Device for lacquer transfer

Abstract

A device and method for lacquer transfer includes a lacquer application unit and at least one of a masking application unit and a masking removal unit, the application unit for applying lacquer to a work surface, wherein the masking application unit is configured to apply a masking to the work surface and is attached to the lacquer application unit so the masking application unit is moved in the application direction ahead of the lacquer application unit across the work surface when the lacquer application unit is moved across the work surface in the application direction. The masking removal unit can remove a previously applied masking from the work surface and is attached to the lacquer application unit such that the masking removal unit is moved in the application direction behind the lacquer application unit across the work surface when the lacquer application unit is moved across the work surface in the application direction.

Claims

1. A device for lacquer transfer comprising: a lacquer applicator configured, while moving in an application direction across a work surface of a work piece, to apply lacquer with a defined lacquer structure to the work surface; a masking applicator, which is configured to apply a masking to the work surface and is attached to the lacquer applicator such that the masking application moves in the application direction ahead of the lacquer applicator across the work surface when the lacquer applicator moves across the work surface in the application direction; and a masking remover, which is configured to remove the masking, which is a previously applied masking, from the work surface and is attached to the lacquer applicator such that the masking remover moves in the application direction behind the lacquer applicator across the work surface when the lacquer applicator moves across the work surface in the application direction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the masking applicator comprises: a reservoir configured to hold a masking material; and a feeder unit configured to transport the masking material from the reservoir to the work surface.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the masking applicator comprises a pick-and-place unit for selectively picking the masking material from the reservoir and placing the masking material on the work surface.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein: the reservoir is configured to provide the masking material in discontinuous sheets of predetermined size; or the reservoir is configured to provide the masking material in continuous form.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein: the reservoir is configured to provide the masking material in discontinuous sheets of predetermined size; or the reservoir is configured to provide the masking material in continuous form.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the masking applicator comprises a cutting arrangement configured for cutting the masking material in at least one of a direction extending perpendicular to the application direction and a direction extending parallel to the application direction.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the masking applicator comprises a press roller for pressing the masking material to the work surface.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the masking remover comprises: a pick-up device configured for lifting the masking from the work surface; and at least one removal delimiter configured to temporarily exert a pressure onto lacquer applied by the lacquer applicator to the work surface for delimiting an area in which the lacquer detaches from the work surface when the pick-up device lifts the masking from the work surface.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein: the at least one removal delimiter comprises a rearward removal delimiter; the pick-up device is arranged between the lacquer applicator and the rearward removal delimiter; and the rearward removal delimiter is configured to exert a pressure onto the lacquer applied by the lacquer applicator to the work surface for delimiting the area in which the lacquer detaches from the work surface when the pick-up device lifts the masking from the work surface in a direction extending antiparallel to the application direction; and/or wherein: the at least one removal delimiter comprises a forward removal delimiter; the forward removal delimiter is between the lacquer applicator and the pick-up device; and the forward removal delimiter is configured to exert a pressure onto the lacquer applied by the lacquer applicator to the work surface for delimiting the area in which the lacquer detaches from the work surface when the pick-up device lifts the masking from the work surface in a direction extending parallel to the application direction.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the at least one removal delimiter is formed as a blade or scraper for cutting the lacquer applied to the work piece.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein: the masking remover is movably attached to the lacquer applicator such that the masking remover can be held stationary relative to the work surface for a predetermined period of time to enable removal of the masking while at least the lacquer applicator moves in the application direction at a predetermined velocity; and/or the masking applicator is movably attached to the lacquer applicator such that the masking applicator can be held stationary relative to the work surface for a predetermined period of time to enable application of the masking while at least the lacquer applicator moves in the application direction at the predetermined velocity.

12. A method of operating a device for lacquer transfer, the method comprising: providing the device for lacquer transfer, the device comprising: a lacquer applicator that is movable in an application direction across a work surface of a work piece, to apply lacquer with a defined lacquer structure to the work surface; a masking applicator that can apply a masking to the work surface and is attached to the lacquer applicator such that the masking application moves in the application direction ahead of the lacquer applicator across the work surface when the lacquer applicator moves across the work surface in the application direction; and a masking remover that can remove the masking, which is a previously applied masking, from the work surface and is attached to the lacquer applicator such that the masking remover moves in the application direction behind the lacquer applicator across the work surface when the lacquer applicator moves across the work surface in the application direction; applying, using the masking applicator, a first masking to the work surface while moving the device in the application direction; applying lacquer, using the lacquer applicator, to the work surface in an area where the work surface has previously been covered with the first masking; moving the device in the application direction such that lacquer is applied on the first masking and directly onto the work surface; applying, using the masking applicator, a second masking to the work surface while moving the device in the application direction; moving the device in the application direction until the lacquer is being applied in an area where the work surface has previously been covered with the second masking; and stopping application of the lacquer to the second masking and the work surface.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising: removing, using the masking remover, the first masking when the lacquer is being applied directly onto the work surface; removing, using the masking remover, the second masking after application of the lacquer has been stopped.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: pressing, using a press roller of the masking applicator, the masking material to the work surface; lifting, using a pick-up device of the masking remover, the masking from the work surface; temporarily exerting, using at least one removal delimiter of the masking remover, a pressure onto the lacquer applied to the work surface by the lacquer applicator for delimiting an area in which the lacquer detaches from the work surface when the pick-up device lifts the masking from the work surface; and removing the first masking using the masking remover comprises: exerting, using the forward removal delimiter, a pressure onto lacquer already applied onto the work surface by the lacquer applicator; and lifting, using the pick-up device, the first masking from the work surface while the pressure is applied by the forward removal delimiter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein removing the second masking using the masking remover comprises: exerting, using the at least one removal delimiter, a pressure onto lacquer already applied onto the work surface by the lacquer applicator; and lifting, using the pick-up device, the second masking from the work surface while the pressure is applied by a rearward removal delimiter of the at least one removal delimiter.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one removal delimiter is formed as a blade or scraper for cutting the lacquer applied to the work piece; and wherein: removing the first masking and/or the second masking from the work surface comprises moving the masking remover relative to the lacquer applicator such that the masking remover is held stationary relative to the work surface while the first masking and/or the second masking is removed from the work surface using the masking remover, while the lacquer applicator continues to move in the application direction; and/or applying the first masking and/or the second masking to the work surface comprises moving the masking applicator relative to the lacquer applicator such that the masking applicator is held stationary relative to the work surface while the first masking and/or the second masking is applied to the work surface using the masking applicator, while the lacquer application applicator unit continues to move in the application direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following the disclosure herein will be described in more details with reference to example embodiments of devices shown in the drawings, wherein:

(2) FIGS. 1a through 1e show an example embodiment of a method for operating a device for lacquer transfer;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an example embodiment of a device for lacquer transfer comprising a masking removal unit and a masking application unit;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an example embodiment of a device for lacquer transfer comprising a masking application unit; and

(5) FIGS. 4a through 4c show an example embodiment of a device for lacquer transfer comprising a masking removal unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) In the following description of the Figures, like elements of the drawings will be designated with like reference numerals.

(7) FIGS. 1a through 1e show an example embodiment method of operating a device 1 for lacquer transfer using a simplified drawing of a device 1. The device 1 comprises a lacquer application unit 3 with a frame 5, a transfer roller 7 and a lacquer dispensing unit 9. The transfer roller 7 is rotatably attached to the frame 5 and can be driven in rotation by a drive or motor not shown in the drawings. The motor may, for example, be arranged inside the transfer roller 7.

(8) The device 1 is attached to a robot arm 11 of a robot which is only partly shown in the Figures. The robot arm 11 moves the device 1 across a work surface 13 of a work piece 15 in an application direction 17 at a constant and predetermined velocity. The transfer roller 7 is configured to roll with an outside contact surface 8 on the work surface 13 of the work piece 15 for transferring a structure provided on the outside contact surface 8 in lacquer dispensed by the lacquer dispensing unit 9 to the work surface 13 of the work piece 15 to create the defined lacquer structure on the work surface 13. The structure on the outside contact surface 8 is not shown in the Figures as it is a microstructure that is not visible at the scale in which the drawings are provided. The work piece 15 may, for example, be a wing of an aircraft and the work surface 13 may be a surface which is subject to flow surrounding the wing when the aircraft is in flight.

(9) The device 1 further comprises a masking application unit and a masking removal unit. The structures of these units are not shown in FIGS. 1a to 1e to keep the drawings as intelligible as possible. Instead a first and a second masking element 19a, 19b are shown in the Figures to facilitate understanding of the operation of the masking application unit and the masking removal unit.

(10) As indicated by a rotating arrow 21 in FIG. 1a, in a first step a first masking element 19a is dispensed using the masking application unit onto the work surface 13. Afterwards the device 1 is lowered in a downward direction 23 onto the work piece 15 in an area which has previously been covered by the first masking element 19a. In this way the first masking element 19a forms a first masking 25a as shown in FIG. 1b. By providing a first masking 25a and afterwards lowering the device 1 onto the first masking 25a before commencing applying lacquer onto the work surface 13 irregularities in the structure applied in lacquer to the work surface 13 are prevented.

(11) FIG. 1c shows in dashed lines the original position in which the device 1 had been lowered onto the work piece 15. The device 1 has meanwhile been moved by the robot arm 11 in the application direction 17 for some distance as indicated by the device 1 shown in continuous lines. Lacquer 27 with an embossed microstructure has been transferred from the lacquer dispensing unit 9 to the work surface 13 and the first masking 25a formed by the first masking element 19a. While the device 1 has been moved forward, the masking removal unit has been used to fold the first masking element 19a upwards whereby the first masking 25a is automatically removed from the work surface 13. Advantageously no manual work was required to apply and remove the first masking 25a.

(12) In FIG. 1d, the position of the device 1 of FIG. 1c is shown in dashed lines. The device 1 is additional shown in two further positions in continues lines. In the left of the two positions, the device 1 has been moved by the robot arm 11 close to a position in which application of lacquer with the embossed structure will be stopped. While the device 1 is continuously being moved forward, the second masking element 19b is dispensed on the work surface 13 by lowering it towards the work piece 13 as indicated by a rotating arrow 29. Note that when the second element 19b is lowered onto the work piece 13, the area onto which it is lowered is not yet covered by lacquer 27 as the masking application unit travels in the application direction 17 ahead of the lacquer dispensing unit 3.

(13) The second masking element 19b then forms a second masking 25b onto which the device 1 is eventually moved by the robot arm 11. Once the device 1 has been moved onto the second masking 25b, no more lacquer is applied, for example, by stopping the dispensing of lacquer from the lacquer dispensing unit 9 and by stopping the rotation of the transfer roller 7.

(14) In the next step shown in FIG. 1e, the device 1 has been lifted of the work surface 13 and away from the work piece 15 in a direction 31. While the device 1 is moved away from the work surface 13, the masking removal unit has been operated to remove the second masking 25b from the work surface 13 as indicated by the masking element 19b which has been brought back up into an upright position indicated in solid lines in FIG. 1e. The removal of the second masking 25b is indicated by a rotating arrow 33.

(15) The device 1 therefore advantageously allows for the application and removal of a second masking 25b which covers the work surface 13 of a work piece 15 in a region where the application of lacquer is terminated or stopped.

(16) FIG. 2 shows an example embodiment of a device 1 for lacquer transfer. The device 1 comprises a lacquer application unit 3, a masking application unit 35 and a masking removal unit 37. The device 1 is attached to a robot arm 11 which is only partly shown in FIG. 1.

(17) The lacquer application unit 3 is also shown in FIGS. 1a through 1e which has already been described with reference to FIG. 1a in more detail. For the sake of brevity, the description of the elements of the lacquer application unit 3 is not repeated again here.

(18) The masking application unit 35 is attached to the frame 5 of lacquer application unit 3 such that when the device 1 is moved in the application direction 17, the masking application unit 35 moves ahead of the lacquer application unit 3 across the work surface 13 of the work piece 15. The masking application unit 35 comprises a reservoir 39 for holding masking elements 41 in the form of separate sheets that can be dispensed to the work surface 13 via a feeder unit 42 comprising a plurality of feed rollers 43. Also provided is a press roller 45 for pressing masking elements 41 to the work surface 13 to prevent the masking elements 41 from moving away or evading when they come into contact with the transfer roller 7 which could deteriorate the quality of the structure of the lacquer 27 applied to the work surface 13.

(19) Operation of the masking application unit 35 will now be described with reference to FIG. 3 in which dispensing of a masking element 41a, 41b, 41c from the reservoir 39 is shown. In FIG. 3 a device 1 for lacquer transfer is shown which comprises the lacquer transfer unit 3 and the masking application unit 35 of FIG. 2 but no masking removal unit 37. However, it is contemplated that the masking application unit 35 of FIG. 2 is operated in the same way and the following description applies to both embodiments. As the lacquer application units 3 and the masking application units 35 of FIGS. 2 and 3 are structurally identical, reference is made to the preceding description of the relevant components.

(20) In FIG. 3 the same masking element 41 is shown in three different positions while it is being dispensed onto a work surface 13. In each position the masking element 41 is designated with a different reference numeral. First a masking element 41 is pushed in a direction 49 into a position 41a in the reservoir 39 from which it can be fed using the feeder unit 42. In the second position 41b the masking element 41 is transported by the feed rollers 43 of the feeder unit 42 towards the work surface 13 and tightly pressed against the work surface 13 using the press roller 45. Eventually the masking element 41 has been applied to the work surface 13 as shown in position 41c and forms a masking 47 which masks a part of the work surface 13. As the device 1 is moved by the robot arm 11 forward in the application direction 17 while the masking element 41 is being dispensed, the transfer roller 7 will move across the masking element 41. The masking element 41 prevents lacquer transferred by the transfer roller 7 from coming into contact with the work surface 13 in the area covered by the masking element 41.

(21) The masking removal unit 37 of the device 1 of FIG. 2 comprises a pick-up device 51 and two removal delimiters 53a, 53b, a forward removal delimiter 53a and a rearward removal delimiter 53b. The pick-up device 51 may, for example, be a single large-area air suction device or may be made from multiple individual devices arranged in a grid. The masking removal unit 37 is attached to the lacquer application unit 3 such that when the device 1 is moved by the robot arm 11 in the application direction 17 the masking removal unit 37 is arranged behind the lacquer application unit 3 in the application direction 17, i.e., the lacquer application unit 3 crosses the work surface 13 ahead of the masking removal unit 37. The forward removal delimiter 53a is arranged between the pick-up device 51 and the lacquer dispending unit 3 and the pick-up device 51 is arranged between the rearward removal delimiter 53b and the lacquer dispensing unit 3. The pick-up device 51 could also be used as a pick-and-place device in a masking application unit 35.

(22) For mounting of the masking removal unit 37 on the lacquer dispenser unit 3 a rail 55 is provided to which the pick-up device 51 and the removal delimiter 53a, 53b have been attached such that they can be moved relative to the remainder of the device 1 and, in particular, to the lacquer dispending unit 3. The mounting can, for example, be achieved using rollers 56 mounted on the rail 55.

(23) Operation of the masking removal unit 37 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4a through 4c in which removal of a masking 59 is shown. FIGS. 4a through 4c show a device 1 for lacquer transfer comprising only a masking removal unit 37 in addition to the lacquer transfer unit 3. However, it is understood that both the masking removal unit 37 and the lacquer transfer unit 3 in FIGS. 2 and 4a through 4c are structurally identical and operate in accordance with the same methods. Hence, the structural features will not be repeated and it is contemplated that the operation shown in FIGS. 4a to 4c and described in the following also applies to device 1 of FIG. 2.

(24) FIG. 4a shows a masking 59 which has previously been at least partly crossed by the transfer roller 7 of the lacquer application unit 3 as indicated in position 59a. Since the device 1 continuously moves into the application direction 17, the masking 59 will eventually not be underneath the transfer roller 7 any further as shown in position 59b and can be removed or detached from the work surface 13 using the masking removal unit 37.

(25) To this end as shown in FIG. 4a, at first a forward removal delimiter 53a is lowered towards the device such that it exerts a pressure onto lacquer (not shown) previously applied and holds the lacquer down. Note that the forward removal delimiter 53a exerts its pressure against a part of the work surface 13 that is not covered by the masking 59 to be removed. The forward removal delimiter 53a and the rearward removal delimiter 53b may be formed from a plurality of individual elements or a flexible material so that they can be used to hold the lacquer down along masking elements of complex shapes.

(26) In FIG. 4b additionally the pick-up unit 51, which may be a suction device, has been lowered onto the masking 59. As the device 1 for lacquer transfer continues to move in the application direction 17, the masking removal device 37 is moved on the rail 55 relative to the lacquer application unit 3 away from the latter at a velocity such that it remains stationary relative to the work surface 13 for the time required to remove the masking 59.

(27) In FIG. 4c the masking 59 has been removed from the work surface 13 using the pick-up device 51. The forward removal delimiter 53a is moved upwards and thereby discontinues holding the lacquer down after removal of the masking 59 has been completed to ensure that the lacquer is only detached in the region facing away from the lacquer dispensing unit 3. In the same way, the rearward removal delimiter 53b can be used to delimit detaching of the lacquer in a direction facing away lacquer dispending unit 3. The removal delimiters 53a, 53b advantageously define the edges between areas of the work surface 13 covered by lacquer and those not covered by lacquer.

(28) While at least one example embodiment of the present invention(s) 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 example embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a”, “an” 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.