JP6618309B2 - Coating apparatus and coating method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating apparatus and a coating method for coating a substrate with a coating liquid.

  Conventionally, in the manufacture of chemical cells such as lithium ion batteries and fuel cells, a substrate such as a metal foil or a polymer electrolyte membrane is conveyed by a roll-to-roll method, and an electrode material is applied to the surface of the substrate. A liquid is discharged to form an electrode layer. Such a coating liquid is typically applied by a slit coating method in which a liquid is discharged onto a surface of a base material from a slit nozzle having a slit-like discharge port while transporting a belt-shaped base material.

  Since the coating liquid for a chemical battery is a mixed liquid in which a catalyst and an active material are dispersed in a solvent, the substances tend to aggregate and precipitate in the liquid. When such agglomeration or precipitation occurs, foreign matter is contained in the coating liquid, which may cause processing defects. Such a technique for preventing the agglomeration and precipitation of the coating liquid is described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-137971 (Patent Document 1). This publication describes a technique in which an impeller is provided in a liquid storage space inside a slit nozzle and the coating liquid is stirred by rotating the impeller.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-137971

  However, in the coating method described in the publication, the slit nozzle is installed perpendicular to the substrate. For this reason, particles are precipitated at the tip of the slit nozzle, and the coating liquid cannot be sufficiently stirred. Therefore, the discharge port of the slit nozzle may be clogged. Moreover, there is a possibility that the uniformity of the coating film thickness may be deteriorated because the particles and the solvent are not sufficiently mixed and only the solvent is discharged.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and by sufficiently stirring the coating liquid in the coating nozzle, precipitation of particles and separation of the liquid are prevented, and the coating film thickness is uniform. An object is to provide a coating apparatus and a coating method that can be improved.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the first invention of the present application is a coating apparatus for coating a substrate with a coating liquid containing particles, the coating nozzle for discharging the coating liquid, and the coating nozzle And a supply mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle, the coating nozzle having a slit-like discharge opening in a substantially horizontal direction. An outlet, a horizontal flow path that communicates with the discharge port and is formed along a substantially horizontal direction, a liquid storage section connected to the horizontal flow path, and a liquid storage section that is disposed in at least the liquid storage section. A stirring mechanism that stirs the coating liquid below the horizontal flow path, and the stirring mechanism extends in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port, and the stirring shaft A fixed stirring blade, and by rotating the stirring shaft, The coating liquid in the liquid storage part is stirred, and the tip of the stirring blade rotates along the inner peripheral surface of the liquid storage part in the direction from the discharge port side to the lower side of the liquid storage part. The agitation shaft is rotated by the pressure of the coating liquid from the supply mechanism toward the discharge port.
2nd invention of this application is a coating apparatus which coats the base material with the coating liquid containing particle | grains, Comprising: The said base material is relative to the coating nozzle which discharges a coating liquid, and the said coating nozzle A moving mechanism for moving, and a supply mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle, wherein the coating nozzle has a slit-like discharge port that opens in a substantially horizontal direction, and the discharge port. Communicating, a horizontal flow path formed along a substantially horizontal direction, a liquid reservoir connected to the horizontal flow path, and disposed in the liquid reservoir, at least than the horizontal flow path in the liquid reservoir A stirring mechanism that stirs the coating liquid at the bottom, and the stirring mechanism stirs the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir while discharging the coating liquid from the discharge port. do not do.
3rd invention of this application is a coating apparatus which coats the base material with the coating liquid containing particle | grains, Comprising: The said base material is relative to the coating nozzle which discharges a coating liquid, and the said coating nozzle A moving mechanism for moving, and a supply mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle, wherein the coating nozzle has a slit-like discharge port that opens in a substantially horizontal direction, and the supply mechanism. A first horizontal flow path formed along the substantially horizontal direction, a second horizontal flow path formed along the substantially horizontal direction, connected to the discharge port, and the first horizontal flow path. wherein together communicates with the feed mechanism, said communicated with the second the discharge port via the horizontal passage, and the second horizontal flow and the liquid pooled space second than horizontal flow passages positioned on the lower side Te a liquid storage portion that having a an air vent space located on the upper side than the road, is disposed in the liquid pooled portion, small Kutomo said stirring the coating liquid in the liquid accumulated in the space, has a stirring mechanism, the boundary between the inner wall surface and said second horizontal flow path of the liquid accumulated space in the liquid storage portion is the Particles that wind up from the liquid storage space to the air bleed space by being positioned closer to the discharge port than the boundary between the inner wall surface of the air bleed space and the second horizontal flow path in the liquid storage portion are stored in the liquid storage. Allow to settle in space .

4th invention of this application is a coating apparatus of 3rd invention, Comprising: The said stirring mechanism has the stirring shaft extended in the rotating shaft direction parallel to the said discharge outlet, and the stirring blade fixed to the said stirring shaft. The coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred by rotating the stirring shaft.

The fifth invention of the present application relates to a coating apparatus of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the tip of the pre-Symbol stirring blade is from the discharge port side, in the direction toward the lower side of the liquid storage portion, of the liquid storage portion Rotate along the circumference.

6th invention of this application is a coating apparatus of 4th invention or 5th invention, Comprising: It further has the stirring motor which rotates the said stirring shaft centering around the said rotating shaft.

7th invention of this application is a coating apparatus of 4th invention or 5th invention, Comprising: The said stirring shaft rotates with the pressure of the said coating liquid which goes to the said discharge outlet from the said supply mechanism.

An eighth invention of the present application is any one of the first, second invention and the fourth to seventh inventions, wherein the stirring blade and the stirring shaft are separate members.

A ninth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first, second and fourth inventions to the eighth invention, wherein the stirring blades are a plurality of plates arranged in the direction of the rotation axis. It has a shape part.

A tenth invention of the present application is the coating apparatus according to the ninth invention, wherein the tips of the plurality of plate-like portions are arranged at intervals from the adjacent plate-like portions.

An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the coating apparatus according to any one of the third aspect to the seventh aspect, wherein the stirring mechanism is configured to store the liquid while discharging the coating liquid from the discharge port. The coating liquid in the part is not stirred.

The twelfth invention of the present application is a coating method in which a coating liquid containing particles is applied to a substrate by a coating nozzle, and a) a step of relatively moving the coating nozzle with respect to the substrate; b) supplying the coating liquid from the supply mechanism to the coating nozzle; c) storing the supplied coating liquid in a liquid storage unit; and d) storing the coating liquid in the liquid storage unit. a step of stirring the coating solution by the stirring mechanism, e) the coating liquid from the discharge port of the coating nozzle has to have a, and a step for ejecting a substantially horizontal direction, the stirring mechanism, the A stirring shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port, and a stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft, and the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred by the rotation of the stirring shaft. The tip of the stirring blade is directed from the discharge port side to the lower side of the liquid reservoir. Direction, rotating along the inner peripheral surface of the liquid storage portion, the stirring shaft, the direction from the supply mechanism to the discharge port, is rotated by the pressure of the coating solution.
A thirteenth invention of the present application is a coating method in which a coating liquid containing particles is applied to a substrate by a coating nozzle, and a) a step of relatively moving the coating nozzle with respect to the substrate; b) supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle; c) storing the supplied coating liquid in a liquid storage part; and d) the coating liquid stored in the liquid storage part. And e) a step of discharging the coating liquid from a discharge port of the coating nozzle in a substantially horizontal direction;
And the stirring mechanism includes a stirring shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port, and a stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft, and the liquid is obtained by rotating the stirring shaft. The coating liquid in the reservoir is agitated, and the coating nozzle has an agitation motor that rotates the agitation shaft about the rotation axis. In the step e), the agitation mechanism is connected to the discharge port. While the coating liquid is being discharged, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is not stirred.

According to the first to thirteenth inventions of the present application, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred by the stirring mechanism. Thereby, precipitation and isolation | separation of the particle | grains in a coating liquid can be suppressed. For this reason, the coating liquid of a uniform density | concentration can be discharged from a coating nozzle, and the uniformity of a coating film thickness can be improved.

In particular, according to the fourth invention of the present application, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir can be stirred by the stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft. Thereby, the stirring effect of a coating liquid can be improved more.

In particular, according to the fifth invention of the present application, the coating liquid can be effectively stirred in the liquid reservoir.

In particular, according to the sixth invention of the present application, the coating liquid can be stirred by the power of the stirring motor. Thereby, the stirring effect of a coating liquid can be improved more.

In particular, according to the seventh invention of the present application, the number of parts of the coating apparatus can be reduced. Moreover, the power consumption accompanying coating liquid stirring can be reduced.

In particular, according to the eighth invention of the present application, the stirring mechanism can be easily configured by assembling the stirring shaft and the stirring blade. Further, when the stirring blades are consumed due to long-term use, only the stirring blades can be replaced.

In particular, according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the solvent and the particles are easily mixed between the adjacent plate-like portions. Therefore, the stirring effect of the coating liquid by the stirring blade can be further enhanced.

In particular, according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to discharge a coating solution having a uniform concentration stirred by a stirring mechanism. Thereby, the uniformity of a coating film thickness can be improved more.

It is the figure which showed the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of a membrane / catalyst layer assembly. It is an enlarged view of the vicinity of a peeling roller. It is the figure which showed schematic shape of the drying furnace in the cross section containing the axial center of a suction roller. It is an enlarged view near the laminating roller It is the block diagram which showed the connection of a control part and each part in a manufacturing apparatus. It is the figure which showed the structure of the coating apparatus. It is sectional drawing of a coating nozzle. It is a side view of a stirring shaft and a stirring blade. It is an exploded view of a stirring shaft and a stirring blade. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the coating process by a coating device. It is sectional drawing of the stirring shaft and stirring blade which concern on a modification.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<1. Configuration of manufacturing equipment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a membrane / catalyst layer assembly manufacturing apparatus 1 including a coating apparatus 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The production apparatus 1 is an apparatus for producing a membrane / catalyst layer assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell by forming a catalyst layer to be an electrode on the surface of an electrolyte membrane that is a band-shaped substrate. As shown in FIG. 1, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment includes an introduction peeling unit 10, an adsorption roller 20, a coating device 30, a drying furnace 40, a pasting unit 50, a surface cooling unit 60 and a control. Part 70 is provided.

  The introduction / separation unit 10 introduces a long strip 90 composed of two layers of a back sheet 91 and an electrolyte membrane 92 to the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 and also separates the back sheet 91 from the electrolyte membrane 92. is there.

  As the electrolyte membrane 92, for example, a fluorine-based or hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membrane is used. Specific examples of the electrolyte membrane 92 include polymer electrolyte membranes containing perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid (for example, Nafion (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont, USA, Flemion (registered trademark) manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., and Asahi Kasei Corporation) Aciplex (registered trademark), and Goreselect (registered trademark) manufactured by Gore Co., Ltd.). The film thickness of the electrolyte membrane 92 is, for example, 5 μm to 30 μm. The electrolyte membrane 92 is swollen by moisture in the atmosphere, and contracts when the humidity is low. That is, the electrolyte membrane 92 has a property of being easily deformed according to the humidity in the atmosphere.

  The back sheet 91 is a sheet for suppressing deformation of the electrolyte membrane 92. As the material of the back sheet 91, a resin having higher mechanical strength than the electrolyte membrane 92 and having an excellent shape holding function is used. Specific examples of the back sheet 91 include PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films. The film thickness of the back sheet 91 is, for example, 25 μm to 100 μm.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the introduction peeling unit 10 includes a peeling roller 11, an introduction unit 12, and a discharge unit 13.

  The peeling roller 11 is a roller that rotates around a horizontally extending axis. The peeling roller 11 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface formed of an elastic body. The outer peripheral surface of the peeling roller 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 described later are opposed to each other with a gap through which the long strip 90 passes. Further, the peeling roller 11 is pressurized toward the suction roller 20 by an air cylinder (not shown).

  The introduction unit 12 includes a film unwinding roller 121 and a first detection roller 122. The film unwinding roller 121 and the first detection roller 122 are both arranged in parallel with the peeling roller 11. The long belt-like body 90 before supply is wound around the film unwinding roller 121. The film unwinding roller 121 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the film unwinding roller 121 rotates, the long band-shaped body 90 is unwound from the film unwinding roller 121.

  The long strip 90 fed from the film unwinding roller 121 changes its direction by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the first detection roller 122 and is conveyed to the peeling roller 11 side. The first detection roller 122 detects the tension applied to the long strip 90 at the introduction portion 12 by measuring the load received from the long strip 90 with a load cell. The control unit 70 to be described later controls the number of rotations of the first unwinding roller 121 so that the tension of the long strip 90 detected by the first detection roller 122 becomes a preset value.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the peeling roller 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the long belt-like body 90 that has passed through the first detection roller 122 is introduced into the gap 14 between the peeling roller 11 and the suction roller 20. At this time, the back sheet 91 is in contact with the peeling roller 11, and the electrolyte membrane 92 is in contact with the adsorption roller 20. Further, the long belt-like body 90 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 with the pressure received from the peeling roller 11. Then, the electrolyte membrane 92 is adsorbed on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 20 by the negative pressure described later of the adsorption roller 20.

  In the present embodiment, a layer of the catalyst material 9a is formed in advance on one surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 fed out from the membrane unwinding roller 121. For this reason, the electrolyte membrane 92 is adsorbed on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 20 together with the layer of the catalyst material 9a. The layer of the catalyst material 9a is transported by a roll-to-roll method as it is in a coating apparatus different from the manufacturing apparatus 1 in the form of a long strip 90 composed of two layers of a back sheet 91 and an electrolyte membrane 92. On the other hand, the catalyst ink is intermittently applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92, and the applied catalyst ink is dried.

  The discharge unit 13 includes a back sheet winding roller 131 and a second detection roller 132. Both the back sheet take-up roller 131 and the second detection roller 132 are arranged in parallel with the peeling roller 11. The back sheet 91 that has passed through the gap 14 is separated from the suction roller 20 and conveyed toward the second detection roller 132. Thereby, the back sheet 91 is peeled from the electrolyte membrane 92. The peeled back sheet 91 changes its direction by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the second detection roller 132 and is conveyed to the back sheet take-up roller 131 side.

  The back sheet take-up roller 131 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). As a result, the back sheet 91 is wound around the back sheet winding roller 131. The second detection roller 132 detects the tension applied to the back sheet 91 in the discharge unit 13 by measuring the load received from the back sheet 91 with a load cell. The control unit 70 to be described later controls the rotation speed of the backsheet take-up roller 131 so that the tension of the backsheet 91 detected by the second detection roller 132 becomes a preset value.

  The adsorption roller 20 is a roller that rotates while adsorbing and holding the electrolyte membrane 92 on the outer peripheral surface. The suction roller 20 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a diameter larger than that of the peeling roller 11. The diameter of the suction roller 20 is, for example, 400 mm to 1600 mm. The suction roller 20 rotates around an axis extending horizontally (that is, parallel to the peeling roller 11) by the power of a motor (not shown). The first direction that is the rotation direction of the suction roller 20 and the second direction that is the rotation direction of the peeling roller 11 are opposite to each other.

For example, a porous material such as porous carbon or porous ceramics is used as the material of the suction roller 20. Specific examples of the porous ceramic include a sintered body of alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) or silicon carbide (SiC). The pore diameter of the porous suction roller 20 is, for example, 5 μm or less, and the porosity is, for example, 15% to 50%. Further, the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 is formed to have a surface roughness with a value of Rz (maximum height) of 5 μm or less, for example. Further, the total runout of the suction roller 20 during rotation (variation in the distance from the rotation shaft to the outer peripheral surface) is 10 μm or less.

  A suction port 21 is provided on the end surface of the suction roller 20. The suction port 21 is connected to an unillustrated suction mechanism (for example, an exhaust pump). When the suction mechanism is operated, a negative pressure is generated at the suction port 21 of the suction roller 20. A negative pressure is also generated on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 through the pores in the suction roller 20. For example, a negative pressure of 10 kPa or more is generated on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 by generating a negative pressure of 90 kPa or more at the suction port 21. The electrolyte membrane 92 is conveyed in an arc shape by the rotation of the adsorption roller 20 while being adsorbed and held on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 20 by the negative pressure.

  Further, as indicated by broken lines in FIG. 1, a plurality of water cooling tubes 22 are provided inside the suction roller 20. The water cooling pipe 22 is supplied with cooling water adjusted to a predetermined temperature from a water supply mechanism (not shown). During operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1, the heat of the suction roller 20 is absorbed by the cooling water that is a heat medium. Thereby, the suction roller 20 is cooled. The cooling water that has absorbed the heat is discharged to a drainage mechanism (not shown).

  The coating device 30 is a mechanism for applying a coating liquid onto the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 conveyed by the suction roller 20. As the coating liquid, an electrode paste in which particles containing a catalyst material (for example, platinum (Pt)) are dispersed in a solvent such as alcohol is used. The structure of the coating apparatus 30 will be described later.

  As the catalyst material in the coating solution, a material that causes a fuel cell reaction at the anode or cathode of the polymer fuel cell is used. Specifically, platinum (Pt), a platinum alloy, a platinum compound, or the like can be used as the catalyst material. Examples of platinum alloys include, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe), and the like. An alloy of metal and platinum can be mentioned. In general, platinum is used as the catalyst material for the cathode, and platinum alloy is used as the catalyst material for the anode. The coating liquid discharged from the coating nozzle 31 may be for the cathode or for the anode. However, the catalyst materials 9a and 9b formed on the front and back surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 92 are catalyst materials having opposite polarities.

  The drying furnace 40 is a part that dries the coating solution applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The drying furnace 40 of the present embodiment is disposed on the downstream side of the coating apparatus 30 in the conveying direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the adsorption roller 20. Further, the drying furnace 40 is provided in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the drying furnace 40 includes three hot air supply units 41 to 43 and two heat blocking units 44 and 45. The three hot air supply units 41 to 43 blow heated gas (hot air) toward the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. When the electrolyte membrane 92 to which the coating liquid is applied passes through the hot air supply units 41 to 43, the coating liquid is dried and solidified by the hot air. That is, the solvent in the coating liquid is vaporized, and a layer of the catalyst material 9 b is formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92.

  The three hot air supply units 41 to 43 have different temperatures of hot air to be blown. The temperature of the hot air blown from the three hot air supply units 41 to 43 increases sequentially from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the adsorption roller 20. The temperature of the hot air blown from the hot air supply unit 41 on the most upstream side in the transport direction is, for example, not less than the ambient environmental temperature and not more than 40 ° C. The temperature of the hot air blown from the second hot air supply unit 42 is, for example, 40 ° C. or more and 80 ° C. or less. Moreover, the temperature of the hot air blown from the hot air supply unit 43 on the most downstream side in the transport direction is, for example, 50 ° C. or more and 100 ° C. or less.

  As described above, in the drying furnace 40 of the present embodiment, the temperature of the hot air blown to the electrolyte membrane 92 is sequentially increased toward the downstream side in the transport direction. In this way, the temperature of the electrolyte membrane 92 and the coating solution can be increased gently. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of damage such as cracks in the catalyst material 9b due to rapid drying.

  The two heat blocking units 44 and 45 are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the three hot air supply units 41 to 43 in the conveying direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the adsorption roller 20. That is, one of the heat shields 44 is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the hot air supply unit 41 on the most upstream side in the transport direction, and the other heat shield unit 45 is on the hot air supply unit 43 on the most downstream side in the transport direction. Is also arranged downstream in the transport direction. These heat shut-off parts 44 and 45 suck the gas in the vicinity of the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. Thereby, the hot air blown out from the hot air supply units 41 to 43 is prevented from flowing out to the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction beyond the heat blocking units 44 and 45. Further, the vapor of the solvent generated from the coating liquid during drying is prevented from flowing out to the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction beyond the heat blocking portions 44 and 45.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic shape of the drying furnace 40 in a cross section including the axis of the suction roller 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the drying furnace 40 of the present embodiment has a pair of suction parts 46 and 47. The suction portions 46 and 47 protrude in a plate shape from both side edge portions of the hot air supply portions 41 to 43 toward the suction roller 20 side. Further, the suction portions 46 and 47 extend in an arc shape along both side portions of the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. These suction parts 46 and 47 suck the surrounding gas. This prevents the hot air supplied from the hot air supply units 41 and 43 and the solvent vapor from flowing out beyond the suction units 46 and 47.

  The affixing part 50 is a part for affixing a belt-like support film 93 to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 on which the layer of the catalyst material 9b is formed. The affixing unit 50 is disposed on the downstream side of the drying furnace 40 in the conveying direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the suction roller 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the pasting unit 50 includes a laminating roller 51, a film supply unit 52, and a joined body collection unit 53.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the laminating roller 51. The laminating roller 51 is a roller that rotates around a horizontally extending axis. The laminating roller 51 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface whose diameter is smaller than that of the suction roller 20. The outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 and the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 20 are opposed to each other with a gap through which the electrolyte membrane 92 and the support film 93 pass. The laminating roller 51 is pressed toward the suction roller 20 by an air cylinder (not shown).

  For example, a metal having high thermal conductivity is used as the material of the laminating roller 51. In addition, a heater 511 that generates heat when energized is provided inside the laminating roller 51. For example, a sheathed heater can be used as the heater 511. When the heater 511 is energized, the heat generated from the heater 511 adjusts the outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 to a predetermined temperature higher than the environmental temperature. The temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 is measured using a temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer, and the output of the heater 511 is adjusted so that the outer peripheral surface of the laminating roller 51 has a constant temperature based on the measurement result. May be controlled.

  Returning to FIG. The film supply unit 52 includes a film unwinding roller 521 and a third detection roller 522. The film unwinding roller 521 and the third detection roller 522 are both arranged in parallel with the laminating roller 51. The support film 93 before supply is wound around the film unwinding roller 521. The film unwinding roller 521 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the film unwinding roller 521 rotates, the support film 93 is unwound from the film unwinding roller 521.

  As the material of the support film 93, a resin having a mechanical strength higher than that of the electrolyte membrane 92 and having an excellent shape holding function is used. Specific examples of the support film 93 include PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films. The support film 93 may be the same as the back sheet 91. Further, the back sheet 91 taken up by the back sheet take-up roller 131 may be fed out from the film unwind roller 521 as the support film 93.

  The fed support film 93 changes its direction by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the third detection roller 522 and is conveyed to the laminating roller 51 side. The third detection roller 522 detects the tension applied to the support film 93 in the film supply unit 52 by measuring the load received from the support film 93 with a load cell. The control unit 70 described later controls the rotation speed of the film unwinding roller 521 so that the tension of the support film 93 detected by the third detection roller 522 becomes a preset value.

  The support film 93 that has passed through the third detection roller 522 is introduced between the electrolyte film 92 adsorbed and held on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 20 and the laminating roller 51. At this time, the support film 93 is pressed against the electrolyte membrane 92 by the pressure from the laminating roller 51 and is heated by the heat of the laminating roller 51. As a result, the support film 93 is attached to the outer surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The catalyst material 9 b formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 is sandwiched between the electrolyte membrane 92 and the support film 93. As a result, a membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 composed of the electrolyte membrane 92, the catalyst materials 9a and 9b, and the support film 93 is formed.

  The joined body collection unit 53 includes a joined body winding roller 531 and a fourth detection roller 532. The joined body winding roller 531 and the fourth detection roller 532 are both arranged in parallel with the laminating roller 51. The membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 that has passed between the adsorption roller 20 and the laminating roller 51 is separated from the adsorption roller 20 and conveyed toward the fourth detection roller 532. Then, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 changes its direction by coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fourth detection roller 532 and is conveyed to the assembly winding roller 531 side.

  The joined body winding roller 531 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). As a result, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 is wound around the bonded body winding roller 531. The fourth detection roller 532 detects the tension applied to the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 in the assembly recovery unit 53 by measuring the load received from the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 with a load cell. The control unit 70 to be described later controls the number of rotations of the joined body winding roller 531 so that the tension of the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 detected by the fourth detection roller 532 becomes a preset value.

  The surface cooling unit 60 is a mechanism for cooling the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. The surface cooling unit 60 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 at a position facing the region that does not hold the electrolyte membrane 92 between the pasting unit 50 and the introduction peeling unit 10. For example, the surface cooling unit 60 sprays clean dry air having a temperature lower than the environmental temperature (for example, about 5 ° C.) on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. The suction roller 20 heated by the drying furnace 40 and the laminating roller 51 is cooled by receiving the clean dry air.

  Thus, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the long strip 90 is fed out from the film unwinding roller 121, the back sheet 91 is peeled off from the electrolyte film 92, and the coating liquid is applied to the electrolyte film 92. Each process of drying by the drying furnace 40 and attaching the support film 93 to the electrolyte membrane 92 is sequentially performed. As a result, the membrane / catalyst layer assembly 94 used for the electrode of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is manufactured. The electrolyte membrane 92 is always held on the back sheet 91, the suction roller 20, or the support film 93. Thereby, deformations such as swelling and shrinkage of the electrolyte membrane 92 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 are suppressed.

  The control unit 70 is means for controlling the operation of each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit 70 and each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 70 is configured by a computer having an arithmetic processing unit 71 such as a CPU, a memory 72 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 73 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program P for executing printing processing is installed in the storage unit 73.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 70 includes the motor for the film unwinding roller 121, the load cell for the first detection roller 122, the motor for the back sheet winding roller 131, the load cell for the second detection roller 132, and suction. Motor of roller 20, suction mechanism of suction roller 20, water supply mechanism of suction roller 20, three hot air supply parts 41 to 43, two heat blocking parts 44 and 45, two suction parts 46 and 47, heater 511, film winding The motor of the exit roller 521, the load cell of the third detection roller 522, the motor of the joined body winding roller 531, the load cell of the fourth detection roller 532, and the surface cooling unit 60 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. The control unit 70 is also connected to an on-off valve 333, a nozzle drive motor 323, and an agitation motor 363, which will be described later, so as to communicate with each other.

  The control unit 70 temporarily reads the computer program P and data stored in the storage unit 73 into the memory 72, and the arithmetic processing unit 71 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program P, whereby each of the above units is performed. Control the operation. Thereby, the manufacturing process of the membrane / catalyst assembly in the manufacturing apparatus 1 proceeds.

<2. About structure of coating device>
Next, the structure of the coating apparatus 30 described above will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing the structure of the coating apparatus 30. As shown in FIG. 6, the coating apparatus 30 includes a coating nozzle 31, a contact / separation mechanism 32, and a supply mechanism 33. The coating nozzle 31 is provided on the downstream side of the peeling roller 11 in the conveying direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the suction roller 20. The coating nozzle 31 has a discharge port 311, a horizontal flow path 34, a liquid reservoir 35, and a stirring mechanism 36. The discharge port 311 is a slit-like opening that extends horizontally along the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20. Other configurations of the coating nozzle 31 will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, when the suction roller 20 rotates, the electrolyte membrane 92 held on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 20 moves relative to the coating nozzle 31. That is, in this embodiment, the suction roller 20 functions as a moving mechanism that moves the electrolyte membrane 92 that is a base material relative to the coating nozzle 31, and constitutes a part of the coating apparatus 30.

  The supply mechanism 33 includes a supply pipe 331, a coating liquid supply source 332, and an on-off valve 333. The coating nozzle 31 is connected to the coating liquid supply source 332 through a supply pipe 331. An on-off valve 333 is interposed on the supply pipe 331. For this reason, when the on-off valve 333 is opened, the coating liquid is supplied from the coating liquid supply source 332 to the coating nozzle 31 through the supply pipe 331. Then, the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port 311 of the coating nozzle 31 toward the electrolyte membrane 92. As a result, the coating liquid is applied to the outer surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 held by the suction roller 20 to form the catalyst material layer 9b.

  In the present embodiment, the coating liquid is intermittently discharged from the discharge port 311 of the coating nozzle 31 by opening and closing the on-off valve 333 at a constant cycle. As a result, the coating liquid is intermittently applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 at regular intervals in the transport direction. However, the on-off valve 333 may be continuously opened to apply the coating liquid to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 without any break in the transport direction.

  The contact / separation mechanism 32 is a mechanism for causing the coating nozzle 31 to approach and separate from the electrolyte membrane 92. As shown in FIG. 6, the contact / separation mechanism 32 includes a base frame 321, a ball screw 322, a nozzle drive motor 323, a guide rail 324, and a base 325. The coating nozzle 31 is attached to the base frame 321 in such a posture that the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port 311 in a substantially horizontal direction. The base frame 321 is screwed onto a ball screw 322 that is rotated by a nozzle drive motor 323. The base frame 321 is movably attached to a guide rail 324 installed on the base 325. The nozzle driving motor 323 rotates the ball screw 322 in the forward direction or the reverse direction, so that the base frame 321 moves along the guide rail 324. As a result, the coating nozzle 31 moves forward and backward so as to approach or separate from the electrolyte membrane 92. The contact / separation mechanism 32 may further include a mechanism for adjusting the posture with respect to the electrolyte membrane 92.

  When the coating nozzle 31 moves forward toward the electrolyte membrane 92 by the contact / separation mechanism 32, the discharge port 311 approaches the electrolyte membrane 92. In this state, the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port 311, so that the coating liquid is applied to the electrolyte membrane 92. When the coating nozzle 31 is maintained, the coating nozzle 31 is moved backward with respect to the electrolyte membrane 92. Thereby, maintenance can be performed using a wide space and workability can be improved.

<3. About the structure of the coating nozzle>
Next, the structure of the coating nozzle 31 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is an AA cross-sectional view of the coating nozzle 31 in FIG. As described above, the coating nozzle 31 includes the discharge port 311, the horizontal flow path 34, the liquid reservoir 35, and the stirring mechanism 36. The coating liquid supplied into the coating nozzle 31 is fed along a horizontal flow path 34 provided horizontally. As shown in FIG. 6, the horizontal channel 34 includes a first horizontal channel 341 that communicates the supply mechanism 33 and the liquid reservoir 35, and a second horizontal channel that communicates the liquid reservoir 35 and the discharge port 311. 342. The coating liquid sent from the supply mechanism 33 first passes through the first horizontal flow path 341 and is sent from the inlet 312 to the liquid reservoir 35. Then, the liquid reservoir 35 is filled with the coating liquid.

  The liquid reservoir 35 includes a liquid reservoir space 351 positioned below the horizontal flow path 34 and an air vent space 352 positioned above the horizontal flow path 34. A stirring mechanism 36 that stirs the coating liquid is provided in the liquid reservoir 35. Then, at least the coating liquid stored in the liquid storage space 351 is stirred by the stirring mechanism 36. Thereby, precipitation of particles in the coating liquid is suppressed, and the uniformity of the concentration of the coating liquid is maintained. The liquid storage space 351 is provided with a circulation channel 353 that leads to the supply mechanism 33. A part of the coating liquid stored in the liquid storage unit 35 is circulated by the supply mechanism 33 and the circulation channel 353. As a result, the coating liquid is circulated and supplied into the liquid storage space 351. Therefore, the stay of the coating liquid in the coating nozzle 31 is prevented, and the change in the concentration of the coating liquid due to evaporation can be suppressed.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in this embodiment, the stirring mechanism 36 includes a stirring shaft 361 extending in the direction of the rotation axis J1 parallel to the discharge port 311 and a stirring blade 362 fixed to the stirring shaft 361. . The stirring blade 362 is made of a resin material or a metal material. The stirring blade 362 rotates in the liquid reservoir 35 by rotating the stirring shaft 361 around the rotation axis J1. As a result, at least the coating liquid in the liquid storage space 351 is agitated. The tip of the stirring blade 362 may rotate along the inner peripheral surface of the liquid reservoir 35 from the discharge port 311 side toward the lower side of the liquid reservoir 35 (clockwise in FIG. 6). preferable. Thereby, the particles in the coating liquid that have settled in the liquid reservoir 35 are wound up toward the inlet 312. That is, the precipitated particles are suppressed from being directly sent to the discharge port 311. Further, the particles rolled up toward the inlet 312 and the coating liquid sent from the inlet 312 are mixed together, and the uniformity of the concentration of the coating liquid can be improved.

  The inner wall surface of the liquid storage space 351 is recessed downward and is curved in a substantially arc shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the boundary between the inner wall surface of the liquid storage space 351 and the second horizontal flow path 342 is closer to the discharge port than the boundary between the inner wall surface of the air bleeding space 352 and the second horizontal flow path 342. Located in. The stirring shaft 361 inside the liquid storage space 351 is disposed at a position close to the inflow port 312. In this way, even if the agglomerated particles in the coating liquid having a large mass are rolled up to the air vent space 352 by the stirring blade 362, the particles are not sent to the second horizontal flow path 342. It becomes easy to settle in the liquid storage space 351 again. For this reason, it is suppressed that the aggregated particles are sent to the discharge port 311.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the present embodiment, the coating nozzle 31 further includes a stirring motor 363 that rotates the stirring shaft 361. When the agitation motor 363 is driven, the rotation shaft 364 connected by the coupling 365 rotates about the rotation axis J1. The stirring shaft 361 is connected to the rotating shaft 364. For this reason, when the agitation motor 363 is driven, the agitation shaft 361 rotates around the rotation axis J1 in conjunction with the rotation shaft 364. In this way, the coating liquid can be stirred by the driving force of the stirring motor 363, and the coating liquid can be stirred more effectively.

  FIG. 8 is a side view of the stirring shaft 361 and the stirring blade 362. FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the stirring shaft 361 and the stirring blade 362. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the stirring shaft 361 and the stirring blade 362 are separate members. The stirring blade 362 is configured by fixing a plurality of plate-like members (hereinafter referred to as “plate-like portions 81”) to the stirring shaft 361 in the direction of the rotation axis J1. For this reason, even if the stirring blade 362 is consumed due to use over a long period of time, only the stirring blade 362 can be easily replaced without replacing the stirring shaft 361. Moreover, the stirring shaft 361 can be used as a common component, and stirring blades 362 having different shapes can be used depending on the type of coating liquid.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, each plate-like portion 81 is provided with a through hole 366 and a groove portion 367 extending in the axial direction. Each plate-like portion 81 is fixed to the stirring shaft 361 by inserting the stirring shaft 361 into the through hole 366. Adjacent plate-like portions 81 are connected by being fitted into the groove portions 367. Thereby, the movement of each plate-shaped part 81 in the circumferential direction is restricted. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the plurality of plate-like portions 81 are arranged such that the tip portions thereof are spaced apart from the adjacent plate-like portions 81. In the present embodiment, adjacent plate-like portions 81 are arranged in the direction of the rotation axis J1 so as to be orthogonal to each other when viewed in the axial direction. By doing so, the rotation of the stirring blade 362 facilitates mixing of the solvent and particles between the adjacent plate-like portions 81, and the stirring effect by the stirring mechanism 36 can be further enhanced. Note that the stirring shaft 361 and the stirring blade 362 may be formed of the same member.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the coating process performed by the coating apparatus 30. When starting the coating process, first, the control unit 70 controls the nozzle drive motor 323 to bring the coating nozzle 31 close to the electrolyte membrane 92 (S1). And the conveyance of the electrolyte membrane 92 is started (S2). Next, the control unit 70 opens the on-off valve 333 and supplies the coating liquid to the coating nozzle 31 by the supply mechanism 33 (S3). The supplied coating liquid passes through the first horizontal flow path 341 and is stored in the liquid storage part 35 (S4). The control unit 70 controls the stirring motor 363 to rotate the stirring shaft 361 (S5). Thereby, the coating liquid stored in the liquid reservoir 35 is agitated. Thereafter, the coating liquid passes through the second horizontal flow path 342 and reaches the discharge port 311. Then, the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port 311 in the horizontal direction (S6). As a result, the coating liquid is applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92.

  In addition, at the time of operation | movement of the coating apparatus 30, the process of S3-S6 is performed continuously or intermittently, respectively. Therefore, in actuality, the processes of S3 to S6 are executed in parallel with each other for the coating liquid supplied sequentially.

  Note that the agitation shaft 361 may be rotated in advance before the step S4 of storing the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir 35. Further, the rotation of the agitation shaft 361 may be stopped while the on-off valve 333 is opened, and the agitation shaft 361 may be rotated while the on-off valve 333 is closed. Thereby, the coating liquid sufficiently stirred in the liquid reservoir 35 can be discharged from the discharge port 311, and the discharge amount of the coating liquid from the discharge port 311 is changed by the rotation of the stirring shaft 361. Can be prevented. Therefore, the uniformity of the coating film thickness can be further improved.

<4. Modification>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the stirring shaft is rotated by the driving force of the stirring motor. However, the stirring shaft may be rotated using a driving force other than the motor. For example, the pressure of the coating liquid supplied from the supply mechanism may be applied to the stirring blade to rotate the stirring shaft. By doing so, the number of parts of the coating nozzle can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Moreover, power consumption in the coating process can be reduced.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the stirring blades are configured by arranging adjacent 81 in the direction of the rotation axis J1 so as to be orthogonal to each other when viewed in the axial direction. However, the shape of the stirring blade of the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 11 is a side view of a stirring shaft 361A and a stirring blade 362A according to a modification. The stirring blade 362A includes a plurality of plate-like portions 81A, and the inner end portion of each plate-like portion 81A is connected to the stirring shaft 361A. The adjacent plate-like portions 81A are arranged in the direction of the rotation axis J1A so as to be substantially parallel to each other when viewed in the axial direction. Further, the outer end portions of the respective plate-like portions are arranged at intervals from each other in the direction of the rotation axis J1A. Even if the stirring blade has such a shape, the coating liquid can be stirred. Thereby, precipitation and isolation | separation of the particle | grains in a coating liquid can be suppressed.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the coating apparatus and the coating method were shown about what is used for the manufacturing process of a chemical battery. However, the coating apparatus and the coating method of the present invention may be used in the manufacturing process of other precision electronic devices such as solar cells and organic EL.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the coating apparatus and the coating method were used for the coating process with respect to a sheet-like base material. However, the coating apparatus and the coating method of the present invention may be used for coating a substrate other than a sheet, such as a glass substrate, a semiconductor substrate, and a metal substrate.

  Moreover, about the detailed shape of a coating device, you may differ from each figure of this application. Moreover, you may combine suitably each element which appeared in said embodiment and modification in the range which does not produce inconsistency.

  The present invention can be used for a coating apparatus and a coating method.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Manufacturing apparatus 30 Coating apparatus 31 Coating nozzle 32 Contact / separation mechanism 33 Supply mechanism 34 Horizontal flow path 35 Liquid storage part 36 Stirring mechanism 90 Long strip | belt-shaped body 91 Back sheet 92 Electrolyte membrane 311 Discharge port 341 1st horizontal flow path 342 Second horizontal flow path 351 Liquid storage space 361 Stirring shaft 362 Stirring blade 363 Stirring motor

Claims (13)

A coating apparatus for coating a substrate with a coating liquid containing particles,
A coating nozzle for discharging the coating liquid;
A moving mechanism for moving the substrate relative to the coating nozzle;
A supply mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle;
Have
The coating nozzle is
A slit-like discharge port that opens in a substantially horizontal direction;
A horizontal flow path communicating with the discharge port and formed along a substantially horizontal direction;
A liquid reservoir connected to the horizontal flow path;
An agitation mechanism that is disposed in the liquid reservoir and agitates the coating liquid at least below the horizontal flow path in the liquid reservoir; and
Have
The stirring mechanism is
An agitation shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port;
A stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft;
Have
By rotating the stirring shaft, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred,
The tip of the stirring blade rotates along the inner peripheral surface of the liquid reservoir in the direction from the discharge port side toward the lower side of the liquid reservoir,
The agitation shaft is a coating device that rotates from the supply mechanism toward the discharge port by the pressure of the coating liquid. A coating apparatus for coating a substrate with a coating liquid containing particles,
A coating nozzle for discharging the coating liquid;
A moving mechanism for moving the substrate relative to the coating nozzle;
A supply mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle;
Have
The coating nozzle is
A slit-like discharge port that opens in a substantially horizontal direction;
A horizontal flow path communicating with the discharge port and formed along a substantially horizontal direction;
A liquid reservoir connected to the horizontal flow path;
An agitation mechanism that is disposed in the liquid reservoir and agitates the coating liquid at least below the horizontal flow path in the liquid reservoir; and
Have
The stirring mechanism is
An agitation shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port;
A stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft;
Have
By rotating the stirring shaft, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred,
The coating nozzle further includes an agitation motor that rotates the agitation shaft about the rotation axis,
The agitation mechanism is a coating apparatus that does not agitate the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir while discharging the coating liquid from the discharge port. A coating apparatus for coating a substrate with a coating liquid containing particles,
A coating nozzle for discharging the coating liquid;
A moving mechanism for moving the substrate relative to the coating nozzle;
A supply mechanism for supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle;
Have
The coating nozzle is
A slit-like discharge port that opens in a substantially horizontal direction;
A first horizontal flow path that communicates with the supply mechanism and is formed along a substantially horizontal direction;
A second horizontal channel that communicates with the discharge port and is formed along a substantially horizontal direction;
A liquid that communicates with the supply mechanism via the first horizontal flow path, communicates with the discharge port via the second horizontal flow path , and is located below the second horizontal flow path. a liquid storage portion that having a an air vent space located on the upper side than the spatial second horizontal passage pooled,
An agitation mechanism that is disposed in the liquid reservoir and agitates the coating liquid at least in the liquid reservoir space ;
Have
The boundary between the inner wall surface of the liquid storage space and the second horizontal flow path in the liquid storage part is more than the boundary between the inner wall surface of the air bleeding space and the second horizontal flow path in the liquid storage part. by positioned on the outlet side, a coating apparatus for precipitating roll up particles from the liquid pooled space to the air vent space to the liquid pooled space. The coating apparatus according to claim 3,
The stirring mechanism is
An agitation shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port;
A stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft;
Have
A coating apparatus in which the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred by rotation of the stirring shaft. The coating apparatus according to claim 4,
A coating apparatus in which a tip of the stirring blade rotates along the inner peripheral surface of the liquid reservoir in a direction from the discharge port side toward the lower side of the liquid reservoir. The coating apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The coating nozzle further includes an agitation motor that rotates the agitation shaft about the rotation axis. The coating apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The agitation shaft is a coating device that rotates from the supply mechanism toward the discharge port by the pressure of the coating liquid. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2 and claims 4 to 7,
The coating apparatus which is a different member from the said stirring blade and the said stirring shaft. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 and 2, and claims 4 to 8.
The stirring blade is a coating apparatus having a plurality of plate-like portions arranged in the rotation axis direction. The coating apparatus according to claim 9,
The tip of a plurality of the plate-like parts is a coating device arranged with an interval from the adjacent plate-like parts. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
The agitation mechanism is a coating apparatus that does not agitate the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir while discharging the coating liquid from the discharge port. A coating method in which a coating liquid containing particles is applied to a substrate by a coating nozzle,
a) moving the coating nozzle relative to the substrate;
b) supplying the coating liquid from the supply mechanism to the coating nozzle;
c) storing the supplied coating liquid in a liquid reservoir;
d) a step of stirring the coating liquid stored in the liquid storage portion by a stirring mechanism;
e) a step of discharging the coating liquid from a discharge port of the coating nozzle in a substantially horizontal direction;
Have
The stirring mechanism is
An agitation shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port;
A stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft;
Have
By rotating the stirring shaft, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred,
The tip of the stirring blade rotates along the inner peripheral surface of the liquid reservoir in the direction from the discharge port side toward the lower side of the liquid reservoir,
The stirring method is a coating method in which the stirring shaft rotates from the supply mechanism to the discharge port by the pressure of the coating liquid. A coating method in which a coating liquid containing particles is applied to a substrate by a coating nozzle,
a) moving the coating nozzle relative to the substrate;
b) supplying the coating liquid to the coating nozzle;
c) storing the supplied coating liquid in a liquid reservoir;
d) a step of stirring the coating liquid stored in the liquid storage portion by a stirring mechanism;
e) a step of discharging the coating liquid from a discharge port of the coating nozzle in a substantially horizontal direction;
Have
The stirring mechanism is
An agitation shaft extending in the direction of the rotation axis parallel to the discharge port;
A stirring blade fixed to the stirring shaft;
Have
By rotating the stirring shaft, the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is stirred,
The coating nozzle has an agitation motor that rotates the agitation shaft about the rotation axis,
In the step e), the stirring mechanism is a coating method in which the coating liquid in the liquid reservoir is not stirred while the coating liquid is being discharged from the discharge port.

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