RU2588204C2 - Post cleaning-filling for means of spray coating material - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: technological processes.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to station (10) for cleaning and/or filling of a paintwork material spraying unit installed on a moving robot arm. Station (10) for cleaning and/or filling of a paintwork material spraying unit has a receiving zone (Z120) for at least one sprayer belonging to a spraying unit. Station also includes means for connection between at least one supply circuit and the sprayer located in the receiving zone (Z120). Connection means ensure supply to the sprayer of a rinse agent and/or paint material. Besides, the station comprises flexible membrane (150), rigidly connected on one side with movable part (131) and on the other side with non-movable casing (112) for protection of a part of connecting means. Membrane is made with a possibility to be deformed and follow the movement of movable part (131) between its retracted and active positions.

EFFECT: reduced risk of leakage of the paint material and increased service life of the station.

12 cl, 7 dwg

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning and / or filling station for spraying paint materials mounted on a moving arm of a robot.

By “paint and varnish material” is meant all materials intended for spraying onto a workpiece, such as, for example, primer, paint or varnish.

From document EP-A-0274322 it is known to equip a multiaxial robot arm with a spray gun connected to a reservoir containing material to be sprayed. The post is used to refuel this tank with paintwork material. This post contains the means of connecting tanks with various contours, in each of which the paint material circulates. After the spraying phase of the coating onto the object or objects to be processed, the robot moves the sprayer to an area near the connection means for refueling the sprayer and its reservoir with paintwork material, possibly after cleaning it in case of replacing the material. The cleaning and / or filling time in such an installation is relatively long.

From the document EP-A-1326716, it is also known to move the main reservoir near multi-axis robots equipped with sprays associated with auxiliary reservoirs. When it is required to fill the auxiliary tank with paint and varnish material, the robot is directed towards the main tank and the corresponding cleaning station.

In addition, document WO-A-2010/067015 discloses the use of an accumulator inside a refueling station, which ensures quick filling of the reservoir associated with the atomizer, in particular for the so-called “primary” colors.

In some known systems, the means of connection comprise a head made movable between the retracted position, in which it does not interfere with the installation of the assembly including the sprayer and the reservoir inside the docking unit, and the active position, allowing the flushing agent and / or paint material to be fed into this node. As a rule, this connecting head is driven by a rod that passes through the partition of the chamber and through the gasket installed in it. Indeed, drive, control and power systems are not always suitable for operation in explosive atmospheres. Therefore, they are isolated from the internal volume of the chamber in which the spraying takes place. The above gasket has a tendency to wear to such an extent that it becomes completely ineffective after a period of operation of several hundred or thousands of hours. In addition, if the chamber is cleaned from the inside, the materials used can have a chemical effect on this gasket, which further reduces its service life.

The objective of the invention is to eliminate the above disadvantages inherent in known devices, by creating a new cleaning and / or filling station, which contains movable means of connection and which significantly reduces the risk of leakage.

In this regard, the object of the invention is a post for cleaning and / or filling a spraying unit of a paint and varnish material mounted on a moving arm of a robot, the post comprising a receiving zone for at least one sprayer belonging to the spraying unit and connection means between at least one power circuit and a spray located in the receiving zone, and these means of connection contain at least one moving part, in particular, made with the possibility of translational movement between a retracted position at a distance from the atomiser situated in the reception zone, and an active position, wherein the connecting means provide power sprayer with washing agent and / or paint material. According to the invention, the post comprises a flexible membrane fixedly connected, on the one hand, to the movable part of the connection means and, on the other hand, to the stationary casing of the protection of part of these connection means, the membrane being able to deform and follow the movements of the movable part between its removed and active positions.

Thanks to the invention, the membrane can isolate the inner volume of the chamber, in which the coating material is distributed in the form of droplet fog, from the inner volume of the post, which contains power supply and control devices of the connection, which must be protected from spray paint and insulated from the explosive atmosphere of the chamber. The use of a membrane provides effective insulation and does not require passage of such means as a rod through the partitions and the use of a wear-sensitive gasket.

According to preferred, but non-limiting embodiments of the invention, such a post may have one or more of the following distinctive features, taken separately or in any technically possible combination:

- The flexible membrane has an annular shape with an inner flange sealed to the movable part of the connection means and an outer flange sealed to the fixed casing.

- The flexible membrane has no folds or bellows.

- The flexible membrane is made of material resistant to solvents and / or flushing agents used at the post. In particular, this membrane can be made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

- The membrane is removable and hermetically closes the hole made in the fixed casing.

- The connection means comprise a movable carriage inside the volume of the post, which is isolated from the outside by a protective casing, and on this carriage a connecting head is installed, at least a part of which is outside the insulated volume, and a replacement unit for the paint material, which allows the connection head to be painted selected from several paints and varnishes.

- The intermediate tank, fed from the unit for replacing the paint material, feeds the connecting head to the selected paint material through the means of hydraulic connection.

- The first drive moves the carriage relative to the bed frame parallel to the direction of translational movement of the movable part of the connection means, while the first drive for moving the piston inside the intermediate tank is mounted on the carriage.

- The carriage and the translational direction means of this carriage are mounted on a drawer configured to move relative to the bed of the post between the working position in which the movable part of the connection means can reach its active position and the service position in which the carriage and the elements mounted on it are accessible from the post opposite the docking unit.

- When the drawer is in the service position, the membrane is disconnected from the fixed casing and a hole is opened connecting the inner volume of the post and the outer space from the side of the docking unit, while the post contains means for selectively overlapping this hole made independent of the membrane.

- Lining the post forms a first volume containing the power means of the connection and the back of the connection means, and this first volume is intended to be placed in the chamber, outside the camera or in an intermediate configuration in the coating unit, a second volume containing the intermediate part of the connection means, this second volume is intended to be placed optionally in the chamber or outside the chamber or in an intermediate configuration in a coating installation, and a third volume containing at least a large area and intended for placement in a chamber in a coating installation.

- In an embodiment, the casing of the post forms a first volume containing the power means of the connection means and the rear part of the connection means, this first volume intended for placement in the chamber, outside the chamber or in an intermediate configuration in the coating installation, a second volume containing the intermediate part of the connection means and this second volume is intended to be placed optionally in the camera or outside the camera, with a wall facing the camera, in front of which there is a receiving area.

The invention and its other advantages will be more apparent from the following description of the claimed cleaning-filling station of the spray assembly, provided by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 presents a schematic diagram in operational condition of the installation of applying a paint and varnish material, including a post in accordance with the invention;

figure 2 shows the post installation shown in figure 1, an enlarged perspective view with partial cutouts;

figure 3 shows an enlarged view of part III of figure 1;

figure 4 shows an enlarged view of part IV of figure 3;

figure 5 shows a view similar to figure 3, when the installation is in a different working configuration;

figure 6 shows an enlarged view of part VI of figure 5;

in Fig.7 shows a post cleaning and / or filling in the configuration of the service, a perspective view from the side opposite to the side depicted in Fig.2.

As shown in FIG. 1, an automatic machine or robot 1 is located near the conveyor 2 along which the objects to be coated are moving, in this case automobile bodies 3. The robot 1 is multi-axis and contains a movable chassis 4 moving on a guide 4 ′ running parallel to direction of movement of the conveyor X-X ′. Near the robot 1, parallel to the direction X-X ′, there is a partition 5 of the chamber C.

The arm 6 of the robot 1 is mounted on the chassis 4 and contains several articulated sections 6a, 6b and 6c. The chassis also consists of parts 4a and 4b pivotally connected to each other around a substantially vertical axis Z.

On section 6c of hand 6, a unit 7 is installed, in which a reservoir 8 for paintwork material and a spray gun 9 are provided. The spray gun 9 is a spray gun of electrostatic and rotating type and comprises a drum 9a rotated at high speed by an air turbine installed in the spray gun body 9.

When the car body 3 is in place at the level of the robot 1, the node 7 is located opposite this body and the spray gun 9 is activated, as shown in Fig. 1, for coating this body with a coating of the material contained in the tank 8. The amount of material present in the tank 8, corresponds to the coverage area of the body 3.

After coating this body, while the other body is still in the process of moving to robot 1 along the direction of movement of the conveyor X-X ′, the robot 1 is sent to the cleaning and filling station 10 of the node 7. This station 10 is located near the robot 1 partially inside the chamber C and partially outside this chamber.

As more clearly shown in figure 2 and in the following figures, the post 10 contains a frame 101, made in the form of a mechanical welded structure, which forms three different volumes V1, V2 and V3. The volume V1 is bounded by the box 111 in the form of a parallelepiped and is closed on the opposite side of the chamber C with a door 102 hinged on the bed 101. The volume V2 is bounded by the second box 112, which has the shape of a box in its lower part and contains a rounded upper part 112A. The volume V3 is limited by the third casing, which is a section of a cylinder with a vertical rectilinear generatrix.

The casing 112 rests on the casing 111, and the volumes V1 and V2 communicate through a portion of the front side 111A of the casing 111, which is hidden in FIG. 2 behind the casing 112. In the same way, the casing 113 is adjacent to the casing 112, and the volumes V2 and V3 communicate through the front part side 112B of the casing 112, which is not covered by the casing 113. This message option is shown by the arrows C12 and C23 of the message in FIG.

The housings 111, 112 and 113 together form the outer skin 110 of the post 10.

Post 10 comprises a docking unit 120 designed to house the assembly 7 when it needs to be cleaned and / or primed with paintwork material. For this, block 120 restricts zone Z120, which may partially go into node 7 in the cleaning and / or filling configuration, in block 120. Zone Z120 is located in volume V3, that is, in the part of station 10 surrounded by casing 113. This zone Z120 communicates with a flushing tank 121, sometimes referred to as a “collector” or “collector”, and which is connected to a separator 122 configured to separate air from liquids flowing from the assembly 7 of the robot 1 into the flushing tank 121. The separator 122 is connected to a circuit not shown collecting contaminated ozduha and the contour removing liquids ejected toward the exit.

Block 120 also contains a locking ring 123 of block 7 of robot 1 in the configuration of the installation in zone 120.

For joining the node 7 of the robot 1 in the zone Z120 installed connecting head 131. This connecting head is movable with the possibility of translational movement along the Y axis, perpendicular to the direction X-X ′ and to the Z axis, as well as to the partition 5.

The head 131 belongs to the connection means 130, which also contain a carriage 132 on which the head 131 is mounted and which is also movable along the Y axis. A storage tank 133 is installed on this carriage, the output of which is connected through a channel 134, shown as its center line , with the connecting head 131 through the platform 132A, which is part of the carriage 132. The tank 133 is powered from the unit 135 of the replacement of paint and varnish, which, in turn, is fed through hoses 136, which are shown in Fig.3 and 5 in the form of its axial lines and eachof which is connected to the distribution valve, not shown, which is located in the lower part of the volume V1. Block 135 is located in close proximity to the reservoir 133. Thus, it is possible to sequentially fill the reservoir 133 and the head 131 with liquid paint material selected in advance and corresponding to the material supplied to the valves located in the volume V1. One of the hoses 136 is connected to a valve supplied with flushing fluid corresponding to various paints and varnishes that can pass through the reservoir 133, the connecting head 131 and the hoses connecting them.

The presence of the reservoir 133 is optional, and the head 131 can be fed directly from the block 135 of the replacement of the paint material.

An electric motor 137 is installed on the carriage 132, which controls the movement of the piston 138 entering the reservoir 133 in the Y1-Y′1 direction parallel to the Y axis. Thus, the motor 137 allows the paint material in the reservoir 133 to be pushed to the connecting head 131 and, if necessary, through hoses 134.

A pneumatic jack 139 is installed on the bed 101, which acts on the rigid part of the carriage 132, which allows you to control the movement of the carriage 132 and the elements installed on it parallel to the Y axis, as shown in the figures by the arrow F1. The connecting head 131 enters the hole 112C of circular cross-section made in the front side 112 B of the casing 112. Depending on the movement of the carriage 132 under the action of the jack 139, the head protrudes to a greater or lesser extent from the front side 112 V, which can be seen when comparing FIG. 3 and 4 with FIGS. 5 and 6.

The hole 112C is covered by a flexible membrane 150, which avoids contamination of the volume V2 and, consequently, the volumes V1 and V3 through the hole 112C.

The membrane 150 has an annular shape corresponding to the geometry of the carriage 132 and the hole 112C and adapted to the course of the connecting head between its positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the positions shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In particular, the membrane 150 has a first side 151, which forms an inner radial flange with respect to the y-axis and which is hermetically secured by a ring 152 on the pad 132A. Thus, the bead 151 is stationary and hermetically connected in translation with the head 131. The membrane 150 also has a second bead 153, which forms an outer radial bead relative to the Y axis and which is hermetically fixed to the periphery of the hole 112C, being sandwiched between two rings 154 and 155, which, in turn, are fixed to the front side 112B by any suitable means, in particular screws. Thus, the board 153 motionless and hermetically connected in translational motion with the casing 112.

In the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the intermediate portion 156 of the membrane 150 between the sides 151 and 153 is slightly convex with a concavity facing the inner volume of the chamber C, while it forms a single wave-like element 157 in the configuration shown in FIG. 5 and 6. In an embodiment, in this second configuration, the membrane may form several wave-like elements. This intermediate part does not have wrinkles or bellows, therefore, it does not create a folded or compressed zone in which paints or flushing agents can accumulate when the station 10 goes through a cleaning operation by forcing the flushing means from inside the chamber C. In the framework of the invention, the fold is a deformation membrane 50, which could have a radius of curvature ten times smaller than the thickness of this membrane. The bellows consists of several folds or adjacent corrugations.

The membrane 150 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a material resistant to substances commonly used in a coating unit and temperature cycles used in such a installation. In an embodiment, the membrane 150 can be made of other synthetic materials that are resistant to solvents and to the flushing agents used at station 10.

In an embodiment, the membrane can be made of natural material, for example rubber.

Post 10 works as follows.

When the robot 1 is turned to the body 3 and the sprayer 9 is turned on, the post 10 is in the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this configuration, the connecting head 131 is removed towards the volume V2 in the position in which it is withdrawn from the zone Z120.

Starting from the configuration shown in FIG. 1, when the assembly 7 of the robot 1 needs to be cleaned and filled with an appropriate amount of paint material, the robot 1 rotates around the Z axis to move the spray gun 9 to the area Z120 of the docking unit 120 in the configuration schematically shown by the dot-and-dot line in FIG. .5 and 6, where the rest of the robot is not shown to simplify the drawing. In this configuration, the ring 123 is rotated to lock the assembly 7 in position, and the spray gun 9 can be actuated to pour the remaining amount of paint material into the tank 121.

In this case, the carriage 2 can be moved from the configuration shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to the configuration shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, bringing the head 131 into contact with the valve assembly 71 located in the assembly 7 to ensure tight interaction with the head 131. This movement is obtained using a jack 139. During this movement, the reservoir 133 and the block 135 move together with the rest of the carriage 132. The engine 137 is turned on to move the piston 138 with a pushing force in the direction of the assembly 7, as a result of which into the reservoir 8 and through the channel 134 and head 131 occur t moving the contents of the tank 133 or paint of the selected color.

In the position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the guide pins 131 A provided on the head 131 are moved to the node 7 to provide relative alignment of the organs 131 and 71.

Before or after these operations, flushing means can be injected into the assembly 7 and / or into the channel 134 connecting the reservoir 133 to the head 131 from block 135, which, in turn, is fed through hoses 136.

Upon completion of these operations, the jack 139 diverts the head 131 from the node 7. After that, you can release the node 7 by unlocking the ring 123 to move the head 131 back opposite to the node 7 through a new action of the jack 139.

During the approach and retreat movements of the head 131 and the carriage 132 along the Y axis and relative to the assembly 7, the membrane 150 follows the movements of the pad 132A, elastically deforming due to its flexibility.

Since the unit 135 is mounted directly on the carriage 132 in the vicinity of the reservoir 133 and the head 131, losses of paint and varnish material during material replacement are minimized since they depend on the length of the hoses between the elements 133 and 135.

The mounting of the membrane 150 on the housing 112 is reversible. So, if you need to perform maintenance operations, you can disconnect the membrane 150 from the casing 112 to gain access to the volumes V1, V2 and V3 of the post 10. In particular, the ring 154, which remains connected to the side 153, is disconnected from the front side 112B.

As can be seen, in particular, in Fig. 7, the carriage, which is shown very schematically in this figure, is mounted on rails 140 for moving along the Y axis. The rails themselves are mounted on a drawer 141, which is arranged to move parallel to the Y axis, due to the presence of telescopic backstage 142.

During the maintenance operation, as shown in FIG. 7, after disconnecting the outer bead 153 of the membrane 150 from the casing 112, the drawer 141, the carriage 132 and the elements mounted on it relative to the front side 112B can be pulled back for easy access to the carriage 132 and other parts of the connection means 130.

In this configuration, the hole 112C is fully open. To ensure the use of the camera C during such a maintenance operation, at station 10 there is a removable plug 160 for temporary installation on the hole 112C in order to overlap it and isolate the volumes V1, V2 and V3 from the internal volume of the camera C.

The post is installed on both sides of the partition 5 of the chamber C. The position of the bed 101 relative to the partition 5 may be chosen by the designer of the chamber C, depending on its size and the ability to move the robot 1. It is enough that zone 120 and head 131 are within reach of node 7. The casing 112 may to a greater or lesser extent go into the internal volume of the chamber C. In other words, the length L112 of the casing 112, measured parallel to the Y axis, is a variable for adjusting the position of the post 10 relative to the camera C.

Thus, the trace of the partition 5 on the casing 112 can be shifted between the front sides 111A and 112B at the option of the installation designer.

Thanks to the invention, elements located in one of the volumes V1, V2 and V3 do not have to be explosion-proof, which is necessary if they were built directly into the internal volume of chamber C or into the volume in communication with the chamber.

The invention is described as part of the application for the post cleaning-filling. At the same time, the invention can be applied to a post in which only cleaning or only filling of the spray unit is carried out.

The invention is presented in figures with a round membrane 150. However, it can be used with membranes of a different geometric shape. In practice, the membrane is adapted to the geometry of the pad 132A and the hole 112C.

According to a version of the invention not shown in the figures, the zone Z120 for receiving the nozzle 9 can be formed along the front side 112B of the casing 112 without making a docking unit, such as block 120. In this case, the front side 112B of the casing 112 extends along the entire height of this casing, and the collector for collecting unused paint and varnish material and / or for washing means, it is located near the floor of the chamber in front of the post 10. In this case, the casing 110 contains only casings 111 and 112, and the receiving zone Z120 is made in front of the casing 112.

If necessary, maintenance personnel can easily access the reception area Z120 of the spray gun.

As in the first embodiment, the casing 112 may, to a greater or lesser extent, extend into the internal volume of chamber C.

In the embodiment shown in the figures and in the above version, the volume V1 may be partially or completely located inside the chamber C. If the volume V1 is partially located in the volume of the chamber C, then it is in an intermediate configuration between the “in the chamber” position and the “ out of camera. " When the volume VI is in this intermediate configuration, the trace of the partition 5 on the skin 110 is at the level of the casing 111 outside the wall 111A relative to the volume V2.

The figures show the invention in the case where the head 131 and the carriage 132 are movable with the possibility of translational movement along the Y axis. In an embodiment, these elements can be rotationally movable, in particular by means of a cam system, between the retracted position and the active position of the head.

Claims (12)

1. A post (10) for cleaning and / or filling the assembly (7) for spraying a paint material mounted on the movable arm (6) of a robot (1), comprising:
- a receiving zone (Z120) for at least one spray gun (9) belonging to the spray assembly,
- connection means (130) between at least one supply circuit (136) and a spray located in the receiving zone, these connection means comprising at least one movable part (131-135) adapted to move between the retracted position (FIG. .3, 4) at a distance from the spray gun located in the receiving zone and the active position (FIGS. 5, 6), in which the connecting means provide power to the spray gun with flushing agent and / or paint material,
characterized in that it comprises a flexible membrane (150) fixedly connected, on the one hand, to the movable part (131-135) of the connection means (130) and, on the other hand, to the fixed casing (112) of protecting part of these connection means, this membrane is made with the ability to deform and follow the movements of the movable part (131-135) between its retracted and active positions. 2. The post according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible membrane (150) has an annular shape with an inner side (151) hermetically connected to the movable part (131-135) of the connection means (130), and an outer side (153), tightly connected to the fixed casing (112). 3. Post according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flexible membrane (150) does not have a fold or bellows. 4. Post according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flexible membrane (150) is made of synthetic material that is resistant to solvents and / or flushing agents used at the post, in particular polytetrafluoroethylene. 5. Post according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flexible membrane (150) is removable and hermetically closes the hole (112C) made in the fixed casing (112). 6. Post according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the means (130) of the connection comprise a carriage (132) movable inside the volume (V2) of the post, which is isolated from the outside by a protective casing (112), while the said carriage is installed :
- a connecting head (131), at least part of which is outside the insulated volume (V2),
- a block (135) for replacing the paint material, allowing the connecting head to be fed with a paint material selected from several paint materials. 7. Post according to claim 6, characterized in that the intermediate reservoir (133), fed from the block (135) for replacing the paint material, feeds the connecting head (131) with the selected paint material through the means (134) of the hydraulic connection. 8. Post according to claim 7, characterized in that the first drive (139) is arranged to move the carriage relative to the bed (101) of the post (10) parallel to the direction of translational movement of the movable part (131-135) of the connecting means, while on the carriage ( 132) a second drive (137) is installed, made with the possibility of moving the piston (138) located inside the intermediate tank (133). 9. A post according to claim 6, characterized in that the carriage (132) and the means (140) of the direction of translational movement of this carriage are mounted on a drawer (141) configured to move relative to the bed (101) of the post (10) between the working position , in which the movable part (131-135) of the connection means (130) can reach its active position, and in the service position (Fig. 7), in which the carriage and the elements mounted on it are accessible from the side of the post opposite the docking unit (120). 10. Post according to claim 9, characterized in that when the drawer (141) is in the service position, the flexible membrane (150) is disconnected from the fixed casing (112), and the hole (112C) connecting the inner volume (V2) of the post and the outer space from the side of the docking unit (120) is open, while the post contains means (160) for selectively blocking said hole made independent of the membrane. 11. The post according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sheathing (110) of the post forms:
- the first volume (V1) containing the power bodies of the connection means (130) and the rear part (137, 139) of the connection means, this first volume being configured to be placed optionally in the chamber (C), outside the chamber (C) or in the intermediate configurations in the coating installation,
- a second volume (V2) containing an intermediate part of the connection means (130), this second volume being configured to be placed optionally in the chamber or outside the chamber or in an intermediate configuration in the coating installation, and
- a third volume (V3) comprising a docking unit (120) forming at least a receiving zone (Z120), this third volume being arranged to be placed in a chamber in a coating installation. 12. The post according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sheathing (110) of the post forms:
- the first volume (V1) containing the power elements of the connection means (130) and the back of the connection means, this first volume being arranged to be optionally placed in the chamber (C), outside the chamber (C) or in an intermediate configuration in the coating installation ,
- a second volume (V2) containing an intermediate part of the connection means (130), and this second volume is arranged to optionally be placed in the chamber or outside the chamber, with a wall (112 V) facing the chamber, in front of which there is a receiving zone (Z 120).

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