Coating device, coating method, and method for manufacturing photoconductor for suppressing occurrence of bubble defects in coated film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12317632-B2
Application number	US-202217726539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2022
Priority date	May 12, 2021
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A coating device includes: a coating liquid holding part that is provided with an upper opening portion and a lower opening portion and holds a coating liquid, and in which a cylindrical body penetrates the upper opening portion and the lower opening portion, and the cylindrical body is relatively moved to an upper side in an up-down direction, so that the coating liquid is applied to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body; a container that accommodates the coating liquid that flows down; a circulation part that circulates the coating liquid in the container to the coating liquid holding part; and a receiving member that is disposed above a liquid level of the coating liquid in the container and receives the coating liquid flowing downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body with an inclined surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coating device comprising:
a housing having a tubular shape;
a coating liquid holder that is provided with an upper opening portion and a lower opening and said coating liquid holder holds a coating liquid, and in which a cylindrical body penetrates the upper opening and the lower opening, and the cylindrical body is relatively moved to an upper side of said coating liquid holder in an up-down direction, so that the coating liquid is applied to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body; said coating liquid holder is supported on an upper portion in a vertical direction of the housing;
a container is provided at lower portion in the vertical direction of the housing; said container accommodates the coating liquid that flows down along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body;
a circulation part comprising a supply pipe and a pump, that circulates the coating liquid in the container to the coating liquid holder; the container includes a cylindrical portion and a recess portion; the coating liquid in the container having a liquid level; and
a receiving member is provided in the container, said receiving member comprising an inclined surface inclined in a direction towards the upper opening and the lower opening of the coating liquid holder, wherein the receiving member is disposed in the container above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container and said receiving member is spaced apart from the cylindrical body in the vertical direction, and the inclined surface of said receiving member located above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container receives the coating liquid flowing downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the coating liquid flows down along the inclined surface, so that the coating liquid is collected in the container merging with the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container; a width of the receiving member in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the receiving member is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body.

2. The coating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inclined surface has a flat plate shape or a straight line shape in a case of being viewed from a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the coating liquid holder, and
an angle of the inclined surface with respect to the vertical direction is greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 60°.

3. The coating device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the angle of the inclined surface with respect to the vertical direction is greater than or equal to 15° or larger and less than or equal to 45°.

4. The coating device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the inclined surface is inclined to have a downward slope in one direction intersecting the vertical direction.

5. The coating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inclined surface is a curved surface, and
an angle between a tangent surface at an intersection point of the curved surface with an extension line extending downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the vertical direction is greater than or equal to 10° or larger and less than or equal to 60°.

6. The coating device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the angle between the tangent surface at the intersection point of the curved surface with the extension line extending downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the vertical direction is greater than or equal to 15° and less than or equal to 45°.

7. The coating device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the inclined surface is inclined to have a downward slope in one direction intersecting the vertical direction.

8. The coating device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the inclined surface has a conical shape whose central portion protrudes in a case of being viewed in a side view.

9. The coating device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the inclined surface has a conical shape whose central portion protrudes in a case of being viewed in a side view.

10. The coating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inclined surface is a curved surface portion whose central portion protrudes in a mountain shape in a case of being viewed in a side view.

11. The coating device according to claim 10 ,
wherein an angle between a tangent surface at an intersection point of the inclined surface with an extension line extending downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the vertical direction is greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 60°.

12. A coating method of applying a coating liquid by using a coating device comprising:
a housing having a tubular shape;
a coating liquid holder that is provided with an upper opening and a lower opening and said coating liquid holder holds a coating liquid, and in which a cylindrical body penetrates the upper opening and the lower opening, and the cylindrical body is relatively moved to an upper side of said coating liquid holder in an up-down direction, so that the coating liquid is applied to an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body; said coating liquid holder is supported on an upper portion in a vertical direction of the housing;
a container is provided at a lower portion in the vertical direction of the housing; said container accommodates the coating liquid that flows down along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body; a circulation part comprising a supply pipe and a pump, that circulates the coating liquid in the container to the coating liquid holder; the container includes a cylindrical portion and a recess portion; the coating liquid in the container having a liquid level;
and
a receiving member is provided in the container, said receiving member comprising an inclined surface inclined in a direction towards the upper opening and the lower opening of the coating liquid holder, wherein the receiving member is disposed in the container above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container and said receiving member is spaced apart from the cylindrical body in the vertical direction, and the inclined surface of said receiving member located above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container receives the coating liquid flowing downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and the coating liquid flows down along the inclined surface, so that the coating liquid is collected in the container merging with the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container; a width of the receiving member in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the receiving member is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body;
the coating method comprising:
moving the cylindrical body upward in the up-down direction relative to the coating liquid holder of the coating device and applying the coating liquid from the coating liquid holder to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body;
receiving the coating liquid flowing downward along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body with the inclined surface of the receiving member above the liquid level of the coating liquid in the container and accommodating the coating liquid in the container; and
circulating the coating liquid in the container to the coating liquid holder by the circulation part.

13. The coating method according to claim 12 ,
wherein the cylindrical body is a cylindrical member or a member obtained by winding an endless belt-shaped member around a cylindrical core material.

14. A method for manufacturing a photoconductor comprising using the coating method according to claim 12

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Nakamura Akihiko
• Sasaki Takaakira

Classifications

• H10P72/0448

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

• B05C3/109

  Passing liquids or other fluent materials into or through chambers containing stationary articles · CPC title

• G03G5/0525 Primary

  Coating methods · CPC title

• B05C13/02

  for particular articles · CPC title

• B05D1/18

  performed by dipping · CPC title