Customizable apparatus and method for transporting and depositing fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9694379-B2
Application number	US-201414291588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2014
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A rotating roll for depositing a fluid on a substrate is disclosed. The rotating roll can have a central longitudinal axis, wherein the rotating roll rotates about the central longitudinal axis. The rotating roll can have an exterior surface defining an interior region and a vascular network configured for transporting the fluid in predetermined paths from an interior region to the exterior surface of the rotating roll. The vascular network can have a main artery, a first capillary and a plurality of fluid exits on the exterior surface. The main artery can have an inlet and is substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the rotating roll. Fluid enters the vascular network at the inlet and exits through substantially radial fluid paths to form a first tree.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A rotating roll for depositing a fluid on a substrate, the rotating roll comprising:
a central longitudinal axis, wherein the rotating roll rotates about the central longitudinal axis;
an exterior surface defining an interior region and substantially surrounding the central longitudinal axis;
an additively manufactured cylindrical vascular network configured for transporting the fluid in predetermined paths from the interior region to the exterior surface of the rotating roll, the vascular network comprising a main artery, a first capillary and a plurality of fluid exits on the exterior surface, wherein:
the main artery comprises an inlet and is substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the rotating roll, wherein the fluid enters the vascular network at the inlet; and
wherein the first capillary is associated with the main artery and is in fluid communication with the main artery and at least two fluid exits through substantially radial fluid paths in a first tree expanding both axially and circumferentially in a radial direction from the main artery to the exterior surface.

2. The rotating roll of claim 1 wherein the first tree further comprises a series of sub-capillaries and the first capillary is in fluid communication with the at least two fluid exits through the series of sub-capillaries.

3. The rotating roll of claim 1 , wherein at least one fluid exit comprises a micro-reservoir.

4. The rotating roll of claim 3 , wherein the micro-reservoir is in the shape of a trapezoid.

5. The rotating roll of claim 1 further comprising a second capillary in fluid communication with the main artery and at least two fluid exits through substantially radial fluid paths.

6. The rotating roll of claim 5 , wherein the first capillary and the second capillary are associated with the main artery through a junction.

7. The rotating roll of claim 5 , wherein the second capillary is spaced a longitudinal distance, L, from the first capillary along the length of the main artery and wherein the first capillary and the second capillary are associated with the main artery through separate junctions.

8. The rotating roll of claim 5 , wherein the first capillary and second capillary are substantially symmetrical with respect to the main artery.

9. The rotating roll of claim 5 , wherein the first capillary and the second capillary have substantially the same one of the group consisting of: length, diameter, and combinations thereof.

10. The rotating roll of claim 5 further comprising a first path length and a second path length, wherein:
the first path length is the length between the first capillary and one of the at least two fluid exits with which the first capillary is in fluid communication;
the second path length is the length between the second capillary and one of the at least two fluid exits with which the second capillary is in fluid communication; and
the first path length is substantially equal to the second path length.

11. The rotating roll of claim 5 further comprising a first diameter change and a second diameter change, wherein:
the first diameter change comprises the difference between Diameter Start1 and Diameter End1 , wherein:
Diameter Start1 is the average diameter of the first capillary; and
Diameter End1 is the average diameter of a first terminating channel, wherein the first terminating channel is associated with one of the at least two fluid exits with which the first capillary is in fluid communication; and

the second diameter change comprises the difference between Diameter Start2 and Diameter End2 , wherein:
Diameter Start2 is the average diameter of the second capillary; and
Diameter End2 is the average diameter of a second terminating channel, wherein the second terminating channel is associated with one of the at least two fluid exits with which the second capillary is in fluid communication; and

wherein the first diameter change is substantially equal to the second diameter change.

12. The rotating roll of claim 1 further comprising a control mechanism capable of controlling one of the group consisting of: fluid application level, application rate, roll surface speed, fluid flow rate, pressure, temperature, substrate speed, degree of circumferential roll contact by the substrate, distance between the exterior surface and a backing surface, pressure between the rotating roll and the backing surface and combinations thereof.

13. The rotating roll of claim 1 wherein the main artery is spaced a radial distance, r, from the central longitudinal axis, wherein r is greater than 0.

14. A rotating roll for depositing a plurality of fluids on a substrate, the rotating roll comprising:
a central longitudinal axis, wherein the rotating roll rotates about the central longitudinal axis;
an exterior surface defining an interior region and substantially surrounding the central longitudinal axis;
an additively manufactured cylindrical vascular network configured for transporting each fluid in a predetermined path from the interior region to the exterior surface of the rotating roll, the vascular network comprising a plurality of channels comprising a plurality of main arteries, a plurality of first capillaries, and a plurality of fluid exits on the exterior surface, wherein:
each of the main arteries comprise an inlet and is substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the rotating roll, and wherein each fluid enters the vascular network at the inlet; and

wherein each of the first capillaries is associated with one of the main arteries and is in fluid communication with the one of the main arteries and at least two fluid exits through substantially radial paths in a tree expanding both axially and circumferentially in a radial direction from the main artery to the exterior surface.

15. The rotating roll of claim 14 further comprising a control mechanism capable of controlling one of the group consisting of: fluid application levels, fluid application rate, roll surface speed, fluid flow rate, pressure, temperature, substrate speed, degree of circumferential roll contact by the substrate, distance between a surface of the rotating roll and a backing surface, pressure between the rotating roll and the backing surface and combinations thereof.

16. The rotating roll of claim 15 wherein the control mechanism is capable of separately controlling each of the main arteries with respect to one of the group consisting of: fluid application level, fluid application rate, fluid flow rate, pressure, temperature and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Byrne Thomas Timothy
• Prodoehl Michael Scott
• Mcneil Kevin Benson
• Mellin Gustav Andre
• Chen Haibin
• Russell Matthew Alan

Classifications

• B41F13/11

  Gravure cylinders {(attaching cylindrical formes B41F27/105)} · CPC title

• B05C1/10 Primary

  the liquid or other fluent material being supplied from inside the roller · CPC title

• B41F31/22 Primary

  for inking from interior of cylinder · CPC title

• B41F7/265

  for damping from the inside of the cylinders · CPC title

• B41F31/26

  Construction of inking rollers (inking-rollers serving also to apply ink repellants in rotary lithographic machines B41F7/36) · CPC title