JP6855975B2 - Curing inhibitor supply device and coating equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for supplying a curing inhibitor to a coating material containing a curing agent.

Patent Document 1 below discloses a painting booth device used in a painting process of a workpiece such as an automobile body. Excess paint generated when the work is painted by this painting booth device is collected in a hopper (collection box) provided below the painting chamber. Usually, the paint collected in each hopper of the plurality of painting booth devices is transferred to a common collection tank by using a transfer pipe and a transfer means such as a pump provided corresponding to each hopper.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-205228

By the way, when a paint in which a curing agent is mixed as a main agent is used as the coating paint, the transfer pipe may be clogged due to the influence of the curing agent when collecting the surplus paint. Therefore, in order to prevent clogging of the transfer pipe, a circulation path is provided between the hopper and the recovery tank, and the paint is circulated in this circulation path, and a hardening inhibitor for suppressing the hardening of the paint is circulated. It is effective to supply to the route. At this time, in order to control the supply state of the curing inhibitor, a device for detecting whether or not the curing inhibitor is reliably supplied to the circulation path is required. Further, in consideration of the fact that the solvent atmosphere is formed by the organic solvent contained in the paint, equipment such as an explosion-proof flow meter is used.

However, there is a problem that explosion-proof equipment is expensive and the equipment cost is high. Further, such a problem may occur not only in the painting process of the automobile body but also in the painting process of a work other than the automobile body.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an effective technique for detecting a supply state of a curing inhibitor for a coating material containing a curing agent with an inexpensive device.

One aspect of the present invention is
A curing inhibitor supply device that supplies a curing inhibitor to a paint tank that stores paint containing a curing agent.
A storage tank that can store the above hardening inhibitor and
An inflow pipe that allows the hardening inhibitor to flow into the storage tank,
A supply pipe that supplies the curing inhibitor from the storage tank to the paint tank, and
A detector that detects that the curing inhibitor is being supplied to the paint tank through the supply pipe, and
Control device and
With
The detection unit is provided with a pressure outlet pipe having an opening at one end arranged at the bottom of the inner tank of the storage tank and an opening at the other end communicating with the pressure sensor, so that the pressure derived from the pressure outlet pipe is transmitted to the pressure sensor. Is composed of
The control device presets the pressure drawn by the pressure outlet pipe when the curing inhibitor is supplied to the paint tank through the supply pipe as a set pressure, and the set pressure and the detection unit perform the pressure. A curing inhibitor supplying device that determines whether or not the curing inhibitor is being supplied as the supply state of the curing inhibitor to the coating tank based on the pressure transmitted to the sensor.
It is in.

In the above-mentioned curing inhibitor supply device, when the curing inhibitor is supplied to the paint tank via the storage tank, the pressure corresponding to the liquid level of the curing inhibitor in the storage tank is derived by the pressure outlet pipe of the detection unit. Can be transmitted to the pressure sensor. Therefore, by acquiring in advance the relationship between the liquid level in the storage tank when the curing inhibitor is supplied to the paint tank and the pressure derived from the pressure outlet pipe, the curing inhibitor is actually supplied to the paint tank. It can be indirectly determined by the pressure sensor whether or not it is in the state of being in the state.
At this time, the pressure outlet pipe is an inexpensive device that does not have a current-carrying part and is composed only of pipes through which fluid can flow. There is no need to use expensive equipment.

As described above, according to the above aspect, it is possible to detect the supply state of the curing inhibitor for the coating material containing the curing agent with an inexpensive device.

The perspective view which shows typically the coating equipment of Embodiment 1. The perspective view of the hardening inhibitor supply apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view of the curing inhibitor supply device of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the curing inhibitor is flowing into the storage tank and is not supplied to the paint tank. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the liquid level of the storage tank has risen to the reference liquid level from the state of FIG. 4 and the curing inhibitor is supplied to the paint tank. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state when the inflow of the curing inhibitor is stopped from the state of FIG. 5 and the liquid level of the storage tank drops below the reference liquid level. The perspective view of the hardening inhibitor supply apparatus of Embodiment 2.

Preferred embodiments of the above embodiments will be described below.

In the curing inhibitor supply device, in the detection unit, the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe is arranged at a higher position than the one end opening, and the curing inhibitor stored in the storage tank is the above. It is preferable that the gas pressure of the gas phase acting on the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe when being supplied to the paint tank through the supply pipe is derived as the pressure.

According to this supply device, the gas pressure according to the liquid level of the hardening inhibitor in the storage tank, which is led out by the pressure outlet pipe, is transmitted to the pressure sensor. Therefore, a pressure sensor for gas that detects gas pressure can be used.

In the curing inhibitor supply device, the detection unit includes a gas supply pipe that allows gas for purging to be supplied between the one end opening and the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe, and the inflow pipe. Therefore, it is preferable that the gas is continuously supplied through the gas supply pipe when the hardening inhibitor is flowing into the storage tank.

According to this supply device, the purging gas supplied from the gas supply pipe when the hardening inhibitor is flowing into the storage tank is continuously introduced from one end opening into the storage tank through the pressure outlet pipe. Flow to. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pressure outlet pipe from being clogged by the hardening inhibitor.

In the hardening inhibitor supply device, the supply pipe has an inverted U-shaped pipe portion extending in an inverted U shape, and the top of the inverted U-shaped pipe portion is the highest among the respective parts of the supply pipe. It is located at a position corresponding to the reference liquid level of the storage tank, and when the liquid level of the curing inhibitor in the storage tank rises to the reference liquid level, the curing inhibitor is changed to the reverse U. It is preferably configured so that it flows over the top of the character tube and is supplied to the paint tank.

According to this supply device, by providing the inverted U-shaped pipe portion in the supply pipe, the hardening inhibitor can be stored in the storage tank until the reference liquid level at which the desired pressure can be derived by the pressure outlet pipe is reached. Further, when the inflow of the curing inhibitor is stopped after the liquid level of the curing inhibitor in the storage tank reaches the reference liquid level, the curing inhibitor from the storage tank is charged according to the siphon principle in the inverted U-shaped tube portion. The outflow continues. Therefore, even if the supply pipe has a valveless structure that does not use an on-off valve or the like, the outflow state of the hardening inhibitor from the storage tank can be adjusted.

In the curing inhibitor supply device, the storage tank includes an upper opening located at an upper control liquid level higher than the reference liquid level and an overflow pipe that allows the curing inhibitor to flow out from the upper opening. The overflow pipe is preferably configured so as to merge with the supply pipe and communicate with the paint tank.

According to this supply device, the curing inhibitor is supplied from the storage tank to the paint tank as part of the overflow pipe that causes the curing inhibitor to flow out when the liquid level of the curing inhibitor in the storage tank reaches the upper control liquid level. It can also be used as a part of the supply pipe. Therefore, the structure of the path through which the curing inhibitor flows from the storage tank to the paint tank can be simplified.

Further, the painting equipment includes a paint tank for storing paint containing a curing agent, a plurality of hoppers for collecting the surplus paint generated during the painting process of the object to be painted, and each of the paint tank and the plurality of hoppers. The curing inhibitor is provided with a circulation path for circulating the paint and the curing inhibitor supply device, and is supplied from the storage tank of the curing inhibitor supply device to the coating tank through the supply pipe. It is preferable that the agent is configured to circulate with the paint in the circulation path.

According to this coating equipment, the curing inhibitor supplied to the coating tank by the curing inhibitor supplying device can be circulated through a circulation path provided between the coating tank and each of the plurality of hoppers. Therefore, it is possible to prevent elements such as pipes and pumps constituting the circulation path from being clogged by the influence of the curing agent contained in the paint.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a painting facility for painting an automobile body to be painted will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the drawings for explaining this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the transport direction of the automobile body in the coating equipment is indicated by an arrow D, and the first direction which is the longitudinal direction of the curing inhibitor supply device constituting the coating equipment is indicated by an arrow D. It is assumed that the arrow X indicates the second direction which is the width direction of the curing inhibitor supply device is indicated by the arrow Y, and the third direction which is the height direction of the curing inhibitor supply device is indicated by the arrow Z.

(Embodiment 1)
As shown in FIG. 1, the coating equipment 1 of the present embodiment is a device for applying coating to an automobile body W to be coated. In the coating chamber 2 of the coating equipment 1, a space is provided in which the automobile body W is introduced and can be conveyed in the conveying direction D via the conveying means (not shown).

The coating equipment 1 includes a paint tank T for storing the paint A which is a fluid having fluidity, a plurality of hoppers 3 for collecting the surplus paint A generated during the painting process of the automobile body W, and a plurality of paint tanks T. A circulation path 6 for connecting each of the hoppers 3 of the above 3 to the paint A in a circulatory manner, and a curing inhibitor supply device 10 are provided.

A plurality of (four in FIG. 1) hoppers 3 are arranged below the coating chamber 2 along the transport direction D. The number of the hoppers 3 may be a number other than four.

Each hopper 3 is connected to the paint tank T via a pump 4 and a recovery pipe 4a. Therefore, the paint A recovered by each hopper 3 is transferred to the paint tank T through the recovery pipe 4a in a state of being pressurized by the pump 4.

On the other hand, the paint tank T is connected to each hopper 3 via the pump 5 and the return pipe 5a. Therefore, the stored material stored in the paint tank T is transferred to each hopper 3 through the return pipe 5a in a state of being pressurized by the pump 5.

Therefore, a circulation path 6 is formed between the paint tank T and each hopper 3 by the recovery pipe 4a and the return pipe 5a.

Further, the paint tank T is connected to the waste liquid drum 9 stored in the storage chamber 8 via the pump 7 and the extraction pipe 7a. Therefore, the stored material stored in the paint tank T is transferred to the waste liquid drum 9 through the extraction pipe 7a in a state of being pressurized by the pump 7.

Here, the paint A is a paint containing a curing agent B, and is a two-component curing paint composed of a main agent A1 and a curing agent B. For example, a paint A mixed so that the volume ratio of the main agent A1 and the curing agent B is about 3: 1 is used. A polyol (polyhydric alcohol) having a plurality of alcoholic hydroxyl groups is typically used as the main agent A1. Further, as the curing agent B, an isocyanate compound is typically used. Such an isocyanate compound may be cured by a polymerization reaction with water and cause clogging of pipes or the like.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a curing inhibitor supply device 10 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “supply device 10”) for supplying the curing inhibitor C, which is a liquid having fluidity, is provided in the paint tank T. The curing inhibitor C supplied from the supply device 10 to the paint tank T can circulate in the circulation path 6 together with the paint A.

As the curing inhibitor C, a monohydric alcohol having a specific gravity of about 0.8 to 0.9 is used. Such a monohydric alcohol has a function of suppressing a polymerization reaction (curing reaction) that occurs between the isocyanate compound as the curing agent B and water. Therefore, the curing inhibitor C can be mixed with the coating material A in a predetermined ratio to suppress the curing of the coating material A. Typically, the coating material A and the curing inhibitor C are mixed so as to have a volume ratio of about 4: 2 to 3. In this case, the volume ratio of the curing agent B and the curing inhibitor C contained in the coating material A is about 1: 2 to 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the supply device 10 is a device connected to the paint tank T, and is a storage tank 11, an inflow pipe 12, a supply pipe 14, a detection unit 20, and a pressure sensor 30. The control device 40 and the output device 50 are provided.

The supply device 10 can also be referred to as a "loading device" for charging the curing inhibitor C into the paint tank T. Further, if necessary, the device including only the elements of the storage tank 11, the inflow pipe 12, and the supply pipe 14 can be used as the supply device 10.

The storage tank 11 is a closed box-shaped tank-like body (box member) having a space 11a having a volume capable of storing the hardening inhibitor C. The storage tank 11 is arranged at a higher place than the paint tank T.

The inflow pipe 12 is a pipe for inflowing the hardening inhibitor C into the storage tank 11. The inflow pipe 12 is inserted into the tank from the upper surface of the storage tank 11, one end opening 12a is arranged in the inner bottom portion 11b of the tank, and the other end opening 12b is a supply source of the hardening inhibitor C via the opening / closing valve 13. It is connected to (not shown).

The on-off valve 13 is configured as an air-driven valve that opens and closes according to the air pressure of the air supply source 13a. That is, the on-off valve 13 opens when an air pressure corresponding to a preset set pressure is applied, and closes when the acting air pressure falls below the set pressure. Then, when the on-off valve 13 opens, the hardening inhibitor C flows into the space 11a of the storage tank 11 through the inflow pipe 12, and when the on-off valve 13 closes, this inflow is blocked. According to such an air-driven on-off valve 13, its structure can be simplified.

The supply pipe 14 is a pipe for supplying the curing inhibitor C from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T. The supply pipe 14 has a first pipe portion 15, a second pipe portion 16, and a third pipe portion 17. The supply pipe 14 has a valveless structure in which the hardening inhibitor C can flow by utilizing gravity and there are no valves such as an on-off valve.

The first pipe portion 15 is connected to a bottom opening 11c as an outlet provided on the lower surface of the storage tank 11. The first pipe portion 15 is configured to extend downward from the bottom opening 11c, then extend in the second direction Y, and further extend upward.

The second pipe portion 16 is configured to join the overflow pipe 18 connected to the upper opening 11d provided in the upper part of the storage tank 11. The second pipe portion 16 is configured to extend upward from the branch opening 18a of the overflow pipe 18 in the first direction X.

The third pipe portion 17 is configured to connect the upper end portion of the first pipe portion 15 and the upper end portion of the second pipe portion 16. The third pipe portion 17 is configured as an inverted U-shaped pipe portion extending in an inverted U shape when the supply device 10 is viewed from the side.

In particular, the third pipe portion 17 is arranged so that the top portion 17a thereof is the highest point among the respective parts of the supply pipe 14 and corresponds to the reference liquid level Ha (see FIG. 3) of the storage tank 11. It is configured in. Therefore, in the supply pipe 14, when the liquid level H of the hardening inhibitor C in the storage tank 11 rises to the reference liquid level Ha, the hardening inhibitor C is an inverted U-shaped tube portion from the first pipe portion 15 side. It is configured to flow beyond the top 17a of the third pipe portion 17 to the second pipe portion 16 side.

Further, the storage tank 11 includes an upper opening 11d located at the upper control liquid level Hb higher than the reference liquid level Ha, and an overflow pipe 18 through which the hardening inhibitor C flows out from the upper opening 11d. The overflow pipe 18 is configured to join the second pipe portion 16 of the supply pipe 14 and communicate with the paint tank T.

The detection unit 20 has a function of detecting that the curing inhibitor C is supplied to the paint tank T through the supply pipe 14. The detection unit 20 includes a pressure outlet pipe 21 and a gas supply pipe 22.

The pressure outlet pipe 21 is a pipe that is inserted into the tank from the upper surface of the storage tank 11, one end opening 21a is arranged at the bottom portion 11b of the storage tank 11, and the other end opening 21b communicates with the pressure sensor 30. In the pressure outlet pipe 21, the other end opening 21b is arranged outside the storage tank 11 at a position higher than the one end opening 21a. The pressure lead-out pipe 21 can also be referred to as a "pressure detection pipe" for pressure detection.

As a result, the detection unit 20 has a pressure determined according to the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C when the curing inhibitor C stored in the storage tank 11 is supplied to the paint tank T through the supply pipe 14, that is, curing. When the inhibitor C is supplied to the paint tank T, the gas pressure of the gas phase acting on the other end opening 21b of the pressure outlet pipe 21 is led out by the pressure outlet pipe 21 and transmitted to the pressure sensor 30. ing.

The gas supply pipe 22 is a pipe connected between one end opening 21a and the other end opening 21b of the pressure outlet pipe 21 so as to be able to supply gas for purging. The gas supply pipe 22 is used to continuously supply the purging gas into the water tank 11 when the hardening inhibitor C is flowing from the inflow pipe 12 into the water tank 11. According to the gas supply pipe 22, it is possible to prevent the pressure outlet pipe 21 from being clogged by the hardening inhibitor C.

In this embodiment, air that can be arranged relatively easily is used as the gas for purging. In addition, instead of air, a gas such as nitrogen can be used as a gas for purging.

As described above, neither the pressure outlet pipe 21 nor the gas supply pipe 22 constituting the detection unit 20 of the present embodiment is provided with a current-carrying portion, and is composed of only pipes.

Although the specific structure is omitted, the pressure sensor 30 has a function of detecting the pressure derived through the pressure outlet pipe 21, that is, the gas pressure P acting on the other end opening 21b of the pressure outlet pipe 21. The pressure sensor 30 is electrically connected to the control device 40. Therefore, the information regarding the gas pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 30 is transmitted to the control device 40.

As the pressure sensor 30, it is preferable to use one having a minimum detected pressure of about 0.1 [kPa]. In this case, the minimum detection liquid level difference of the curing inhibitor C is about 11 to 12 [mm].

In the detection unit 20, by increasing the length of the pressure outlet pipe 21, the elements of the pressure sensor 30, the control device 40, and the output device 50 are located in a region outside the solvent atmosphere formed by the organic solvent contained in the paint A. Is configured to be placed. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent these elements from coming into direct contact with the organic solvent.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 40 includes a storage unit 41, a calculation unit 42, a determination unit 43, and a drive unit 44.

The storage unit 41 has a liquid level H of the hardening inhibitor in the storage tank 11 and a gas pressure P led out by the pressure outlet pipe 21 in a state where the purging air is supplied into the tank of the storage tank 11 at a constant flow rate. It has a function of storing information acquired in advance about the relationship between. Further, the storage unit 41 is based on this information when the liquid level H is at the reference liquid level Ha described later, that is, when the curing inhibitor C is supplied to the paint tank T via the storage tank 11. The gas pressure P derived from the pressure outlet pipe 21 is stored as the set pressure Pa.

The calculation unit 42 has a function of measuring the timing of opening the open / close valve 13 by a timer.

The determination unit 43 has a function of determining whether or not the curing inhibitor C is supplied to the paint tank T based on the set pressure Pa stored in the storage unit 41 and the gas pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 30. Have. According to the determination unit 43, it is determined that the curing inhibitor C is supplied from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T when the gas pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 30 is equal to or higher than the set pressure Pa. On the other hand, when the gas pressure P detected by the pressure sensor 30 falls below the set pressure Pa, it is determined that the curing inhibitor C is not supplied from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T.

The drive unit 44 has a function of outputting the determination result by the determination unit 43 to the output device 50 and a function of outputting a drive signal to the air supply source 13a for the on-off valve 13 at predetermined time intervals.

The output device 50 has a function of outputting a determination result by the determination unit 43 of the control device 40 by a screen display, a lamp display, an alarm, or the like. According to the output device 50, the operator can be notified of the supply state of the curing inhibitor C to the coating tank T. Thereby, the operator can identify whether or not the curing inhibitor C is supplied from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T.

Next, the specific operation of the detection unit 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

As shown in FIG. 4, as a preparatory step, purging air is supplied into the storage tank 11 through the gas supply pipe 22 of the detection unit 20 at a constant flow rate. After that, the supply of this air is continued.

In the air supply state, the drive unit 44 of the control device 40 outputs a drive signal to the air supply source 13a for the on-off valve 13 at predetermined time intervals based on the result measured by the calculation unit 42. As a result, the on-off valve 13 opens when the drive signal is output, and the inflow of the hardening inhibitor C from the inflow pipe 12 into the space 11a of the storage tank 11 is started.

At this time, when the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C stored in the space 11a of the storage tank 11 is lower than the reference liquid level Ha, a state in which the curing inhibitor C stays in a part of the supply pipe 14 is formed. However, the flow of the curing inhibitor C is not formed (see the shaded area in FIG. 4). Further, the gas pressure P acting on the other end opening 21b of the pressure outlet pipe 21 is lower than the set pressure Pa of the pressure sensor 30. Therefore, the determination unit 43 of the control device 40 determines that the curing inhibitor C is not supplied from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T.

After that, as shown in FIG. 5, when the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C stored in the space 11a of the storage tank 11 rises and reaches the reference liquid level Ha, the curing inhibitor is applied to the entire supply pipe 14. C is full. As a result, a flow of the curing inhibitor C from the supply pipe 14 to the overflow pipe 18 and toward the paint tank T is formed (see the shaded area in FIG. 5). Along with the formation of this flow, the hardening inhibitor C stored in the space 11a of the storage tank 11 is continuously supplied to the paint tank T through the supply pipe 14 according to the so-called “siphon” principle. ..

At this time, if the gas pressure P acting on the other end opening 21b of the pressure outlet pipe 21 is equal to or higher than the set pressure Pa of the pressure sensor 30, the determination unit 43 of the control device 40 suppresses curing from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T. It is determined that the agent C is being supplied. The drive unit 44 of the control device 40 outputs the determination result at this time to the output device 50.

When the flow rate of the curing inhibitor C flowing in from the inflow pipe 12 exceeds the flow rate of the curing inhibitor C flowing out from the supply pipe 14, the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C is further above the reference liquid level Ha. It rises to the reference liquid level Hb. At this time, since the curing inhibitor C flows out from the upper opening 11d of the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T through the overflow pipe 18, the overflow of the storage tank 11 can be prevented.

The drive unit 44 of the control device 40 outputs a drive stop signal to the air supply source after a lapse of a predetermined time from the opening operation of the on-off valve 13 based on the result measured by the calculation unit 42. As a result, the on-off valve 13 closes when the drive stop signal is output, and the inflow of the hardening inhibitor C from the inflow pipe 12 into the space 11a of the storage tank 11 is stopped.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, when the liquid level H of the hardening inhibitor C stored in the space 11a of the storage tank 11 drops below the reference liquid level Ha, the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe 21 is opened. The gas pressure P acting on the 21b becomes lower than the set pressure Pa of the pressure sensor 30. As a result, the determination unit 43 of the control device 40 again determines that the curing inhibitor C is supplied from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T.

By stopping the inflow of the curing inhibitor C, the curing inhibitor C stored in the space 11a of the storage tank 11 only flows out of the storage tank 11 according to the above siphon principle (in FIG. 6). See the shaded area in). At this time, since the bottom opening 11c, which is the outlet, is provided on the lower surface of the storage tank 11, almost all of the hardening inhibitor C stored in the space 11a of the storage tank 11 flows out through the supply pipe 14 and the paint is applied. It is supplied to the tank T. As a result, the liquid level H of the hardening inhibitor C in the storage tank 11 becomes almost zero.

According to the above-described first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

When the curing inhibitor C is supplied to the paint tank T via the storage tank 11, the supply device 10 detects the gas pressure P of the gas phase according to the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C in the storage tank 11. It can be led out by the pressure lead-out pipe 21 of the unit 20 and transmitted to the pressure sensor 30.

Therefore, by acquiring in advance the relationship between the liquid level H of the storage tank 11 and the gas pressure P led out by the pressure outlet pipe 21 when the curing inhibitor C is supplied to the paint tank T, the curing inhibitor C Can be indirectly determined by the pressure sensor 30 whether or not is actually supplied to the paint tank T.

At this time, since the pressure outlet pipe 21 is an inexpensive device that does not have a current-carrying portion and is composed only of pipes through which a fluid can flow, explosion-proof corresponding to a solvent atmosphere is used to construct the detection unit 20. There is no need to use expensive equipment with specifications. Therefore, according to the above-mentioned supply device 10, it is possible to detect the supply state of the curing inhibitor C with respect to the coating material A containing the curing agent B with an inexpensive device.

Further, according to the above-mentioned supply device 10, the pressure sensor 30 for gas that detects the gas pressure can be used.

Further, according to the above-mentioned supply device 10, the purging air supplied from the gas supply pipe 22 when the hardening inhibitor C is flowing into the storage tank 11 is passed through the pressure outlet pipe 21 from one end opening 21a. It continuously flows into the tank of the storage tank 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pressure outlet pipe 21 from being clogged by the hardening inhibitor C.

Further, according to the above-mentioned supply device 10, by providing the supply pipe 14 with an inverted U-shaped pipe portion (third pipe portion 17), a reference liquid level at which a desired gas pressure P can be derived by the pressure outlet pipe 21. The hardening inhibitor C can be stored in the storage tank 11 until it reaches Ha. Further, when the inflow of the curing inhibitor C is stopped after the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C in the storage tank 11 reaches the reference liquid level Ha, the siphon in the inverted U-shaped tube portion (third tube portion 17) is used. According to the principle, the outflow of the curing inhibitor C from the storage tank 11 is continued. Therefore, even if the supply pipe 14 has a valveless structure that does not use an on-off valve or the like, the outflow state of the hardening inhibitor C from the storage tank 11 can be adjusted.

Further, according to the above supply device 10, a part of the overflow pipe 18 that causes the curing inhibitor C to flow out when the liquid level H of the curing inhibitor C in the storage tank 11 reaches the upper control liquid level Hb is stored. It can also be used as a part of the supply pipe 14 that supplies the curing inhibitor C from the tank 11 to the coating tank T. Therefore, the structure of the path through which the curing inhibitor C flows from the storage tank 11 to the paint tank T can be simplified.

Further, according to the coating equipment 1, the curing inhibitor C supplied from the storage tank 11 of the supply device 10 to the coating tank T through the supply pipe 14 circulates in the circulation path 6 together with the coating material A. Therefore, the curing inhibitor C supplied to the paint tank T by the supply device 10 can be circulated through the circulation path 6 provided between the paint tank T and each of the plurality of hoppers 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent elements such as the pipes 4a and 5a and the pumps 4 and 5 constituting the circulation path 6 from being clogged by the influence of the curing agent B contained in the coating material A.

Hereinafter, other embodiments related to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In other embodiments, the same elements as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description of the same elements will be omitted.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 7, the supply device 110 of the second embodiment differs from the configuration of the detection unit 20 of the first embodiment only in the configuration of the detection unit 120. The detection unit 120 does not have a purging pipe such as the gas supply pipe 22 provided in the detection unit 20. That is, the detection unit 120 is composed of only the pressure outlet pipe 21.
Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

According to the supply device 110 of the second embodiment, the structure of the device can be simplified when the pressure outlet pipe 21 is less likely to be clogged due to the influence of the hardening inhibitor C.
Other than that, it has the same effect as that of the first embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various applications and modifications can be considered as long as the object of the present invention is not deviated. For example, the following embodiments to which the embodiments are applied can also be implemented.

In the above embodiment, the case where the gas pressure P of the gas phase is derived by using the pressure outlet pipe 21 in which the other end opening 21b is arranged higher than the one end opening 21a has been illustrated. It is also possible to use a pressure outlet pipe in which the end opening is arranged lower than the one end opening. In this case, the pressure of the liquid phase of the curing inhibitor C is derived by the pressure outlet pipe and transmitted to the pressure sensor prepared for hydraulic pressure detection.

In the above embodiment, the case where the supply pipe 14 is provided with the third pipe portion 17 which is an inverted U-shaped pipe portion to adjust the outflow state of the hardening inhibitor C from the storage tank 11 has been illustrated. Instead of the portion 17, for example, an air-driven adjustment valve may be provided in the supply pipe 14, and the outflow state of the hardening inhibitor C from the storage tank 11 may be adjusted by this adjustment valve.

In the above embodiment, the case where the overflow pipe 18 that joins the supply pipe 14 is provided in the storage tank 11 of the supply device 10 has been illustrated, but instead of this, each of the supply pipe 14 and the overflow pipe 18 is a paint tank independently. A structure that communicates with T can also be adopted. Further, the overflow pipe 18 may be omitted if necessary.

In the above embodiment, the case where the control device 40 determines the supply state of the curing inhibitor C to the paint tank T and outputs the determination result to the output device 50 has been illustrated, but instead of this, the pressure sensor 30 A pressure display function may be provided in itself, and the operator himself / herself may determine the state of supply of the curing inhibitor C to the paint tank T based on the value displayed in the pressure display function. In this case, the structure of the supply devices 10 and 110 can be simplified by omitting the output device 50.

In the above embodiment, the case where the supply devices 10 and 110 are connected to the paint tank T connected to the circulation path 6 has been illustrated, but instead of the paint tank T, the paint connected only to the recovery path of the paint A The supply devices 10 and 110 can also be connected to a tank or a paint tank for simply storing the paint A.

In the above embodiment, the feeders 10 and 110 for supplying the curing inhibitor C to the coating material A which is a two-component curing coating material have been exemplified, but the coating material A to which the curing inhibitor C is supplied contains the curing agent B. If it is, a paint other than the two-component curing paint may be used.

In the above embodiment, the supply devices 10 and 110 used in the painting equipment 1 for the automobile body which is the work W have been illustrated, but the supply devices 10 and 110 are painted for the work other than the automobile body. It can also be used in equipment.

1 Painting equipment 3 Hopper 6 Circulation route 10,110 Hardening inhibitor supply device (supply device)
11 Storage tank 11b Inner bottom 11c Bottom opening 11d Top opening 12 Inflow pipe 14 Supply pipe 17 Third pipe (inverted U-shaped pipe)
17a Top 18 Overflow pipe 20,120 Detector 21 Pressure outlet pipe 21a One end opening 21b Other end opening 22 Gas supply pipe 30 Pressure sensor A Paint B Hardener C Hardening inhibitor H Liquid level Ha Reference liquid level Hb Upper control liquid level T Paint tank W Automobile body (for painting)

Claims (6)

A curing inhibitor supply device that supplies a curing inhibitor to a paint tank that stores paint containing a curing agent.
A storage tank that can store the above hardening inhibitor and
An inflow pipe that allows the hardening inhibitor to flow into the storage tank,
A supply pipe that supplies the curing inhibitor from the storage tank to the paint tank, and
A detector that detects that the curing inhibitor is being supplied to the paint tank through the supply pipe, and
Control device and
With
The detection unit is provided with a pressure outlet pipe having an opening at one end arranged at the bottom of the inner tank of the storage tank and an opening at the other end communicating with the pressure sensor, so that the pressure derived from the pressure outlet pipe is transmitted to the pressure sensor. Is composed of
The control device presets the pressure drawn by the pressure outlet pipe when the curing inhibitor is supplied to the paint tank through the supply pipe as a set pressure, and the set pressure and the detection unit perform the pressure. A curing inhibitor supplying device that determines whether or not the curing inhibitor is being supplied as the supply state of the curing inhibitor to the coating tank based on the pressure transmitted to the sensor. In the detection unit, the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe is arranged at a higher position than the one end opening, and the hardening inhibitor stored in the storage tank is supplied to the paint tank through the supply pipe. The curing inhibitor supply device according to claim 1, wherein the gas pressure of the gas phase acting on the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe is derived as the pressure. The detection unit includes a gas supply pipe connected between the one end opening and the other end opening of the pressure outlet pipe so as to be able to supply gas for purging, and suppresses hardening from the inflow pipe to the storage tank. The curing inhibitor supply device according to claim 2, wherein the gas is continuously supplied through the gas supply pipe when the agent is flowing in. The supply pipe has an inverted U-shaped pipe portion extending in an inverted U shape, and the top of the inverted U-shaped pipe portion is the highest point among the respective parts of the supply pipe, and the reference of the storage tank. It is arranged at a position corresponding to the liquid level, and when the liquid level of the curing inhibitor in the storage tank rises to the reference liquid level, the curing inhibitor exceeds the top of the inverted U-shaped tube portion. The curing inhibitor supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is configured to flow and be supplied to the paint tank. The storage tank includes an upper opening located at an upper control liquid level higher than the reference liquid level and an overflow pipe that allows the hardening inhibitor to flow out from the upper opening, and the overflow pipe merges with the supply pipe. The curing inhibitor supply device according to claim 4, which is configured to communicate with the paint tank. A paint tank that stores paint containing a curing agent,
Multiple hoppers that collect the excess paint generated during the painting process of the object to be painted, and
A circulation path that connects the paint tank and each of the plurality of hoppers so that the paint can be circulated, and
The curing inhibitor supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
With
A coating facility in which the curing inhibitor supplied from the storage tank of the curing inhibitor supply device to the coating tank through the supply pipe is configured to circulate together with the coating material in the circulation path.

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