Fluidized bed coating process for coating with thermosetting materials

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF FORMING A COHERENT AND ADHERENT COATING OF THERMOSETTING RESIN ON THE SURFACE OF AN ARTICLE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF HEATING THE SURFACE OF THE ARTICLE TO A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF THE OBJECT, IMMERSING THE HEATED SURFACE IN A FLUIDIZED BED OF FREE-FLOWING POWDER, SAID POOWDER COMPRISING AT LEAST 10% OF A MIXTURE OF THERMOSETTING RESIN AND CURING AGENT, MAINTAINING SAID OBJECT IN CONTACT WITH SAID FLUIDIZED BED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO COAT THE ARICLE WITH THE POWDERED MIXTURE, REMOVING SAID OBJECT FROM SAID BED, GRADUALLY RESING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID SURFACE FROM SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE, MAINTAINING SAID ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF SAID SURFACE FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE SOME DEGREE OF REACTION BETWEEN THE THERMOSETTING RESIN AND CURRING AGENT WHILE THE SAME ARE IN A FUSED CONDITION, AND COOLING THE ARTICLE TO SOLIDIFY THE COATING.