Patent Grant
10695789
This application is a U.S. National Stage Entry of International Patent Application Serial Number PCT/EP2016/069365, filed Aug. 16, 2016, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 10 2015 217 627.4, filed Sep. 15, 2015, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure generally relates to strip processing, including devices and methods for processing steel strip.
In order to process a strip, for example a metal strip such as, in particular, a steel strip, use is customarily made of a processing operation using the run-through principle. For this purpose, a strip runs through a processing region of a strip processing device along a strip running direction. The provision of more than only one processing roller which can be placed against a strip surface is desirable, for example to provide flexibility for a change between two rollers and/or to manage with little time expenditure for conversion when changing between two rollers.
An example of an embodiment of a strip processing device which allows the provision of more than only one processing roller which can be placed against a strip surface can be found in AU2007271717B2. The strip processing device which can be found in AU2007271717B2 is designed as a roller coater in which processing rollers used as coating rollers can be placed against a strip in order to uniformly apply a coating material to the strip. The embodiment which can be found in AU2007271717B2 comprises a number of three coating rollers which are brought alternately into contact with the strip in order to apply different or else identical coating solutions. However, the strip processing device as can be found in AU2007271717B2 has the disadvantage of a comparatively complex structure and operational mechanism. In particular, in addition to the processing rollers which can be placed against the strip, there is required a comparatively high number of counter-rollers and deflection rollers, thus resulting in the risk of maintenance-intensive operation in the system with high space requirement.
Thus a need exists for a strip processing device that allows the provision of more than only one processing roller that can be placed against a strip surface, but at least partially or substantially avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.
Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. Moreover, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that reciting ‘a’ element or ‘an’ element in the appended claims does not restrict those claims to articles, apparatuses, systems, methods, or the like having only one of that element, even where other elements in the same claim or different claims are preceded by ‘at least one’ or similar language. Similarly, it should be understood that the steps of any method claims need not necessarily be performed in the order in which they are recited, unless so required by the context of the claims. In addition, all references to one skilled in the art shall be understood to refer to one having ordinary skill in the art. Further, one or more features from the claims, the description, and the figures can be combined with one or more other features therefrom to give further embodiments. It is also possible for one or more features from the independent claims to be linked to one or more other features.
A strip processing device for processing a strip, which is guided in a processing region of the strip processing device, by means of a processing roller is proposed. The strip is guided along a strip running direction. The processing roller is designed such that it can be placed against the strip guided through the processing region.
The strip processing device comprises:
The strip can be a metal strip, for example. In particular a steel strip can be provided. However a processing of other types of strips can also be provided, for example a plastic film in the form of a strip.
The concept of processing in this case comprises all types of processing which are customarily carried out with the aid of rollers. In particular, processing as coating, for example with a varnish, a solvent or some other coating material can be provided. However, all further possible types of processing strips can also be provided. In particular, a processing roller can be designed as a skin-pass roller for processing in the form of skin-pass rolling, for example of a steel strip. However, an additional or else exclusive guiding of a metal strip can also be encompassed by the concept of processing.
In order to ensure that it is possible to move the first processing roller toward the strip and away from the strip, a corresponding eccentric positioning of the first processing roller with respect to the pivot axis by means of arrangement on the roller holder is required as is also a correspondingly large degree of angular freedom for pivoting the roller holder and hence the first processing roller.
The design as described for a processing device in particular comprises the advantage that, by means of the same pivoting only of the roller holder, the first processing roller is moved toward the strip and thus processability of the guided-through strip is made possible via a simple and readily reproducible sequence, furthermore without significant time expenditure. In this case, the strip processing device providing these advantages has the advantage of comparatively few components to be moved, said components moreover being arranged in a relatively space-saving manner.
The pivot axis is oriented perpendicular to the strip running direction in such a way that the pivot axis is movable by an imaginary translational movement and without rotational movement into an imaginary area occupied by the strip. In other words, the pivot axis is oriented perpendicular to the strip running direction in such a way that both the pivot axis and a rectilinear extension of the pivot axis do not have an intersection with an area which contains the strip. The pivot axis is thus oriented parallel to a strip, the strip running surface, guided in the processing region of the strip processing device.
According to one embodiment of the strip processing device, there can be provision
The thus resulting simplified structure of the strip processing device ensures a particularly simple structure of the strip processing machine and a simple ease of handling.
In one embodiment of the strip processing device, there can be provision for example that a ratio of a distance of the first processing roller from the first counter-processing roller in the strip running direction to a distance of the first processing roller from the first counter-processing roller perpendicular to the strip running direction are chosen such that the placement of the first processing roller against the strip and the interaction of the first processing roller with the first counter-processing roller can be brought about by means of pivoting the roller holder. In other words, the positions of the first processing roller and of the first counter-processing roller and the eccentricity of each of the first processing roller and the first counter-processing roller with respect to the pivot axis are configured such that the available degree of angular freedom for pivoting the roller holder about the pivot axis is sufficiently large in order, by means of the pivoting, to effect a mutually directed movement of the first processing roller and the second processing roller which thereby, in interaction with a roller mounting positioned upstream of the strip processing device and a roller mounting positioned downstream of the strip processing device, effects a tensioned guiding of the strip. Such a design for the strip processing device comprises the major advantage that, by means of the roller holder, only a pivoting of a single component is sufficient to bring about a tensioning of the strip for guidance that is sufficient for processing the guided strip.
In one advantageous development of the strip processing device, there can be provision for example that a second processing roller is arranged on the roller holder, wherein the first processing roller is arranged on a first side of the pivot axis and the second processing roller is arranged on a second side of the pivot axis, with the result that, by pivoting the roller holder, one of the first and the second processing roller can be moved toward the strip and the other of the first and the second processing roller can be moved away from the strip. Here, the first side and the second side of the pivot axis relate to at least one existing plane which comprises the pivot axis.
In a further advantageous development, there can be provision for example that the first processing roller, the second processing roller, the first counter-processing roller and a second counter-processing roller are arranged on the same roller holder. Furthermore, there can be provision that:
In one further design, there can be provision for example that the first processing roller and the second processing roller is arranged with mirror symmetry to a plane in which the pivot axis is situated, with the advantage of a particularly simple and elegant construction.
In one embodiment, there can furthermore be provision for example that
The axle adjustment mechanism for axle adjustment of the dip roller structurally provides a suitability of the strip processing device as a coating device.
In one advantageous development of the strip processing device, there can be provision for example that the axis of rotation of one or more rollers designed as processing rollers, counter-processing rollers and/or dip rollers is arranged on a respective adjustable axle holder for adjusting the rollers relative to one another. This achieves the advantage for example that a contact can be produced between the first dip roller and one or both of the processing rollers and/or a contact can be produced between the second dip roller and one or both of the counter-processing rollers. The construction such as this advantageously ensures that a placement of the dip rollers against the processing rollers can be individually set in dependence on a respective position of the processing rollers and in dependence on a coating material to be applied. A further advantage is that the guidance of the strip to be processed can also be influenced to a certain degree, with the result that, depending on the material of the strip to be processed and/or also depending on the positioning of the strip processing device in the processing process, a guide route of the strip which is as advantageous as possible can be set.
In order, if required, also to provide alternative or additional possibilities of feeding coating material to one or more processing rollers or counter-processing rollers, there can be provision that a first coating material feedline is arranged in an upper intermediate region between the first dip roller and at least one of the processing rollers and/or that a second coating material feedline is arranged in an upper intermediate region between the second dip roller and at least one of the counter-processing rollers. In one simple embodiment, the coating material feedline provided can be for example a pipe which is provided with openings through which a coating material can issue.
A further, independent concept of the invention provides a method for processing a strip, in particular a steel strip. The method comprises the following steps:
In one preferred design, in order to allow expedient pivotability, the strip oriented perpendicular to the strip running direction is oriented in such a way that a straight line in which the pivot axis is situated and an area in which the strip is situated do not have an intersection; the pivot axis is thus oriented parallel to a strip that is guided in the processing region of the strip processing device.
According to one embodiment of the strip processing device, there can be provision
In particular, there can be provision that one or more rollers can be set independently of one another in the direction of rotation and/or in rotational speed.
A further, independent concept of the invention provides the use of a strip processing device, in particular of an embodiment of the strip processing device according to the features explained at the outset, for coating a strip in a direction of rotation of the processing roller that follows a strip running direction or in a direction of rotation of the processing roller that is opposed to a strip running direction.
Specific embodiments of the invention are more fully explained in detail below with reference to the figures. The figures and accompanying description of the resulting features are not to be read as limiting to the respective embodiments but serve to illustrate the exemplary embodiment. Furthermore, the respective features can be used with one another and also with features of the above description for possible further developments and improvements of the invention, specifically in additional embodiments which are not illustrated.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2015 217 627 | Sep 2015 | DE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2016/069365 | 8/16/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2017/045848 | 3/23/2017 | WO | A |
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| 20110293464 | Abratis et al. | Dec 2011 | A1 |
| 20150072167 | Stein-Fechner et al. | Mar 2015 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2007271717 | Jan 2008 | AU |
| 203370682 | Jan 2014 | CN |
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| 102015104974 | Jun 2016 | DE |
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| Entry |
|---|
| English Translation of International Search Report issued in PCT/EP2016/069365, dated Oct. 18, 2016 (dated Nov. 2, 2016). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20190047013 A1 | Feb 2019 | US |
