Abstract
A device treats substrates with a liquid, which device has a conveying device by which the substrates can be conveyed in a conveying direction through a container containing a liquid. A weir that has an edge over which the substrates can run and which, at least in sections, extends obliquely relative to the conveying direction of the substrates. The weir is used in the device for treating substrates with a liquid. The weir has at least one edge which extends obliquely at least in sections.
Claims
1-21. (canceled)
22. A device for treating substrates with a liquid, the device comprising: a container containing the liquid; a transportation device by which the substrates are transportable in a transportation direction through said container; and a weir having an edge being navigable by the substrates and at least in portions runs obliquely to the transportation direction of the substrates.
23. The device according claim 22, wherein said edge extends across at least two transportation tracks and there-between has an inconsistent edge profile.
24. The device according to claim 22, wherein said edge extends across at least two transportation tracks and there-between has a consistent edge profile.
25. The device according to claim 22, wherein said edge has an edge profile that is differentiable at each point.
26. The device according to claim 22, wherein said edge within at least one transportation track has an inconsistent edge profile.
27. The device according to claim 22, wherein said edge at least in portions has a rounded edge profile.
28. The device according to claim 22, wherein said edge extends across more than two transportation tracks.
29. The device according to claim 22, wherein said transportation device has transportation rollers that in the transportation direction are disposed ahead of and behind said weir and by means of said transportation rollers the substrates are transportable through said container that contains the liquid.
30. The device according to claim 29, wherein said edge extends across at least 50% of an available spacing of a first of said transportation rollers that when viewed in the transportation direction is disposed as a last one ahead of said weir from a second of said transportation rollers that when viewed in the transportation direction is disposed as a first one behind said weir.
31. The device according to claim 29, wherein said transportation rollers each have a rotation axle and said rotation axle of at least one of said transportation rollers penetrates said weir.
32. A weir for use in a device for treating substrates with a liquid, the weir comprising: a body having an edge running obliquely at least in portions.
33. The weir according to claim 32, wherein said edge has at least one protrusion or at least one recess formed therein.
34. The weir according to claim 32, wherein said edge at least in portions has a sawtooth profile.
35. The weir according to claim 32, wherein said edge has a non-planar, undulated, vertical profile.
36. The weir according to claim 32, wherein the weir is embodied so as to be integral, produce by way of subtraction of material from a primary body.
37. The weir according to claim 32, wherein said body has at least one opening formed therein for receiving an axle.
38. A method for detaching a liquid lamella from a substrate edge, which comprises the steps of: configuring a tear-off front at at least one point of the liquid lamella; and guiding the tear-off front along the substrate edge and a width of the liquid lamella being reduced in this way.
39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the width of the liquid lamella prior to the liquid lamella being torn off the substrate edge, as compared to an original width of the liquid lamella, is reduced by at least 50%.
40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the tear-off front is configured at a corner of the substrate edge.
41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the tear-off front is guided up to a corner of the substrate edge.
Description
[0052] In the figures:
[0053] FIG. 1 shows schematic illustrations of a fragmented lateral view of a device according to the prior art in a first (a), a second (b), and a third (c) state;
[0054] FIG. 2 shows an in-principle illustration for highlighting the configuration of a liquid lamella between a substrate rear edge and a weir having a linear edge according to the prior art;
[0055] FIG. 3 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a device and of a weir having an edge that runs obliquely at least in portions, in a schematic illustration;
[0056] FIG. 4 shows an in-principle illustration for highlighting the configuration of a liquid film in the case of an edge that runs obliquely at least in portions, in a first (a) and a second (b) state, and an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention;
[0057] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a refinement of the device according to FIG. 3;
[0058] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of the device according to FIG. 3;
[0059] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of a further design embodiment of the device according to FIG. 3;
[0060] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of a refinement of the device according to FIG. 3;
[0061] FIG. 9 shows a fragmented lateral view of the illustration according to FIG. 8;
[0062] FIG. 10 shows a schematic illustration of a perspective view of a weir.
[0063] FIG. 1 shows a device 2 for treating substrates with a liquid 4, according to the prior art, in a first (a), a second (b), and a third (c) state. The device 2 is illustrated in a sectional illustration and, for reasons of clarity of the drawing, only in a fragmented manner, that is to say with the omission of further elements of the device 2. The device 2 has a container 6 that contains the liquid 4 and is unilaterally delimited by means of a weir 8. The weir 8 is configured for preventing, or limiting, respectively, a discharge of the liquid 4 from the container 6. Moreover, the weir 8 has a straight edge 10 that is navigable by substrates 14. Transportation rollers 12 by means of which substrates are transportable across the liquid 4, or across the edge 10 of the weir 8, respectively, are disposed on either side of the weir 8.
[0064] Such a state of transportation is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1(b). The latter shows how the substrate 14, while configuring a lower-side liquid film 16, by means of the transportation rollers 12 is transported across the weir 8 and the edge 10 of the latter along a transportation direction 18. As can be seen in FIG. 1(c), caused by the surface tension of the liquid 4, a liquid lamella 20 is configured on the read edge 22 of the substrate 14 when the substrate 14 is being transported onward. Said liquid lamella 20 is not immediately torn off but is elongated when the straight edge 10 is navigated.
[0065] FIG. 2 shows an in-principle illustration for highlighting the configuration of this liquid lamella 20 between the substrate rear edge 22 and the weir 8, or the straight edge 10, respectively. The view of FIG. 2 herein corresponds to a plan view of the state illustrated in FIG. 1 (c), wherein for reasons of clarity a few elements of the device 24 are not illustrated. When the substrate 14 is being transported onward along the transportation direction 18, further elongation of the liquid lamella 20 takes place until the stress limit of the latter is exceeded, and consequently tearing-off of the liquid lamella 20 from the substrate rear edge 22 arises. A substantially homogeneous elongation of the liquid lamella 20 along the transportation direction 18 is established by way of the straight profile of the edge 10 of the weir 8 in relation to the transportation direction 18. In simple words, there exists no point along the liquid lamella 20 that has a pronounced superelevation in terms of tension. The tear-off of the liquid lamella 20 thus takes place so as to proceed from a geometrically not unequivocally established point. In the case of a tear-off of the liquid lamella 20 that is undefined in such a manner, a formation of splashes in which liquid 4 is unintentionally propelled onto the upper side of the substrate 14 or of subsequent substrates in the process often arises.
[0066] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a device 24 for treating substrates 14 with a liquid 4. The device 24 has a transportation device 26 by means of which the substrates 14 are transportable through a container 28 that contains the liquid 4. The device 24 moreover has a weir 30 having an edge 32 that is navigable by the substrates 14, said edge 32 at least in portions running obliquely to the transportation direction 18 of the substrates 14.
[0067] The transportation device 26 has transportation rollers 34 that in the transportation direction 18 are disposed ahead of and behind the weir 30 and by means of which the substrates, or the substrate 14, respectively, are/is transportable through the container 28 that contains the liquid 4.
[0068] In the present exemplary embodiment, the maximum extent E of the edge 32 in the transportation direction 18 is at least 95 percent of the spacing A of the transportation rollers 34 which in the transportation direction 18 are disposed directly ahead of and behind the weir 30.
[0069] The substrate in FIG. 3 is illustrated with dashed lines, since said substrate is not a component part of the device 24. By way of the bearing of the individual substrate 14 on the transportation rollers 34 as is illustrated in the present case, a single transportation track 36 is configured along the transportation direction 18, the substrate 14 moving along said transportation track 36 through the container 28 that contains the liquid 4. The illustration of FIG. 3 is limited to merely one transportation track 36, wherein further transportation tracks 36 can be configured by having a plurality of substrates 14 that are smaller and/or narrower bearing thereon, for example, and/or by using wider transportation rollers. The device 24 can fundamentally also have a plurality of transportation devices 26 or transportation rollers 34, respectively, that are disposed beside one another, such that one transportation track 36 can be configured along each one of the rows of transportation rollers that lie beside one another.
[0070] FIG. 4 shows an in-principle illustration for highlighting the tear-off of a liquid lamella 38 from the substrate rear edge 22 when navigating the edge 32 of the weir 30 that runs obliquely to the transportation direction 18, in a first (a) and a second (b) state. FIG. 4 in this way simultaneously illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the invention. As has already been highlighted in the context of the in-principle illustration in FIG. 2, the liquid lamella 20 when navigating the edge 32 is first elongated along the transportation direction 18 and mechanically stressed. Since the edge 32 of the weir 30 runs obliquely to the transportation direction 18, the liquid lamella 38 is initially imparted the maximum mechanical stress at a lower left corner 23a of the substrate 14, or at the corner 23a of the substrate edge 22, respectively. As is illustrated by FIG. 2(b), a tear-off front 39 is configured at this point, and emanating from this point, a retraction of the liquid lamella 38 in the direction of the right lower corner 23b of the substrate 14 commences. The tear-off front 39 is guided along the substrate edge 22, and a width of the liquid lamella 38 is reduced in this way. As a result of the oblique profile of the edge 32, the tear-off front 39 is guided up to the corner 23b of the substrate edge 22, and a targeted tear-off of the liquid lamella 38 is achieved at said corner 23b, in which tear-off the formation of splashes and the unintentional application of liquid 4 onto the upper side of the substrate 14 can be avoided.
[0071] FIG. 5 shows a further device 24a in which three transportation tracks 36 for the substrates 14 are configured, said three transportation tracks 36 running so as to be mutually parallel and along the transportation direction 18. The device 24a otherwise differs from the device 24 substantially in terms of the design of the weir and of the edge of the latter, such that the further elements of the device 24a are not illustrated in FIG. 5.
[0072] The weir 40 that is used in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 has an edge 44 which extends across at least two of the transportation tracks 36 and therebetween has an inconsistent edge profile 42. The edge profile 42 along the transportation direction 18 has a plurality of protrusions 46. Alternatively, the latter can fundamentally also be embodied as recesses. The protrusions 46 extend substantially in a direction that runs perpendicularly to a main direction of extent 48 of the weir. Accordingly, the edge 44 has a sawtooth profile 50. In order for the angle of inclination within a transportation track to be further maximized, the edge 44 within the right transportation track 36 has an inconsistent edge profile having a plurality of protrusions 46.
[0073] FIG. 6 shows a further device 24b having a weir 52 which has an edge 54. The edge 54 extends across three transportation tracks 36 and therebetween has a consistent edge profile 56. As for the illustration of further elements of the device 24b in terms of the drawing, the explanations pertaining to FIG. 5 apply in an analogous manner.
[0074] A further device 24c is illustrated in FIG. 7. Said device 24c has a weir 58 having an edge 60 which in turn extends across three transportation tracks 36. The edge 60 presently has an edge profile 62 that is differentiatable at each point. The edge profile 62 has neither steps nor kinks. The edge 60 is rounded and presently has a sinusoidal edge profile. As for the illustration of further elements of the device 24c in terms of the drawing, the explanations pertaining to FIG. 5 apply in an analogous manner.
[0075] Depending on the case of application, it is also possible for one and the same edge to have a portion-by-portion combination of the edge profiles 42, 56 and 62 that are included in the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. In other words, one and the same weir can have an edge having an edge profile that portion-by-portion is consistent, inconsistent, and/or differentiatable.
[0076] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of a further device 24d. The device 24d has a weir 64 which is penetrated by a rotation axle 66 of one of the transportation rollers 34. The weir 64 for this purpose has an opening 68 for receiving the axle 66. FIG. 9 shows a fragmented lateral view of the illustration of FIG. 8, and highlights the arrangement of the opening 68 for receiving the axle 66 of the transportation roller 34.
[0077] FIG. 10 shows a schematic illustration of a perspective view of a weir 70 for use in a device according to one of the preceding exemplary embodiments. The weir 70 is presently produced by means of subtraction of material, specifically by milling, from a primary body 72 which is illustrated with dashed lines. The weir 70 has an edge 74 which in portions has an undulated vertical profile 76. The vertical profile 76 can preferably be configured along the entire edge 74 of the weir 70, wherein for reasons of improved clarity of illustration only a profile of the vertical profile in portions is presently illustrated.
LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS
[0078] 2 Device according to the prior art [0079] 4 Liquid [0080] 6 Container [0081] 8 Weir [0082] 10 Straight edge [0083] 12 Transportation rollers [0084] 14 Substrate [0085] 16 Liquid film [0086] 18 Transportation direction [0087] 20 Liquid lamella [0088] 22 Substrate rear edge [0089] 23a, 23b Corner [0090] 24, 24a-d Device [0091] 26 Transportation device [0092] 28 Container [0093] 30 Weir [0094] 32 Oblique edge [0095] 34 Transportation rollers [0096] 36 Transportation track [0097] 38 Liquid lamella [0098] 39 Tear-off front [0099] 40 Weir [0100] 42 Inconsistent edge profile [0101] 44 Inconsistent edge [0102] 46 Protrusion [0103] 48 Main direction of extent [0104] 50 Sawtooth profile [0105] 52 Weir [0106] 54 Consistent edge [0107] 56 edge profile [0108] 58 Weir [0109] 60 Edge [0110] 62 Edge profile [0111] 64 Weir [0112] 66 Rotation axle [0113] 68 Opening [0114] 70 Weir [0115] 72 Primary body [0116] 74 Edge [0117] 76 Vertical profile [0118] A Spacing [0119] E Extent
