Electroplating cell anode

Claim 2

An anode structure especially adapted for conformance with a cathode of unusual shape, which anode structure comprises: a rigid support anode substructure member, said substructure member having a predetermined configuration; a thin and resilient, but solid and flexible anode sheet element having a broad, active anode surface; and means flexing said anode sheet element onto said anode substructure member, so that said broad, active anode surface conforms at least substantially to said anode substructure member configuration, and a broad anode surface, opposite said active anode surface, is in intimate, flexed contact with said anode substructure member.

Claim 3

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said solid anode substructure member is segmented into solid end bar members connected by a solid filler plate member.

Claim 4

The anode structure of claim 2, wherein said end bar members are metal end bars and said filler plate member is a metal, ceramic or polymeric filler plate member.

Claim 5

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said anode substructure member acts as a current distributor member for said anode sheet element.

Claim 6

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said anode substructure member has a surface configuration shaped in conformance with a surface of an opposing cathode.

Claim 7

The anode structure of claim 3, wherein said metal end bar members are titanium, tantalum or niobium end bar members, or their alloys or intermetallic mixtures, and said filler plate member is a polyhalocarbon, polyamide or polyolefin filler plate member.

Claim 8

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said anode sheet element is a thin, flexible coated metal plate.

Claim 9

The anode structure of claim 7, wherein said thin metal plate has an electrocatalytic coating on a broad face of said plate as said active anode surface.

Claim 10

The anode structure of claim 7, wherein said thin metal plate has thickness of from about 0.01 inch to about 0.5 inch.

Claim 11

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said anode sheet element is segmented with adjacent segments having opposing edges that are biased to the path of travel of a moving cathode.

Claim 12

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said anode sheet element is a metal element of titanium, tantalum, niobium, their alloys or intermetallic mixtures.

Claim 13

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said anode sheet element active anode surface conforms in shape with a surface of an opposing cathode and is secured to said anode substructure member by fasteners removed from the active area of the anode sheet element.

Claim 14

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said cathode is a roller cathode and said anode surface prescribes an arc, spaced apart and in concentric relationship to said roller cathode.

Claim 15

The anode structure of claim 1, wherein said means flexing said anode sheet element onto said anode substructure member includes fastening means securely fastening said element to said member and said means includes weld, braze, screw, bolt or explosion bonding means.

Claim 16

The anode structure of claim 8, wherein said electrocatalytic coating contains a platinum group metal or contains at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of platinum group metal oxides, magnetite, ferrite and cobalt oxide spinel.

Claim 17

The anode structure of claim 8, wherein said electrocatalytic coating contains a mixed oxide material of at least one oxide of a valve metal and at least one oxide of a platinum group metal.

Claim 18

An electrolytic cell comprising: a cathode; an anode comprising a thin and resilient, but solid and flexible anode sheet having a broad, active anode surface and a rigid support anode substructure member for said anode sheet, said anode substructure member having a predetermined configuration; means fixing said anode sheet onto said anode substructure member, so that said broad, active anode surface conforms to said anode substructure member configuration and has a broad anode surface, opposite said active anode surface, which is in intimate, flexed contact with said anode substructure member.

Claim 19

An electrolytic cell comprising: a cathode; an anode comprising a thin and resilient, but solid and flexible anode sheet having a broad, active anode surface and a rigid support anode substructure member for said anode sheet, said anode substructure member having a predetermined configuration; means fixing said anode sheet onto said anode substructure member, so that said broad, active anode surface conforms to said anode substructure member configuration and has a broad anode surface, opposite said active anode surface, which is in intimate, flexed contact with said anode substructure member.

Claim 20

The electrolytic cell of claim 17, wherein said anode substructure member has a concave configuration.

Claim 21

The electrolytic cell of claim 17, wherein said active anode surface is exposed to said cathode and said surface also conforms to the configuration of a surface of said cathode.

Claim 22

The electrolytic cell of claim 17, wherein said cell is an electroplating cell utilized for electrogalvanizing, electrotinning or copper foil finishing.

Claim 23

An electroplating cell for depositing a coating onto a moving cathode in strip form comprising: an electroplating bath; means guiding said cathode strip so that it follows a predetermined path of travel in said bath; an anode, immersed in said electroplating bath, and comprising a thin a resilient, but solid and flexible anode sheet having a broad, active anode surface, and an anode substructure for said anode sheet, said anode substructure having a configuration which matches said path of travel of said cathode strip; said anode sheet having a non-flexed configuration different from said anode substructure configuration and a flexed configuration which conforms to said substructure configuration; and means for holding said anode sheet on said anode substructure in said flexed configuration with a broad anode surface, opposite said active anode surface, being in intimate, flexed contact with a broad surface of said anode substructure.

Claim 24

An electroplating cell for depositing a coating onto a moving cathode in strip form comprising: an electroplating bath; means guiding said cathode strip so that it follows a predetermined path of travel in said bath; an anode, immersed in said electroplating bath, and comprising a thin a resilient, but solid and flexible anode sheet having a broad, active anode surface, and an anode substructure for said anode sheet, said anode substructure having a configuration which matches said path of travel of said cathode strip; said anode sheet having a non-flexed configuration different from said anode substructure configuration and a flexed configuration which conforms to said substructure configuration; and means for holding said anode sheet on said anode substructure in said flexed configuration with a broad anode surface, opposite said active anode surface, being in intimate, flexed contact with a broad surface of said anode substructure.

Claim 25

The electroplating cell of claim 21, wherein said anode substructure has a concave configuration.

Claim 26

The electroplating cell of claim 21, wherein said electroplating cell is an electrogalvanizing cell, electrotinning cell, or cell for copper foil finishing.

Claim 27

The electroplating cell of claim 21, wherein said active anode surface is radially disposed in concentric relationship with respect to said predetermined path of travel.

Claim 28

The electroplating cell of claim 21, wherein said anode sheet is in segments, said segments being bias-cut with regard to said cathode strip predetermined path of travel.

Claim 29

The electroplating cell of claim 21, wherein said anode sheet has an initial radius prior to flexing which is less than the radius of said anode substructure.

Claim 30

The electroplating cell of claim 21, wherein said anode sheet is removably bolted to said anode substructure.

Claim 31

The electroplating cell of claim 21, further comprising current connections so that electric current is distributed into the anode sheet in the direction of said cathode strip predetermined path of travel.

Claim 32

The electroplating cell of claim 28, wherein the current is distributed to said anode sheet through said anode substructure.

Claim 33

An anode support substructure having a broad surface spaced apart and in concentric relationship to a roller cathode, which substructure is a current distributor for an anode electrically connected to, and conforming to a surface of, said substructure, said substructure comprising solid end bar members spaced apart from one another but interconnected by a solid central filler member.

Claim 34

An anode support substructure having a broad surface spaced apart and in concentric relationship to a roller cathode, which substructure is a current distributor for an anode electrically connected to, and conforming to a surface of, said substructure, said substructure comprising solid end bar members spaced apart from one another but interconnected by a solid central filler member.

Claim 35

The anode support substructure of claim 30, wherein said end bar members each connect through overlapping flanges to said central filler member.

Claim 36

The anode support substructure of claim 30, wherein said end bar members are metallic and said central filler member is metallic, polymeric or ceramic.

Claim 37

The anode support substructure of claim 30, wherein said anode is a flexible anode in sheet form.

Claim 38

An electroplating assembly comprising a moveable cathode for receiving a metallic electrodeposited coating, an electrolyte for providing said coating, means guiding said cathode so that it follows a predetermined path of travel in said electrolyte, said assembly further including the anode structure of claim 1.