GB2305472A

GB2305472A - Paint dispenser for chipped paintwork

Info

Publication number: GB2305472A
Application number: GB9519106A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Winston Edwin Hagston; Philip Fisher
Original assignee: ADVANCED PAINT SYSTEMS Ltd
Current assignee: ADVANCED PAINT SYSTEMS Ltd
Priority date: 1995-09-19
Filing date: 1995-09-19
Publication date: 1997-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 2015-09-19
Also published as: GB9519106D0; GB2305472B

Abstract

A paint dispensing apparatus 1 comprises a gun like holder 2 having an outlet 5 and a hollow needle 6 mounted to the outlet 5. A paint container cartridge 4 is arranged in the holder 2 in communication with the needle 6 and a heating element is arranged adjacent cartridge 4 to apply heat to paint accommodated in the cartridge 4 to keep the viscosity and surface tension of the paint at optimal values to facilitate dispensing of the paint through needle 6. A piston within the cartridge 4 is moved to expel paint when an on/off control valve 11 is operated to apply pressure pulses to a compression chamber 8.

Description

PAINT DISPENSING METHOD AND APPARATUS The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the controlled dispensing of paint and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to the application of paint to chips, marks and the like in the paintwork of a motor vehicle.

In treating the paintwork of a motor vehicle to disguise chips and similar such marks, such as are frequently caused by small stones being thrown upwards at high speed by the tyres of other vehicles, it is the current practise to apply paint by means of a spray to the region of the chip or mark. This arrangement suffers from several disadvantages. First it is not an environmentally friendly process, particularly when not carried out in a car spray booth. Second the chip or mark is filled rarely by this method, even after repeated applications.

Third because of the imprecise nature of paint application by means of a spray, the majority of the paint is deposited on the area of undamaged paint surrounding the chip or mark (ie overspray) from where it must be removed subsequently by some means, eg a chemical. Fourth the solvent content of the paint necessary to facilitate spraying can produce marks or rings on the main body of the car in the overspray region which then requires a further stage of polishing to remove. Fifth chemical removal of the overspray can result in paint being removed from the chip or mark, a problem which is exacerbated for small, shallow chips or marks. As a result the outer surface of the new paint applied to the chip or mark is always indented relative to the corresponding surface of the undamaged paint surrounding the chip or mark, such a uniform external surface of the paint work cannot be achieved.Clearly, this has disadvantages with regard to the desired uniform appearance of the repaired paintwork.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these disadvantages of the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paint dispensing apparatus comprising a body portion, a hollow needle extending from the body portion, a chamber for accommodating liquid paint therein and communicating with the hollow needle, and actuator means for effecting controlled dispensing of liquid paint from said chamber through said hollow CNheedle.

The provision of an apparatus which permits controlled dispensing of liquid paint from a hollow needle has the advantage of enabling the distal end of the hollow needle to be located in a chip or mark to which paint is to be applied, while avoiding the area of undamaged paint surrounding the chip or mark, so that repaired paintwork having a chip or mark more uniformly filled than in the case of the prior art can be achieved. In particular any non-uniformity in paint thickness in the transition from the chip or mark to the area of unchanged paint surrounding the chip or mark is minimised.

The body portion is preferably pistol-shaped and comprises a handle portion.

The actuator means preferably comprises a compression chamber arranged adjacent the end of the chamber remote from the hollow needle for communication with a piston means movable within the chamber for dispensing paint through the hollow needle.

The actuator preferably further comprises trigger means on the handle for applying pressure pulses to the compression chamber.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a heating element adjacent to the chamber for optimising the viscosity and surface tension of paint accommodated in the chamber.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of applying paint to a surface of an article, the method comprising locating a distal end of a hollow needle in a region of the surface to which paint is to be applied, and dispensing paint through the hollow needle in a controlled manner.

The method preferably comprises the steps of locating said distal end of a needle of an apparatus as defined above, and actuating the actuator means to effect said dispensing.

The method may further comprise the step of displacing said istal end of the hollow needle to dispense paint in a controlled manner across a region of the surface of the article.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 show a schematic representation of a paint dispensing apparatus embodying an aspect of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a paint dispensing apparatus 1, particularly adapted for applying paint to chips, marks and the like in the paintwork of a motor vehicle. The apparatus 1 comprises a gun-like holder 2 having a handle 3, the holder 2 having a paint container cartridge 4 arranged in an upper region thereon. The paint container cartridge 4 may be a replaceable cartridge, or a re-fillable cartridge, and has an outlet 5 extending from one end thereof through the body 2, and a piston (not shown) slidably arranged within the cartridge 4 adjacent the end thereof remote from the outlet 5.

A hollow needle 6, which may be a conventional hypodermic needle, has an adapter portion 7 for mounting to the outlet 5 or the portion of the body 2 adjacent the outlet 5 such that the outlet 5 is in fluid communication with the needle 6.

A compression chamber 8 is mounted to the body 2 and communicates via an o-ring seal 9 with the end of the cartridge 4 remote from the outlet 5 to effect movement of the piston (not shown) within the cartridge 4 to expel paint via the outlet 5 through the needle 6. The compression chamber 8 communicates via a flow valve 10 with an on / off control valve 11 arranged on handle 3 to apply pressure pulses to the compression chamber 8.

A heating element (not shown) is arranged in the upper portion of body 2 adjacent cartridge 4 to apply heat to paint accommodated in cartridge 4 to keep the viscosity and surface tension of the paint at optimal values to facilitate dispensing of the pant through needle 6.

The operation of the apparatus 1 will now be described. In order to apply paint in a precisely controlled manner to chips, marks, or the like in the paintwork of a motor vehicle, the cartridge 4 is charged with liquid paint, either by inserting a replaceable cartridge within the body 2, or by re-filling cartridge 4 with paint, for example by drawing paint into the cartridge 4 via needle 6.

When the apparatus 1 has been charged with liquid paint, the heating element (not shown) maintains the paint at the appropriated temperature, and the end of needle 6 remote from adapter portion 7 is applied to the chip or mark. Controlled discharge of paint through needle 6 is then effected by actuating on / off control valve 11 on handle 3, which in turn causes piston (not shown) to move within cartridge 4 in a controlled manner. The distal end of needle 6 is moved across the chip or mark to apply paint to the entire area thereof, while avoiding applying fresh paint to the region of undamaged paint surrounding the chip or mark. When the desired quantity of paint has been applied, paint dispensing is terminated by releasing the on / off control valve 11 to cease further action of the compression chambers 8.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the above description has been given by way of example only, and not in any limitative sense, and that various modifications to the apparatus are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A paint dispensing apparatus comprising a body portion, a hollow needle extending from the body -portion, a chamber for accommodating liquid paint therein and communicating with the hollow needle, and actuator means for effecting controlled dispensing of liquid paint from said chamber through said hollow needle.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body portion is pistol-shaped and comprises a handle portion.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the actuator means comprises a compression chamber arranged adjacent the end of the chamber remote from the hollow needle for communication with a piston means movable within the chamber for dispensing paint through the hollow needle.

4. An apparatus according to claims 2 and 3, wherein the actuator further comprises trigger means on the handle for applying pressure pulses to the compression chamber.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising a heating element adjacent to the chamber for optimising the viscosity and surface tension of paint accommodated in the chamber.

6. A method of applying paint to a surface of an article, the method comprising locating a distal end of a hollow needle in a region of the surface to which paint is to be applied, and dispensing paint through the hollow needle in a controlled manner.

7. A method according to claim 6, comprising the steps of locating said distal end of a needle of an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and actuating the actuator means to effect said dispensing.

8. A method according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising the step of displacing said distal end of the hollow needle to dispense paint in a controlled manner across a region of the surface of the article.

9. A method of applying paint to a surface of an article, the method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A paint dispensing apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A method of applying paint to a surface of an article, the method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1. A paint dispensing apparatus comprising a body portion, a hollow needle extending from th body portion, a chamber for accommodating liquid paint therein and communicating with the hollow needle, actuator means for effecting controlled dispensing of liquid paint from said chamber through said hollow needle, and a heating element adjacent to the chamber for optimising the viscosity and surface tension of paint accommodated in the chamber.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the actuator further comprises trigger means on the handle for applying pressure pulses to the compression chamber.

5. A method of applying paint to a surface of an article, the method comprising locating a distal end of a hollow needle in a region of the surface to which paint is to be applied, heating paint to be dispersed through the hollow needle to optimise the viscosity and surface tension thereof, and dispensing paint through the hollow needle in a controlled manner.

6. A method according to claim 5, comprising the steps of locating said distal end of a needle of an apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and actuating the actuator means to effect said dispensing.

7. A method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising the step of displacing said distal end of the hollow needle to dispense paint in a controlled manner across a region of the surface of the article.

8. A paint dispensing apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.