DEVICE FOR LACQUER TRANSFER

Abstract

A device for lacquer transfer is disclosed having a frame, a transfer roller with a circumferential lateral wall, and a slit nozzle for dispensing lacquer, wherein an outside contact surface of the lateral wall includes several depressions. The transfer roller is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation to the frame, wherein the slit nozzle is arranged for dispensing lacquer into respective depressions in the lateral wall while the transfer roller is rotated about the axis of rotation, wherein the transfer roller is configured to roll with the outside contact surface on a work surface of a work piece for transferring the lacquer from the depressions to the work surface of the work piece, wherein the slit nozzle at its muzzle end includes an upper lip and a lower lip as well as a slit between the upper and lower lips for dispensing lacquer.

Claims

1. A device for lacquer transfer, comprising a frame, a transfer roller with a circumferential lateral wall, and a slit nozzle with a muzzle end for dispensing lacquer, wherein the slit nozzle is connected to the frame, wherein an outside contact surface of the lateral wall comprises several depressions, wherein the transfer roller is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation to the frame, wherein the slit nozzle is arranged contactless to or in direct contact with the outside contact surface of the lateral wall for dispensing lacquer into respective depressions in the lateral wall while the transfer roller is rotated about the axis of rotation, wherein the transfer roller is configured to roll with the outside contact surface on a work surface of a work piece for transferring the lacquer from the depressions to the work surface of the work piece, wherein the slit nozzle at its muzzle end comprises an upper lip and a lower lip as well as a slit between the upper and lower lips for dispensing lacquer, wherein the slit nozzle at its muzzle end comprises lacquer guide elements limiting the slit at its opposite lateral ends to avoid irregularities at lateral sides of a transferred lacquer track.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lacquer guide elements at their sides facing each other comprise sharp edges.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the upper lip projects further in the direction to the transfer roller than the lower lip.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the lacquer guide elements project further in the direction to the transfer roller than the lower lip.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the lacquer guide elements project as far as the upper lip in the direction to the transfer roller.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the slit nozzle comprises an upper part including the upper lip, a lower part including the lower lip, and a spacer device arranged between the upper and lower parts and defining the distance between the upper and lower parts, and wherein the spacer device comprises side walls limiting the slit at its lateral ends, and wherein the lacquer guide elements are formed as extensions of the side walls in the direction to the transfer roller.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lacquer guide elements have a cubic shape.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the lacquer guide elements have a plate shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Further features, advantages and application possibilities of the present invention may be derived from the following description of exemplary embodiments and/or the figures. Thereby, all described and/or visually depicted features for themselves and/or in any combination may form an advantageous subject matter and/or features of the present invention independent of their combination in the individual claims or their dependencies. Furthermore, in the figures, same reference signs may indicate same or similar objects.

[0028] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a part of an aircraft wherein a device arranged for transferring lacquer on an upper wing surface.

[0029] FIG. 2a schematically illustrates an embodiment of the device in a cross-sectional view.

[0030] FIG. 2b illustrates a perspective detailed view of the muzzle end of the slit nozzle.

[0031] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a part of the lateral wall of the transfer roller in a cross-sectional view.

[0032] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a further embodiment of the lateral wall of the transfer roller in a top view.

[0033] In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating particular principles, discussed below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

[0034] Some embodiments will now be described with reference to the Figures.

[0035] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an aircraft 42, which comprises a fuselage 44 and a wing 46. The air resistance of the aircraft 42 can be reduced, if the upper wing surface 48 of the wing 46 comprises a profile structure. It has been found of advantage, if this profile structure is a microstructure.

[0036] FIG. 1 also schematically shows a robot 50, which is seated on a rack 54. The robot 50 comprises a movable robot arm 52. A device 2 is mounted at an end of the robot arm 52, such that the device 2 can be moved by the robot 50.

[0037] The device 2 is configured for transferring a lacquer onto a work surface 32 of a workpiece 34. According to the example shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece 34 can be formed by the wing 46 of the aircraft 42. Thus, the upper wing surface 48 can form the work surface 32.

[0038] A first embodiment of the device 2 is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b in a cross-sectional view. The device 2 comprises a frame 4, a transfer roller 6 with a circumferential lateral wall 8, a drive unit 10, a slit nozzle 12 with a muzzle end 14 for dispensing lacquer, and a deformation unit 16. The transfer roller 6 may also be referred to as a transfer tire. The device 2 can be attached via the frame 4 to the robot arm 52. However, instead of a robot 50 any other handling device may also be used, which is configured to move the device 2 in space. The frame 4 may be adapted to be releasably connected to a handling device, such as the robot 50.

[0039] The transfer roller 6 is mounted rotatably, in particular by means of at least one bearing, about an axis of rotation 22 at the frame 4. An outside contact surface 18 of the lateral wall 8 comprises several depressions 20. The depressions 20 may be evenly or stochastically distributed about the circumference of the lateral wall 8. The FIGS. 3 and 4 show a part of the transfer roller 6 in a cross-section view and a top view, respectively.

[0040] As schematically indicated in FIG. 3, the depressions 20 can be formed by recesses arranged at the outside surface 18 of the lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6. The depressions 20 can have a predefined size and/or structure. A mean structure size of the depressions 20 can be in the range of 0.1 micrometer to 100 micrometer. In other words, each of the depressions 20 may have a microstructure.

[0041] FIG. 4 exemplarily shows the depressions 20 of a part of the lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6 in a top view. Each of the depressions 20 may comprise an elongated extension in a circumferential direction U of the lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6.

[0042] Each of the depressions 20 is configured to receive lacquer and to transfer this received lacquer to a work surface 32 of a work piece 34, such as the upper wing surface 48 of a wing 26. Therefore, the several depressions 20 at the outside contact surface 18 of the lateral wall 8 may be arranged and/or formed according to a predefined structure, in particular a microstructure. The lateral wall 8 may be made of silicone, such that a damage of the wing surface 48 can be prevented.

[0043] If the depressions 20 are filled with a lacquer and if the outside contact surface 18 comes into contact with the work surface 32, in particular the upper wing surface 48, the lacquer previously received in the depressions 20 is transferred to the work surface 32, in particular the upper outside surface 48 of the aircraft 42. This transferred lacquer has a structure, in particular microstructure, corresponding to a structure defined by depressions 20. Thus, the outside contact surface 18 with its depressions 20 is configured for embossing a lacquer-structure, in particular a lacquer-microstructure, on the work surface 32, in particular the upper wing surface 48.

[0044] As schematically illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the slit nozzle 12 is directly or indirectly connected to the frame 4. Thus, the slit nozzle 12 may be mounted to the frame 4. Furthermore, the deformation unit 16 is directly or indirectly connected to the frame 4. For instance, the deformation unit 16 may be mounted on the frame 4. According to an example not illustrated in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the slit nozzle 12 and the deformation unit 16 may be formed by an integrated unit. But the slit nozzle 12 may also be directly connected to the deformation unit 16, or vice versa. Thus, the slit nozzle 12 and the deformation unit 16 may be mounted in series to the frame 4.

[0045] The device 2 also comprises the drive unit 10. The drive unit 10 is configured to drive the transfer roller 6 in a rotation direction K about the axis of rotation 22.

[0046] The lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6 is elastically deformable in a radial direction R of the transfer roller 6. The lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6 can be made of an elastomer plastic, a silicone or any other elastically deformable plastic material. The lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6 may be made of a synthetic, elastically deformable silicone. As a result, the lateral wall 8 can be at least section-wise deformed in positive or negative radial direction R. The deformation unit 16 is configured to deform the lateral wall 8 in the radial direction R of the transfer roller 6 upstream from the slit nozzle 12 to provide a stable distance of the lateral wall 8 to the muzzle end 14 of the slit nozzle 12 for a defined application of lacquer to the outside contact surface 18 of the lateral wall 8. If references made to the radial direction R, this may refer to the positive radial direction R or an opposite negative radial direction.

[0047] The device 2 further comprises a hardening unit 60. The hardening unit 60 is configured for hardening the lacquer in a contactless way. The hardening unit 60 is formed by an UV-light unit. The hardening unit 60 is directly or indirectly connected to the frame 4. Moreover, the hardening unit 60 is arranged within the interior space 36 formed by the transfer roller 6. The lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6 is configured to transmit UV-light-waves. Thus, the lateral wall 8 is transparent for UV-light. The hardening unit 60 is arranged, such that UV-light is emitted towards the work surface 32 upon which the lateral wall 8 of the transfer roller 6 rolls. The lacquer is hardenable via UV-light. Therefore, the device is configured to control the drive unit 10 and/or the hardening unit 60 such that lacquer transferred to the work surface 32 is immediately hardened via UV-light emitted by the hardening unit 60.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the slit nozzle 12 at its muzzle end 14 comprises an upper lip 62 remote from the work surface 32, and a lower lip 64 nearer to the work surface 32, as well as a slit 66 between the upper and lower lips 62, 64 for dispensing lacquer. The upper and lower lips 62, 64 are straight and parallel to one another, so that slit 66 has constant thickness. The slit nozzle 12 at its muzzle end 14 comprises lacquer guide elements 68 limiting the slit 66 at its opposite lateral ends 70 to avoid irregularities at lateral sides of a transferred lacquer track 72 on the work surface 32.

[0049] The lacquer guide elements 68 have a cubic shape and at their sides facing each other and facing the transfer roller have sharp edges 74 for forming a lacquer track 72 with defined, regular lateral sides.

[0050] The upper lip 62 of the slit nozzle 12 projects further in the direction to the transfer roller 6 than the lower lip 64. The lacquer guide elements 68, specifically the sharp edges 74 of the lacquer guide elements 68, project as far as the upper lip 62 in the direction to the transfer roller 6.

[0051] Further, the slit nozzle 12 comprises an upper part 76 including the upper lip 62, a lower part 78 including the lower lip 64, and a spacer device 80 arranged between the upper and lower parts 76, 78 to define the distance between the upper and lower parts 76, 78, and thus the thickness of the slit 66. The spacer device 80 comprises side walls 82 limiting the slit 66 at its lateral ends 70. The lacquer guide elements 68 are formed as extensions of the side walls 82 in the direction to the transfer roller 6.

[0052] It is additionally pointed out that comprising does not rule out other elements, and a or an does not rule out a multiplicity. It is also pointed out that features that have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be disclosed as in combination with other features of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as restrictive.

[0053] While at least one exemplary embodiment is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.