Claims
- 1. An apparatus for coating at least one substrate with a fluid, the apparatus comprising at least one diptank defining an inlet and a conduit with an orifice, the conduit including means for suspending a plurality of layers of rounded objects so that fluid supplied to the inlet flows through the plurality of layers of rounded objects to coat a substrate that is inserted through the orifice.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, the at least one substrate comprising a photoreceptor substrate and the fluid comprising photoreceptor coating solution.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 2, the at least one photoreceptor substrate comprising a belt.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 2, the at least one photoreceptor substrate comprising a cylindrical-shaped drum.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of layers of rounded objects being suspended near the bottom of the diptank.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 1, the sus pending means comprising at least one porous element with a plurality of apertures dispersed throughout.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 1, the suspending means comprising at least two porous elements each with a plurality of apertures dispersed throughout.
- 8. The apparatus of claim 7, each porous element comprising a grid, screen or mesh.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of layers of rounded objects comprising two layers of rounded objects.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9, the two layers of rounded objects generally comprising spherically-shaped objects.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 9, the two layers of rounded objects generally comprising elliptically-shaped objects.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9, the two layers of rounded objects comprising one or more spherically-shaped objects and one or more elliptically-shaped objects.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of layers of rounded objects comprising three layers of rounded objects.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13, the three layers of rounded objects generally comprising spherically-shaped objects.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 13, the three layers of rounded objects generally comprising elliptically-shaped objects.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 13, the three layers of rounded objects comprising one or more spherically-shaped objects and one or more elliptically-shaped objects.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 1, the plurality of layers of rounded objects comprising two or more layers of rounded objects.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17, the two or more layers of rounded objects generally comprising spherically-shaped objects.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 17, the two or more layers of rounded objects generally comprising elliptically-shaped objects.
- 20. The apparatus of claim 17, the two or more layers of rounded objects comprising one or more spherically-shaped objects and one or more elliptically-shaped objects.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 1, the rounded objects generally comprised of glass.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 1, the rounded objects generally comprised of a ceramic material.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, the ceramic material comprising porcelain, aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide.
- 24. The apparatus of claim 1, the rounded objects generally comprised of metal.
- 25. The apparatus of claim 24, the metal comprising aluminum, stainless steel or titanium.
- 26. A method for coating at least one substrate with a fluid using an apparatus, the apparatus comprising at least one diptank defining an inlet and a conduit with an orifice, the conduit including means for suspending a plurality of layers of rounded objects, so that fluid supplied to the inlet flows through the plurality of layers of rounded objects to coat a substrate that is inserted through the orifice, the method comprising supplying fluid to the inlet and inserting at least one substrate through the orifice.
- 27. The method of claim 26, the at least one substrate comprising a photoreceptor substrate and the fluid comprising photoreceptor coating solution.
- 28. The method of claim 27, the at least one photoreceptor substrate comprising a belt.
- 29. The method of claim 27, the at least one photoreceptor substrate comprising a cylindrical-shaped drum.
- 30. The apparatus of claim 26, the plurality of layers of rounded objects being suspended near the bottom of the diptank.
- 31. The method of claim 26, the suspending means comprising at least one porous element with a plurality of apertures dispersed throughout.
- 32. The method of claim 26, the suspending means comprising at least two porous elements each with a plurality of apertures dispersed throughout.
- 33. The method of claim 32, each porous element comprising a grid, screen or mesh.
- 34. The method of claim 26, the plurality of layers of rounded objects comprising two layers of rounded objects.
- 35. The method of claim 34, the two layers of rounded objects generally comprising spherically-shaped objects.
- 36. The method of claim 34, the two layers of rounded objects generally comprising elliptically-shaped objects.
- 37. The method of claim 34, the two layers of rounded objects comprising one or more spherically-shaped objects and one or more elliptically-shaped objects.
- 38. The method of claim 26, the plurality of layers of rounded objects comprising three layers of rounded objects.
- 39. The method of claim 38, the three layers of rounded objects generally comprising spherically-shaped objects.
- 40. The method of claim 38, the three layers of rounded objects generally comprising elliptically-shaped objects.
- 41. The method of claim 38, the three layers of rounded objects comprising one or more spherically-shaped objects and one or more elliptically-shaped objects.
- 42. The method of claim 26, the plurality of layers of rounded objects comprising two or more layers of rounded objects.
- 43. The method of claim 42, the two or more layers of rounded objects generally comprising spherically-shaped objects.
- 44. The method of claim 42, the two or more layers of rounded objects generally comprising elliptically-shaped objects.
- 45. The method of claim 42, the two or more layers of rounded objects comprising one or more spherically-shaped objects and one or more elliptically-shaped objects.
- 46. The method of claim 26, the rounded objects generally comprised of glass.
- 47. The method of claim 26, the rounded objects generally comprised of a ceramic material.
- 48. The method of claim 47, the ceramic material comprising porcelain, aluminum oxide or titanium dioxide.
- 49. The method of claim 26, the rounded objects generally comprised of metal.
- 50. The method of claim 49, the metal comprising aluminum, stainless steel or titanium.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF OTHER U.S. PATENT
[0001] The disclosure of commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,392 by Eugene A. Swain, entitled “Fluid reservoir containing panels for reducing rate of fluid flow,” issued Oct. 28, 1997 is hereby incorporated by reference in this application verbatim, with the same effect as though such disclosure were fully and completely set forth herein. It is noted that the same Eugene A. Swain is a named inventor both in the foregoing U.S. patent and in the present application.