line ( 104 ).

9. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the spraying device ( 100 ) comprises a vibration system constructed and arranged to apply vibrations to the at least one nozzle ( 108 ).

10. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the distance of the at least one nozzle ( 108 ) to the substrate ( 112 ) is 25 mm to 500 mm.

11. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the opening angle of the at least one nozzle ( 108 ), the distance of the at least one nozzle ( 108 ) to the substrate ( 112 ) and, if more than one nozzle is present, the distance between two nozzles ( 108 ) are such that an aerosol spray ( 110 ) comprising the granular material ( 16 ) is generated by the at least one nozzle ( 108 ), wherein the aerosol spray ( 110 ) covers the entire width of the substrate ( 112 ) and wherein no overlap is present between the aerosol sprays ( 110 ) generated by two nozzles ( 108 ) if more than one nozzle ( 108 ) is present.

12. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the spraying device ( 100 ) comprises at least two nozzles ( 108 ), wherein each nozzle ( 108 ) is connected to the dosing device ( 10 ) via a supply line ( 104 ) and wherein the supply lines ( 104 ) of all nozzles ( 108 ) are of equal length.

13. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the spraying device ( 100 ) comprises a spraying chamber ( 102 ), wherein the at least one nozzle ( 108 ) is located inside the spraying chamber ( 102 ), the spraying chamber ( 102 ) being constructed to receive the substrate ( 112 ) and the spraying chamber ( 102 ) being constructed to contain excess particles of the granular material ( 16 ).

14. The spraying device ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the spraying device ( 100 ) comprises a spraying chamber ( 102 ), wherein the at least one nozzle ( 108 ) is located inside the spraying chamber ( 102 ), the spraying chamber ( 102 ) being constructed to receive the substrate ( 112 ) and the spraying chamber ( 102 ) being constructed to contain excess particles of the granular material ( 16 ).

15. A method for applying a granular material ( 16 ) to a surface of a substrate ( 112 ), the method comprising supplying the granular material ( 16 ) and the substrate ( 112 ) to a spraying device ( 100 ), and applying the granular material ( 16 ) to the surface of the substrate ( 112 ) by the spraying device ( 100 ),
wherein the substrate ( 112 ) is a substrate of a switchable window,
wherein the spraying device ( 100 ) comprises a dosing device ( 10 ), the dosing device ( 10 ) supplying a gas stream comprising the granular material ( 16 ), at least one nozzle ( 108 ), at least one supply line ( 104 ) connecting the dosing device ( 10 ) to the at least one nozzle ( 108 ) and means for moving a substrate ( 112 ) relative to the at least one nozzle ( 108 ),
and wherein the dosing device ( 10 ) comprises

a reservoir ( 12 ) for storing the granular material ( 16 ),
a dosing disc ( 20 ), and
a suction device ( 24 ), wherein
the dosing disc ( 20 ) is rotatable around a rotational axis ( 22 ),
the reservoir ( 12 ) has a dosing opening ( 14 ) facing the dosing disc ( 20 ),
the dosing opening ( 14 ) being arranged above the dosing disc ( 20 ) such that a dosing gap is formed between a surface of the dosing disc ( 20 ) and a surface ( 26 ) surrounding the dosing opening ( 14 ), the dosing opening ( 14 ) being arranged eccentric with respect to the rotational axis ( 22 ),
the suction device ( 24 ) having an opening ( 25 ) facing the dosing disc ( 20 ), the opening ( 25 ) being arranged above the dosing disc ( 20 ) and being arranged eccentric with respect to the rotational ax

Assignees

• Merck Patent Gmbh

Inventors

• Van Den Heuvel Ronald

Classifications

• B05B7/144 Primary

  the means for supplying particulate material comprising moving mechanical means (B05B7/1422, B05B7/1459 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41F23/06

  Powdering devices, e.g. for preventing set-off · CPC title

• B05B16/95

  the objects or other work to be sprayed lying on, or being held above the conveying means, i.e. not hanging from the conveying means · CPC title

• G02F1/1303

  Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs · CPC title

• G01F11/003

  for fluent solid material · CPC title