Coating processes – Spraying
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-21
2004-06-29
Pianalto, Bernard (Department: 1762)
Coating processes
Spraying
C118S302000, C118S323000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06756080
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an installation for spraying coating product and to a process for cleaning such an installation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
EP-A-0 274 322, for example, discloses using a tank mounted at the end of the polyarticulated arm of a multi-axis robot for feeding coating products to a sprayer supported by this arm, particularly in the case of an installation for spraying an electrically conducting coating product by means of a sprayer of electrostatic type. In this known installation, it is provided to periodically connect the tank and the sprayer to a circuit of cleaning product, in order to eliminate any coating product remaining in the tank, in the sprayer and in conduits connecting this tank and this sprayer, at the end of a spraying phase. In effect, it is essential to eliminate any trace of one coating product before introducing a fresh coating product in the tank.
In this known installation, the tank must be cleaned before being filled with fresh coating product, which involves immobilizing the robot for a relatively long period, during which it cannot be used for spraying the coating product.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a novel installation which enables the time during which a sprayer is not productive to be reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To that end, the invention relates to an installation for spraying coating products comprising at least one robot of which a mobile part supports at least one sprayer and a tank of coating product connected thereto for feeding the sprayer. This installation is characterized in that the robot bears a second tank adapted to be filled with cleaning product, this second tank being connected in order to feed cleaning product to the tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits connecting the tank to the sprayer.
Thanks to the invention, the contents of the second tank may be used for cleaning the tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits associated therewith, as soon as a step of spraying coating product has terminated, i.e. before the robot has positioned its sprayer and tank with respect to means located at a fixed station and provided to feed it with coating products. In other words, the time taken by the robot to move from its position of spraying towards its position of filling with fresh coating product, may advantageously be used for cleaning the tank of coating product, the sprayer and the conduits associated therewith, from the contents of the second tank.
According to advantageous but non-obligatory aspects of the invention, this installation incorporates one or more of the following characteristics:
The second tank has an internal volume allowing it to contain a sufficient quantity of cleaning product to clean the tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits associated therewith, at least twice. This aspect of the invention makes it possible to reduce the frequency of filling of the second tank with respect to the frequency of filling of the tank of coating product.
The second tank is mounted on the robot in the vicinity of the tank of coating product.
First connection means, located at a fixed station in the vicinity of the robot and second connection means mounted on the robot and connected to the second tank are provided, these first and second connection means being adapted to establish a connection between a circuit for feed of cleaning product and the second tank. In these cases, the second connection means are advantageously adapted to be connected to the first connection means when first and second principal connection means, provided respectively at a fixed station and on the robot, are connected for filling the tank of coating product. In addition, the first principal connection means may be provided to comprise different connectors, each connected to a circuit for feed of a predetermined coating product, a first connection means for feeding the second tank being arranged in the vicinity of each of these connectors.
The robot bears a third tank connected to the tank of coating product, to the sprayer and/or to conduits connecting the tank to the sprayer, this third tank being adapted to receive at least part of the residues of cleaning of the tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits mentioned above. This third tank makes it possible temporarily to store the essential of the cleaning residues. This third tank may be provided to be mounted on the robot in the vicinity of the tank of coating product and of the second tank. Means for connecting the third tank to a dump circuit are advantageously provided.
The second tank and possibly the third tank may be piston tanks or tanks with deformable wall.
The invention also relates to a process for cleaning an installation as described hereinabove and, more specifically, a process for cleaning an installation for spraying coating products comprising a tank of coating product and a sprayer associated therewith, this tank and/or this sprayer being mounted on a multi-axis robot, characterized in that it comprises a step consisting in feeding the tank, the sprayer and/or the conduits connecting the tank to the sprayer, with cleaning products from a second tank mounted on the robot.
According to advantageous aspects of the invention, this process may include one or more of the following characteristics:
The tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits are fed with cleaning product from the second tank at the end of a step of spraying coating product, preferably before the tank of coating product is filled again.
The second tank is fed with cleaning product at the same time as the tank of coating product is filled.
The residues of cleaning of the tank of coating product, the sprayer and/or the conduits are at least partly stored temporarily in a third tank mounted on the robot. In that case, a step is advantageously provided, consisting in pouring the contents of the third tank in a dump circuit. Depending on the variants, this step of pouring the contents of the third tank takes place before or after a step of filling the second tank with cleaning product. In a variant, steps may be provided, consisting in alternately connecting the second tank to a circuit for feeding cleaning product and the third tank to the dump circuit, using common connection means provided on the robot.
The step consisting in pouring the contents of the third tank towards the dump circuit and/or the step consisting in filling the second tank take place simultaneously to the filling of the tank with coating product.
The tank of coating product, the sprayer and the conduits are cleaned by streams of air and cleaning product.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6179217 (2001-01-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 0 792 695 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 0 967 017 (1999-12-01), None
Browdy and Neimark , P.L.L.C.
Pianalto Bernard
Sames Technologies
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