Multipurpose draft shield apparatus

Draft shields are utilized in dip coating systems. Their purpose is to prevent air currents from impinging on the wet coating because such air currents may create non-uniformities in the coating thickness. As seen in , a problem with a conventional draft shield defining a vertical passageway is that during the dip coating process a non-vertical substrate (due to for example improper chucking with a holding device or interference with another object, and the like) may strike the draft shield or the dip coating vessel , thereby causing damage to the substrate, the draft shield, and/or the dip coating vessel. A draft shield apparatus having a longitudinal axis including:an open upper end section defining a substrate entry end, an open lower end section defining a substrate exit end, and a central section between the upper end section and the lower end section, the apparatus defining a passageway which extends through the upper end section, the central section, and the lower end section along the longitudinal axis to result in an upper end section inner surface, a central section inner surface, and a lower end section inner surface, wherein the passageway has a width sufficiently large to permit movement of at least a portion of a substrate through the apparatus;wherein the upper end section inner surface is inclined towards the longitudinal axis,wherein the lower end section inner surface is inclined towards the longitudinal axis and the lower end section inner surface extends into the passageway such that the width of the substrate exit end is smaller than the width of the substrate entry end.