Coating apparatus – Immersion or work-confined pool type – With means for moving work through – into or out of pool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-25
2003-01-07
Pyon, Harold (Department: 1772)
Coating apparatus
Immersion or work-confined pool type
With means for moving work through, into or out of pool
C118S423000, C118S503000, C428S034400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06503328
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a process for the application of a coating to at least a part of the exterior surface of glass containers, an apparatus for the application of a coating to at least a part of the exterior surface of glass containers and a glass container comprising a coating of plastics material extending at least over a part of its exterior surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In one known process for applying a coating to glass containers disclosed in EP 0 442 735 A2 numerous gripping devices are conveyed on a continuously circulating endless conveyor through a coating installation. Each gripping device grips a row of glass containers arranged transversely to the direction of conveyance at a pick-up site, guides the row upwards at an angle, and then downwards at an angle, with the result that the row is dipped into a bath of liquid coating material and subsequently is directed upwards again at an angle to an upper level. At this level the row passes through a bottle base setting zone, and is thereafter guided downwards at an angle and deposited on a conveyor belt. On the conveyor belt the row passes through a setting zone in order to harden the parts of the coating on the glass containers which have not yet been hardened. The emptied gripping devices are conveyed back to the pick-up site on the return run of the endless conveyor. All the devices are fixedly mounted on the endless conveyor and therefore each moves always with the same velocity.
Also, from WO 94/17002 A1 it is known to guide numerous gripping devices on an endless conveyor through the coating installation. Each gripping device picks up from the lehr conveyor a row of glass containers arranged transversely to the direction of transportation. Each row is moved upwards at an angle, then downwards at an angle and dips into a bath of liquid coating material, and then after leaving the bath is guided initially on an upwardly sloping and then downwardly sloping path through a zone for the thermal ageing of the dip overlay, and then—again in sloping upward and downward movements—passes through a setting zone, and finally is again deposited on the lehr conveyor. Each gripping device comprises two gripping bars which respectively engage all the glass containers of the relevant group on opposing sides below the neck. The two gripping bars are opened or closed synchronously by a plurality of drive devices distributed over their length. Each drive device comprises a cylinder mounted on a base portion and part of a piston-cylinder unit whose piston rod carries at the lower free end, and parallel to the gripping bars, a rod which is guided in vertical slots of the base portion. Actuating arms of the gripping bars extend transversely to a longitudinal axis of the gripping bars and are each mounted on the rod to be pivotable upwards and downwards with an elongate hole about an axis of the base portion. Here again all the gripping devices circulate all with the same velocity.
From DE 26 55 411 A1 there is known another type of coating process. Here, a plurality of carriages are drivable independently of one another in a transportation plane on rail segments. Each carriage comprises a plurality of gripping units transversely to a direction of transportation. In a first gap between rail segments a holder picks up an empty carriage and pivots it downwards towards a pick-up site of a tempering device for bottles arranged in rows. There, the gripping units of the carriage grip a row of bottles. The holder is pivoted upwards together with the filled carriage in the first gap. From there, the carriage is caused to travel by way of a rail segment into a lifting mechanism which is waiting in a second gap. The lifting mechanism, together with the carriage, is lowered in the vertical direction until the bottles dip into a fluidized bed of thermoplastic powder. As soon as sufficient powder adheres to the bottles, the lifting mechanism is raised and the carriage with the coated row of bottles is displaced on a rail segment in the second gap. On this rail segment the carriage together with the row of bottles travels successively through a heating chamber, a ventilation chamber and a spray quenching chamber. Thereafter, the row of bottles is deposited at a delivery station by deactivation of the gripping units.
From the German published patent application 2 219 470 another coating process is known per se. Holders for respective individual bottles can be raised and lowered about a horizontal axis at intervals on a chain conveyor. The bottles are pre-heated in a raised position, then are lowered into a fluidized bed of plastics particles, and then are moved again in raised position through a melting oven.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,155 A and German published patent application 2 310 923 it is known per se to swivel glass containers with a parallelogram-type handling device by gripping devices from a first conveyor belt through a coating station and after the coating process onto a second conveyor belt. The coating station comprises a fluidized bed into which the containers are dipped. The fluidized bed contains a thermoplastic polymer.
From US 3 270 710 A it is known per se to coat a glass bottle first with a liquid primer and then with a liquid vinyl resin.
From US 3 200 002 A it is known per se to coat bottles in a dipping process with a liquid plastisol, and for this to move gripping devices continuously with an endless conveyor chain.
From DE 26 17 976 B2 a special bell-shaped gripping unit is known per se. A longitudinally slotted spring sleeve is (guided displaceably by means of a piston within a closed outer bell. On each tongue of the spring sleeve there is located at the bottom a gripping claw which is moved radially inwards into positive contact with the glass container by means of an abrasion-resistant ring upon axial relative movement between spring sleeve and bell. A plug which is connected rigidly to the bell is in contact with the top of the mouth or the closure of the glass container. A compression spring biasses the gripping claws into their gripping position. The gripping claws are guided by compressed air into their release position. The compressed air acts on the upper side of the piston of the spring sleeve.
From DE 24 31 952 C2 there is known per se a process for protecting glass bottles from shattering by the application of a plastics coating, in which the glass bottles are coated with a coating powder of softened duroplastic resin by dipping into a fluidized bed or an electrostatic fluidized bed, and the resin deposited to a thickness of at least 50 &mgr;m is thermally cured. In this way a coating is created which offers a good resistance to shattering as well as good strength and resistance to alkalis as well as having small frictional resistance, so that one thereby has a smooth transparent exterior surface as well as a product which is economical to manufacture.
The solution known from DE 25 10 734 B2 concerns a process for the coating of glass bottles with a transparent, duroplastic protective layer by the application of powdered lacquer in a fluidized bed or in an electrostatic fluidized bed. Primarily, one is talking here about pure glass bottles with an aqueous or alcoholic silane finish, dried and heated. The applied protective layer is very elastic, has excellent adhesion and resistance to alkalis and ensures a longer period of utilization for use as a multiple-use bottle.
From DE 27 48 696 A1 there is known a process for the coating of hollow glass bodies, in which a duroplastic powder varnish is used which is applied in a fluidized bed.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to improve the coating of the glass containers and to improve the coated glass containers themselves.
This object is achieved, in respect of the process, by
(a) bringing the glass containers to a temperature suitable for the coating process;
(b) gripping a group of the glass containers at a pick up site with a gripping device, temporarily sealing the openings in the containers,
Bögert Hermann
Bülow Jürgen
Buschmeier Ulrich
Führ Hans-Bernhard
Geisel Gerhard
Heye Hermann
Miggins Michael C.
Pyon Harold
Synnestvedt & Lechner
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