Molded rotatable base for a porous pad
View Patent ↗A rotatable base for a porous pad has openings that provide for improved flow distribution of a liquid in the base across a substrate. The rotatable base can be molded from a two piece mold and the openings can have draft angles to facilitate the molding process.
1. A method comprising: molding a rotatable base from a moldable thermoplastic material using a mold, the mold having one or more mold plates, the mold plates having one or more mold pins to form one or more openings in the surface of the rotatable base, the rotatable base having a first end, a second end, an inner surface and an outer surface; the inner and outer surfaces of the rotatable base being interconnected by the one or more openings, the openings distribute a liquid from the inner surface of the rotatable base to the outer surface of the rotatable base, the mold pins defining an axis substantially parallel to a separation axis of each of the one or more mold plates.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molding is an injection molding process.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating a blowing agent into the moldable thermoplastic material.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more base openings include draft angles.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a wall thickness of a wall portion of the rotatable base forming each of the base openings has a thickness that is less than a wall thickness of wall portions not forming the base openings.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the draft angles of the base openings vary along the circumference of the rotatable base.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising aligning mold pins of a first mold plate with mold pins of a second mold plate.
8. A method comprising:
interlocking a porous pad with a rotatable base formed of a thermoplastic material,
the rotatable base having a drive end, a fluid end, an inner surface, an outer surface and one or more openings having draft angles interconnecting the inner and outer surfaces of the rotatable base, wherein the one or more openings having draft angles allow a liquid to be distributed from the inner surface of the rotatable base to the outer surface of the rotatable base, and
the porous pad having an axial length and being formed of a porous material,
wherein the rotatable base is substantially positioned radially within and coaxial with the porous pad and
wherein the porous material of the porous pad covers the outer surface of the rotatable base along the axial length of the porous pad and extends into the openings having draft angles, thereby interlocking the porous pad with the rotatable base;
contacting a substrate with a liquid from the porous pad;
rotating the porous pad interlocked with the rotatable base in contact with the substrate; and
rotating the rotatable base to a predetermined angle with respect to a reference point on the rotatable base.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the liquid coats the substrate.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the liquid and porous pad interlocked with the rotatable base removes particles from the substrate.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising positioning the rotatable base horizontally, placing containers equidistantly below the rotatable base, and collecting the liquid flowing from the rotatable base.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining an average value of a flow of the liquid across the containers.