Apparatus for the production of photoconductive components for use in electrophotography

Claim 1

An apparatus for the production of photoconductive components for use in electrophotography, comprising: a coating tank having an overflow weir at a top end thereof and a coating-supply opening at a lower portion through which a coating material is supplied to said coating tank; a chamber defined by the perimeters of the tank and communicating with said coating-supply opening; a partition means positioned in said chamber between the inner wall of said tank and the outer surface of an electric conductor to be coated with the coating material, said partition means being provided with a plurality of holes covered with a mesh filter and disposed at a lower portion thereof through which said coating material is supplied to and removed from the inside of the partition means, whereby when an electric conductor to be coated is immersed in said coating material and removed from said coating material, the occurrence of turbulent flow being created in said coating materials in the vicinity of said electric conductor is substantially prevented.

Claim 2

An apparatus for the production of photoconductive components for use in electrophotography, comprising: a coating tank having an overflow weir at a top end thereof and a coating-supply opening at a lower portion through which a coating material is supplied to said coating tank; a chamber defined by the perimeters of the tank and communicating with said coating-supply opening; a partition means positioned in said chamber between the inner wall of said tank and the outer surface of an electric conductor to be coated with the coating material, said partition means being provided with a plurality of holes covered with a mesh filter and disposed at a lower portion thereof through which said coating material is supplied to and removed from the inside of the partition means, whereby when an electric conductor to be coated is immersed in said coating material and removed from said coating material, the occurrence of turbulent flow being created in said coating materials in the vicinity of said electric conductor is substantially prevented.

Claim 4

An apparatus for coating an article while immersed in a coating material, said apparatus comprising: a tank having an overflow weir at a top end thereof; an inlet formed adjacent a bottom end of said tank; a chamber defined by the perimeters of the tank and communicating with said inlet for receiving the coating material; and a partition formed within said chamber, said partition including a plurality of openings formed at a lower end thereof, the lower end being spaced apart from the bottom end of said tank; wherein an upper edge of said partition is positioned higher than the overflow weir of said tank whereby turbulence created by inserting and removing the article to be coated within the confines of the partition can be substantially prevented from affecting a coating process proceeding within the chamber.

Claim 5

An apparatus for coating an article while immersed in a coating material, said apparatus comprising: a tank having an overflow weir at a top end thereof; an inlet formed adjacent a bottom end of said tank; a chamber defined by the perimeters of the tank and communicating with said inlet for receiving the coating material; and a partition formed within said chamber, said partition including a plurality of openings formed at a lower end thereof, the lower end being spaced apart from the bottom end of said tank; wherein an upper edge of said partition is positioned higher than the overflow weir of said tank whereby turbulence created by inserting and removing the article to be coated within the confines of the partition can be substantially prevented from affecting a coating process proceeding within the chamber.