EP4129491B1

EP4129491B1 - Improved apparatus for moving pieces and recovery system

Info

Publication number: EP4129491B1
Application number: EP22187139.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gloria VALTORTA
Original assignee: Elmag SpA
Current assignee: Elmag SpA
Priority date: 2021-08-05
Filing date: 2022-07-27
Publication date: 2024-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2042-07-27
Also published as: DK4129491T3; EP4129491A1; IT202100021245A1

Description

The present invention relates to an improved apparatus for moving pieces and recovery system.
More in detail, the invention relates to an apparatus of the above type, designed and manufactured in particular for the recovery of the material to be recovered from a sliding surface of the apparatus itself.
In the following, the description will be addressed to the recovery of the excess paint from the surface of a sliding surface, but it is clear that the same should not be considered limited to this specific use.

Technical field

As is well known, there are currently systems for handling workpieces comprising systems for removing material from sliding surfaces, such as for example conveyor belts. See for example EP0045729 .
In particular, systems are known for the recovery of materials, such as for example excess paint, deposited following the painting of a workpiece placed on the surface itself.
Systems consisting of a rotating roller, a scraper, and a recovery container are known.
The material is removed from the sliding surface by the roller, usually made of steel material, and by the scraper, and is then deposited in the recovery container.
A first clear disadvantage of said solution is the possibility that the removed material settles in the recovery container, making cleaning difficult.
Another disadvantage of said solution is given by the possibility that the material removed by the scraper deposits on the scraper, compromising its correct operating.
A further disadvantage of the present solution is the possibility that the removed material adheres to the roller, compromising its correct operation.

Object of the invention

In view of the above, it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system, in which the cleaning of the recovery container is simple and fast.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a system that prevents the material from depositing on the scraper.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system, in which the removed material does not adhere to the roller itself.

Object of the invention

It is, therefore, specific object of the present invention an apparatus for moving pieces, comprising a sliding surface, on which a material to recover, such as paint and the like, is placed, dragging means, capable of moving said sliding surface along a sliding direction, and a recovery system, comprising at least one recovery scraping member, for the recovery of said material to recover, at least one recovery container, placed below said recovery scraping member, for collecting said material to recover recovered by said recovery scraping member, wherein said recovery system is characterized in that it further comprises at least one guiding element, made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed at the contact line of said recovery scraping member with said sliding surface.
Still according to the invention, said guiding element may be movably coupled to said recovery scraping member.
Further according to the invention, said recovery system may further comprise a coating element, made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed on the internal surface of said recovery container.
Always according to the invention, said recovery system may comprise at least one recovery roller, placed in contact with said sliding surface, in order to allow the removal of said material to recover from said sliding surface.
Preferably according to the invention, said recovery roller may rotate against or with said sliding direction.
Still according to the invention, said recovery container may contain an amount of material to recover in liquid form, and said recovery roller may be placed with respect to said recovery container in such a way to be partially submerged in said material to recover contained in said recovery container.
Further according to the invention, said recovery scraping member may be placed in contact with said recovery roller, in order to remove said material to recover form said recovery roller.
Always according to the invention, said recovery scraping member may be placed in contact with said sliding surface and after said recovery roller, with respect to said sliding direction.
Preferably according to the invention, said apparatus may comprise a cleaning system, in turn comprising a cleaning roller placed in contact with said sliding surface, a cleaning container, placed below said cleaning roller, and a second coating element, placed on the internal surface of said cleaning container.
Still according to the invention, said cleaning system may be placed after said recovery system, with respect to said sliding direction.
Further according to the invention, said cleaning container may contain a cleaning fluid.
Always according to the invention, said nonstick material may be BoPET - biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate - or polypropylene.
It is further object of the present invention a recovery system for the recovery of a material to recover, such as paint and the like, comprising at least one recovery scraping member, for the recovery of said material to recover, at least one recovery container, placed below said recovery scraping member, for collecting said material to recover recovered by said recovery scraping member, wherein said recovery system further comprises at least one guiding element, made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed at the contact line of said recovery scraping member with said sliding surface.
Further according to the invention, said guiding element may be movably coupled to said recovery scraping member.
Still according to the invention, said recovery system may comprise a coating element, made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed on the internal surface of said recovery container.
Preferably according to the invention, said recovery system may comprise at least one recovery roller, placed in contact with said sliding surface, in order to allow the removal of said material to recover from said sliding surface.
Always according to the invention, said recovery container may contain an amount of material to recover in liquid form, and said recovery roller may be placed with respect to said recovery container, in such a way to be partially submerged in said material to recover contained in said recovery container.
Further according to the invention, said recovery scraping member may be placed in contact with said recovery roller, in order to remove said material to recover form said recovery roller.
It is further object of the present invention a painting apparatus for painting pieces, characterized in that it comprises an apparatus for moving pieces, and painting means, for painting said pieces placed on said sliding surface.

List of figures

The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:

figure 1 shows an axonometric view of an apparatus for handling pieces, object of the present invention, in a first embodiment;
figure 2 shows a side schematic view of the apparatus shown in figure 1;
figure 3 shows a side schematic view of the apparatus for moving pieces, in a second embodiment; and
figure 4 shows an axonometric view of the apparatus for moving pieces, in a third embodiment.

In the various figures, similar parts will be indicated by the same reference numbers.

Detailed description of the figures

Referring to the attached figures 1-2, an apparatus M for moving pieces can be seen.
Said system M comprises a movement member 1 and a recovery system 2.
The movement member 1 comprises a sliding surface 11 and dragging means 12.
Said dragging means 12 are capable of making said sliding surface 11 slide in a sliding direction X.
Said recovery system 2 comprises a recovery roller 21, a recovery scraper member 22, and a recovery container 23. The recovery roller 21 is arranged in contact with said sliding surface 11. In particular, said recovery roller 21 can be arranged below the sliding surface 11.
Said recovery roller 21, which in the present embodiment is made of metallic material, in particular, and preferably steel, is able to rotate around an axis parallel to said surface slide 11. In particular, in the embodiment shown in figure 1, the recovery roller 21 is able to rotate both concordantly and contrary to the sliding direction X of the sliding surface 11, i.e., with a peripheral speed concordant and discordant, respectively, to the sliding direction X in proximity to said sliding surface 11. This allows better removal of a material to be recovered, such as, for example, the residues of a painting process, as it maximizes the relative speed between the sliding surface 11, and the recovery roller 21.
Said recovery roller 21, as will be better explained below, helps to remove the material to be recovered, such as residues of paint, from said sliding surface 11.
Said recovery scraper member 22, in the present embodiment, is a smoothing blade, and is arranged in contact with said sliding surface 11. In particular, in a first embodiment, the recovery scraper member 22 is arranged downstream of said recovery roller 21, with respect to said sliding direction X. As will be clearer in the following, in other embodiments said recovery scraper 22 can also be arranged in alternative ways.
The recovery scraper member 22 is capable of scraping said sliding surface 11, so as to remove said material to be recovered therefrom.
The recovery container 23 is arranged in the present embodiment below the recovery roller 21 and the recovery scraper member 22, and is capable of receiving the material to be recovered removed therefrom.
The recovery container 23 comprises a coating element 231, made of non-stick material, arranged on the internal surface of the recovery container 23. In particular, said coating element 231 is removably coupled to the recovery container 23.
The first coating element 231 is capable of preventing the adhesion of said material to be recovered to said recovery container 23. Said first coating element 231 can also be replaced by an operator. In this way, the maintenance and cleaning of said apparatus M are simpler and faster.
In particular, in a preferred embodiment said non-stick material is BoPET - Bioriented Polyethylene Terephthalate, also commercially known as Mylar^®. Other materials can also be used, which prevent the adhesion of said material to be recovered, to said recovery container 23, such as, for example, polypropylene.
As can be observed in particular in figure 2, the recovery container 23 contains a quantity of material to be recovered in liquid form. In particular, if said material to be recovered were paint, there would be liquid paint in the container.
Alternatively, the recovery container 23 can initially contain water or solvent, to then also collect the paint recovered from said recovery scraper member 22.
Furthermore, the recovery roller 21 is arranged with respect to said recovery container 23 to be partially dipped in said paint, such that part of the lateral surface of said recovery roller 21 can be in contact with said paint. The purpose of this provision will be better explained below.
Said recovery scraper member 22 further comprises a guide element 221, removably coupled to said recovery scraper member 22 and possibly to an edge of said recovery container 23.
In particular, said guide element 221 is a sheet made of said nonstick material, coupled to the recovery scraper member 22, at the line of contact of the recovery scraper member 22 itself with said sliding surface 11.
Said guide element 221 prevents the material to be recovered, or in the embodiment, the paint accumulated on the slide 11, to accumulate on the recovery scraper member 22, favoring and speeding up its removal and the fall into said recovery container 23. In fact, often the paint removed from the recovery scraper member 22 often accumulates on the line of contact between said recovery scraper member 22 and the sliding surface 11, drying in the air e thus adhering to the recovery scraper member 22. This generally causes a reduced ability of said recovery scraper member 22 to recover the paint from the sliding surface 11.
Said guide element 221 can also be replaced by an operator.
The operation of the apparatus M for handling pieces, in the first embodiment described above, is as follows.
When it is intended to remove a material, such as paint residues, from said sliding surface 11, the dragging means 12 make the sliding surface 11 slide in said sliding direction X.
The recovery roller 21, as said, rotates opposite to said sliding direction X. In other embodiments, said recovery roller 21 can also rotate in accordance with the sliding direction X.
The recovery roller 21, being partially immersed in said recovery container 23, continuously wets its lateral surface of paint, namely of the same material that must be recovered from said sliding surface 11. In this way, the fresh paint brought by the recovery roller 21 is placed in contact with the paint to be recovered from the sliding surface 11. This allows a greater effective recovery of the overall paint by means of said recovery scraper member 22.
Therefore, the paint supplied by the recovery roller 21 mixes with paint residues on the sliding surface 11 (e.g., any overspray), facilitating its recovery.
Subsequently, the sliding surface 11 then reaches said recovery scraper member 22, which scrapes said sliding surface 11, so as to remove the paint to be recovered.
The paint recovered from said recovery scraper member 22 collects on the portion of said guide element 221 arranged in contact with the recovery scraper member 22. This collected paint does not adhere to said guide element 221 precisely due to the fact that the latter is made of a nonstick material to said material to be recovered (i.e., the paint in the case in question). Consequently, this recovered paint "slips", or is guided, by said guide element 221 into said recovery container 23.
The paint recovered by said recovery scraper member 22 and conveyed by said guide element 221 is deposited in turn on said first covering element 231, which is then cleaned or replaced by an operator.
Referring now to figure 3, it is possible to observe an apparatus M for moving pieces, in a second embodiment.
In this case, said recovery scraper member 22 is arranged in contact with said recovery roller 21. In particular, the recovery scraper member 22 is arranged upstream of said recovery roller 21, with respect to said sliding direction X.
The recovery scraper member 22 is able to scrape said recovery roller 21, so as to remove the material to be recovered that said recovery roller 21 has removed from said sliding surface 11.
The guide element 221 is also coupled in this case in correspondence with the line of contact of the recovery scraper member 22 with said recovery roller 21, so as to convey the recovered paint towards said recovery container 23.
The operation of said apparatus M in the second embodiment described above is, in general terms, similar to that of the apparatus M shown in figures 1 and 2.
However, said recovery roller 21 is scraped by said recovery scraper member 22, so as to remove the material to be recovered removed from said sliding surface 11 and deposited on said recovery roller 21.
In this case, too, the recovered paint is conveyed towards said recovery container 23 by means of the guide element 221, which is now located above the recovery scraper member 22.
The removed material is then deposited on said first covering element 231, similarly to said first embodiment.
Referring now to figure 4, it is possible to observe a third embodiment of an apparatus M for handling pieces according to the present invention.
In this case, said apparatus M further comprises a cleaning system 2', structurally similar to said recovery system 2 shown in said first embodiment.
Said system 2 and said second system 2' are arranged in series with respect to said sliding direction X.
In particular, said cleaning system 2' comprises a cleaning roller 21', a cleaning scraper member 22' and a cleaning container 23'. Said cleaning system 2' is arranged downstream of said recovery system 2, with respect to said sliding direction X.
Said cleaning system 2' has a further cleaning function of said sliding surface 11. In fact, the cleaning container 23' of said cleaning system 2' contains a cleaning fluid, such as for example water or a solvent, capable of coming into contact with the cleaning roller 21'.
Said cleaning vessel 23' comprises a second coating element 231', arranged on the internal surface of the cleaning container 23'.
The operation of said apparatus M in the third embodiment described above is in general terms similar to that of the apparatus M shown in figures 1 and 2.
However, in the specific case, after passing the recovery system 2, the sliding surface 11 continues along the direction of sliding X until it reaches said cleaning system 2'.
The cleaning fluid contained in said cleaning container 23' wets said cleaning roller 21' and, following the rotation of the cleaning roller 21', comes into contact with the sliding surface 11.
Said cleaning fluid, therefore, removes any residues of said material to be recovered remaining on the sliding surface 11.
Continuing along said sliding direction X, the sliding surface 11 reaches said cleaning scraper member 22'.
The cleaning scraper member 22' scrapes the sliding surface 11, removing any residues of said cleaning fluid. Said possible residues then fall into said cleaning container 23'.
The apparatus M for handling pieces, according to any one of the embodiments described above, can in turn be integrated into a painting apparatus.
Said painting apparatus comprises painting members, for the painting of said workpieces, arranged on said sliding surface 11, and moved by said dragging means 12. The recovery system 2 is thus capable of recovering any overspray caused by said painting members.
Said painting members can be of different types, for example spray, roller, and the like.

Advantages

A first advantage of the present invention is that the cleaning of the recovery container is simple and quick.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the described system prevents the material from depositing on the recovery scraper member.
Another advantage of the present invention is that in the apparatus according to the invention the removed material does not adhere to the recovery roller.
The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.

Claims

Apparatus (M) for moving pieces, comprising
a sliding surface (11), on which a material to recover, such as paint and the like, is placed,

dragging means (12), capable of moving said sliding surface (11) along a sliding direction (X), and

a recovery system (2), comprising
at least one recovery scraping member (22), for the recovery of said material to recover,

at least one recovery container (23), placed below said recovery scraping member (22), for collecting said material to recover recovered by said recovery scraping member (22),

wherein said recovery system (2) is characterized in that it further comprises at least one guiding element (221), made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed at the contact line of said recovery scraping member (22) with said sliding surface (11).
Apparatus (M) according to the previous claim, characterized in that said guiding element (221) is movably coupled to said recovery scraping member (22).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that said recovery system (2) further comprises a coating element (231), made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed on the internal surface of said recovery container (23).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that said recovery system (2) comprises at least one recovery roller (21), placed in contact with said sliding surface (11), in order to allow the removal of said material to recover from said sliding surface (11).
Apparatus (M) according to the previous claim, characterized in that said recovery roller (21) rotates against or with said sliding direction (X).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized
in that said recovery container (23) contains an amount of material to recover in liquid form, and

in that said recovery roller (21) is placed with respect to said recovery container (23) in such a way to be partially submerged in said material to recover contained in said recovery container (23).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of claims 4 - 6, characterized in that said recovery scraping member (22) is placed in contact with said recovery roller (21), in order to remove said material to recover form said recovery roller (21).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that said recovery scraping member (22) is placed in contact with said sliding surface (11) and after said recovery roller (21), with respect to said sliding direction (X).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises a cleaning system (2'), in turn comprising
a cleaning roller (21') placed in contact with said sliding surface (11),

a cleaning container (23'), placed below said cleaning roller (21'), and

a second coating element (231'), placed on the internal surface of said cleaning container (23').
Apparatus (M) according to the previous claim, characterized in that said cleaning system (2') is placed after said recovery system (2), with respect to said sliding direction (X).
Apparatus (M) according to any one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that said cleaning container (23') contains a cleaning fluid.
Apparatus (M) according to any one the previous claims, characterized in that said nonstick material is BoPET - biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate - or polypropylene.
Recovery system (2) for the recovery of a material to recover, such as paint and the like, comprising
at least one recovery scraping member (22), for the recovery of said material to recover,

at least one recovery container (23), placed below said recovery scraping member (22), for collecting said material to recover recovered by said recovery scraping member (22),
wherein said recovery system (2) is characterized in that it further comprises at least one guiding element (221), made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed at the contact line of said recovery scraping member (22) with said sliding surface (11).
Recovery system (2) according to the previous claim, characterized
in that said guiding element (221) is movably coupled to said recovery scraping member (22).
Recovery system (2) according to any one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that it further comprises a coating element (231), made in a nonstick material which is anti-adhesive to said material to recover, placed on the internal surface of said recovery container (23).
Recovery system (2) according to any one of claims 13 - 15, characterized in that it comprises at least one recovery roller (21), placed in contact with said sliding surface (11), in order to allow the removal of said material to recover from said sliding surface (11).
Recovery system (2) according to the previous claim, characterized
in that said recovery container (23) contains an amount of material to recover in liquid form, and

in that said recovery roller (21) is placed with respect to said recovery container (23) in such a way to be partially submerged in said material to recover contained in said recovery container (23).
Recovery system (2) according to any one of claims 13 - 17, characterized in that said recovery scraping member (22) is placed in contact with said recovery roller (21), in order to remove said material to recover form said recovery roller (21).
Painting apparatus for painting pieces, characterized in that it comprises
an apparatus (M) for moving pieces according to any one of claims 1 - 12, and

painting means, for painting said pieces placed on said sliding surface (11).