WO2023233306A1

WO2023233306A1 - Method and system for applying coatings

Info

Publication number: WO2023233306A1
Application number: PCT/IB2023/055556
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michał ŚWIĘTOSŁAWSKI; Krystian CHUDZIK
Original assignee: Suchar Tools Sp. Z O.O.
Priority date: 2022-06-01
Filing date: 2023-05-31
Publication date: 2023-12-07
Also published as: PL441339A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for applying coatings comprising a printing head (1) with at least one electronic valve (9) connected to at least one nozzle (10), a housing body (11) in which the controller (2) is located and connected to at least one electronic valve (9), a material supply connector (14) in fluid communication with at least one electronic valve (9) and a power supply system (8), wherein the controller (2) is further connected to a communication module (3) for providing data communication with an electronic mobile device (4) equipped with at least one camera (12) and/or a spatial orientation system (13), and the mobile electronic device (4) is attached to the housing body (11). The present invention also relates to a method of applying coatings.

Description

Method and system for applying coatings

The present invention relates to a method and system for applying coatings, in particular protective and decorative and paint coatings, such as paints, inks, and varnishes. The present invention finds its application in painting large flat surfaces, painting elements with complex shapes and textures, marking objects, or applying specific graphics or symbols on a given surface.

Aerosol paint is commonly used to efficiently and conveniently paint surfaces or mark large objects. Paint or varnish in a pressurized container allows easy and quick painting of surfaces, signs, and patterns in almost any place limited only by the reach of the aerosol operator. Practice and/or artistic skills are required to achieve a repeatable and aesthetic mark/painting effect with aerosol paint. Improper use of aerosol paint results in large losses of paint, emission of excess volatile organic compounds, poor painting aesthetics, and the formation of stains or impurities outside the intended painting area.

The answerto the problems identified above is painting with the use of templates. Typically, templates are made in the form of a flat sheet with an opening in the shape of the desired pattern or design, made of a material that is resistant to the carrier/solvent of the ink used. The disadvantage of using templates in physical form is the need to re-produce them each time the shape is changed, and timeconsuming preparation. In addition, templates require storage space, require cleaning, and wear and tear upon multiple use, reducing the accuracy of paintings. It is common practice in the industry to mark objects for identification using aerosol paints and templates, successively within manufacturing and processing plants, shipping, warehousing, transport, agriculture, and end-user applications.

For mass marking of goods with a small painting surface, printers with piezoelectric heads are used. The condition for their operation is to place the nozzle very close to the product, at the right angle. This is most often done along the production line of these goods. The painted surface must be smooth to maintain the high precision of the print. Advanced piezo printers for large areas, called wall plotters, also require a flat surface and precise guidance of the head at a constant distance from the surface to be painted. Typically, to achieve high- quality prints, a robotic arm or other automatic guide system is used to move the plotter head along the surface to be painted. Such solutions give a low level of mobility and make them bulky, difficult to use, and expensive.

The automatic marking systems described above for printing on the surface must be oriented relative to the surface to be painted by determining the starting point, and then the position of the painting head is known only on the basis of the head shift parameters (printing with a wall plotter), the object itself (printing on the production line) or other simple indicators such as changing the position of the encoder wheel for a handheld marking gun, such as the Handjet® wireless handheld printer from EBS Ink-Jet Systems Poland Sp. z o. o. Such control of the painting head does not allow for dynamic correction of paintings, forces the construction of the painting head to be much more complicated in the case of multi-colored prints, limits the number of directions of relative movement of the nozzles and the object, and significantly limits the possibility of painting on nonflat surfaces. In addition, such solutions require the continuity of applying the painting - once started, the application process cannot be interrupted, and its interruption prevents the completion of the assumed painting.

From the description of the Polish patent PL167493B1, there is known a spray painting gun containing a body with a system of channels supplying and cutting off compressed air and paint, with a needle nozzle managing air and paint stream. In the longitudinal axis of the sliding needle, there is a through hole constituting an additional movable air nozzle supporting the main air nozzle. In turn, the description of the Polish patent PL170400B1 discloses a spray gun, especially for applying mineral protective and decorative coatings in the production of fiber-cement products, having a body with a pneumatic cylinder, a channel and an outlet nozzle embedded in the body closed with an air nozzle under a pressure spring. In the spray gun, the body is equipped with a flow- through nozzle holder, and a piston is mounted on the air nozzle to control air flow.

EP3720614A1 discloses an application device for color coatings that includes at least one dispensing unit configured to dispense at least one coating onto a work surface and at least one electronic unit configured to control the coating dispensing unit in a closed or open loop mode. The coating applicator further comprises at least one position and/or surface sensor unit for detecting the location and/or orientation of the agent applicator relative to the work surface, the electronic unit controlling the coating dispensing unit in a closed or open loop mode based on the sensed parameters location and/or orientation.

EP2641661B1 discloses a system for applying graphics by means of a spattering device that includes at least one nozzle adapted to expel material onto a target surface, a nozzle control mechanism adapted to control the characteristics of the expelling of the nozzle, a supply of the spattering material, and a spatial reference unit configured to reference the spattering device in space, taking into account the position and orientation of the spattering device. The spattering device further comprises computational means for automatically controlling the expelling of the material by the nozzle control mechanism based on information obtained from the spatial reference unit and in accordance with predetermined spattering data. The spatial reference unit is located away from the spattering unit and includes at least two 2D optical cameras arranged in a stereo arrangement configured to determine position and orientation by digitally processing the images taken by the cameras. The technical problem faced by the invention is to provide such a method and system for applying coatings that will allow for highly precise application on a predetermined surface and/or in a predetermined pattern, also multicolored coatings. It is also desirable that the method and system for applying the coatings provide a solution that reduces material consumption while retaining the simplicity of design assuring the reliability of use. In addition, it is desirable that the coating system be universal and allow the use of commercially available supplementary equipment. Moreover, it is desirable that the method of applying the coatings allows for dynamic modification of the applied pattern, as well as allows for interrupting the application process and completing the operation at a later date.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a system for applying coatings comprising a printing head with at least one electronic valve connected to at least one nozzle, a housing body in which a controller is located and connected to at least one electronic valve, a material supply connector in fluid communication with at least one electronic valve, and a power supply system, characterized in that the controller is further connected to a communication module to provide data communication with a mobile electronic device equipped with at least one camera and/or spatial orientation system, wherein the mobile electronic device is attached to the housing body.

Preferably, the spatial orientation system comprises at least one element selected from an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, radar, rangefinder or LIDAR.

Preferably, the camera of the mobile electronic device is directed toward the target surface to be coated.

Preferably, the mobile electronic device is detachably mounted to the housing body by means of a handle.

Preferably, the power supply system is a connection to the power grid or a battery. Preferably, the communication module is a wired or wireless connection, preferably in Bluetooth, WiFi, GSM technology.

Preferably, the system for applying coatings further comprises a triggering and controlling element connected to the controller, preferably in the form of a trigger, switch, and/or encoder.

Preferably, the mobile electronic device is a smartphone or tablet device, preferably with a touch screen.

In another aspect, the present invention provide a method of applying coatings, characterized in that it includes the following steps: a) an image of the surface to be coated is taken by means of a camera of a mobile electronic device and spatial orientation parameters of a system for applying coatings are taken by means of a spatial orientation system, b) a virtual template is placed on the captured image, marking areas to be coated, c) the system for applying coatings is moved along the surface to be coated, di) when the spatial orientation system and/or the camera identifies the area of the template to be coated, an electronic valve is opened by means of the controller, for applying the coating material through at least one nozzle, dz) when the spatial orientation system and/or camera identifies an area of the template that is not to be coated, the electronic valve is closed by means of the controller to stop applying the coating material through at least one nozzle.

Preferably, the multicolored coatings are applied in an additive manner, one color after the other, while maintaining the position of the virtual template.

Preferably, the image with the virtual template applied is displayed on the display of the mobile electronic device.

Preferably, the virtual template is modified via the mobile electronic device. The system for applying coatings according to the invention is a portable device, powered by a battery or a power grid, it allows for controlled, precise, and loss- free coating application on a selected area defined by means of a virtual template generated by the software of the mobile electronic device. The system for applying coatings as well as the method of applying coatings according to the present invention eliminates the loss of coating material during application to the target surface. In addition, the need for the use of physical templates for painting precise shapes using aerosol paints has been eliminated. Users of the system for applying coatings of the invention do not need to have the experience and skills required for the precise and aesthetic application of paints and varnish coatings. The use of the invention significantly reduces the time of applying paintings, especially in the form of complex shapes, patterns, and markings. The method of applying coatings according to the invention allows to refer the template to absolute systems (e.g. vertical, horizontal, controlled deviation from vertical/horizontal) and relative (e.g. along an existing line or edge, around a selected object or on an object that differs in color, contrast, height or gloss from the background). The invention is used in marking objects, finishing works, and renovation. In addition, the present invention is used in art and applied art, as well as in the semi-automatic marking and cataloging of objects and products. The computer program implemented in the system for applying coatings allows the user to define an object marking template in any format and size (e.g., an image, a series of numbers and digits, a barcode, a QR code). The correct location of the virtual template is determined based on the image from the camera of the mobile electronic device (manually using the user interface in the application or automatically thanks to the characteristics of the marked object and the preference of the location of the marking predefined in the application).

The solution of the invention is illustrated in the following embodiments and illustrated in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a coating system according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a process for applying a patterned coating by means of the system for applying coatings and Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a method of applying coatings according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Example 1

An embodiment of the system for applying coatings of the present invention is illustrated by a schematic side view in Fig. 1. The depicted embodiment of the system for applying coatings takes the form of a manual paint gun, but this embodiment is not limited to the scope of the present invention. As detailed in Fig. 1, the system for applying coatings comprises a printing head 1 including a set of electronic valves 9 with nozzles 10. The head 1, which includes electronic valves 9 with nozzles 10, is a construction commonly used and known in the construction of manual paint guns, therefore, for the sake of clarity, the disclosure will not be described in detail here.

The printing head 1 usually contains a set of 8 to 124 electronic valves 9 (solenoid or piezoelectric), with nozzles 10 (single-point distribution) with diameters ranging from 5 pm to 1500 pm, arranged in a line.

The printing head 1 of the system for applying coatings is detachably mounted to a housing body 11, in which controller 2 is located. The controller 2 is communicated with the electronic valves 9 located in head 1 and also is communicated with the communication module 3. In the present embodiment of the system for applying coatings, the communication module 3 is implemented via a connection port extending outside the housing body 11. The connection port provides a port for connection to a mobile electronic device 4, such as a smartphone, and includes a complementary connector to the mobile electronic device 4 connector. In alternative embodiments of the system for applying coatings, the communication module 3 may be implemented via wireless communication means, such as (without limiting the scope of the invention), a Bluetooth module, GSM, WiFi, etc. provided that wireless communication is provided with a supplementary module in the mobile electronic device 4. As shown in Fig. 1, holder 6 is attached to housing body 11 for stable and detachable mounting of the mobile electronic device 4. Importantly, mobile electronic device 4 is equipped with, i.e. at least one camera 12, and in the position mounted in the holder 6, the camera 12 of the mobile electronic device 4 is directed towards the work surface on which the target coating is to be applied. The mobile electronic device 4 is equipped with a spatial orientation system 13 to provide real-time parameters of the position, orientation and/or movement of the system for applying coatings. A non-limiting list of components of the spatial orientation system 13 includes a gyroscope, accelerometer, range finder, radar, magnetometer, LIDAR as known to the skilled person in the art to whom this description is addressed. The spatial orientation system 13 and the camera 12 acquire parameters regarding the position, orientation and/or movement of the system for applying coatings in a processed or unprocessed form via the communication module 3 to the controller 2 to provide control signals for the operation of the electronic valves 9.

System for applying coatings of the present invention further includes a material supply connector 14 that provides fluid communication with nozzles 10 located in the printing head 1. In the present embodiment of the invention, the material supply connector 14 extends from the head 1, however, this is not a limitation of the scope of the invention and in alternative embodiments it is possible to arrange the material supply connector 14 in a different area of the housing body 11 to provide a fluid communication with the nozzles 10. The material supply connector 14 is the connector to which a container s with material to be sprayed is connected that can be implemented in the form of a can (e.g., the pressurize packs with paints and varnishes commonly used in the field of technology) or a compressor (stationary or portable). The material to be sprayed is fed from container 5 into the system for applying coatings, typically at a pressure of 0.1 bar to 8 bar. The system for applying coatings of the present invention further comprises the power supply system 8 which, in the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, takes the form of a lithium-ion battery commonly used in handheld spray guns or power tools. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the power supply system 8 may be connected to the power grid in the form of a power cable.

In addition, the system for applying coatings of the present invention includes an optional triggering and controlling element 7, which in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 takes the form of a trigger button and/or an encoder. Triggering and controlling element 7 provides additional control to the system for applying coatings and provides an additional trigger signal (direct or indirect, wired or wireless) to the controller 2. Triggering and controlling element 7 allows for simplified operation and control of the system for applying coatings enabling i.e. locking the template in space, its scaling, manual calibration, cleaning and maintenance of the system, or manual control of the electronic valves 9 bypassing the virtual template without the need to use the touch screen of the mobile electronic device 4.

The mobile electronic device 4 attached via the holder 6 to the housing body 11 of the system for applying coatings of the present invention includes a processor chip and a memory where a computer program is stored whose instructions are executed by the processor chip.

The computer program contained in the mobile electronic device 4 provides AR (Augmented Reality) functionality and provides control signals to the controller 2, which manages the operation of the electronic valves 9. In fact, the computer program allows the placement of a graphic template in the virtual space, which defines where the user of the system for applying coatings wants to coat. The coating is applied by bringing the system for applying coatings close to the virtual template within the spraying distance of the coating material. The distance, orientation and/or movement of the system for applying coatings are sensed via the spatial orientation system 13 and/or the camera 12 of the mobile electronic device 4. In fact, in the position of the system for applying coatings where the distance from the work surface is appropriate for successfully applying the coating for a given model of the nozzle 11, and the spatial position and orientation of the system for applying coatings correspond to the area of the template that has been virtually applied to the work surface, the signals from the spatial orientation system 13 and/or the camera 12 of the mobile electronic device 4 are sent via the communication module 3 to the controller 2, which, by sending appropriate control signals to the electronic valve 9, causes its opening and, as a result, spraying the coating material collected by the given nozzle 10 from the container 5 with the material to be sprayed. When the system for applying coatings is moved beyond the spray area of the virtual template, as indicated by the spatial orientation system 13 and/or the camera 12 of the mobile electronic device 4, controller 2 sends a signal to close the electronic valve 9, and the coating application is stopped. In this way, the system for applying coatings of the present invention coats the target surface precisely in the region of a virtual template applied to the work surface in a virtual space provided by a computer program in a mobile electronic device 4. The user can freely select and modify the templates and their position on the target surfaces via an interface built into the mobile electronic device 4. The use of multiple nozzles 10, which are individually actuated via dedicated electronic valves 9, controlled individually via the controller, also allows multicolored images to be applied to the work surface. Importantly, the template placed in the virtual space remains anchored in a given position, which, using the additive technique, allows for multi-color images to be made by changing the containers 5 and applying individual color coatings one after the other.

Example 2

An embodiment of a method of applying coatings of the present invention is illustrated by a flow chart in Fig. 3. The illustrated embodiment of the method of applying coatings is implemented in a system for applying coatings as shown in Example 1 and includes a step where a surface image is acquired, on which the coating is to be applied. This image is acquired via camera 12 of the mobile electronic device 4, which is represented by block 101 in Fig. 3. At the same time, spatial orientation parameters are acquired via the spatial orientation system 13 of the mobile electronic device 4, which is also represented via block 101. Then, in block 102, through the environment for creating applications using augmented reality (AR software development kit, e.g. the open ARCore platform), based on the data gathered in block 101, the real space surrounding the system for applying coatings is mapped in virtual space, resulting in the definition of the virtual space (in block 103).

In the next step of the method of applying coatings of this invention, the design of the virtual template taken in block 104 is placed in block 105 in the virtual space image. Based on the data collected via the spatial orientation system 13 of the mobile electronic device 4, block 106 calibrates the position of the system for applying coatings, and in particular the position of the mobile electronic device 4. At the same time, the position of nozzle 10 in block 107 is calibrated. Further, in block 108, after obtaining the calibration data from blocks 106 and 107, the position of at least one nozzle 10 is calibrated relative to the virtual template.

In the next step of the method of applying coatings, the system for applying coatings is moved along the surface to be coated, while controller 2 verifies the fulfillment of the conditions (block 109):

• when the spatial orientation system 13 and/or camera 12 identify the area of the template to be coated, electronic valve 9 is actuated via controller 2 (block 110) to apply coating material through at least one nozzle 10,

• when spatial orientation system 13 and/or camera 12 identify the area of the template that is not to be coated, the electronic valve 9 is closed via controller 2 (block 110) to stop the application of the coating material through at least one nozzle 10.

The coating is applied to the surface by moving the system for applying coatings near the target surface until the entire surface defined by the virtual template is coated. Fig. 2 shows a user applying a coating to a target surface using a virtual template. In addition, the system for applying coatings allows for automated capturing and saving of a photo of the marked object, marking symbol (shape/image/numerical values of a virtual template), GPS location of the marking made. These data enable automatic transmission (by means of communication systems of a mobile electronic device 4), cataloging, and archiving of completed projects in the user's database.

In addition, in one embodiment of the method of applying coatings of the present invention, it is possible to apply multi-color coatings, whereby they are applied in an additive manner, one color after another while maintaining the position of the virtual template. By maintaining the position of the virtual template in the created virtual space, it is possible to change container 5 with the material to be applied and apply several colors on one template or sub-template for a given color.

Moreover, in one embodiment of the method of applying coatings according to the present invention, the image with the applied virtual template is displayed on the display of the mobile electronic device 4, which facilitates the execution of the given pattern by the user.

Moreover, in one embodiment of the method of applying coatings of the present invention, the virtual template is modified via the mobile electronic device 4 during the application, allowing the image to be dynamically changed. List of reference numbers:

1 - printing head

2 - controller

3 - communication module 4 - mobile electronic device

5 - container with material to be sprayed

6 - handle

7 - triggering and controlling element

8 - power supply system 9 - electronic valve

10 - nozzle

11 - housing body

12 - camera

13 - spatial orientation system 14 - material supply connector

Claims

1. A system for applying coatings comprising a printing head (1) with at least one electronic valve (9) connected to at least one nozzle (10), a housing body (11) in which a controller (2) is located and connected to at least one electronic valve (9), a material supply connector (14) in fluid communication with at least one electronic valve (9) and a power supply system (8), characterized in that the controller (2) is further connected to a communication module (3) to ensure data communication with an electronic mobile device (4) equipped with at least one camera (12) and/or a spatial orientation system (13), wherein the mobile electronic device (4) is attached to the housing body (11).

2. The system for applying coatings according to claim 1, characterized in that the spatial orientation system (13) comprises at least one element selected from an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, radar, rangefinder or LIDAR.

3. The system for applying coatings according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the camera (12) of the mobile electronic device (4) is directed to the side of the target surface to which the coating is to be applied.

4. The system for applying coatings according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mobile electronic device (4) is detachably mounted to the housing body (11) by means of the handle (6).

5. The system for applying coatings according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the power supply system (8) is a connection to the power grid or battery.

6. The system for applying coatings according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the communication module (3) is a wired or wireless connection, preferably in Bluetooth, WiFi, or GSM technology.

7. The system for applying coatings according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it additionally comprises a triggering and controlling element (7) connected to the controller (2), preferably in the form of a trigger, a switch and/or encoder.

8. The system for applying coatings according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the mobile electronic device (4) is a smartphone or tablet device, preferably with a touchscreen display.

9. A method of applying coatings, characterized in that it includes steps in which: a) an image of the target surface is taken by means of a camera (12) of a mobile electronic device (4) and spatial orientation parameters of a system for applying coatings are taken by means of a spatial orientation system (13), b) a virtual template is placed on the captured image, marking areas to be coated, c) the system for applying coatings is moved along the surface on which the coating is to be applied, wherein di) when the spatial orientation system (13) and/or the camera (12) identifies the area of the template to be coated, the electronic valve (9) is opened by means of the controller (2) for applying a coating material through at least one nozzle (10), dz) when the spatial orientation system (13) and/or the camera (12) identifies the area of the template not to be coated, the electronic valve (9) by means of the controller (2) to stop applying the coating material through at least one nozzle (10). The method of applying coatings according to claim 9, characterized in that multi-colored coatings are applied in an additive manner, one color after the other while maintaining the position of the virtual template. The method of applying coatings according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the image with the applied virtual template is displayed on the display of the mobile electronic device (4). The method of applying coatings according to any of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the virtual template is modified via the mobile electronic device (4).