JPH01159072A - Applicator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent paint from overflowing through a feed port and a takeout port by providing a movable shielding plate capable of regulating the aperture area of the feed port and/or the takeout port to at least single side of the feed port and the takeout port of an application box. CONSTITUTION:At least a pair of both a feed port 11 for feeding a base material 1 to be applied and a takeout port 12 for taking out an applied product are provided to an application box 10. Further paint is fed into the application box 10 while exceeding the levels of the feed port 11 and the takeout port 12 by a paint feeding means 20. Furthermore the inside of the application box 10 is decompressed by a decompressing means 30 to prevent paint from being overflown through the aperture parts of the feed port 11 and the takeout port 12. Movable shielding plates 17, 18 capable of regulating the aperture area in the feed port 11 and/or the takeout port 12 are provided to at least single side of the application box 10. As a result, paint can be prevented from overflowing through the feed port 11 and the takeout port 12 despite of exerting comparatively small decompressive suction force.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention is capable of applying a desired paint to the surface of a base material such as a plate or a bar by dipping, and adjusting the thickness of the paint film. Regarding equipment.

<Prior art and pressure points> For painting base materials such as board materials (e.g. decorative boards, shelf boards, etc.), bar materials (e.g. bookcases, surrounding edges, etc.), processed materials (e.g. window frames, doors, etc.) Various methods and devices have been used in the past.

One such device is a so-called dipping coating device. This has the advantage that even if the surface of the base material is uneven, it can be easily painted by front-wheel operation.

However, dipping coating is mainly applied to sheet-like objects, and it has been impossible to continuously apply dipping coating to the above-mentioned substrates. Furthermore, when dipping is used, not only does the amount of coating generally tend to be excessive, but it is also difficult to adjust the amount of coating. This is because although the amount of coating is strongly correlated with the viscosity of the paint, it is extremely difficult to maintain the viscosity of the paint at a constant M density. The viscosity of the paint also affects the penetration of the paint components into the base material, and in order to achieve uniform coating, the viscosity of the paint must be increased to a certain extent and the coating must be thick. It will be difficult for the whole city to get organized. Furthermore, it is necessary to support the substrate for a while after removing it from the paint tank in order to allow excess paint adhering to it to flow down, but this process takes extra time and also reduces the amount of paint. Uneven application occurs due to sharpness and sag.

Spray painting equipment is also known. However, there is a large loss of paint, and the nozzle is easily clogged due to dust and paint scum in the paint. Therefore, paint management and nozzle maintenance and inspection must be performed frequently, resulting in poor work efficiency and high costs. It has the disadvantage of causing

The present applicant has repeatedly conducted experiments and considerations from the viewpoint of solving the drawbacks of the conventional coating equipment described above, and has developed a coating box that has a supply port for supplying the base material to be coated with paint and an outlet for taking out the coated product. Then, while supplying the paint into the paint box beyond the level of the supply port and take-out port, the pressure inside the paint box is reduced to prevent the paint from coming out from the supply port and take-out port due to the vacuum suction force. Then, while the substrate is moving from the supply port to the take-out port, paint is applied to the entire surface of the base material or a desired surface portion, and the excess adhering to the base material is removed by the high-speed air flow at the take-out port caused by suction. The company has already filed several patent applications for coating devices and coating methods whose main feature is removing paint.

The coating technology proposed by the present applicant maintains the interior of the coating box in a reduced pressure state, and the reduced pressure suction force causes the paint to reach the supply port.
This makes it possible to continuously apply dipping coating to the substrate by preventing wet fields from coming out of the outlet, and also because of the high-speed air flow that flows from the outlet into the coating box due to the reduced pressure suction force. It is capable of wiping off excess paint applied to a substrate and forming a coating film of desired thickness. An auxiliary opening adjusting plate member is attached to the openings of the supply port and the extraction port so that the size and shape of the substrate can be adjusted appropriately, and when the substrate is inserted, the gap between the opening and the cross section of the substrate is By adjusting the gap formed in the opening, the velocity of the air flowing in from the outlet can be adjusted, and the coating thickness can be arbitrarily adjusted.

Although this coating technique can exhibit the excellent effects described above, subsequent research has revealed that it may present some problems in some cases. That is, when the base material is passing through the openings of the supply port and the take-out port, the above-mentioned gap is adjusted appropriately, but when the base material is not present in the above-mentioned openings, the openings remain wide open. left in the condition. This opening surface bond becomes particularly large when the cross-sectional area of the substrate to be coated is large or when the coating thickness is set large. Painting from the opening
In order to prevent wet fields from forming, it is necessary to increase the vacuum suction force in proportion to the size of the opening surface, but this is difficult because the capacity of the pressure reduction means is actually limited. Ta. Also, if the vacuum suction force is too strong,
When the substrate passes through the outlet, the air flow flowing into the coating box from the outlet becomes excessively high-speed, and the paint removal mechanism at the outlet becomes overworked, making it difficult to adjust the application process. This becomes a big problem especially when it is desired to form a relatively thick coating layer on the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems> The present invention has been devised by further devising in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has a relatively small decompression suction force that can be used in the supply port and inlet of the paint box. A coating device that prevents paint from becoming wet at the outlet, and that can always form and maintain a substantially constant negative pressure state in the coating box, regardless of the presence or absence of a base material at the supply and removal ports of the coating box. The purpose is to provide

That is, the present invention, which can achieve such objects, comprises a coating box having at least one pair of a supply port for supplying a substrate to be coated and a take-out port for taking out a coated product; a paint supply means for supplying paint into the paint box above a level; and a decompression means for reducing the pressure inside the paint box in order to prevent the paint from seeping out from the openings of the supply port and the take-out port. The apparatus is characterized in that a movable shield plate is installed on at least one side of the supply port and the take-out port of the coating box, which can adjust the opening surface of the supply port and/or the take-out port. It is a painting device.

The movable shield plate is installed at one or both of the supply port and the take-out port of the coating box. By installing only one of these openings, the capacity of the pressure reducing means to provide the vacuum suction force necessary to prevent paint from seeping out from these openings can be relatively small.

In the case where the movable shielding plate is installed at the outlet, the air flow velocity flowing from the outlet is always maintained almost constant,
It is possible to easily and accurately adjust the amount of paint r= applied to the base material. In the case where movable shielding plates are installed at both the supply port and the take-out port, the area of these openings is always constant regardless of whether or not the substrate passes through, and more precise substrate coating film adjustment can be performed. .

The movable shielding plate allows the base material to be introduced into the coating box through the supply port,
and/or so as to automatically open immediately before being taken out of the paint box through the outlet and automatically close immediately after being introduced and taken out;
Preferably, it is activated automatically, and for this purpose a detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a substrate can be installed behind the supply opening in the transport direction.

〉 While the substrate is transported through the paint filled in the coating box from the supply port to the removal port of the coating box, it is dipped in coating r1 as in the dipping method, and if the surface of the substrate is uneven. Then, the coating material can be easily and efficiently applied or impregnated onto the substrate. A reduced pressure condition is maintained inside the coating box, and air is suctioned at high speed from the outlet, so that excessive paint adhering to the surface of the substrate is removed by the high-speed air flow as it passes through the outlet. The high-velocity air flow dries the product removed from the outlet until it is dry to the touch.

The amount of paint applied to the surface of the substrate depends on factors such as the viscosity of the paint, the reduced pressure inside the coating box (negative pressure), and the conveyance speed of the substrate. The amount of application can be adjusted by appropriately combining and adjusting the amounts. Furthermore, by attaching a secondary air intake to the painting box separately from the pressure reduction means and adjusting the amount of air taken in from this secondary air intake, it is possible to finely adjust the negative pressure inside the painting box. is possible, whereby fine and exact adjustment of the application amount can be achieved.

In addition, the relationship between the dimensions and shape of the outlet and the cross-sectional dimensions of the base material, that is, the gap area formed when the base material passes through the outlet, also depends on the high speed at which the vacuum is sucked from the outlet at this time. Since this is a factor that determines the flow rate of the air flow, the amount of application can be adjusted by adjusting the area of this gap. Furthermore, by appropriately adjusting the f-system between the positions of the supply and outlet openings and the base material, coating films of different thicknesses can be formed on each side of the base material.

Since air is suctioned at high speed from the supply and outlet ports of the paint box by the decompression means, the paint is sufficiently agitated by the large number of air bubbles formed in the paint, ensuring good contact with the substrate. Become. Therefore, coating and impregnation of the paint onto the substrate is promoted, and at the same time, precipitation of solid content and separation of liquid components in the paint are prevented.

Since the base material tends to vibrate vertically and horizontally during transportation within the paint box due to agitation of the paint, it is desirable to prevent this by providing appropriate guide support means between the supply port and the discharge port. If coating surfaces are formed on this guide support means to cover a part of the surface of the substrate across the entire length in the substrate conveyance direction, it is possible to prevent paint from adhering to the portion covered by the coating surface, and to prevent the coating from adhering to the surface of the substrate. The paint can be applied and impregnated only on a desired surface portion or a desired surface.

The movable shielding plate disposed at the supply port and/or the takeout port of the paint box is operated to open and close vertically or horizontally.

When it is opened, the opening f at the supply and outlet ports is:
The openings are maintained wide according to the cross-sectional dimensions and shapes of the substrates to be coated, and when there are no substrates in these openings, they are closed to narrow the opening area and prevent excessive depressurization within the coating box. This prevents the coating f) from dripping out of these openings without the need for suction. Furthermore, the movable shielding plate maintains a constant negative pressure inside the coating box, regardless of the presence or absence of the base material in the supply and removal ports of the coating box. i. More precise and efficient application amount adjustment 3
enable.

It is preferable that the movable shield plate is automatically operated to open the supply port and the take-out port before the substrate passes through the supply port and the take-out port, and to close them after passing therethrough. may be established.

<Embodiment> FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show an embodiment of a coating apparatus according to the present invention. The coating box 10 is formed with a pair of a supply port 11 for supplying the substrate 1 to be coated (FIG. 2) and an outlet 12 for removing the coated substrate.

The opening area of the supply port 11 and the outlet port 12 corresponds to the maximum dimension and shape of the base material assumed in advance, so that the present device can be applied to base materials having various cross-sectional dimensions and shapes. and an adjustable or replaceable aperture adjustment plate that limits the size and shape of these apertures as required. In the illustrated embodiment, the supply port 11 is provided with an aperture adjustment plate 11', and the outlet 12 is provided with an aperture adjustment plate 12'. It functions to limit the area. In order to limit the opening area, a plurality of aperture plates having different aperture dimensions and shapes may be prepared and used interchangeably, or an adjustment plate that adjusts the dimensions and shape in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction may be used. The overall size and shape may be adjusted by combining and adjusting the position of a plurality of adjusting plates "A" for adjusting the size and shape of the aperture adjustment plates 11" and 12°.
Painting on the base material! Before Mj, it is moved in advance to a position that provides a predetermined gap area between it and the base material according to its cross-sectional size and shape, and is fixed at that position during the coating process for the base material having the same cross-sectional size and shape. be done.

The base material is conveyed in the direction of the arrow by a conveyor such as a roller or a conveyor 19n, introduced into the coating box from the supply port 11, guided inside the coating box on a guide bar member 13, passed through the take-out port 12, and is coated. It is taken out of the box and further conveyed in the direction of the arrow by means of conveyance such as rollers or conveyor 19b. As will be described later, a large number of bubbles are formed in the paint in the paint box 10 due to the vacuum suction force, and this may cause the base material passing through the paint to vibrate. A shaft 13a is hung horizontally U-1 on the coating box 10 to support the lower surface of the base material, and a pair of disc-shaped protrusions 13b, 13 are attached to the shaft so as to sandwich both sides of the base material.
b (Fig. 2). Preferably, if these disc-shaped protrusions 13b and IJ are slidably mounted along the axis 13a, they can be shared for suppressing lateral vibrations for substrates of different widths. Furthermore, in order to prevent vibration of the base material in the vertical direction, similar guide bar members may be provided on the upper surface of the base material so as to sandwich the base material from the top, bottom, left and right sides.

A lid 14 is provided to close the open top surface of the coating box 10 for cleaning, maintenance, inspection, etc. inside the coating box 10. As will be described later, the interior of the coating box 10 is configured to be depressurized and maintained in a negative pressure state, and to achieve this purpose, the lid 14 is structured to hermetically seal the coating box.

A paint 11') is supplied to the paint box 10 by a paint supply means 20, and is filled into the paint box beyond the level of the supply port 11 and the outlet 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the paint supply means 20 includes a paint tank 21, a pipe 22, and a pump 23.
It is shown as consisting of.

The pressure reducing means 30 consists of a vacuum pump 31 and piping 32,
The pressure inside the upper air chamber 21° of the paint tank 21 is reduced. This air chamber 21° is communicated with the upper head base 16 of the paint box 10 via a communication ii' 325 formed so as to surround the side wall 15 of the paint box 10, and therefore the paint tank 21
The reduced pressure in the air chamber 21° simultaneously results in a reduced pressure in the head space 16 of the paint box 10. When the viscosity of the paint is relatively high, clogging is likely to occur and cleaning becomes inconvenient, so in order to prevent this from occurring, it is preferable to make the cross-sectional area of the communication passage 25 large. Furthermore, this communication passage 25 serves to collect the paint supplied to the paint box 10 into the paint tank 21 when it overflows from the upper end of the side wall 15, so that the paint liquid in the paint box 10 is Surface adjustment can be achieved.

A plurality of baffle plates 24 are formed so as to protrude diagonally from the upper surface of the coating Fl tank 21 into the upper air chamber 21''.As will be described later, the baffle plates 24 are connected to the vacuum pump by air bubbles formed in the coating in the coating box 10 due to reduced pressure. A gas-liquid separation means is provided which functions so that only air is sucked through the pipe 32 by allowing the outside of the paint sucked together with the air bubbles to adhere thereto, allowing it to drip naturally as shown by the arrow in the figure, and collecting it in the paint tank 21. In this case, in order to return the paint adhering to the baffle plate 24 to the paint tank 21 without drying it, it is desirable to coat the surface of the baffle plate Z4 with a resin, or to pour or spray a solvent on the surface of the baffle plate Z4.

The vacuum pump 31 reduces the pressure in the upper head space 16 of the paint box 10 to a predetermined level via the air chamber 21° of the paint tank 21 and the communication path 25. As the pressure is reduced, air is sucked in at high speed through the openings of the supply port 11 and the take-out port 12, forming bubbles as shown in FIG. 1 and floating in the paint inside the paint box. The movement of the bubbles in the paint causes the paint in the paint box 10 to be vigorously agitated, thereby preventing the solid content in the paint from settling and the liquid components thereof from separating. If foam formation becomes excessive, an antifoaming agent is used as appropriate. Droplets of paint are generated in the head space 16 along with air bubbles, but as described above, during the suction process, the outside of the paint is exposed to the baffle plate 24.
It adheres to the gas and is separated from the gas.

The base material introduced into the coating box 10 from the supply port 11 is immersed in the paint while moving toward the take-out port 12, similar to the dipping method, and the paint sufficiently penetrates into the irregularities on the surface of the base material. be painted. When the substrate approaches the outlet 12, it encounters a high-speed suction of air from there, which blows away the excess paint that has adhered to the surface of the substrate, adjusting the coating amount and making it dry to the touch. dried to a certain extent.

For example, when the pressure reducing means 30 becomes inoperable due to a power outage, etc., the coating F1 in the coating box 10 is
In order to prevent this, it is preferable to provide means for removing the paint.

In the illustrated embodiment, this paint extraction means is normally closed, and is activated as a valve means 35 configured to automatically close when the pressure inside the paint box 10 rises above a predetermined value. It is shown.

The configuration of the device of the present invention described above is similar to that already proposed by the applicant.

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by disposing a movable shielding plate on at least one of the supply port 11 and the discharge port 12 of the coating device 10, which can adjust the opening surface area of these openings. In the illustrated embodiment, a movable shielding plate 17 is provided at the supply port 11, and a movable shielding plate 18 is provided at the outlet 12, respectively.

The movable shielding plates 17 and 18 may be of the same construction and mechanism, and are configured by a single plate member or an assembly of a plurality of divided plate pieces, and are arranged vertically or horizontally with cylinders, gears, etc. It is operated by a known drive mechanism (not shown), and the opening surface of the supply port 11 and the discharge port 12 can be arbitrarily adjusted.

These movable shielding plates 17 and 18 are connected to the supply port 11 of the coating box 10.
In the apparatus of this embodiment, which is installed at the supply port 11 and the take-out port 12, when there is no base material in the coating box 10, the movable shielding plates 17 and 18 are positioned at such a position as to narrow the opening areas of the supply port 11 and the take-out port 12. (hereinafter referred to as the closed position), and when the base material passes through these openings, the position forms an opening surface that is slightly larger than the cross-sectional dimensions of the base material by 6 degrees (hereinafter referred to as the open position). The movable shield plate is actuated and held in this open position during passage of the substrate. In this case, the narrowed openings of the supply port 11 and the outlet 12 are inspected when the movable shielding plate is in the closed position, and the base material passing through these openings when the movable shielding plate is in the open position. Care is taken so that the apex of the gap formed between the cross section and the top of the gap surface is approximately the same.

By providing the movable shielding plates 17, 18 at the supply port 11 and the take-out port 12 in this manner and operating in synchronization with the conveyance of the substrate, the movable shielding plates 17, 18 are always virtually constant, whether the substrate passes through these openings or not. The area of the upper openings can be made approximately constant, and therefore the flow rate of the air flow sucked through these openings by the pressure reducing means 30 is made constant, and the coating film on the substrate can be precisely adjusted. Further, since the narrowed opening area is maintained in this way, the opening 11.
It is possible to prevent paint from seeping out.

Movable shielding plate 17. , 18 are preferably configured to be automatically operated in synchronization with the conveyance of the substrate, and for this purpose,
A detection device 26 that detects the presence or absence of a base material is installed behind the supply port 11 in the base material conveyance direction.

Any type of detection device known in the art can be used, for example, a detection sensor such as a phototube, a limit I-switch, a proximity switch, a linear transformer, or the like. When the base material is not yet in the device and the movable shielding plate 1F,
18 is in the closed position, the detection bag T12
When the arrival of the tip of the substrate immediately below is detected by the detection device 26, after a certain period of time automatically measured by taking into account the distance between the detection device 26 and the supply port 11 and the substrate conveyance speed (i.e., the tip of the substrate is detected) Immediately before the material reaches the supply port 11), the movable shielding plate 17 is automatically operated to move to the open position, and the supply port 11
is opened to enable insertion of the base material from the supply port 11.

Also, after a certain period of time has elapsed, which is automatically measured by taking into account the distance between the detection device 26 and the extraction port 12 and the substrate conveyance speed, (
In other words, just before the base material reaches the outlet 12), the movable shielding plate 1
8 is automatically moved to the open position, the outlet 12 is opened, and the base material can be taken out from the outlet 12.

Similarly, when the detection device 26 detects the rear end of the substrate, the movable shielding plates 17 and 18 are automatically activated after a certain period of time has elapsed to move them to the closed position, and the opening surfaces of the supply port 11 and the extraction port 12 are automatically activated. The invitation is narrowed. In this way, the surface roughness of these openings is automatically adjusted to be almost constant at all times. Detection device 26
In order to operate the movable shielding plates 17, 18 after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the detection, a known timer, pulse generator, etc. may be used as appropriate.

In the illustrated embodiment, the opening adjusting plate 11 is connected to the supply port 11.
An opening adjusting plate 12' and a movable shielding plate 18 are respectively disposed with respect to the outlet 12. Before using this device, the aperture adjusting plate is operated as appropriate depending on the cross-sectional size and shape of the base material to be coated, and fixed at a position where the desired aperture surface is formed, and the base material is coated. The position will be maintained as long as it continues. As a result, the gap between the surface of the opening and the base material when the base material passes through the opening is adjusted to a predetermined image quality. During operation of this device, the movable shielding plate is reciprocated between an open position and a closed position depending on the presence or absence of a base material in the opening, and when no base material is present in the opening, the movable shielding plate closes the opening to the above-mentioned predetermined position. The area is controlled so that the area is approximately equal to the gap area.

<Effects of the invention> Similar to the dipping method, the substrate can be immersed in the paint for painting, allowing efficient painting even when the surface is uneven. The resulting high-speed air flow from the base material outlet removes excess paint that has adhered to the surface of the base material when it is taken out from the outlet, and this phenomenon can be used to adjust the coating film thickness. It can be done easily.

In addition to these effects, the present invention can prevent the coating 1':1 from overflowing from the opening of the coating box with a comparatively small vacuum suction force. Furthermore, the surface area of the opening of the coating box can be maintained almost constant regardless of the presence or absence of a base material, and therefore the flow velocity of the high-speed air flow from the opening can be kept constant.
It becomes possible to more precisely control the coating thickness.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an embodiment of a coating apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 1--2 in FIG. Explanation of symbols 1... Base material 10... Paint box 11... Supply port
12... Outlet 11°, 12'... Opening adjustment plate 1
7. is...Movable shielding plate 20...Paint 11 supply means 21...Paint tank 25...Communication path 26...
・Detection device 30...Decompression means 31...Vacuum pump patent applicant Noda A-ban Co., Ltd. agent Patent attorney Fumi Higashihara Doma Takeda Okibe Fig, 1

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A coating box having at least one pair of a supply port for supplying the base material to be coated and a take-out port for taking out the coated product, and a paint box that extends beyond the level of the supply port and take-out port and into the coating box. In an apparatus having a paint supply means for supplying the paint and a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure inside the paint box in order to prevent the paint from overflowing from the openings of the supply port and the outlet, the supply of the paint to the paint box is provided. A coating device characterized in that a movable shielding plate is installed on at least one side of the supply port and the above-mentioned take-out port, the movable shielding plate being able to adjust the opening area of the supply port and/or the take-out port. (2) The movable shielding plate opens and closes in synchronization with the timing at which the base material is carried into the painting box from the supply port and/or taken out of the painting box from the outlet. A coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: (3) A detection means for detecting the presence or absence of the base material is installed behind the supply port in the conveying direction, and an automatic opening/closing means for automatically opening and closing the movable shielding plate in response to a detection signal from the detection means. A coating device according to claim 2, characterized in that the coating device is provided with: