Appeal No. 2004-1912
Application No. 09/808,584
roller 18. The metering bar 22 and applicator roller 18 combine
to define a trough 42, which receives the liquid coating
composition 24. At the top of page 7 of the specification, the
specification discloses that the “force with which the metering
bar presses against the applicator roller 18, and the angle at
which the arcuate end portion 31 of the metering bar 22 contacts
the applicator roller 18 control the amount of coating
composition 24 that is carried by the applicator roller 18 as it
rotates past the metering bar 22 in a counter clockwise
direction.”
Finally, on page 8 of the specification, beginning at line
10, the specification discloses that the metering bar 22 is a
bar that “is capable of controlling the amount of coating
composition applied to the applicator roller 18 such that each
revolution of the applicator roller carries substantially the
same amount of coating composition for transfer to the article
to be coated. A number of suitable metering bar constructions
are available including a doctor blade, a doctor blade that
includes a gap . . . and a doctor blade that includes a
rotatable rod as shown, e.g., in Fig. 11. The portion of the
metering bar positioned against the applicator can have a
smoother patterned surface.”
In another embodiment, the metering bar is as shown in
Figure 11. Figure 11 shows metering bar 86 that includes a
rotable rod 88 disposed in the applicator-contacting end 90 of
the metering bar 86. The rod 88 is capable of rotating about
its longitudinal axis L. The rod 88 can be rotated at
predetermined speeds, at predetermined intervals and in
predetermined directions, to provide various functions such as
refreshing the arcuate surface available for contact with the
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