Coating apparatus – Projection or spray type – Projector combined with nonprojecting coater
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-31
2004-11-09
Edwards, Laura (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Projection or spray type
Projector combined with nonprojecting coater
C118S315000, C118S321000, C118S323000, C118S416000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06814805
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a film coating nozzle for applying coating material to a surface of a product such as a compressor piston, used in an arrangement which requires wear resistance and liquidtightness, and thereby forming film on the surface of the product, and an apparatus and a method for coating a compressor piston using the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a film coating nozzle which can spread, by a dispenser method, applied coating material to form film of a uniform film thickness, and an apparatus and a method for coating a compressor piston using the same, which can coat the compressor piston through a series of continuous processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a product such as a compressor piston used in an arrangement requiring wear resistance and liquidtightness is coated on its surface with film of a predetermined thickness. This coating technique has already been employed in various industrial fields. As well known in the art, in this coating technique, it is important that the thickness be uniform over the entire surface of the applied film. Specifically, while, for example, a Teflon coating is applied to a circumferential outer surface of a head part of the compressor piston, upon coating the compressor piston, a thickness and uniformity of a coated film greatly influence the performance of a compressor, and therefore should be carefully controlled.
As coating methods for improving wear resistance and liquidtightness of a compressor piston, powder coating, spraying or electrostatic painting are well known in the art. However, these coating methods suffer from disadvantages in that variance in thickness of coated film is substantial. In particular, in a spray coating method, since a coating process is involved and sprayed coating material spatters, regions which do not require application of coating material are also coated with coating material and thus, coating material is excessively wasted. Further, in the spray coating method, a surrounding environment is polluted by coating material which spatters during a coating procedure.
To cope with these problems occurring in the conventional spray coating method, coating apparatuses are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Heisei 8-173893 and International Patent Application No. PCT/JP00/00096. Each of the coating apparatuses has a rotation support device which rotatably supports a cylindrical product to be coated, a coating material injecting device which is installed above the rotation support device in such a way as to be moved upward and downward and has a nozzle for applying coating material to a circumferential outer surface of the product rotated by the rotation support device, and a blade which spreads to a uniform film thickness coating material applied to the circumferential outer surface of the product by the coating material injecting device in such a way as to remove excess coating material.
However, the conventional coating apparatuses still encounter problems in that, since the blade for removing excess coating material applied to the circumferential outer surface of the cylindrical product must be installed separately from the nozzle at a position adjoining the rotating cylindrical product, a construction of each coating apparatus as a whole is complex. Moreover, because driving and controlling of the blade serving as a coating material spreading device is complicated, maintenance and repair costs and time of the coating apparatus are increased.
Furthermore, in the conventional coating apparatuses, while it is possible to apply coating material, for example, to a circumferential outer surface of a head part of a compressor piston, it is impossible to apply coating material to a bridge part of a piston for a fixed displacement swash plate type compressor or wing parts of a piston for a variable displacement swash plate type compressor. For this reason, in the conventional art, a coating process for the bridge part or wing parts should be performed by a spraying method, in a state wherein the piston which is coated with coating material on its circumferential outer surface is moved to another place or apparatus. Hence, by the fact that two different methods are employed, operation control for the entire coating apparatus is made further complicated. Also, inherent problems of the spray coating method, which are related with increase in coating material consumption and pollution of surrounding devices due to spatter of coating material, still exist.
SUMMARY OF THE CERTAIN INVENTIVE ASPECTS
One aspect of the present invention provides a coating apparatus. The apparatus comprises a nozzle comprising at least one inlet and at least one outlet, each inlet being configured to receive a coating material from a source thereof, each outlet being configured to flow out the coating material on a surface for coating; and a spreader integrated with the nozzle and configured to spread the coating material over the coating surface. The apparatus further comprises a spacer integrated with the nozzle and configured to maintain a distance from the nozzle and spreader to the coating surface substantially constant. The spacer comprises an elongated projection from the nozzle, and wherein the elongated projection comprises a tip configured to contact the coating surface. The spacer and the nozzle are configured to move relative to the coating surface in a direction while coating, and wherein the spacer is so located as to lead each outlet of the nozzle in the direction of the relative movement. The at least one outlet comprises a longitudinal opening. The at least one outlet comprises a substantially circular or elliptical opening. The at least one outlet comprises three or more circular or elliptical openings. Each of the three or more openings has a different size from each other. The three or more openings are linearly arranged. Each of the three or more openings has a different size from each other, and wherein the three or more openings are linearly arranged such that the size of the openings are increasing in a direction of the linear arrangement. The nozzle comprises a distal portion, and wherein each outlet is located in the distal portion.
A part of the distal portion constitutes the spreader. The nozzle comprises a distal surface, on which each outlet is opened. At least a partial area of the distal surface is configured to contact the coating material. The nozzle is configured to move relative to the coating surface in a direction while coating, and wherein the distal surface is slanted with reference to the direction of the relative movement. The nozzle is configured to flow the coating material in a direction at each outlet, and wherein the distal surface is slanted with reference to the direction of the flow. The spreader comprises at least a part of the distal surface configured to contact the coating material. The nozzle and spreader are configured to move relative to the coating surface in a direction while coating, and wherein the spreader comprises an trailing edge of the distal surface in the relative movement. he spreader comprises an edge of the distal surface. The spreader is configured to flow the coating material along the at least a partial area of the distal surface while coating so as for the spreader and the coating surface to sandwich the coating material with a predetermined thickness along the edge. The nozzle is configured to move relative to the coating surface in a direction while coating, wherein the distal surface comprises a leading edge and a trailing edge in the relative movement of the nozzle, and wherein the distal surface is slanted such that the trailing edge is closer to the coating surface than the leading edge is.
The spreader comprises a spreading surface and an edge of the spreading surface. The spreading surface and the edge are configured to contact the coating material. The spreader is configured to flow the coating material along the spreading s
Kim Kyoung Duck
Park Dae Kyu
Yoon Young Jin
Edwards Laura
Halla Climate Control Corp.
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
LandOfFree
Film coating apparatus and method for coating using the same does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Film coating apparatus and method for coating using the same, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Film coating apparatus and method for coating using the same will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3302089