EP0402338A1 - Method and apparatus for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web - Google Patents
Method and apparatus for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0402338A1 EP0402338A1 EP19900850222 EP90850222A EP0402338A1 EP 0402338 A1 EP0402338 A1 EP 0402338A1 EP 19900850222 EP19900850222 EP 19900850222 EP 90850222 A EP90850222 A EP 90850222A EP 0402338 A1 EP0402338 A1 EP 0402338A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- brush
- web
- voltage
- neutralising
- electrostatic charges
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Ceased
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H05F—STATIC ELECTRICITY; NATURALLY-OCCURRING ELECTRICITY
- H05F3/00—Carrying-off electrostatic charges
- H05F3/04—Carrying-off electrostatic charges by means of spark gaps or other discharge devices
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a method for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web.
- the invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method, which apparatus comprises a conductive brush disposed adjacent said web, and means for supplying a high-tension alternating voltage to said brush.
- a web which is coloured with a paint containing metal particles and which risks being unevenly coloured if the web has a varying electrostatic charge.
- a web which is rolled on a core and which may accumulate such high an electrostatic charge that anyone who touches the roll risks getting heavy electric shocks.
- Neutralisation can be effected either by means of a passive device, for instance grounded conductor means disposed in the vicinity of the web, or by means of an active device emitting or collecting electrons for neutralising the charges on the web.
- a passive device for instance grounded conductor means disposed in the vicinity of the web, or by means of an active device emitting or collecting electrons for neutralising the charges on the web.
- US 4,502,091 describes an active device comprising a bar along which two conductors are arranged. A number of needles have been pressed into each conductor. In operation, a positive high direct voltage is supplied to one conductor and a negative high direct voltage is supplied to the other conductor. By a "point effect", electrons will be collected and emitted, respectively, from the needles for neutralising the charges on the web.
- US 4,486,808 describes another active device for neutralising random electrostatic charges on a movable web, which simultaneously leaves the web with a uniform, positive, negative or neutral charge.
- the device comprises a bar spaced from the web and extending transversely thereof. The bar is supplied both with high-voltage direct current and with alternating current superimposed on the direct current. The frequency of the alternating current is stated to be 600 Hz for both low and high web speeds.
- the device comprises a conductive brush arranged in contact with the web.
- the object of the present invention thus is to provide a method and an apparatus ensuring satisfactory neutralisation of electrostatic charges on the web at both low and high web speeds and for all types of webs.
- This object is achieved by a method which is characterised in that the brush is supplied with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
- the inventive object is further achieved by means of an apparatus of the type described in the introduction to this specification, which is characterised in that the brush is arranged at a distance from the web and that the means for supplying a high-tension alternating voltage to the brush are adapted to supply the brush with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
- the apparatus of the invention can be used also for wet webs and webs which must not be touched.
- the apparatus further has means adapted to sense the current in the high-voltage circuit of the apparatus and to interrupt the supply to the brush if current above a predetermined limit value is sensed.
- An apparatus for deionising a web or neutralising static charges on the web comprises, as appears from Fig. 1, a brush 1 arranged transversely of a movable web 2 at a distance of about 10-15 mm therefrom, a voltage transformer 3 and a generator unit 4.
- the brush 1 is of a known type which is commercially available and which comprises an aluminium section 5 to which a multitude of bristles 6 are attached.
- the number of bristles may amount to about 3000/cm2.
- the brush 1 may preferably be a carbon-fibre brush and should be designed in such a manner that the different bristles remain isolated from each other.
- Each separate bristle 6 forms a tip, and the tips together produce a powerful "point effect" which contributes to improve neutralisation.
- the voltage transformer 3 has a primary winding 7 and a secondary winding 8 which is connected to the brush 1 and coupled in series with a resistor 9, in turn connected to ground.
- the transformation ratio of the transformer is of the order of 1:1000, and the resistor is of the order of 10 k ⁇ .
- the point of junction between the secondary winding 8 and the resistor 9 is connected by a line 10 to the generator unit 4. This comprises, in addition to the voltage generator itself, circuits for monitoring ground errors in the high-voltage or secondary circuit.
- the voltage generator 4 supplies a 12 V alternating voltage of a frequency of 1000 Hz to the transformer 3 stepping up the voltage to 10 kV.
- this high voltage is applied to the brush, this will emit electrons, by a "point effect", during the negative half period of the alternating voltage. These electrons can then neutralise any positive charges on the web 2 which is travelling past the brush 1.
- the brush will collect electrons, also by a "point effect”, during the positive half period of the alternating voltage, whereby negative charges on the web are eliminated.
- Fig. 2 shows a graph illustrating the result of an experiment in which alternating voltage of different magnitude and frequency was supplied to the apparatus according to the present invention.
- the ordinate represents the potential the web had after deionisation.
- the potential is the measure of the residual charge on the web.
- the abscissa represents the frequency of the alternating voltage supplied to the brush.
- the graph contains four curves A-D. Curve A was measured at an alternating voltage equal to 2500 V, curve B at 5000 V, curve C at 10,000 V, and curve D at 14,000 V. The measurements were made at a web speed of 800 m/min.
- the curves in the graph show that when the frequency is increased from about 50 Hz to about 400 Hz, the deionisation of the web was improved.
- a further increase of the frequency from about 400 Hz to about 800 Hz gives no further improvement of the deionisation.
- the residual charge on the web decreases slightly at 2500 V and 5000 V, but yet remains on a relatively high level.
- voltages equal to or above 10,000 V and frequencies above 800 Hz a very substantial improvement of the deionisation is however obtained.
- the residual charge is very small, and above 1200 Hz it is so small that it cannot be measured.
- one or more brushes may also be arranged at the underside of the web.
Abstract
In order to neutralise electrostatic charges on a movable web (2), an alternating voltage of the order of from about 10,000 V to about 15,000 V and a frequency of from about 1000 Hz to about 3000 Hz is supplied to a conductive brush (1) spaced from the movable web (2).
Description
- The present invention relates to a method for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web. The invention also relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method, which apparatus comprises a conductive brush disposed adjacent said web, and means for supplying a high-tension alternating voltage to said brush.
- Electrostatic charges pose a major problem in the manufacture and handling of web-like materials of e.g. plastic, paper or rubber. One example of this is a web which is coloured with a paint containing metal particles and which risks being unevenly coloured if the web has a varying electrostatic charge. Another example is a web which is rolled on a core and which may accumulate such high an electrostatic charge that anyone who touches the roll risks getting heavy electric shocks.
- In machines and close to apparatuses for manufacturing and handling web-like materials, it is thus desirable to neutralise the electrostatic charges on the web-like material as much as possible.
- Neutralisation can be effected either by means of a passive device, for instance grounded conductor means disposed in the vicinity of the web, or by means of an active device emitting or collecting electrons for neutralising the charges on the web.
- US 4,502,091 describes an active device comprising a bar along which two conductors are arranged. A number of needles have been pressed into each conductor. In operation, a positive high direct voltage is supplied to one conductor and a negative high direct voltage is supplied to the other conductor. By a "point effect", electrons will be collected and emitted, respectively, from the needles for neutralising the charges on the web.
- US 4,486,808 describes another active device for neutralising random electrostatic charges on a movable web, which simultaneously leaves the web with a uniform, positive, negative or neutral charge. In a first embodiment, the device comprises a bar spaced from the web and extending transversely thereof. The bar is supplied both with high-voltage direct current and with alternating current superimposed on the direct current. The frequency of the alternating current is stated to be 600 Hz for both low and high web speeds.
- In a second embodiment, the device comprises a conductive brush arranged in contact with the web.
- A common drawback of these known devices is that they allow only a limited web speed to ensure satisfactory neutralisation of the charges on the web. Industrial efforts however go towards increasing web speeds for higher productivity. Today, web speeds of above 1500 m/min are employed. This, in combination with new materials having good insulating properties, such as different plastics, place high demands on efficiency in the neutralisation process.
- The object of the present invention thus is to provide a method and an apparatus ensuring satisfactory neutralisation of electrostatic charges on the web at both low and high web speeds and for all types of webs.
- This object is achieved by a method which is characterised in that the brush is supplied with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
- The inventive object is further achieved by means of an apparatus of the type described in the introduction to this specification, which is characterised in that the brush is arranged at a distance from the web and that the means for supplying a high-tension alternating voltage to the brush are adapted to supply the brush with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
- By arranging the brush at a distance from the web, the apparatus of the invention can be used also for wet webs and webs which must not be touched.
- By supplying the brush with an alternating voltage the magnitude and frequency of which have the indicated values, it is possible to achieve highly efficient neutralisation, which will be explained in more detail below.
- To prevent accidents when touching parts of the apparatus that are under tension, the apparatus further has means adapted to sense the current in the high-voltage circuit of the apparatus and to interrupt the supply to the brush if current above a predetermined limit value is sensed.
- The present invention will now be described in an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
- Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the invention; and
- Fig. 2 is a graph showing the residual charge on the web as a function of the frequency of the alternating voltage for different magnitudes of the alternating voltage.
- An apparatus for deionising a web or neutralising static charges on the web comprises, as appears from Fig. 1, a brush 1 arranged transversely of a movable web 2 at a distance of about 10-15 mm therefrom, a voltage transformer 3 and a generator unit 4.
- The brush 1 is of a known type which is commercially available and which comprises an
aluminium section 5 to which a multitude ofbristles 6 are attached. The number of bristles may amount to about 3000/cm². - The brush 1 may preferably be a carbon-fibre brush and should be designed in such a manner that the different bristles remain isolated from each other. Each
separate bristle 6 forms a tip, and the tips together produce a powerful "point effect" which contributes to improve neutralisation. - The voltage transformer 3 has a primary winding 7 and a secondary winding 8 which is connected to the brush 1 and coupled in series with a
resistor 9, in turn connected to ground. The transformation ratio of the transformer is of the order of 1:1000, and the resistor is of the order of 10 kΩ. The point of junction between the secondary winding 8 and theresistor 9 is connected by aline 10 to the generator unit 4. This comprises, in addition to the voltage generator itself, circuits for monitoring ground errors in the high-voltage or secondary circuit. - The operation of the apparatus appears from the following example.
- The voltage generator 4 supplies a 12 V alternating voltage of a frequency of 1000 Hz to the transformer 3 stepping up the voltage to 10 kV. When this high voltage is applied to the brush, this will emit electrons, by a "point effect", during the negative half period of the alternating voltage. These electrons can then neutralise any positive charges on the web 2 which is travelling past the brush 1. Similarly, the brush will collect electrons, also by a "point effect", during the positive half period of the alternating voltage, whereby negative charges on the web are eliminated.
- If a person, directly or through an electrically conductive object, touches parts of the secondary circuit that are under tension, a ground error will arise. Current will then flow through the
resistor 9. The voltage then produced across the resistor will be sensed by the monitoring circuits of the generator unit 4, and if the current corresponding to the voltage exceeds a previously set treshold value, the supply to the voltage generator is interrupted and, hence, the supply to the brush. - Fig. 2 shows a graph illustrating the result of an experiment in which alternating voltage of different magnitude and frequency was supplied to the apparatus according to the present invention. The ordinate represents the potential the web had after deionisation. The potential is the measure of the residual charge on the web. The abscissa represents the frequency of the alternating voltage supplied to the brush. The graph contains four curves A-D. Curve A was measured at an alternating voltage equal to 2500 V, curve B at 5000 V, curve C at 10,000 V, and curve D at 14,000 V. The measurements were made at a web speed of 800 m/min. The curves in the graph show that when the frequency is increased from about 50 Hz to about 400 Hz, the deionisation of the web was improved. A further increase of the frequency from about 400 Hz to about 800 Hz gives no further improvement of the deionisation. At frequencies above about 800 Hz, the residual charge on the web decreases slightly at 2500 V and 5000 V, but yet remains on a relatively high level. At voltages equal to or above 10,000 V and frequencies above 800 Hz, a very substantial improvement of the deionisation is however obtained. At about 1000 Hz, the residual charge is very small, and above 1200 Hz it is so small that it cannot be measured.
- Other experiments, which are not reported here, show that the same effect is achieved also at other web speeds.
- Thus, it has been found that improved deionisation is obtained at frequencies above 1000 Hz and voltages above 10,000 V. In practice, however, the frequency should not be increased above about 3000 Hz and the voltage not increased above about 15,000 V, since a combination of high frequency and high voltage results in radio interference.
- For comparative purposes, the experiments described above were also carried out with a commercially available charge neutralising device consisting of a copper rod having tips, but in this case it was not possible to achieve the effect obtained with the present invention.
- Experiments have also been carried out where deionising was effected by means of a passive conductive brush arranged at a distance from the web and connected to ground. In this case, a residual potential of about 1200-1400 V was obtained.
- The experiments also show that it is a combination of a conductive brush and the indicated voltages and frequencies that produce the aimed-at effect.
- The invention has now been described by way of example. However, it is not restricted thereby but may be varied within the scope of the accompanying claims. For instance, one or more brushes may also be arranged at the underside of the web.
Claims (4)
1. Method for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web (2), wherein a conductive brush (1) is disposed adjacent said web,
characterised by the step of
supplying the brush (1) with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
characterised by the step of
supplying the brush (1) with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
2. Apparatus for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web (2), comprising a conductive brush (1) disposed adjacent said web (2), and means (3, 4) for supplying a high-tension alternating voltage to said brush (1), characterised in that the brush (1) is arranged at a distance from the web (2), that said means (3, 4) for supplying a high-tension alternating voltage to the brush are adapted to supply the brush with an alternating voltage exceeding about 10,000 V and having a frequency exceeding about 1000 Hz.
3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised by means adapted to sense the current in the high-voltage circuit of the apparatus and to interrupt the supply to the brush (1) when a current exceeding a predetermined treshold value is sensed.
4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the conductive brush (1) is a carbon-fibre brush.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
SE8902025 | 1989-06-05 | ||
SE8902025A SE462412B (en) | 1989-06-05 | 1989-06-05 | SETTING TO NEUTRALIZE ELECTROSTATIC CHARGES ON A MOVABLE COUNTRY AND DEVICE BEFORE PERFORMING THE SET |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0402338A1 true EP0402338A1 (en) | 1990-12-12 |
Family
ID=20376181
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19900850222 Ceased EP0402338A1 (en) | 1989-06-05 | 1990-06-05 | Method and apparatus for neutralising electrostatic charges on a movable web |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0402338A1 (en) |
SE (1) | SE462412B (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE4224698A1 (en) * | 1992-07-25 | 1994-01-27 | Kodak Ag | Measuring and monitored neutralising of surface charges on objects, e.g. paper or plastic foil - using charge neutralising brush whose position is varied according to measured charge |
US5377069A (en) * | 1989-04-07 | 1994-12-27 | Andreasson; Tomas | Oscillating circuit for the elimination/reduction of static electricity |
CN102510651A (en) * | 2011-11-09 | 2012-06-20 | 中国乐凯胶片集团公司 | Method for eliminating static electricity on surface of film during preparation of film |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3634726A (en) * | 1969-06-03 | 1972-01-11 | Progil | Process and device to remove static electricity from plastic films |
US4336565A (en) * | 1980-08-04 | 1982-06-22 | Xerox Corporation | Charge process with a carbon fiber brush electrode |
USRE31382E (en) * | 1977-03-10 | 1983-09-13 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Static charge neutralizer and process |
US4486808A (en) * | 1982-12-03 | 1984-12-04 | Polaroid Corporation | Apparatus for controlling random charges on a moving web |
-
1989
- 1989-06-05 SE SE8902025A patent/SE462412B/en not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1990
- 1990-06-05 EP EP19900850222 patent/EP0402338A1/en not_active Ceased
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3634726A (en) * | 1969-06-03 | 1972-01-11 | Progil | Process and device to remove static electricity from plastic films |
USRE31382E (en) * | 1977-03-10 | 1983-09-13 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Static charge neutralizer and process |
US4336565A (en) * | 1980-08-04 | 1982-06-22 | Xerox Corporation | Charge process with a carbon fiber brush electrode |
US4486808A (en) * | 1982-12-03 | 1984-12-04 | Polaroid Corporation | Apparatus for controlling random charges on a moving web |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5377069A (en) * | 1989-04-07 | 1994-12-27 | Andreasson; Tomas | Oscillating circuit for the elimination/reduction of static electricity |
DE4224698A1 (en) * | 1992-07-25 | 1994-01-27 | Kodak Ag | Measuring and monitored neutralising of surface charges on objects, e.g. paper or plastic foil - using charge neutralising brush whose position is varied according to measured charge |
CN102510651A (en) * | 2011-11-09 | 2012-06-20 | 中国乐凯胶片集团公司 | Method for eliminating static electricity on surface of film during preparation of film |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
SE462412B (en) | 1990-06-18 |
SE8902025D0 (en) | 1989-06-05 |
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Legal Events
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Effective date: 19910611 |
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Effective date: 19930309 |
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Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN REFUSED |
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18R | Application refused |
Effective date: 19930902 |