Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 36
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
A roller for use with a surface-scraping doctor blade to meter a fluid applied to an outer surface of the roller, comprising: a substantially cylindrical core having a core surface; a wearable coating of a polymer material on said core surface, said coating having a predetermined thickness and having a predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles, said coating also having a surface which is said outer surface of the roller; a plurality of cells in said coating, each of said cells having at least one straight cell wall oriented substantially perpendicular to said outer surface of the roller and having an open end at said outer surface of the roller, said open end forming a substantially sharp corner where said cell wall meets said outer surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
A roller for use with a surface-scraping doctor blade to meter a fluid applied to an outer surface of the roller, comprising: a substantially cylindrical core having a core surface; a wearable coating of a polymer material on said core surface, said coating having a predetermined thickness and having a predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles, said coating also having a surface which is said outer surface of the roller; a plurality of cells in said coating, each of said cells having at least one straight cell wall oriented substantially perpendicular to said outer surface of the roller and having an open end at said outer surface of the roller, said open end forming a substantially sharp corner where said cell wall meets said outer surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined thickness of said coating is substantially in the range of 5 to 50 mils.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles is substantially in the range of 10 to 60 percent.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said hard-wear resistant particles have an average maximum dimension substantially in the range of 0.001 to 0.1 of the predetermined thickness of the coating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said polymer material forms a substantially continuous phase within said coating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said coating is oleophilic and hydrophobic.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said outer surface of said roller and said at least one wall of each of said cells are oleophilic and hydrophobic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said hard wear-resistant particles have sizes in the range of approximately 5 to 50 microns.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said cells are substantially cylindrical and have a diameter approximately in the range of 10.0 to 100.0 microns and a depth approximately 5 to 50 microns.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The roller according to claim 1, wherein said coating has approximately 100 to 300 cells per inch.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for manufacturing a roller for use with a surface-scraping doctor blade to meter a fluid applied to an outer surface of the roller, comprising the steps of: providing a substantially cylindrical core having a core surface; covering said core surface with a wearable coating of a polymer material, said coating having a predetermined thickness and having a predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles, said coating also having a surface which is said outer surface of the roller; laser engraving a plurality of substantially cylindrical cells in said coating, each of said substantially cylindrical cells having a straight cell wall oriented substantially perpendicular to said outer surface of the roller and having an open end at said outer surface of the roller, said open end forming a substantially sharp corner where said cell wall meets said outer surface.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for manufacturing a roller for use with a surface-scraping doctor blade to meter a fluid applied to an outer surface of the roller, comprising the steps of: providing a substantially cylindrical core having a core surface; covering said core surface with a wearable coating of a polymer material, said coating having a predetermined thickness and having a predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles, said coating also having a surface which is said outer surface of the roller; laser engraving a plurality of substantially cylindrical cells in said coating, each of said substantially cylindrical cells having a straight cell wall oriented substantially perpendicular to said outer surface of the roller and having an open end at said outer surface of the roller, said open end forming a substantially sharp corner where said cell wall meets said outer surface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said surface of said roller is machined to provide a smooth outer surface after said coating is applied to said core surface and before said laser engraving.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined thickness of said coating is substantially in the range of 5 to 50 mils.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles is substantially in the range of 10 to 60 percent.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said hard wear-resistant particles have an average maximum dimension substantially in the range of 0.001 to 0.1 of the predetermined thickness of the coating.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein the polymer material forms a substantially continuous phase within said coating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said coating is oleophilic and hydrophobic.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said outer surface of said roller and said walls of said cells are oleophilic and hydrophobic.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said hard wear-resistant particles have sizes in the range of approximately 5 to 50 microns.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said cells have a diameter approximately in the range of 10.0 to 100.0 microns and a depth approximately in the range of 30.0 to 100.0 microns.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 11, wherein said coating has approximately 100 to 300 cells per inch.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
275 words
A method for metering a fluid from an outer surface of a metering roller with a surface-scraping doctor blade, comprising the steps of: providing the metering roller with a substantially cylindrical core having a core surface, with a wearable coating of a polymer material on said core surface, said coating having a predetermined thickness and having a predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles, said coating also having a surface which is said outer surface of the metering roller and having a plurality of cells in said coating, each of said cells having at least one straight cell wall oriented substantially perpendicular to said outer surface of the metering roller and having an open end at said outer surface of the roller, said open end forming a substantially sharp corner where said cell wall meets said outer surface; rotating said metering roller against the doctor blade, the doctor blade being held stationary; applying the fluid to the outer surface of the metering roller; scraping said outer surface of the metering roller with the doctor blade so that a metered quantity of fluid is provided; and providing a substantially constant ink delivery volume from said metering roller to a transfer roller in contact with said metering roller as long as a depth of each of said cells is greater than a shear-influenced region of each of said cells; wearing away said outer surface of the metering roller as the metering roller rotates and as the doctor blade scrapes against the outer surface with no substantially change in the amount of metered fluid provided as a result of the wearing away of the outer surface.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
275 words
A method for metering a fluid from an outer surface of a metering roller with a surface-scraping doctor blade, comprising the steps of: providing the metering roller with a substantially cylindrical core having a core surface, with a wearable coating of a polymer material on said core surface, said coating having a predetermined thickness and having a predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles, said coating also having a surface which is said outer surface of the metering roller and having a plurality of cells in said coating, each of said cells having at least one straight cell wall oriented substantially perpendicular to said outer surface of the metering roller and having an open end at said outer surface of the roller, said open end forming a substantially sharp corner where said cell wall meets said outer surface; rotating said metering roller against the doctor blade, the doctor blade being held stationary; applying the fluid to the outer surface of the metering roller; scraping said outer surface of the metering roller with the doctor blade so that a metered quantity of fluid is provided; and providing a substantially constant ink delivery volume from said metering roller to a transfer roller in contact with said metering roller as long as a depth of each of said cells is greater than a shear-influenced region of each of said cells; wearing away said outer surface of the metering roller as the metering roller rotates and as the doctor blade scrapes against the outer surface with no substantially change in the amount of metered fluid provided as a result of the wearing away of the outer surface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein the temperature of the roller is varied in order to increase or decrease the quantity of metered fluid.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said outer surface of said roller is machined to provide a smooth outer surface after said coating is applied to said core surface and before said laser engraving.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said predetermined thickness of said coating is substantially in the range of 5 to 50 mils.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said predetermined percent by volume of substantially hard wear-resistant particles is substantially in the range of 10 to 60 percent.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said hard wear-resistant particles have an average maximum dimension substantially in the range of 0.001 to 0.1 of the predetermined thickness of the coating.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said polymer material forms a substantially continuous phase within said coating.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said coating is oleophilic and hydrophobic.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said outer surface of said roller and said walls of said cells are oleophilic and hydrophobic.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said hard wear-resistant particles have sizes in the range of approximately 5 to 50 microns.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said cells are cylindrical and have a diameter approximately in the range of 10 to 100 microns and a depth approximately in the range of 5 to 50 microns.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 22, wherein said coating has approximately 100 to 300 cells per inch.