DEVICE FOR APPLYING CLAY TO A SURFACE

Abstract

A device for applying clay to a surface, in particular for producing models, including a housing with a connection piece for a clay supply hose and with a clay dispensing opening. A disk, which is rotatably seated in a clay dispensing flange opening in a clay-tight manner and is driven by a motor, has the dispensing opening and otherwise closes off the flange opening, and has an elevated portion on its exterior.

Claims

1-8. (canceled)

9. A device for applying clay to a surface, in particular for producing automotive design models, comprising: a housing with a connecting port for a clay supply line, and with a clay-dispensing phalange opening; a motor; and a disk that sits in a clay-tight and rotatable manner in the clay-dispensing flange opening so as to be driven by the motor, wherein the disc has a clay-dispensing opening and otherwise closes off the flange opening, and wherein the disk has an elevation on an external side.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the elevation is disposed eccentrically on the disk.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the elevation extends along a radial periphery of the disk.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the elevation, conjointly with a region of the external side or the entire external side of the disk, forms a consistent surface.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the elevation has an edge that also extends radially.

14. The device according to claim 9, wherein the clay-dispensing opening is at least one elongate bore that extends in a shape of a circular segment and concentrically in the disk.

15. The device according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of the dispensing opening distributed uniformly on a circumference about a rotation axis of the disk.

16. The device according to claim 9, further comprising a clay dispensing line and at least one mixer and/or impeller are/is disposed in the dispensing line so that the clay is able to pass therethrough.

Description

[0024] Further advantages, design embodiments and details of the invention will be described in the description of exemplary embodiments hereunder with reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows four views of a device according to the invention, specifically two alternative longitudinal sections, one with a mixer and one with two impellers which are axially spaced apart from one another and rotationally driven on the motor shaft, and therebelow a view from above, and an isometric view on the right thereof;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows the views of the device according to the invention from FIG. 1, with an alternative sleeve on the clay dispensing flange opening;

[0027] FIG. 3 shows nine views of the wobbler disk 14 according to the invention from FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0028] FIGS. 4 to 6 show three views of a device according to the invention, specifically a longitudinal section, and therebelow a lateral view; and on the right an isometric view, in each case having differently configured clay dispensing flange openings and different wobbler disks; and

[0029] FIGS. 7 to 20 show in each case six views of a wobbler disk 14 according to the invention from FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0030] FIGS. 1 and 2 and 4 to 6 show a device 2 according to the invention for applying clay (not illustrated) to a surface 4 for producing a preliminary model 4, as described at the outset. The device 2 has a housing 6 with a connecting port 8 for a clay supply line (not illustrated), specifically a flexible (heated) high-pressure hose (not illustrated), so as to enable movements of the device 2 across the surface 4 (for example by hand, or else by means of a robotic arm) in an ideally free manner. The housing 6 also has a clay dispensing flange opening 12.

[0031] In the region of the dispensing opening 12, each of the devices 2 has a disk 14 which is driven by a motor 18 by way of a drive shaft 16. FIGS. 3 and 7 to 20 show the respective disks individually, in each case in six views.

[0032] According to the invention, the device 2 specifically has a disk which sits in a clay-tight manner in the clay dispensing flange opening 12 and is, as indeed mentioned, rotatable and driven by a motor. The disk 14 in the process closes off this flange opening 12but for dispensing the clay has (at least one) dispensing opening 19 through which the clay supplied to the device 2 can exit.

[0033] On the external side, moreover, the disk 14 has at least one elevation 20.

[0034] The elevation 20 is a massaging bead, so to speak, i.e. a wobbler, which on account of its circular movements serves to massage the clay onto the surface 4 (and into the surface)specifically when the surface 4 is already composed of clay, in particular, for instance because a layer of clay has already been applied.

[0035] FIGS. 3 and 7 to 20 show that in each of the figures two elevations 21 [0036] are disposed eccentrically on the disk 14; and/or [0037] extend along the radial periphery of the disk 14; and/or [0038] conjointly with a region of the external side or the entire external side of the disk 14, form a consistent surface; and/or [0039] have an edge 21 which also extends radially.

[0040] To this end, it is also particularly preferable that the (at least one) dispensing opening 19 in the disk 14 [0041] is an elongate bore which extends in the shape of a circular segment and concentrically in the disk; and/or [0042] a plurality of dispensing openings 19 are distributed uniformly on a circumference about the rotation axis 16 of the disk 14.

[0043] In order to further facilitate these functions, in particular for application to flat or convex surfaces 4, the flange opening 12 first has a periphery 22 which lies in a plane. The disk 14 according to FIG. 1 does not protrude from the flange opening 12according to FIG. 2, in contrast, the wobbler 20 does protrude from the flange opening 12.

[0044] The housing 6 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is adjustable and variable between these configurations. To this end, the region of the periphery 22 of the dispensing opening 12, by way of a sleeve 24, which matches in form-fitting manner, is designed to be removed (and replaced again) and be substituted by another sleeve 24. By attaching the one sleeve 24 (FIG. 1), the opening periphery 22 of the sleeve 24 can be repositioned farther out of the housing 6, toward the front (toward the left in the figure), so that the elevation, i.e. the wobbler 20, also disappears in the flange opening 12. If a shorter sleeve 24 according to FIG. 2 is used, the massaging bead 20 of the same disk 14 will project from the flange opening 12.

[0045] Or else, by replacing the sleeve 24 (according to FIGS. 4 to 6), the opening periphery 26 of the sleeve 24 can also be adapted in a clay-tight manner (and/or functionally designed in the manner of the opening periphery 22 as described) to the different respective disks 14 used in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0046] A mixer 34 and/or propeller or impeller 32 (in particular two impellers 32, preferably having blades inclined in opposite directionsor even a plurality of impellersin particular axially spaced apart from one another) can also be disposed in the device 2, in particular in the region of the dispensing line 30, so as to in particular additionally homogenize and mix the clay. These can likewise be rotationally driven by the motor 18. To this end, the impellers 32 in this instance preferably sit on a drive shaft 16, conjointly with the disk 14.

[0047] Alternatively however, the impellers 32 and their mounting can also be designed in such a way that the impellers are not actively driven by the drive 18, but are either held on the tubular wall 30, thus serving as stationary impellers, or are mounted so as to freely rotate on the shaft 16, for example in a floating manner with a through bore, so that said impellers, depending on the inclination of their blades, are driven in a rotating direction by the clay flowing through (not shown), and in this way additionally homogenize and mix the clay. The same applies in an analogous manner to the mixer 34.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0048] Device 2 [0049] Surface, preliminary model 4 [0050] Housing 6 [0051] Connecting port 8 [0052] Clay-dispensing flange opening 12 [0053] Disk 14 [0054] Drive shaft 16 [0055] Motor 18 [0056] Clay-dispensing opening 19 [0057] Elevation, massaging bead, wobbler 20 [0058] Edge 21 [0059] Periphery 22 of the flange opening 12 [0060] Sleeve 24 [0061] Clay-dispensing line 30 [0062] Propeller or impeller 32 [0063] Mixer 34