Device for coating a peripheral surface of a sleeve body

Abstract

A coating device for coating a peripheral surface of a sleeve body with a coating formulation includes a vertical support column for supporting a sleeve body in a vertical position coaxial with a coating axis, a carriage slideable along the vertical support column, and an annular coating stage attached to the carriage and moveable therewith for containing the coating formulation and for coating a layer of the coating formulation onto the peripheral surface of the sleeve body during a sliding movement of the carriage along the vertical support column. The coating device includes an irradiation stage that is arranged to be moveable with the annular coating stage and to provide radiation to at least partially cure the layer of coating formulation onto the peripheral surface so as to prevent flow off of the coating formulation.

1 . An apparatus for irradiating a coated layer by UV light, the apparatus comprising:
 an array of UV LEDs;   a Fresnel lens including a reflector; and   a collimating mirror; wherein   the Fresnel lens including the reflector concentrates UV light received from the array of UV LEDs into a focal point of the collimating mirror; and   the collimating mirror collimates the UV light received from the array of UV LEDs into horizontal beams to irradiate the coated layer.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the array of UV LEDs is annular. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a radiation lock arranged to stop irradiation of the UV light from the array of UV LEDs to the coated layer. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the radiation lock is annular. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the radiation lock includes an adjustable iris diaphragm. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a manifold arranged to add an inert gas to a cure zone at a surface of the coated layer. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the manifold is annular. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising an annular seal with an adjustable inner diameter. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the annular seal is an adjustable iris diaphragm. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a blow knife positioned adjacent the cure zone. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the blow knife is annular. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the array of UV LEDs includes a mixture of different spectral output UV LEDs. 
     
     
         13 . A method for irradiating a coated layer by UV light, the method comprising the steps of:
 emitting UV light from an array of UV LEDs;   concentrating the UV light with a Fresnel lens including a reflector into a focal point of a collimating mirror;   collimating the UV light with the collimating mirror into horizontal beams; and   irradiating the coated layer with the collimated UV light.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
 adjusting a radiation intensity of the UV light as a function of a thickness of the coated layer.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
 adjusting a radiation intensity of the UV light as a function of a chemical formulation of the coated layer.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
 spinning the array of UV LEDs, the Fresnel lens including the reflector, and the collimating mirror around a cylindrical surface.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the step of:
 moving the array of UV LEDs, the Fresnel lens including the reflector, and the collimating mirror axially along the cylindrical surface.