Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for exhausting gas from a coating material comprising the steps of: feeding coating material to a bottom area of a drum rotating around an essentially vertical axis inside a vacuum tank, the vacuum tank having an inner wall, the vertical axis defining a radial direction and a height direction defined as extending vertically parallel to the vertical axis, wherein the drum has an inner wall with a plurality of steps, each step defining a level, which step levels ascend in the height direction as the steps progress outwardly in the radial direction; using forces created by rotating motion of the drum to cause the coating material to rise up the inner wall of the drum and flow over at least two of the plurality of steps; veiling the coating material over a front edge of each step to form a radially extending veil-like thin film of the coating material spaced from the inner wall of the drum, which extends between said front edge of the step to the inner wall of the drum; and conducting the coating material out of the tank.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for exhausting gas from a coating material comprising the steps of: feeding coating material to a bottom area of a drum rotating around an essentially vertical axis inside a vacuum tank, the vacuum tank having an inner wall, the vertical axis defining a radial direction and a height direction defined as extending vertically parallel to the vertical axis, wherein the drum has an inner wall with a plurality of steps, each step defining a level, which step levels ascend in the height direction as the steps progress outwardly in the radial direction; using forces created by rotating motion of the drum to cause the coating material to rise up the inner wall of the drum and flow over at least two of the plurality of steps; veiling the coating material over a front edge of each step to form a radially extending veil-like thin film of the coating material spaced from the inner wall of the drum, which extends between said front edge of the step to the inner wall of the drum; and conducting the coating material out of the tank.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a radial distance defined between the said at least two successive step levels is within the range from 20 mm to 200 mm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the radial distance between the said at least two successive step levels is within the range from 40 mm to 120 mm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a difference in height defined between said at least two successive step levels is within the range from 20 mm to 150 mm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the difference in height between the said at least two successive step levels is within the range from 40 mm to 100 mm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein after conducting the coating material out of the tank, further comprising the steps of: conducting the material from the vacuum tank to a curtain coater; and forming a coating layer on a paper web.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the thickness of thin film discharged from the drum is adjusted to be at most as thick as the coating layer on a paper web.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein an absolute pressure of about 3 kPa to 15 kPa is provided in the vacuum tank.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein an absolute pressure of about 1 kPa to 15 kPa is provided in the vacuum tank.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the rotating drum and vacuum tank comprise parts of a degassing device having operational parameters, and further comprising the steps of: imaging the veil-like thin films; and controlling the operational parameters of the degassing device until one of said veil-like films remains intact.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of directing a flow of air downwards between the tank wall and the drum with a plurality of vanes symmetrically arranged on an outer surface of the drum.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of causing the coating material to discharge from an upper edge of the drum as a thin film against the inner wall of the vacuum tank so that the coating material flows downwards along the tank inner wall before being conducted out of the tank.