Anodizing apparatus

Abstract

An anodizing apparatus includes: a power supplying drum for supporting a strip of an anodizable metal or a composite conductive foil having an anodizable metal on one surface thereof in close contact, at least a portion of the power supplying drum supporting the strip being conductive; opposing electrodes facing the power supplying drum; an electrolysis tank filled with an electrolytic solution in which a portion of the power supplying drum that supports the strip and the opposing electrodes are immersed; non conductive protective members that overlap the transverse ends of the strip on the power supplying drum and portions of the power supplying drum that the strip is not in contact with to protect the overlapped portions from the electrolytic solution; and a drive section that causes the strip and the protective members to move together within the electrolytic solution, synchronized with the rotating speed of the power supply drum.

1 . An anodizing apparatus, characterized by comprising:
 a power supplying drum for supporting a strip of an anodizable metal or a strip of a composite conductive metal foil having an anodizable metal on at least one surface thereof in close contact, at least a portion of the power supplying drum which is in close contact with the strip being constituted by a conductive material;   opposing electrodes provided to face the power supplying drum;   an electrolysis tank filled with an electrolytic solution in which a portion of the power supplying drum that supports the strip in close contact and the opposing electrodes are immersed;   protective members formed by a non conductive material that overlaps the transverse ends of the strip supported by the power supplying drum in close contact and portions of the power supplying drum with which the strip is not in close contact to protect the ends and the portions of the power supplying drum from the electrolytic solution; and   a drive section that causes the strip in close contact with the power supplying drum and the protective members to move together within the electrolytic solution, synchronized with the rotating speed of the power supply drum.   
     
     
         2 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 a recess that the strip contacts and moves within being provided in the power supplying drum.   
     
     
         3 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by further comprising:
 guide rollers for pressing the protective member onto the power supplying drum.   
     
     
         4 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 a plurality of apertures being provided in the opposing electrodes.   
     
     
         5 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 the distance between the power supplying drum and the opposing electrodes at the portion of the strip supported by the power supplying drum that enters the electrolytic solution and/or the portion of the strip that exits the electrolytic solution being greater than the distance between the power supplying drum and the opposing electrodes at a central portion of the strip immersed in the electrolytic solution.   
     
     
         6 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 the protective member being non conductive rubber or a metal foil covered by nonconductive rubber.   
     
     
         7 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 the conductive material of the power supplying drum being conductive plastic or conductive rubber.   
     
     
         8 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 the electrical potential of the opposing electrodes being a negative polarity with respect to ground.   
     
     
         9 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , characterized by:
 the electric potential of the strip being the same as ground, and the output of an electrolytic power source being insulative with respect to ground.   
     
     
         10 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 8 , characterized by:
 the electric potential of the strip being the same as ground, and the output of an electrolytic power source being insulative with respect to ground.   
     
     
         11 . An anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 10 , characterized by further comprising:
 a monitoring section for monitoring the voltage of the power supplying drum with respect to the electrical potential of ground.   
     
     
         12 . A continuous anodizing apparatus, characterized by comprising:
 a plurality of anodizing apparatuses as defined in  claims 1 , arranged in series.   
     
     
         13 . A film forming method, characterized by:
 forming an anodized coating film on a surface of a strip, employing an anodizing apparatus as defined in  claim 1  or the continuous anodizing apparatus of  claim 12 .