3m Innovative Properties Company

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Constantin I Ruta

Russell E Blette

Christopher Stewart Lyons

Robert J Fleming

Alan G McKown

Robert M Petrie

Robin Edgar Wright

Jeffrey H Tokie

Lowell W Holland

Roger W Leinen

Vapor coating apparatus comprising a chamber having a liquid inlet, atomization means, and chilled substrate support. Carrier gas and coating liquid (e.g. monomer or polymer) are contacted under conditions that vaporize the liquid. Nozzle near chamber inlet has liquid and carrier gas inlets, outlets, and passageways through which liquid and gas streams flow. The outlets and passageways are shaped so that the liquid and carrier gas streams collide outside the nozzle, and the liquid is atomized and then vaporized due to conditions within the chamber. The vapor flows to a substrate at the chamber outlet where it is condensed. The gas discharged from the nozzle is at high velocity and can be shaped as a cone surrounding the liquid discharged from the nozzle in the interior of the gas stream cone.

Vapor coating apparatus

A modular system for atomizing and delivering liquids to a substrate. The modular system comprises a liquid module, a means for providing an atomizing agent, a nozzle assembly and an actuator which is changeable between a first closed position and a second open position, for selectively allowing the atomizing agent to flow from the means for providing atomizing agent to the atomizing agent channel and for selectively allowing the liquid to flow from the cavity to the liquid delivery nozzle. The modular system atomizes liquids into a narrow distribution of particle sizes without the use of propellants or solvents. The modular system has replaceable liquid and atomizing agent modules. A method for atomizing liquids is also disclosed.

Modular system for atomizing a liquid

Coating system and method that allows coatings to be formed from a wide variety of coatable compositions that are entirely free of any solvents or, alternatively, have relatively little solvent in minor amounts effective to help dissolve one or more components of such compositions. A fluid composition is atomized and contacted with a carrier gas. The contacting occurs under conditions such that vaporization of substantially all of the atomized fluid composition occurs so as to form a vapor having a condensation temperature. The vapor is caused to flow to the surface of the substrate. The surface is at a temperature below the condensation temperature of the vapor. Consequently, the vapor condenses onto the surface to form the coating.

Vapor coating method

Apparatus suitable for atomizing and vaporizing at least a first liquid by colliding at least one gas with the first liquid. The apparatus includes a gas inlet through which the gas enters the apparatus and a first liquid inlet through which the first liquid enters the apparatus. A discharge end of the apparatus includes at least one first liquid discharge outlet through which at least one stream of the first liquid is discharged from the apparatus. The discharge end also includes at least one gas discharge outlet through which at least one stream of gas is discharged from the apparatus to collide with and thereby atomize the discharged stream of the first liquid. A first liquid passageway interconnects the first liquid inlet with the first liquid discharge outlet. A gas passageway interconnects the gas inlet with the at least one gas discharge outlet. In one embodiment, the gas passageway comprises at least one gas chamber in thermal contact with an initial portion of the first liquid passageway such that a heated quantity of the gas in the chamber preheats the first liquid in the initial portion of the first liquid passageway. In alternative embodiments, the gas passageway includes a pressure dampening chamber allowing gas to be continuously discharged without pulsating.

Apparatus and method of atomizing and vaporizing

A spray assembly for mixing catalyst with a high viscosity material and applying thin coatings of that material to a substrate that is particularly useful for applying body putty to a surface. The spray assembly has first and second through air passageways between an inlet end portion and different portions of an outlet end. The through air passageways each have a straight central axis adjacent the outlet end, the extensions of which axes outside the spray nozzle intersect a short distance from the outlet end of the spray nozzle. A large suction tube for the larger first air passageway has an upper end positioned within a cylindrical portion of the first air passageway. Air streams propelled through the passageways draw high viscosity material through the larger suction tube and catalyst through a smaller suction tube into those air streams. Intersection of those air streams outside of the nozzle mixes the catalyst material with the high viscosity material. A manually operable valve in the larger suction tube can adjust the amount of catalyzed high viscosity material being sprayed.

Spray assembly for high viscosity materials

A spray assembly including a venturi type spray nozzle, a valve attached to the spray nozzle, a reservoir adapter that can engage a reservoir containing a liquid coating material to be sprayed, and a flexible hose between tile reservoir adapter and the valve. The outer surface texture of material being coated can be adjusted using the valve which is useful in matching the surface texture of chip resistant coatings and undercoatings on an automobile, and the hose allows the operator to spray material onto a substrate from any orientation of the spray nozzle which facilitates coating locations such as the lower portions of panels or in wheel wells and trunks. A valve passageways is shaped to facilitate fine adjustment of the air/coating material ratio when small amounts of material are being delivered, and the valve includes an air purge to remove material from the valve and nozzle when the valve is shut off.

Growing community of inventors

White Bear Lake, MN, United States of America

Constantin I Ruta