JP3137277B2 - Painting equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating apparatus for changing the color of a coating material supplied to a coating machine in accordance with the type of an object to be coated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A coating apparatus for performing multi-color coating of an automobile is a color changing apparatus in which a manifold air supply valve and a solvent supply valve are provided in a manifold provided with a large number of color change valves for selecting each color paint. When the color is changed from the previous color paint to the next color paint, the operation of alternately opening and closing the air supply valve and the solvent supply valve is repeated about 2 to 5 times to reach the coating machine from inside the manifold of the color changing device. The pre-color paint remaining in the paint piping system is washed and removed.
37258). In addition, since the paint film to be overcoated on the body of an automobile is required to have particularly strict quality, a metering pump such as a gear pump is interposed in the paint piping system that supplies the paint selected by the color changing device to the paint machine. By controlling the amount of paint supplied in accordance with the amount of paint discharged from the coating machine, the thickness of the coating film is always kept constant.
No. 20973).

However, the conventional method of alternately supplying the cleaning air and the solvent to the paint piping system in which the pre-color paint remains does not always provide satisfactory cleaning performance. If the number of air and solvent supplies is increased, the cleaning time will be longer and the color change time cannot be shortened.
In addition, the frequency of opening and closing the air supply valve and the solvent supply valve increases, and failures occur frequently. In order to obtain good cleaning performance in a short time without increasing the frequency of opening and closing the air supply valve and the solvent supply valve, the present applicant supplies the paint selected by the color changing device to the coating machine. A mixing assembly that opens the air supply valve and solvent supply valve at the same time to create a mixed fluid of cleaning air and cleaning solvent is connected to the manifold of the color changing device, which is the starting end of the paint piping system, and the mixing assembly is connected to the air. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-261565) has proposed a washing mechanism for continuously supplying a mixed fluid of a solvent and a solvent for about 4 seconds and flowing the mixed fluid through a paint piping system.
issue).

[0004]

However, in this cleaning mechanism, the cleaning solvent is continuously supplied for several seconds at a pressure maintaining a small difference from the supply pressure of the cleaning air. If the supply pressure becomes too high,
There is a problem that the solvent consumption is significantly increased. Also,
It is also very difficult to adjust the supply pressure of the solvent and air so that the cleaning solvent sent by the solvent pressure pump is mixed with the cleaning air in the mixing assembly. If the supply pressure exceeds the supply pressure of the solvent, the solvent may not be supplied into the mixing assembly even if the solvent supply valve is opened, which may cause a problem that only the cleaning air flows through the paint piping system. Is always set to a higher pressure, and the solvent is wasted wastefully by that much.

[0005] Further, only in the case of cleaning a paint piping system in which a metering pump such as a gear pump for adjusting a supply amount of paint in accordance with a paint discharge amount of a coating machine is used, air conventionally used in general is used. And the method of supplying the solvent alternately,
Experimental results have shown that the cleaning performance is better than the method of supplying a mixed fluid of air and a solvent. This is because when a mixed fluid of air and a solvent passes through the metering pump, air having smaller fluid resistance than the solvent passes only through a relatively large space in the metering pump, and the inner surface of the pump casing and a gear that is a rotor. This is because a narrow gap formed between the inner surface and the surrounding surface does not pass through, so that the pre-colored paint and the solvent remain in the gap to cause color residue.

Accordingly, the present invention reduces the consumption of a cleaning solvent in order to conserve the environment and save resources, and at the same time, uses a gear pump or the like in a paint piping system for supplying a paint selected by a color changing device to a coating machine. It is a technical object of the present invention to make it possible to clean a paint piping system in a short time without leaving a color even when a pump is interposed.

[0007]

In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a paint pipe system for supplying a paint selected by a color changing device to a paint machine, the paint pipe system according to the paint discharge amount of the paint machine. In a coating apparatus in which a metering pump for adjusting the supply amount of the paint is interposed, paint remaining on a first paint pipe connected between the color changing device and the metering pump is provided on the discharge port side of the metering pump. A drain pipe for discharging the cleaning air and the cleaning solvent alternately supplied from the color changing device to the outside of the system, and a second paint pipe connected between the metering pump and the coating machine are switched. High-pressure air, which is connected to the startable end of the second paint pipe at the start end of the second paint pipe and is filled with a solvent necessary for washing the paint pipe in advance in the pipe and the solvent filled in the pipe is supplied to the pipe. To the second paint pipe and flow through the paint pipe. Wherein the cleaning solvent filling tube which is connected.

[0008]

According to the present invention, when changing the color from the previous color paint to the next color paint, the discharge port side of the metering pump interposed in the paint pipe system is switched from the second paint pipe to the drain pipe. Then, the pre-color paint remaining in the first paint pipe connected between the color changing device and the metering pump is washed with cleaning air alternately supplied from the color changing device, as is conventionally performed. At the same time as removing it with a solvent for cleaning and discharging it from the drainage pipe to the outside of the system, and simultaneously filling the solvent previously filled in the cleaning solvent filling pipe connected to the start end of the second paint pipe with the high pressure supplied to the pipe. Air is sent to the second paint pipe by air to flow through the paint pipe, and the pre-color paint remaining in the second paint pipe is washed and removed by a mixed fluid in which a solvent and high-pressure air are mixed.

Thus, the inside of the first paint pipe and the inside of the metering pump are washed with the air and the solvent which are alternately supplied without leaving any color, and the inside of the second paint pipe is efficiently treated by the mixed fluid of the air and the solvent. Since the cleaning is performed, the cleaning performance is improved, the cleaning time is significantly reduced, and the consumption of the solvent is reduced by the amount of using the mixed fluid of the air and the solvent for cleaning the second paint pipe. In particular, when performing electrostatic coating, it is necessary to ensure an insulation distance so that the high voltage applied to the coating machine does not leak to the metering pump. Therefore, the second paint connected between the metering pump and the coating machine is required. The pipe must be very long compared to the first paint pipe, but in the present invention, the second paint pipe is cleaned with a mixed fluid of air and a solvent having good cleaning performance, so that the cleaning time is shortened. Great effect.

[0010] Further, in the solvent-filled pipe for cleaning, a required amount of solvent pre-filled in the pipe is pressed out of the pipe with high-pressure air to flow through the second paint pipe, so that the solvent is unnecessarily wasted. It does not consume, and the solvent consumption increases abnormally or the high-pressure air alone without the solvent is supplied without fine adjustment of the correlation between the supply pressure of the solvent and the supply pressure of the air. There is no danger of supply being caused, and a mixed fluid in which air and solvent are uniformly mixed at an ideal ratio can be reliably produced.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an entire coating apparatus showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of main parts showing a second embodiment and a third embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

The coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a coating pipe system for supplying a coating material of each color selected by a color changing valve CCV provided in the color changing apparatus 1 to the coating machine 2 in accordance with a paint discharge amount of the coating machine 2. A metering pump 3 such as a gear pump for adjusting the supply amount of the paint is interposed, and a first paint connected between the color changing device 1 and the metering pump 3 with respect to the discharge port side of the metering pump 3. A drain pipe 7 for discharging paint remaining in the pipe 4 to the outside of the system by a cleaning air and a cleaning solvent alternately supplied from an air supply valve 5 and a solvent supply valve 6 provided in the color changing device 1; A second paint pipe 8 connected between the pump 3 and the coating machine 2 is connected to be switchable by opening and closing the trigger valve 9 and the dump valve 10.

At the starting end of the second paint pipe 8, an amount of solvent necessary for cleaning the inside of the pipe 8 is filled in the pipe in advance, and the solvent filled in the pipe is supplied with high-pressure air supplied to the pipe. A cleaning solvent-filled pipe 11 for pressure-feeding to the second paint pipe 8 and flowing through the pipe 8 is connected via a trigger valve 12. The cleaning solvent-filled pipe 11 is provided with a plurality of air supply valves 1 at predetermined intervals along its longitudinal direction.
3, 14, and 15, and a manifold having a solvent supply valve 16 on the rear end side. Each of the air supply valves 13, 14, and 15 has a high-pressure air supply source 1.
An air supply pipe 19 for supplying high-pressure air adjusted to a predetermined pressure by a regulator 18 from a regulator 7 is connected to the solvent supply valve 16, and a solvent supply pipe 21 for supplying a cleaning solvent from a solvent supply source 20 to the solvent supply valve 16. It is connected.

The trigger valve 12 is connected to a start end of the second paint pipe 8 and a drain pipe 23 with a dump valve 22 interposed therebetween.
And the cleaning solvent filling tube 11 is switched and connected. Further, a cleaning valve mechanism 24 is interposed in the vicinity of the coating machine 2 in the second coating pipe 8. The valve mechanism 24 includes a trigger valve 26 and a dump valve 27 for switching and connecting the flow path of the second paint pipe 8 leading to the coating machine 2 to the drain pipe 25 before the coating machine 2 at the time of washing. An air supply valve 28 and a solvent supply valve 29 for supplying low-pressure air and a low-pressure solvent are attached to a manifold 30 interposed in the second paint pipe 8.

The trigger valve 9 is connected to the metering pump 3
From the discharge port side of the second paint pipe 8 is opened,
While the trigger valve 12 closes the flow path from the inside of the washing solvent filling pipe 11 to the second paint pipe 8, while the paint is being performed with the paint of the desired color selected by the color change valve CCV, By opening the dump valve 22 interposed in the drainage pipe 23 and opening the solvent supply valve 16 provided in the cleaning solvent filling pipe 11, the cleaning solvent pumped from the solvent supply source 20 through the solvent supply pipe 21 is supplied. After being introduced into the solvent filling pipe 11 and the required amount of the cleaning solvent is filled in the pipe, the dump valve 22 and the solvent supply valve 16
To close.

When the color is changed from the previous color paint to the next color paint after the coating is completed, first, the trigger valve 9 closes the flow path from the discharge side of the metering pump 3 to the second paint pipe 8. This time, the flow path from the discharge side of the metering pump 3 to the drain pipe 7 is opened, and the dump valve 10 interposed in the drain pipe 7 is opened. Also, the second paint pipe 8
Valve 26 of cleaning valve mechanism 24 interposed in
Closes the flow path leading to the coating machine 2, opens the flow path leading to the drain pipe 25, and opens the dump valve 27 interposed in the drain pipe 25.

Next, the air supply valve 5 and the solvent supply valve 6 of the color changing device 1 are alternately opened and closed several times, and the color changing device 1 is opened.
The front color paint remaining in the flow path from the inside of the manifold 31 to the inside of the metering pump 3 through the first paint pipe 4 is
Drainage pipe 7 removed by high-pressure cleaning air and cleaning solvent
Through the system. In parallel with this, the air supply valves 13, 14 and 15 provided along the longitudinal direction of the cleaning solvent filling pipe 11 are opened and closed with a certain time difference in order from the one near the start end of the second paint pipe 8, Solvent filled tube 11
The cleaning solvent filled into the second coating pipe 8 is sent to the second coating pipe 8 by high pressure air in a predetermined amount divided into three times by a high pressure air, and a mixed fluid of the cleaning solvent and the high pressure air is mixed into the second coating pipe 8. Cleaning valve mechanism 24 provided near the coating machine 2 from the start end
, And the precolor paint remaining in the flow path is efficiently washed away and discharged from the drainage pipe 25 to the outside of the system. Further, while the mixed fluid of the solvent and the high-pressure air is flowing from the cleaning solvent filling pipe 11 into the second paint pipe 8, the air supply valve 28 and the solvent supply valve 29 of the cleaning valve mechanism 24 are alternately arranged. The pre-color paint that is opened and closed once and remains in a short flow path from the cleaning valve mechanism 24 to the inside of the coating machine 2 is washed and removed by low-pressure air and a low-pressure solvent.

As a result, the pre-color paint remaining in the first paint pipe 4 in which the metering pump 3 is interposed is pumped by the high-pressure washing air and the washing solvent which are alternately supplied.
It is surely washed and removed in a short time without causing any color residue inside, and at the same time, the coating machine 2 is discharged from the discharge port side of the metering pump 3.
Most of the pre-color paint remaining in the second paint pipe 8 extending for a long time is reliably cleaned and removed in a short time by a mixed fluid of high-pressure air and a solvent having very good cleaning performance. The washing time is remarkably shortened and a quick color change is possible.

Next, in the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of cleaning solvent-filled pipes 11a, 11b and 11c made of a hose or the like are connected in parallel to the starting end of the second paint pipe 8 shown in FIG. At the rear end side of each of the solvent filling pipes 11a, 11b and 11c, solvent supply valves 31, 32 and 33 to which the solvent supply pipe 21 of FIG. 1 is connected and the air supply pipe 19 of FIG. Air supply valves 34, 35
And 36 are provided, and the air supply valves 34, 35 and 36 are sequentially opened and closed with a certain time difference by a control signal output from a control panel or the like.

The solvent supply valves 31, 32, and 33 are opened and closed while the pre-color paint is being applied, so that a required amount of cleaning fluid is supplied to each of the solvent-filled tubes 11a, 11b, and 11c. When the solvent is filled and the application of the pre-color paint is completed, the air supply valves 34, 35 and 36
Are sequentially opened and closed in an arbitrary order, so that each solvent-filled tube 11a, 1
The cleaning solvent filled in 1b and 11c is successively pumped into the second paint pipe 8 by high-pressure air and circulated through the paint pipe 8. Also in this case, similarly to the first embodiment of FIG.
Since the mixed fluid of the high-pressure air and the solvent flows a predetermined amount several times in the second paint pipe 8, the cleaning performance is very good.

Next, the coating apparatus shown in FIG.
A cleaning solvent filling pipe 37 for previously filling the pipe with an amount of solvent necessary for cleaning the inside is connected to the start end of the second paint pipe 8 via the trigger valve 12 as in the case of FIGS. At the same time, an air supply valve 39 located upstream of the trigger valve 12 in the flow path of the second paint pipe 8 is attached to the manifold 38 to which the trigger valve 12 and the trigger valve 9 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are attached. An air supply pipe 41 that supplies high-pressure cleaning air from an air supply source 40 is connected to the air supply valve 39. The cleaning solvent filling pipe 37 is provided with a solvent supply valve 42 at the rear end thereof, and the solvent filled in the pipe is supplied into the second paint pipe 8 to which high-pressure cleaning air is supplied from an air supply valve 39. An air supply valve 4 for supplying pressurized air for pressurizing from an air supply source 43 through an air supply pipe 44
5 are provided.

The solvent supply valve 42 is opened and closed while the coating with the precolor paint is being performed, so that the required amount of the cleaning solvent is filled in the solvent filling pipe 37. When the coating of the paint is completed, the air supply valve 39
To allow the high-pressure cleaning air to flow through the second paint pipe 8 for a certain period of time, and while the cleaning air is flowing, the air supply valve 4 provided in the cleaning solvent filling pipe 37.
5 is opened, and the cleaning solvent filled in the solvent filling pipe 37 is supplied to the second paint pipe 8 through which high-pressure cleaning air flows.
Press out inside. As a result, the cleaning solvent pressed out into the second paint pipe 8 from the start end thereof is conveyed by the high-pressure cleaning air, and the second solvent is mixed with the cleaning solvent in a state where the cleaning solvent and the cleaning air are mixed. Since it flows through the pipe 8, the cleaning performance is also very good in this case.

[0023]

According to the present invention, when the paint remaining in the paint pipe system in which the metering pump is interposed is washed and removed, the paint pipe system is connected to the first paint from the color changing device to the inside of the metering pump. It is divided into a pipe and a second paint pipe from the metering pump to the coating machine. In the first paint pipe, cleaning air and a cleaning solvent are alternately supplied and adhere to the complicated gaps in the metering pump. The paint can also be washed and removed without leaving any color, and a mixed fluid of cleaning air and a solvent for cleaning can flow through the second paint pipe to efficiently wash and remove paint remaining in the pipe. Therefore, there is an extremely excellent effect that the color change can be performed quickly by greatly shortening the cleaning time.

Further, if a part of the paint piping system is cleaned with a mixed fluid of air and a solvent having good cleaning performance, the consumption of the solvent can be reduced. If the pre-filled cleaning solvent is pressed out of the pipe with the pressure of the air supplied into the pipe and allowed to flow through the paint pipe, the amount of wastefully consumed solvent is greatly reduced. effective.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an entire coating apparatus showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Color changing device 2 ... Painting machine 3 ... Metering pump 4 ... First paint piping 7 ... Drainage piping 8 ... Second paint piping 11 ... Filling with solvent for cleaning Tubes 11a to 11c: Cleaning solvent filling tube 13, 14, 15 ... Air supply valve 37: Cleaning solvent filling tube

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-2885 (JP, A) JP-A-2-129279 (JP, U) JP-A-4-45565 (JP, U)

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] An apparatus for supplying a paint selected by a color changing device (1) to a painter (2), a paint pipe system for adjusting a paint supply amount according to a paint discharge amount of the painter (2). In a coating apparatus provided with a pump (3), a first paint pipe connected between the metering pump (3) and the color changing device (1) on the discharge port side of the metering pump (3). (4) a drain pipe (7) for discharging the paint remaining outside the system by washing air and a washing solvent alternately supplied from the color changing device (1); And a second paint pipe (8) connected between the second paint pipe (8) and the machine (2).
An amount of solvent necessary for cleaning the paint pipe (8) is filled in the pipe in advance, and the solvent filled in the pipe is pressure-fed to the second paint pipe (8) by high-pressure air supplied to the pipe. Solvent-filled pipe for cleaning (1
1, 11a to 11c) are connected. 2. A plurality of air supply valves (13, 14, 15) for supplying high-pressure air into the cleaning solvent-filled pipe (11) are provided at predetermined intervals along a longitudinal direction of the pipe. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the valves (13, 14, 15) are sequentially opened and closed from a position near a start end of the second paint pipe (8). 3. A plurality of said solvent filling pipes for washing (11a to 11c) are connected in parallel to the starting end of said second paint pipe (8). 2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein high-pressure air is sequentially supplied to the apparatus at predetermined time intervals. 4. A fixed quantity for adjusting a supply amount of a paint according to a paint discharge amount of a coating machine (2) in a paint piping system for supplying a paint selected by a color changing device (1) to a coating machine (2). In a coating apparatus provided with a pump (3), a first paint pipe connected between the color changing device (1) and the metering pump (3) at a discharge port side of the metering pump (3). (4) a drain pipe (7) for discharging the paint remaining outside the system by washing air and a washing solvent alternately supplied from the color changing device (1); And a second paint pipe (8) connected between the second paint pipe (8) and the machine (2).
An amount of solvent necessary for cleaning the paint pipe (8) is filled in the pipe in advance, and the solvent filled in the pipe is filled with pressurized air into the second paint pipe (8) to which the cleaning air is supplied. A coating apparatus characterized by being connected to a cleaning solvent filling pipe (37) to be pressed out.