Coating apparatus – With treatment of coating material – By agitation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2001-10-02
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
With treatment of coating material
By agitation
C118S612000, C118S052000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296706
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of applying a basecoat over an automotive substrate and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for dynamically blending a basecoat material before application of the basecoat material over the automotive substrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Today's automobile bodies are treated with multiple layers of coatings which not only enhance the appearance of the automobile, but also provide protection from corrosion, chipping, ultraviolet light, acid rain and other environmental conditions which can deteriorate the coating appearance and underlying car body.
The various automotive coatings, for example primer, basecoat and topcoat, are applied onto the automotive substrate at different coating stations as the substrate moves along a coating line. This procedure requires a great deal of floor space to accommodate each of the separate coating stations as well as a number of different coating devices, such as bell and gun applicators, to apply the different coatings onto the substrate. Examples of known coating systems are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,714,044; 4;532,148 and 4,539,932, which are herein incorporated by reference.
However, known coating methods and devices are not well adapted to permit efficient changes in color from one automotive substrate to another. For example, in conventional coating systems, the applicators for formation of the basecoat are typically connected to separate coating supply systems which provide the applicators with the same coating material, e.g. premixed, color pigmented and fully effect-pigmented coating material. Thus, if a red substrate is desired, fully color pigmented and effect pigmented premixed red coating material is supplied to each applicator. If the next substrate in the coating system is desired to be blue, for example, the red coating sources must be disconnected and the coating lines and applicators flushed with air and/or a cleaning solvent to remove the previous red coating material. A premixed fully effect pigmented blue coating material is then connected to each applicator for coating the next substrate. If the next substrate is to be painted a different color, this purging and cleaning cycle must again be conducted. Such conventional color change and cleaning systems are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,352; 4,881,563; and 4,728,034, which are herein incorporated by reference.
In these known systems, the premixed coating materials must be agitated and/or circulated to prevent the pigments from settling. Therefore, for typical automotive painting operations, the number of coating colors available for application must necessarily be limited due to the storage and circulation requirements for the coatings. It is not unusual for an automobile manufacturer to limit the color selection for a particular automotive model to only six or seven colors. However, if one of these colors should prove unpopular with consumers, the manufacturer may be forced to discontinue the use of this color, resulting in a financial burden caused by the storage and/or disposal costs for the undesired color.
Further, known coating methods and devices are typically designed for the application of a single type of coating material from each applicator. They are not configured for the application of different coating materials, e.g., primer, basecoat, and/or clearcoat materials, from the same applicator.
As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the automotive coating art, it would be advantageous to provide coating methods and apparatus which increase the usual color availability for an automaker without unduly increasing storage costs. It would also be advantageous to provide a coating system and/or method that reduces the required number of coating stations as well as the number of coating applicators needed to apply one or more coatings over an automotive substrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A coating apparatus is provided having a first dynamic mixing system comprising a plurality of first coating supplies comprising a plurality of first coating components of differing color. A bell applicator is in flow communication with the first dynamic mixing system.
Another aspect of the present invention is a coating apparatus comprising a first conduit, a plurality of waterborne coating sources in flow communication with the first conduit and a first waterborne base supply in flow communication with the first conduit. A mixer is in flow communication with the first conduit and a bell applicator is in flow communication with the first conduit downstream of the mixer. A second conduit is in flow communication with the first conduit. A plurality of waterborne effect pigment sources are in flow communication with the second conduit and a second waterborne base supply also is in flow communication with the second conduit.
An additional coating application system of the invention includes at least one mixer for receiving and dynamically mixing components of a first coating composition which is substantially free of effect pigment and received from a first supply or components of a second coating composition which comprises effect pigment received from a second supply to form a mixed coating composition. A bell applicator is provided for receiving the mixed coating composition from the mixer and applying the mixed coating composition over a substrate.
A method of applying a basecoat over an automotive substrate includes providing a plurality of waterborne primary color components and a first base material and dynamically blending at least one of the primary color components and the first base material to form a first basecoat material of a selected color. The first basecoat material is applied over the substrate by a bell applicator.
A complete understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing figures wherein like reference characters identify like parts throughout.
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Altman Deborah M.
Crispino Richard
PPG Industries Ohio Inc.
Tadesse Yewebdar T
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