Gas curing chamber for flat substrates

• Main Author: MANSOUR; MAHER L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.06.1985
• Edition: 3
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; BLASTING; DRYING; DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

Disclosed is a chamber which defines a constant gas flow environment for passing objects therethrough carried by a conveyor. The chamber comprises an elongate housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening in the longitudinal direction and a moving conveyor which runs the length of said housing for transporting object from said inlet opening through said housing and thereout through said outlet opening, the space below said conveyor being enclosed and connected to a source of exhaust for exhausting gaseous substances therein. The space above the conveyor comprises an inlet zone, a central gas zone, and an outlet zone. The inlet zone and the outlet zone both are of a bi-cameral containment arrangement comprising an outer adjustable gate for determining the inlet opening, a central adjustable baffle gate, and an inner deflector wall. The space between the outer gate and the baffle gate is connected to a source of exhaust. The space between the baffle gate and the deflector wall is a modulating gas cell which contains a gas knife connected to a source of inert gas and capable of injecting said inert gas at an adjustable angle onto the conveyor substantially its entire width. The central gas flow zone operates under external recycle of its atmosphere in a direction countercurrent to the direction of the conveyor belt which passes therethrough. The chamber is ideally suited for vapor permeation curing of flat substrates coated with a vapor permeation curable coating.