Claims
- 1. A method for drying a coated material with microwave radiation, the coated material being substantially coated with a solvent, comprising:introducing microwave radiation into a chamber, the chamber comprising: a body, the body comprising an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a substantially conductive material; a front and rear wall, both the front and rear walls comprising inner surfaces, wherein the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls comprise a substantially conductive material, and wherein the front and rear walls are configured to be substantially reflective of microwaves; and an elongated member oriented in a central portion of the chamber, the elongated member comprising a substantially non-conductive material; and wherein the body, the front wall, and the rear wall together define a cavity, and wherein an interior volume of the cavity and a volume of the elongated member are predetermined such that the interaction of the microwave radiation with the body, the front and rear walls, and the elongated member produces a resonant electromagnetic mode; and passing the coated material through the chamber at a rate such that the solvent is substantially removed from the coated material.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the coated material is wallpaper.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the coated material is transfer print paper.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the coated material is a coated plastic web.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the coated material is a semiconductor wafer.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is water.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the solvent is a volatile organic compound.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the microwave radiation is at a frequency and power sufficient to produce a transverse magnetic mode.
- 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic resonance is a TM110 resonance mode.
- 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic resonance is a TM210 resonance mode.
- 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the material is a coated web, and wherein the chamber has a first slot and a second slot, each of the slots being configured to allow the web material to pass through the slots, and wherein the web is introduced into the chamber through the first slot, and wherein the web passes out of the chamber through the second slot.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the material is a coated web, and wherein the chamber has a first slot and a second slot, each of the slots being configured to allow a web material to pass through the slots, and wherein the web is introduced into the chamber through the first slot, and wherein the web passes out of the chamber through the second slot, and wherein the web material is passed around the elongated member such that the web material contacts a portion of the elongated member.
- 13. The method of claim 1 wherein the material is a coated web, and wherein the electromagnetic mode comprises an electric field component, and wherein the chamber is configured such that a strength of the electric field is variable, and wherein the strength of the electric field is at a maximum value at a portion of an outer surface of the elongated member, and wherein the web is passed through the chamber such that the web passes along the portion of the elongated member.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the material is a coated web, and wherein the material is passed through the chamber at a rate which permits substantially complete evaporation of the solvent.
- 15. The method of claim 1 further comprising tuning the chamber to produce an electromagnetic resonance mode.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the elongated member comprises a second elongated member running through a center portion of the elongated member along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, the second elongated member comprising a substantially rigid metal.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic mode comprises an electric field component, wherein the chamber is configured such that a strength of the electric field is variable, and wherein the strength of the electric field is at a maximum value proximate an outer surface of the elongated member.
- 18. The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic mode comprises an electric field component, and wherein the chamber is configured such that a strength of the electric field is substantially uniform along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member.
- 19. The method of claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic mode comprises an electric field component, and wherein the chamber is configured such that a strength of the electric field is substantially uniform along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member.
- 20. The method of claim 1 wherein the cavity is configured such that a TM110 mode is produced at a significantly greater magnitude than the other modes when the cavity is irradiated with microwave radiation.
- 21. The method of claim 1 wherein the chamber is made of aluminum.
- 22. The method of claim 1 wherein the interior cavity is substantially cylindrical, and wherein the elongated member is substantially cylindrical.
- 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the chamber further comprises a lower section, an upper section, and a connector, the lower section configured to join with the upper section to form the interior cavity, the connector configured to couple the lower section to the upper section such that a front edge of the upper section is movable away from a front edge of the lower section.
- 24. The method of claim 1 wherein the elongated member comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.
- 25. The method of claim 1, wherein the chamber further comprises a lower section, an upper section, and a connector, the lower section configured to join with the upper section to form the interior cavity, the connector configured to couple the lower section to the upper section such that a front edge of the upper section is movable away from a front edge of the lower section, and wherein the movement of the upper section allows a width of the interior cavity to change such that the resonant mode of the cavity may be altered.
- 26. A method for drying a coated material with microwave radiation, the coated material being substantially coated with a solvent, comprising:placing the coated material within a chamber, the chamber comprising: a body, the body comprising an inner surface, the inner surface comprising a substantially conductive material; a front and rear wall, both the front and rear walls comprising inner surfaces, wherein the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls comprise a substantially conductive material, and wherein the front and rear walls are configured to be substantially reflective of microwaves; and an elongated member oriented in a central portion of the chamber, the elongated member comprising a substantially non-conductive material; and wherein the body, the front wall, and the rear wall together define a cavity, and wherein an interior volume of the cavity and a volume of the elongated member are predetermined such that the interaction of the microwave radiation with the body, the front and rear walls, and the elongated member produces a resonant electromagnetic mode; and introducing microwave radiation into the chamber for a time sufficient to substantially remove the solvent from the web material, the microwave radiation being configured to produce the electromagnetic mode within the chamber.
- 27. The method of claim 26 wherein the electromagnetic mode is a transverse magnetic mode.
- 28. The method of claim 26 wherein the coated material is a semiconductor material.
- 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the chamber further comprises a lower section, an upper section, and a connector, the lower section being configured to join with the upper section to form a cavity, the connector configured to couple the lower section to the upper section such that a front edge of the upper section is rotatable away from a front edge of the lower section, and wherein the coated material is introduced into the chamber by rotating the upper portion away from the lower portion and placing the coated material upon a portion of the elongated member.
- 30. The method of claim 26 wherein the electromagnetic mode is a TM110 mode.
- 31. The method of claim 26 wherein the elongated member comprises a second elongated member running through a center portion of the elongated member along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member, the second elongated member comprising a substantially rigid metal.
- 32. The method of claim 26 wherein the electromagnetic mode comprises an electric field component, wherein the chamber is configured such that a strength of the electric field is variable, and wherein the strength of the electric field is at a maximum value proximate an outer surface of the elongated member.
- 33. The method of claim 26 wherein the electromagnetic mode comprises an electric field component, and wherein the chamber is configured such that a strength of the electric field is substantially uniform along a longitudinal axis of the elongated member.
- 34. The method of claim 26 wherein the cavity is configured such that a TM110 mode is produced at a significantly greater magnitude than the other modes when the cavity is irradiated with microwave radiation.
- 35. The method of claim 26 wherein the inner surface encloses two slots formed therein, the slots being configured to allow a web material to pass through the chamber.
- 36. The method of claim 26 wherein a portion of the inner surface encloses an opening formed therein, the opening being configured to allow air to pass through the chamber.
- 37. The method of claim 26 wherein the interior cavity is substantially cylindrical, and wherein the elongated member is substantially cylindrical.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of copending application Ser. No. 09/354,896 filed Jul. 16, 1999 U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,941.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/093,113 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Rapid Drying of Coated Materials,” filed Jul. 16, 1998 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/093,509 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Rapid Drying of Coated Materials,” filed Jul. 21, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (22)
Foreign Referenced Citations (21)
Number |
Date |
Country |
845832 |
Jun 1970 |
CA |
34 45 615 |
Jun 1986 |
DE |
41 21 203 |
Jan 1993 |
DE |
0 071 123 |
Feb 1983 |
EP |
0 089 288 |
Sep 1983 |
EP |
0 841 100 |
May 1998 |
EP |
1181129 |
Feb 1970 |
GB |
1182830 |
Mar 1970 |
GB |
1207227 |
Sep 1970 |
GB |
1229200 |
Apr 1971 |
GB |
1236374 |
Jun 1971 |
GB |
1254931 |
Nov 1971 |
GB |
1-267458 |
Oct 1989 |
JP |
1-260284 |
Oct 1989 |
JP |
10112384 |
Apr 1998 |
JP |
10112387 |
Apr 1998 |
JP |
10112385 |
Apr 1998 |
JP |
10112386 |
Apr 1998 |
JP |
1748294 |
Jul 1992 |
SU |
9212291 |
Jul 1992 |
WO |
9625638 |
Aug 1996 |
WO |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
International Search Report, Application No. PCT/US99/16163, mailed Dec. 10, 1999. |
Price et al., “Microwave Regeneration of Adsorbents at Low Pressure: Experimental Kinetics Studies,” Journal of Microwave Power and Electromagnetic Energy, vol. 32, No. 3, 1997, pp. 145-154. |
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/093509 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
|
60/093113 |
Jul 1998 |
US |