Apparatus and method for coating substrates with washcoats

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021170386-A1
Application number	US-202017247292-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2020
Priority date	Dec 10, 2019
Publication date	Jun 10, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method of coating a substrate ( 110 ) with a washcoat, comprising:
engaging the substrate with a headset ( 6 ) of a substrate coating apparatus ( 100 ) so as to locate an upper surface of the substrate below a washcoat showerhead of the substrate coating apparatus; discharging a washcoat out of the washcoat showerhead towards the upper surface of the substrate; drawing the washcoat through the substrate by applying a suction force to a lower surface of the substrate.

The step of engaging the substrate with the headset comprises engaging a headset seal ( 115 ) of the headset with the substrate, the headset seal ( 115 ) comprising a perimetral portion ( 116 ) extending around the headset and a cantilevered portion ( 117 ) extending down from the perimetral portion which engages against a sidewall of the substrate.

First claim

1 . A method of coating a substrate with a washcoat, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
engaging the substrate with a headset of a substrate coating apparatus so as to locate an upper surface of the substrate below a washcoat showerhead of the substrate coating apparatus; discharging a washcoat out of the washcoat showerhead towards the upper surface of the substrate; drawing the washcoat through the substrate by applying a suction force to a lower surface of the substrate;
wherein the step of engaging the substrate with the headset comprises engaging a headset seal of the headset with the substrate, the headset seal comprising a perimetral portion extending around the headset and a cantilevered portion extending down from the perimetral portion which engages against a sidewall of the substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered portion is arc-shaped.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the substrate comprises a shaping, for example a groove or cut-out, which extends to the sidewall of the substrate thereby defining a gap in the sidewall, wherein the cantilevered portion bridges over the gap to hinder leakage of the washcoat out of the gap and down the sidewall of the substrate.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered portion extends at an angle of between 0 and 15° with respect to a plane perpendicular to the perimetral portion; optionally at an angle of between 0 and 10° with respect to a plane perpendicular to the perimetral portion; optionally at an angle of about 3° with respect to a plane perpendicular to the perimetral portion.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein on engaging the substrate with the headset, the cantilevered portion of the headset seal flexes in a substantially radial direction.

5 . A substrate coating apparatus comprising:
a source of a washcoat; a washcoat showerhead for discharging the washcoat towards an upper surface of a substrate; a conduit fluidly connecting the source of the washcoat to the washcoat showerhead for supplying washcoat to the washcoat showerhead; a headset for engaging the substrate to locate the upper surface of the substrate below the washcoat showerhead; and a vacuum generator for drawing the washcoat discharged from the washcoat showerhead through the substrate; wherein the headset comprises a headset seal for engaging against the substrate, the headset seal comprising a perimetral portion that extends around the headset and a cantilevered portion that extends down from the perimetral portion and which is configured to engage against a sidewall of the substrate.

6 . A substrate coating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the headset comprises a rigid headset frame supporting the perimetral portion of the headset seal and the cantilevered portion of the headset seal extends below a lower face of the rigid headset frame; and optionally wherein a lower edge of the cantilevered portion freely projects from the rigid headset frame.

7 . A substrate coating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the cantilevered portion is arc-shaped.

8 . A substrate coating apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the cantilevered portion subtends a central angle of between 45 and 120°, optionally between 45 and 90°, optionally between 65 and 75°.

9 . A substrate coating system comprising the substrate coating apparatus of claim 5 and a substrate, wherein the upper surface of the substrate is non-planar.

10 . A substrate coating system according to claim 9 , wherein the upper surface of the substrate comprises a shaping, for example a groove or cut-out, which extends to the sidewall of the substrate thereby defining a gap in the sidewall.

11 . A headset seal for engaging against a substrate, the headset seal comprising a perimetral portion for extending around a headset and a cantilevered portion that extends from the perimetral portion and which is configured for engaging against a sidewall of a substrate.

12 . A headset seal according to claim 11 , wherein the cantilevered portion is arc-shaped.

13 . A headset seal according to claim 11 , wherein the cantilevered portion subtends a central angle of between 45 and 120°, optionally between 45 and 90°, optionally between 65 and 75°.

Assignees

• Johnson Matthey Plc

Inventors

• Burgess Neil
• Hayton Christopher
• Thomson Craig

Classifications

• Y02T10/12

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• B01J35/56 Primary

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• F01N2510/06

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• F01N2330/00

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• F01N3/2803

  characterised by structure, by material or by manufacturing of catalyst support · CPC title