Systems and methods for solvent extraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577270-B2
Application number	US-202017031968-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Jul 6, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for venting a solvent are disclosed. The system includes a chamber, such as an oven having an interior volume defining a heating zone, where the interior volume receives at least one substrate coated with a coating material comprising a solvent. The system further includes a vent coupled to the oven and defining a passage between the interior volume and the environment external to the oven. The system also includes a solvent sensor measuring an amount of evaporated solvent present in the interior volume, and a fan removing at least a portion of the solvent from the interior volume. The system may also include a coating assembly including an applicator and a flow meter, wherein the applicator applies a portion of the coating material to the substrate, and the flow meter determines the amount of coating material applied to the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for venting a solvent, the system comprising:
a coating assembly defining a chamber, the chamber containing:
an applicator configured to apply a coating material to a substrate, a portion of the coating material comprising the solvent; and
a flow meter configured to determine an amount of coating material applied to the substrate;
a vent coupled to the coating assembly, the vent defining a passage between the chamber and an environment external to the coating assembly;
a controller configured to determine an amount of evaporated solvent present in the chamber; and
a fan in fluid communication with the passage and configured to remove at least a portion of the evaporated solvent from the chamber,

wherein the controller is configured to determine a concentration of evaporated solvent present in the chamber based on the amount of coating material applied to the substrate, an evaporation rate of the solvent, a surface area coated on the substrate, a solvent content of the coating material, and a volume of the chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the fan in response to the amount of evaporated solvent present in the chamber determined by the controller.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fan is disposed within the vent such that when the fan is actuated, and the fan removes at least the portion of the evaporated solvent from an interior volume of the chamber through the passage in the vent to the environment external to the coating assembly.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vent further comprises a regulator, the regulator being configured to toggle between an open configuration, a partially open configuration, and a closed configuration,
wherein in the closed configuration, the regulator blocks movement of the evaporated solvent from an interior volume of the chamber through the passage and to the environment external to the coating assembly, and
wherein in the open configuration and the partially open configuration, the regulator allows for movement of the evaporated solvent from the interior volume of the chamber through the passage and to the environment external to the coating assembly.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the fan is disposed in the environment external to the coating assembly and is configured to remove evaporated solvent from the interior volume of the chamber through the regulator when the regulator is in the open configuration or partially open configuration.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the concentration of evaporated solvent present in the volume of the chamber using the following formula:

(

The
⁢

⁢
quantity
⁢

⁢
of

coating
⁢

⁢
material
⁢

⁢
that
⁢

⁢
is

moved
⁢

⁢
to
⁢

⁢
the
⁢

⁢
substrate

)

+

(

the
⁢

⁢
solvent

content
⁢

⁢
of
⁢

⁢
the

coating
⁢

⁢
material

)

+

(

the
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Assignees

• Nordson Corp

Inventors

• Orla-Jensen Per
• Etienne Stephane

Classifications

• H10P72/3314

  Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0448

  Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0408

  for drying · CPC title

• F26B21/37

  Velocity of flow; Quantity of flow · CPC title

• F26B15/18 Primary

  the objects or batches of materials being carried by endless belts · CPC title