DEVICE FOR CHANGING MEDIA CONNECTIONS

Abstract

A device for changing processing media has a plurality of supply connections (2) that are arranged on a common carrier (1) and that are displaceable with respect to a tool coupling (3) in a displacement direction (6). Even in the case of a large number of supply connections (2) for the processing media, both a compact design and also a quick change of these supply connections (2) is possible where the carrier (1) is traversed by line segments (4) that, on the one carrier outer side, have supply connections (2) and, on the opposite carrier inner side, have coupling attachments (5) for coupling receptacles (8) of the tool coupling (3) that are arranged on the lateral surface, said tool coupling being mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (7) that extends parallel to the carrier (1) and normal to the displacement direction (6).

Claims

1. A device for changing processing media, said device comprising: a plurality of supply connections arranged on a common carrier and displaceable relative to a tool coupling in a displacement direction; said carrier having a carrier outer side and a carrier inner side opposite thereto; wherein the carrier is traversed by line segments that, on the carrier outer side, have supply connections and, on the carrier inner side, have coupling attachments configured to coact with coupling receptacles of the tool coupling that are arranged on a lateral surface thereof; and wherein said tool coupling is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation extending parallel to the carrier and normal to the displacement direction.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tool coupling is flow-connected to a supply line (9) or a discharge line of an atomizing device.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has a second tool, and one of the tool couplings is flow-connected to the supply line of an atomizing device and another of the tool couplings is flow-connected to a discharge line of an atomizing device.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device has another carrier opposite the carrier with respect to the tool coupling, and said another carrier supports additional coupling attachments.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the carriers are two runs of a revolving belt drive.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the coupling attachments of one of the carriers are staggered relative to the coupling attachments of the other of the carriers.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein the carrier extends in a longitudinal direction and the atomizing device is arranged downstream of the carrier and the tool coupling in said longitudinal direction.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein the supply line opens into a side of an atomizing membrane of the atomizing device facing away from the tool coupling.

9. The device according to claim 2, wherein the atomizing device has a suction head connected to the discharge line and forming suction openings open towards an atomizing membrane of the atomizing device.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling attachments each have two channels receiving different processing media.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein one of the two channels extends in the other of the two channels, wherein the outer channel is subjected to negative pressure as a processing medium.

12. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device has a second tool, and one of the tool couplings is flow-connected to the supply line of the atomizing device and another of the tool couplings is flow-connected to the discharge line of the atomizing device.

13. The device according to claim 2, wherein the device has another carrier opposite the carrier with respect to the tool coupling, and said another carrier supports additional coupling attachments.

14. The device according to claim 3, wherein the device has another carrier opposite the carrier with respect to the tool coupling, and said another carrier supports additional coupling attachments.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein the device has another carrier opposite the carrier with respect to the tool coupling, and said another carrier supports additional coupling attachments.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the carriers are two runs of a revolving belt drive.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein the carriers are two runs of a revolving belt drive.

18. The device according to claim 15, wherein the carriers are two runs of a revolving belt drive.

19. The device according to claim 5, wherein the coupling attachments of one of the carriers are staggered relative to the coupling attachments of the other of the carriers.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the coupling attachments of one of the carriers are staggered relative to the coupling attachments of the other of the carriers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In the drawing, the subject matter of the invention is shown by way of example, wherein:

[0016] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device for changing processing media according to the invention,

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a schematic section along line II-II on a larger scale, with the suction head and the atomizing membrane arranged in a housing, and

[0018] FIG. 3 shows a section of a schematic cross-section through an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention on an enlarged scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] A device according to the invention for changing processing media has, as can be seen in FIG. 1, a displaceable carrier 1 on which several supply connections 2 are arranged. By displacing the carrier 1, the supply connections 2 can be displaced relative to a tool coupling 3 and coupled thereto, whereby processing media provided via the supply connections 2 can be conveyed via the tool coupling 3 to any consumers. A particularly rapid and structurally simple change between different supply connections 2 is achieved, as disclosed in FIG. 2, according to the invention in that the supply connections 2 arranged on the carrier outer side are connected to line segments 4 passing through the carrier 1, which in turn open into coupling receptacles 5 arranged on the carrier inner side. As a result of the fact that the tool coupling 3 is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation 7 extending parallel to the carrier 1 and normal to the direction of displacement 6, when the carrier 1 is displaced in the direction of displacement 6, the coupling attachments 5, which are flow-connected to the supply connections 2 via the line segments 4, can pivot in and out of coupling receptacles 8, arranged on the lateral surface, of the tool coupling 3 and thus create or release a fluid-tight connection with the tool coupling 3. In the coupled, fluid-tight position between coupling attachment 5 and coupling receptacle 8, various consumers can be supplied with different processing media via the tool coupling 3.

[0020] Due to the sectional tangential course of the carrier 1 along the tool coupling 3, the coupling and uncoupling of the coupling attachments 5 can therefore take place by displacing the carrier 1 in only one direction within small travel ranges. The displacement can be effected by driving the carrier 1 or the tool coupling 3, wherein the tool coupling 3 or the carrier 1 can be driven by frictional and/or positive engagement.

[0021] As is disclosed in particular in FIG. 2, the tool coupling 3 can be flow-connected to a supply line 9 and/or a discharge line 10 of an atomizing device 11. Via the supply line 9, the atomizing device 11 can be supplied with coating media, such as liquid or powder paint, as a processing medium. Via the discharge line 10, the atomizing device 11 can be supplied with negative pressure as processing medium, which enables, for example, easy cleaning of the atomizing device 11. The supply line 9 and/or the discharge line 10 can be flow-connected to the tool coupling 3 via a hollow shaft 12, about which the tool coupling 3 rotates. The hollow shaft 12 may have openings on the lateral surface for this purpose, with the openings being arranged in such a way that a fluid connection between coupling receptacles 8 and the hollow shaft 12 is only made possible when the coupling receptacle 8 is fully coupled to a coupling attachment 5.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows that two tool couplings 3 can be provided, wherein one tool coupling 3 is flow-connected to the supply line 9 and the other tool coupling 3 is flow-connected to the discharge line 10. In this way, an atomizing device 11 can be supplied with two different processing media simultaneously. Via the supply line 9, the atomizing device can be supplied with a coating medium which is atomized into fine particles by the atomizing device, while the discharge line 10 can apply a gas flow or negative pressure to the atomizing device 11 to influence the flow behavior of the atomized particles. Each tool coupling 3 may be associated with its own carrier 1, allowing them to be relocated independently. For example, one carrier 1 may include supply connections 2 for negative pressure or gaseous processing media, while the other carrier 1 may include supply connections 2 for coating media. Typically, the diameters of the supply connections 2 for the coating media have a larger diameter than those for providing the vacuum or gaseous processing media.

[0023] In order to be able to accommodate a particularly large number of supply connections 2 in the device according to the invention without having to accept losses with regard to a fast changeover process between different processing media, two carriers 1 can be provided which are opposite each other with regard to the tool coupling 3 and which move in opposite directions. Preferably, the opposing carriers 1 can be two runs of a revolving belt drive. Due to the carriers 1 facing each other, the tool coupling 3 can be connected in a fluid-tight manner from two sides with the coupling attachments 5 and thus with the supply connections 2, which, with appropriate arrangement of the coupling attachments 5 and coupling receptacles 8, further shortens the travel distance when changing the processing media.

[0024] A particularly fast changeover process can be achieved if the coupling attachments 5 of the opposing carriers 1 are offset from each other by a gap, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 2.

[0025] In order that the device according to the invention can be installed in a compact manner in, for example, a robot arm, the carrier 1 can extend in a longitudinal direction. The atomizing device 11 can be positioned downstream of the carrier 1 and the tool coupling 3 in this longitudinal direction.

[0026] In particular, it can be seen from FIG. 2 that the supply line 9 for supplying processing media to a rotationally driven atomizing membrane 13 can open into the atomizing membrane 13. In order to achieve a uniform distribution of the coating medium over the entire surface of the atomizing membrane 13, the supply line 9 can open into the center of the atomizing membrane 13.

[0027] In order to be able to rectify turbulence upstream of the atomizing device 11, and thus improve the coating quality, a suction head 14 can be provided, which is flow-connected to the discharge line 10. The suction head 14 may comprise a housing 15 in which the atomizing membrane 13 is arranged. Negative pressure can be applied to the atomizing device 11 via suction openings 16 (FIG. 1). As a result, turbulences in front of the atomizing device 11 can subsequently be rectified via apertures 17, into which the air located in front of the atomizing device 11 is sucked.

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to the invention. In this embodiment, the coupling attachments 5 have two channels 18a, 18b running into each other for different processing media. In the inner channel 18a, for example, a paint can flow as a processing medium. A vacuum can be applied in the outer channel 18b. In this way, the supply line 9, which is connected via the tool coupling 3 to the coupling attachment 5 of the line segment 4, can be cleaned. Further, by applying the negative pressure, a tight connection can be created between the coupling attachment 5 and the tool coupling 3, so that leakages can be avoided. The coupling attachments 5, which can be connected to the discharge line 10 via the tool coupling 3, can also have channels 18a, 18b for different processing media running into one another. This makes it possible, for example, to switch quickly between different vacuum levels.