Slurry coating leveling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11992859-B2
Application number	US-202117238356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2021
Priority date	Apr 23, 2021
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a system for slurry coating leveling. The system includes a guide frame and a scrapper apparatus coupled to the guide frame. The scrapper apparatus includes a plurality of scrapper fingers aligned substantially parallel to each other. The system also includes a contour guide coupled to the scrapper fingers. The contour guide is configured to guide movement of the scrapper fingers across a surface of a component having a slurry coating. The scrapper fingers conform to a contour profile of the surface to level the slurry coating on the surface of the component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for slurry coating leveling, the system comprising:
a guide frame;
a scrapper apparatus coupled to the guide frame, the scrapper apparatus comprising a plurality of scrapper fingers aligned substantially parallel to each other; and
a contour guide coupled to the scrapper fingers, the contour guide configured to guide movement of the scrapper fingers across a surface of a component comprising a slurry coating, wherein the scrapper fingers conform to a contour profile of the surface to level the slurry coating on the surface of the component, wherein the scrapper fingers each comprise a guide probe that is offset from a scrapper finger end to define a desired slurry thickness.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guide probe of each of the scrapper fingers is retractable.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller configured to extend the guide probe of each of the scrapper fingers to perform an initial leveling of the slurry coating and retract the guide probe of each of the scrapper fingers prior to performing a final leveling of the slurry coating.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to wait for a predetermined hardening time between the initial leveling and the final leveling of the slurry coating.

5. A system for slurry coating leveling, the system comprising:
a guide frame;
a scrapper apparatus coupled to the guide frame, the scrapper apparatus comprising a plurality of scrapper fingers aligned substantially parallel to each other; and
a contour guide coupled to the scrapper fingers, the contour guide configured to guide movement of the scrapper fingers across a surface of a component comprising a slurry coating, wherein the scrapper fingers conform to a contour profile of the surface to level the slurry coating on the surface of the component, wherein the contour guide comprises a plurality of contour guide rails, each of the contour guide rails controlling a vertical position of at least one of the scrapper fingers as the scrapper apparatus moves with respect to the component.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the contour guide comprises a scrapper frame coupled to the guide frame and a spring bar coupled to the scrapper frame.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the scrapper fingers is respectively coupled by a spring to the spring bar to adjust positioning of the scrapper fingers to trace the contour profile of the surface of the component.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the scrapper fingers each comprise a scrapper finger end that is substantially-flat planar.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an enclosure, wherein the guide frame is moveable relative to the component within the enclosure.

10. A method for slurry coating leveling on a component, the method comprising:
positioning a scrapper apparatus proximate to a component comprising a slurry coating, wherein the scrapper apparatus is coupled to a guide frame, the scrapper apparatus comprising a plurality of scrapper fingers aligned substantially parallel to each other; and
guiding movement of the scrapper fingers across a surface of the component comprising the slurry coating using a contour guide, wherein the scrapper fingers conform to a contour profile of the surface to level the slurry coating on the surface of the component, wherein the scrapper fingers each comprise a guide probe that is offset from a scrapper finger end to define a desired slurry thickness.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the guide probe of each of the scrapper fingers is retractable.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
extending the guide probe of each of the scrapper fingers to perform an initial leveling of the slurry coating; and
retracting the guide probe of each of the scrapper fingers prior to performing a final leveling of the slurry coating.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
waiting for a predetermined hardening time between the initial leveling and the final leveling of the slurry coating.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the contour guide comprises a plurality of contour guide rails, each of the contour guide rails controlling a vertical position of at least one of the scrapper fingers as the scrapper apparatus moves with respect to the component.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the contour guide further comprises a scrapper frame coupled to the guide frame and a spring bar coupled to the scrapper frame.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
adjusting positioning of the scrapper fingers to trace the contour profile of the surface of the component by the scrapper fingers, each of the scrapper fingers respectively coupled to a spring that is coupled to the spring bar.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the scrapper fingers each comprise a scrapper finger end that is substantially planar.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
controlling movement of the guide frame relative to the component within an enclosure.

Assignees

• Rtx Corp

Inventors

• Oo Guolin
• Propheter-Hinckley Tracy A

Classifications

• B05D1/42 Primary

  by non-rotary members · CPC title

• B05C11/041

  characterised by means for positioning, loading, or deforming the blades · CPC title

• B05D3/12

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• B05C11/023 Primary

  Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to a surface (B05C11/021, B05C11/04 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C59/026

  of layered or coated substantially flat surfaces · CPC title