EP2145677B1 - Apparatus for storage, selection and distribution of a range of products, in particular a series of base tints for automotive paint - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (10) has a conveyor comprising containers (16) that are successively assembled for forming monoblock self-supporting crowns (12, 14), where the containers respectively comprise products e.g. base tints. Each container has a connection piece for integrating both sides of the container to adjacent containers located along the circumference of the crowns. A semi-circular monorail (22) provides a degree of freedom for rotation of the crowns around a horizontal axis (D) of the conveyor.

Description

The invention relates to a device for storing, selecting and distributing a plurality of products, in particular a series of basic colors for automotive painting.

In this field, bodybuilders develop the quantities of paint needed to repair a body by mixing a number of basic colors. Each mixture is determined from a formula defined by the paint manufacturer and giving the mass of each base color to be incorporated for a given amount of the mixture to be obtained. This preparation commonly involves mixing five to ten base shades to obtain the particular shade prescribed by the paint manufacturer.

Apart from the field of automotive repair, basic color selection and mixing devices are known, for example a device such as that described in FIG. US 3,074,597 A (Felts ) for the preparation of paints for use in the building, where pigments are added to a white paint to obtain a particular color, on demand. The device described in this document comprises a carousel with a rotating element with horizontal axis on which are mounted in a radial configuration the various tanks storing the basic colors. This rotating element is actuated to bring a reservoir to a sampling position, from which the desired amount of pigment is ejected to a collection container under the action of a piston incorporated in the reservoir.

In the field of cosmetics, each of the WO 03/026458 A2 (IMX Labs, Inc.) and US 2005/067425 A1 (Bartolomew et al. ) describe a device having the same general configuration as the previous and intended to prepare on demand, in outlets close to consumers, cosmetics such as nail polish.

The first disadvantage of all these devices is their great mechanical complexity, which has the immediate consequence of severely burdening the cost of manufacture, which prevents widespread dissemination.

Thus, in the field of automotive paints, it would be advantageous to be able to offer, even to small bodywork companies, an apparatus making it possible to produce on demand small quantities of paint from several selected shades in a relatively wide range of colors. base shades, typically a range of fifty or sixty different shades, stored in appropriate individual containers.

Another disadvantage of known devices is that they have many apparent mechanisms, which are exposed to all kinds of pollution. In an industrial environment, there is therefore a particularly important risk of soiling of the delicate mechanism of the distribution carousel, likely to prevent the correct operation thereof.

Another disadvantage is that these devices require a long and delicate disassembly, especially during maintenance and cleaning - cleaning all the more necessary that the device is installed in a polluting environment.

Finally, if it is desired to increase the number of products (for example the number of basic colors) simultaneously stored in the same device, this leads to a very significant increase in the size of the latter. However, not only a large size goes against a desirable compactness, but from the mechanical point of view, because of the correlative increase in the overall weight (device itself and stored products), it becomes necessary to reinforce and stiffen the various support and guiding elements, to allow a precise drive and indexing of the carousel at the time of product selection.

The invention aims to remedy all of the aforementioned drawbacks encountered with the devices of the prior art.

The device of the invention is of the general type disclosed in the US 2005/067425 A1 above, that is to say having a horizontal axis carousel with a plurality of containers each adapted to receive one of said respective products, the containers being arranged in a circumferential configuration.

In a manner characteristic of the invention, the containers are assembled in succession to each other so as to form an integral mono-block crown, and each container comprises connecting means able to secure it on both sides to the adjacent containers situated on the along the circumference of the crown. The crown is constituted by the assembly of these containers. The device further comprises support means for the crown, adapted to provide a degree of freedom in rotation about said horizontal axis.

The crown is devoid of additional reinforcement reinforcement.

The support means of the ring may in particular comprise a semicircular monorail extending relative to the ring in a median radial plane, at least some of the containers comprising a guide member and a support member adapted to rest on said monorail.

• le monorail semi-circulaire s'étend au voisinage de la périphérie intérieure de la couronne et dans une région supérieure de cette périphérie, de manière à soutenir la couronne dans une configuration où celle-ci est suspendue au monorail ;
• l'organe de guidage comprend une paroi formée dans une région d'extrémité intérieure du conteneur, cette paroi s'étendant en direction radiale vers l'intérieur de la couronne et faisant dans cette direction saillie par rapport à l'organe de support ;
• l'organe de support comprend un galet monté fou sur le conteneur dans une région d'extrémité intérieure de celui-ci.

In this configuration, preferably:

• the semicircular monorail extends in the vicinity of the inner periphery of the ring and in an upper region of this periphery, so as to support the ring in a configuration where it is suspended from the monorail;
• the guide member comprises a wall formed in an inner end region of the container, the wall extending radially inwardly of the ring and projecting in this direction from the support member;
• the support member comprises an idler roller mounted on the container in an inner end region thereof.

Advantageously, the device also comprises motor means adapted to rotate the crown around said horizontal axis, at least some of the containers comprising a drive member adapted to cooperate with said motor means. The drive member may then include a toothing formed on the container in an inner end region thereof.

The means for connecting each container to the adjoining containers comprise reported connecting pieces and means for fixing these connecting pieces on the containers, these connecting pieces being fixed in an outer end region of the containers.

In an advantageous embodiment, the device comprises N series (N ≥ 2) of containers assembled together so as to form N respective crowns, these rings being stacked one on the other with a common horizontal axis.

• les moyens de liaison de chaque conteneur sont aptes à le solidariser, d'un part, aux conteneurs adjacents situés le long de la circonférence de la couronne à laquelle appartient ce conteneur et, d'autre part, aux conteneurs adjacents situés sur la couronne attenante ;
• les N couronnes sont décalées circonférentiellement entre elles de 1/N pas ;
• avec N = 2 couronnes, les moyens support comprennent un monorail semi-circulaire s'étendant dans un plan radial médian par rapport à l'assemble formé par les couronnes, le monorail étant commun aux deux couronnes et au moins certains des conteneurs comprenant un organe de guidage et un organe de support apte à reposer sur ledit monorail commun.

In this configuration, preferably:

• the connecting means of each container are able to secure it, on the one hand, to adjacent containers located along the circumference of the crown to which this container belongs and, on the other hand, to adjacent containers located on the adjoining crown ;
• the N crowns are circumferentially offset from each other by 1 / N steps;
• with N = 2 crowns, the support means comprise a semi-circular monorail extending in a median radial plane with respect to the assembly formed by the crowns, the monorail being common to the two crowns and at least some of the containers comprising an element guide and a support member adapted to rest on said common monorail.

The containers are made in the form of a flattened box comprising: two flat walls extending in axial planes with respect to said horizontal axis, able to come into contact with a flat wall opposite an adjacent box ; two side walls connecting these planar walls; and a box bottom wall connecting the planar walls and the sidewalls in an inner end region of the box. In this way, the interior volume of the box defines a cell open towards the outside of the crown, adapted to seal a removable package containing one of the products to be stored and dispensed, said container including the cell and its associated pocket.

Each box may in particular be designed to house a removable flexible bag containing one of the products and provided with a product dispenser member. The bottom wall of the box then comprises an orifice allowing the passage of this wall through the dispensing member of the bag inserted in the box, so that the dispensing member protrudes out of the box to be accessible on the inside. of the crown.

• La Figure 1 est une vue générale en élévation d'un dispositif selon l'invention, comportant un carrousel rotatif avec une couronne de conteneurs assemblés entre eux logeant chacun l'un des produits à stocker et à distribuer, conditionnés par exemple sous forme de poches souples remplies chacune d'une teinte de base différente.
• La Figure 2 est une vue perspective du dispositif de la Figure 1, avec arrachement partiel de la couronne de conteneurs.
• La Figure 3 montre, isolément, l'un des conteneurs en forme de boîte.
• La Figure 4 monte le conteneur de la Figure 3 pourvu des divers moyens de support et d'assemblage aux conteneurs adjacents.
• La Figure 5 est une vue perspective, partiellement arrachée, montrant deux couronnes empilées de conteneurs en cours d'assemblage, afin d'illustrer la manière dont cet assemblage est réalisé.
• La Figure 6 est une vue partielle, en perspective, du dispositif des Figures 1 et 2, montrant notamment les moyens d'entraînement en rotation de la couronne de conteneurs.

An embodiment of the device of the invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings in which the same reference numerals designate identical or functionally similar elements from one figure to another.

• The Figure 1 is a general elevational view of a device according to the invention, comprising a rotating carousel with a ring of containers assembled together each housing one of the products to be stored and dispensed, packaged for example in the form of flexible bags each filled of a different basic shade.
• The Figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of the Figure 1 , with partial tearing of the container crown.
• The Figure 3 shows, in isolation, one of the box-shaped containers.
• The Figure 4 mounts the container of the Figure 3 provided with various means of support and assembly to adjacent containers.
• The Figure 5 is a perspective view, partially broken away, showing two stacked crowns of containers being assembled, to illustrate how this assembly is made.
• The Figure 6 is a partial view, in perspective, of the device of Figures 1 and 2 , showing in particular the drive means in rotation of the container crown.

On the Figures 1 and 2 , reference 10 generally denotes a device according to the invention for storing, selecting and dosing a number of products contained in independent containers, for example basic colors for automotive paint.

This may be in particular a particular embodiment of the device described in the patent application. EP 08 290588.6 of June 20, 2008 entitled " Device for storing, selecting and dosing basic colors for paints, especially for automotive paints ", on behalf of Fillon Technologies, subsequently published under n: EP 2 135 668 A .

The device 10 according to the invention comprises one or more rings, in the illustrated example two rings 12, 14 stacked one on the other, each consisting of an assembly of individual containers 16.

The containers 16 are assembled in the manner that will be explained in detail later to form a one-piece crown, each container being secured to the adjacent containers located along the circumference of the same ring 12 or 14.

In addition, in the illustrated configuration with two stacked crowns 12, 14 the containers of one of the rings 12 are secured to the containers of the other ring 14, the assembly forming a monobloc double crown, self-supporting, without additional elements stiffening. The two crowns are advantageously offset by half a step, in the manner and for the reasons that will be explained below.

It is thus possible to easily produce a set comprising, as illustrated, 2 x 36 = 72 containers divided into two adjoining crowns, capable of storing as many different products, for example as many basic colors for the manufacture of paintings on demand .

The device 10 comprises a frame 18 on which is mounted the assembly formed by the two rings 12, 14, this assembly being supported with a degree of freedom in rotation about a horizontal axis D, so as to form a selection carousel and distribution of the products contained in the different containers 16.

The rings 12, 14 are advantageously carried by a monorail 20 extending in a median radial plane relative to the assembly formed by the two rings. This monorail 20 has a free semicircular portion 22 extending approximately 180 °, extended at both ends by portions 24 bent inwardly and secured to the frame 18. The monorail 20 extends over about a half -cercle, being secured to the housing only by the portions 24 extending the free semicircular portion 22.

This monorail 20 is used to support the rings 12, 14, by means of rollers 26 rotatably mounted on the various containers 16 constituting these rings.

The device further comprises drive means such as a motorized pinion 28 meshing with a respective toothing 30 formed on each of the crowns. We can see in particular on the Figure 6 the teeth 30 of each of the rings extending on either side of the row of support rollers 26, each toothing 30 engaging with a pinion 28 connected by a gearing mechanism suitable for a drive motor (not shown) of the device.

This support configuration by a semi-circular monorail makes it possible to disengage the central space 32 situated at the center of the crown so as, for example, to place therein a collecting container (not shown).

The carousel is then rotated by appropriate indexing means, manual or automatic, for placing one of the containers 16 of one or other of the crowns opposite the collecting container to receive a particular shade stored in the selected container.

This configuration is however not limiting. The collecting container may for example be arranged laterally, an expulsion system being provided to direct in the right direction, by means of an angled member, the shade stored in the selected container brought vis-a-vis.

In the same way, the collecting container, instead of being located in the center of the carousel as in the illustrated example, can also be placed below it, the delivery of the product stored in the container being then in a radial direction outward instead of inward.

Finally, it will be noted that the radiating configuration of the example described is not limiting, and that the main direction of the containers forming the different rings may extend in another direction than radial (for example in the horizontal direction), since that the rotation axis D of the carousel is a horizontal axis.

The Figures 3 and 4 illustrate, in isolation, one of the containers 16 constituting the crowns 12 or 14, and the Figure 5 illustrates how these containers are assembled together to form these two stacked crowns.

The containers 16 are all identical, and made in the form of a flattened box having two flat walls 34 for attaching each box to the adjacent box of the crown. The flat walls 34 are connected by side walls 35.

In an inner end region (i.e., a region facing the center of the crown), the box has a bottom wall 36 with a central hole 38.

In the opposite region of the outer end, the box has an opening 40 which can be sealed by a cover 42. This configuration makes it possible to accommodate inside the container 16 in the form of a rigid box a removable, flexible pouch. single use, in which is stored one of the basic colors. Such a pocket may be provided with a valve, for example such as that described in the patent application. EP 07 290369.3 of 28 March 2007 titled " Valve dosing ", on behalf of Fillon Technologies subsequently published under no. EP 1 975 486 A1 , which can be mounted on the flexible pouch via a quick coupling.

The flexible bag provided with its valve is introduced into the container 16 through the opening 40, the valve projecting out of the container 16 through the orifice 38 (as illustrated in particular on the Figure 1 , where the reference 56 designates the valve of the pocket stored in the container 16).

This example of implementation is however in no way limiting, and other storage modes are possible: the product can for example be directly stored in the container 16 or, conversely, be stored in a rigid or semi cartridge -rigid constituting an overpack enclosing himself a flexible pouch. The invention relates in fact to the manner in which the containers 16 are assembled together in such a way as to form one or more self-supporting crowns, and not the way in which these containers are used to store the products to be dispensed, whether they are shades. basic for paints or products of another nature.

The different containers 16 are assembled together by means of connecting pieces 44 carrying pins 46 coming into homologous cells 47 adjacent containers. These connecting pieces 44 are placed against the lateral face 35 located on the median plane side of the assembly formed by the two rings, so as to assemble between them not only the adjacent containers 16 of the same ring, but also these containers containers facing vis-à-vis (with a shift of half a step) of the adjoining crown. Note that the connecting piece 44 may optionally act as a hinge or latch for the cover 42, thus avoiding reporting an additional element to achieve the articulation of the cover.

On the side of the opposite side wall, that is to say that located on the free side of the assembly formed by the two rings, the connecting pieces 48 are in the form of a label holder, which makes it possible to identify the content of each of the corresponding containers immediately apparent to a user facing the device.

In the inner end region of the side wall 35, double-trunnion-shaped pieces 50 are introduced into corresponding orifices 52 formed on the side wall 35. These double trunnions 50 allow the containers 16 of the two rings to be interconnected. adjacent, thus ensuring a solidarization of these containers in the region of the inner periphery of the crown.

In addition, the journals 50 may be used to support the rollers 26, for example one roller each container to provide sufficient space between two consecutive rollers in this region of the crown.

The side wall 35 of each container 16 is also provided, in its inner end region, with a portion of toothing 30 for driving in rotation of the crown, as well as a wall 54, turned towards the inside. and protruding radially on a dimension greater than that of the teeth of the toothing 30. As can be seen in particular on the Figure 2 when the two rings 12, 14 are assembled, the walls 54 of the respective containers 16 of these two rings are placed on either side of the monorail 22 and thus ensure the guidance of the crowns on this monorail by preventing any axial displacement ( parallel to the axis D). The assembly formed by the two rings 12, 14 is thus constrained in a single degree of freedom in rotation, without the possibility of axial displacement.

The Figure 5 illustrates how the containers 16, which are advantageously all identical and made of a molded plastic material, are assembled together to form a one-piece and self-supporting assembly, consisting of two stacked rings 12, 14.

The first step, illustrated by the lower right part of the Figure 5 consists in assembling a first row of containers 16 by means of a first series of label holders 48, on the axially outward side of the ring. The containers are then joined on the opposite side (that is to say on the median radial plane side that the two crowns will form) by means of the connecting pieces 44 provided with their trunnions 46 in the outer end region, and on the other side. means of the double journals 50 in the inner end region.

The rollers 26 are then mounted on the journals 50, then a second row of bare containers 16 is assembled on the first row, so as to constitute the second ring 14. The assembly of the containers of the second row is made by nesting on the trunnions 46 and 50 already secured to the containers of the first row. Finally, the containers of the second row are joined together in the outer end region by means of a second series of label holders 48 fitted on the free face of the second ring 14.

The assembly constituted by the two rings 12, 14 can then be directly installed on the monorail support 22, this setting up (as disassembly) requiring no complex mechanical operation, to the extent that the crowns are simply placed on this monorail , which supports them in a disposition where these are suspended to the monorail.

This configuration also has the advantage of providing good overall flexibility, allowing sufficient clearance clearance for proper operation of the device. The crowns, which have no added stiffening element, are indeed slightly deformable, especially when the containers are loaded, and it is important to avoid any risk of blockage or seizure during the rotation of these crowns.

The fact that the guidance system (by the walls 34) and the support system (by the rollers 26) is integrated with the crowns also goes in the direction of good adaptation and good overall flexibility with catching up games and possible deformations.

Another advantage of this configuration is the fact that, the ring being suspended, it is not only easy to disassemble, but also more compact, all the essential organs being located not at the periphery of the crown (hypothesis where the crown would be supported and not suspended), but in the inner region of the crown: semicircular monorail 22, fasteners 24 of this monorail to frame 18, drive system with pinions 28, space 32 for placement of a collecting container.

Note also that this configuration is particularly well suited to polluting environments such as those of mechanical or body shops, insofar as is exposed a minimum of visible parts sensitive to soiling. In particular, the toothing and the drive mechanism are very little exposed, and the outside of the crown has no mechanical element. It will be noted in particular that, in the upper region, apparent, corresponding to the semicircular portion of the monorail 22, the toothing is completely hidden by the monorail, thus avoiding any risk of external pollution by dust, splashing. As to the lower region, the toothing may be protected by a suitable cover mounted on the frame 16, as illustrated in FIG. Figure 2 , as well as the drive mechanism 28, the hood being easily removable to be able to extract the crown by separating it from the monorail 22.

• conteneurs réalisés sous forme de boîtes moulées ;
• absence d'élément interne tel qu'une jante support ;
• absence d'élément de rigidification pour la couronne, qui est monobloc et autoporteuse ;
• très faible nombre de pièces différentes nécessaires pour constituer la couronne.

Finally, with regard to the cost of the device, it can be reduced in very large proportions, even with a high capacity, given the technological simplicity of achieving such a device:

• containers made in the form of molded boxes;
• absence of internal element such as a support rim;
• absence of stiffening element for the crown, which is monobloc and self-supporting;
• very small number of different pieces needed to form the crown.

Claims (12)

1. An apparatus for storing, selecting and dispensing a plurality of products, notably a series of base colours for automotive paint, this apparatus (10) comprising a carousel of horizontal axis (D) with a plurality of containers (16) each able to accept one of said respective products, the containers being arranged in a circumferential configuration,

   the device comprising connecting means (44, 46, 48, 50) able to assemble each container to the contiguous adjacent containers,

   these connecting means comprising added-on connecting pieces (44, 48) and means (46) of attaching these connecting pieces to the containers, the connecting pieces being attached in an outer end region of the containers,

   the containers being thus assembled with one another in succession so as to form a self-supporting one-piece ring (12, 14) made up of the assembly of said containers, this ring having no additional stiffening framework,

   the device further comprising support means (22) for supporting the ring, capable of providing a degree of freedom to rotate about said horizontal axis (D), the device being characterized in that:

   each container (16) is in the form of a flattened tin comprising:

   • two flat walls (34) extending in planes that are axial with respect to said horizontal axis, each flat wall being able to come into contact with a flat wall facing it belonging to an adjacent tin;

   • two lateral walls (35) connecting said flat walls; and

   • a tin bottom wall (36) connecting the flat walls and the lateral walls in an interior end region of the tin.
2. The device of Claim 1, in which the support means that support the ring comprise a semicircular monorail (22) extending in a radial median plane with respect to the ring, at least some of the containers comprising a guide member (54) and a support member (26) capable of resting on said monorail.
3. The device of Claim 2, in which the semicircular monorail (22) extends near the interior periphery of the ring and in an upper region of this periphery, so as to support the ring in a configuration in which this ring is suspended from the monorail.
4. The device of Claim 2, in which said guide member comprises a wall (54) formed in an interior end region of the container (16), this wall extending in a radial direction towards the interior of the ring and in this direction projecting with respect to the support member (26).
5. The device of Claim 2, in which said support member comprises a roller (26) mounted freely on the container (16) in an interior end region thereof.
6. The device of Claim 1, in which the device also comprises drive means (28) capable of driving the rotation of the ring about said horizontal axis (D), at least some of the containers (16) comprising a drive member (30) able to collaborate with said drive means.
7. The device of Claim 6, in which said drive member comprises a toothset (30) formed on the container in an interior end region thereof.
8. The device of Claim 1, in which the device comprises N series of containers, with N ≥ 2, assembled with one another to form N respective rings (12, 14), these rings being stacked on one another with a common horizontal axis (D).
9. The device of Claim 8, in which the connecting means (44, 46, 50) of each container are capable of securing it, firstly to the adjacent containers situated along the circumference of the ring to which that container belongs and secondly to the adjacent containers situated on the contiguous ring.
10. The device of Claim 8, in which the N rings are circumferentially offset from one another by 1/N spacing.
11. The device of Claim 8 in which, with the device comprising N = 2 rings, the support means comprise a semicircular monorail (22) extending a radial plane that is a median plane with respect to the assembly formed by the containers, the monorail being common to the two rings and at least some of the containers comprising a guide member (54) and a support member (26) capable of resting on said common monorail.
12. The device of Claim 1, in which each tin (16) is able to contain a removable flexible pouch containing one of said products and provided with a product dispensing member (56), and in which the bottom wall (36) of the tin comprises an orifice (38) allowing the dispensing member (56) of the pouch introduced into the tin to pass through this bottom wall so that this dispensing member projects out from the tin to be accessible on the interior of the ring.

Images