Paint application system

Abstract

A paint spraying system is proposed with a paint spraying device with a paint spray gun with a fan for dispensing paint via a spray head, which paint spraying device is connected via a paint line to a base station with a connector to a paint reservoir. In order to achieve a low and uniform paint pressure which is required in the paint spray gun, the paint spray gun is equipped with a separate pressure reducing device and the base station is equipped with a pressure monitor, which pressure reducing device and pressure monitor perform a pressure regulation of the paint pressure in the system.

Claims

1. A paint application system having a transportable paint roller, paint brush, paint pad, or a transportable paint spraying device or paint spray gun with a fan for dispensing paint via a spray head with a paint nozzle and a needle valve, and having a base station which is stationary during the work operation for paint application and has a connector to a paint supply, the base station having a paint pump for sucking in paint from the paint supply and delivering paint by means of pressure, and the base station being connected to the paint roller, paint brush, paint pad, or the paint spraying device via a paint hose and supplying the paint roller, paint brush, paint pad, or the paint spraying device with paint, wherein the paint roller, paint brush, paint pad, or the paint spraying device comprises a pressure reducing device/pressure regulator which is connected downstream of the paint hose and regulates the paint pressure in a paint dispensing line to a paint roller, paint brush, paint pad, or a paint spray head to a substantially constant paint pressure which is lower than a paint pressure in the paint hose, wherein the paint pump in the base station is assigned a pressure monitor for monitoring the required paint pressure at the paint pump-side end of the paint hose, wherein in a first regulating circuit, the pressure monitor comprises, as a measuring element, a hydraulic control line to a switch, in particular a membrane switch, wherein the hydraulic control line being connected to a pressure side of the paint pump via a coupling means, and wherein the switch having a prestressing means, in particular a spring stressing means, which has to be overcome in order to generate a switching signal and represents a setpoint value for the paint pressure, wherein a falling pressure at the pressure monitor below a lower limiting value leading, as a controlled variable, to relieving of the switch until the latter switches on the paint pump via an electrical contact, and wherein a rising pressure at the pressure monitor above an upper limiting value leading, as a controlled variable, to loading of the switch until the latter switches off the paint pump via an electrical contact.

2. The paint application system according to claim 1, wherein communications about the paint pressure are performed between the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator and the pressure monitor, a paint pressure which falls below a first limiting value being detected in the paint hose at the paint pump-side end by the pressure monitor and actuating a switch which switches on the paint pump in order to generate a higher paint pressure in the paint hose, and a paint pressure which rises above a second limiting value at the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator being communicated to the pressure monitor and actuating a switch which switches off the paint pump.

3. The paint application system according to claim 1, wherein a first regulating circuit is provided for regulating the paint pressure at the outlet of the paint pump, and a second regulating circuit is provided for regulating the paint pressure at the paint dispensing line.

4. The paint application system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure monitor is arranged between the paint pump and the paint hose in the base station.

5. The paint application system according to claim 1, wherein the pressure reducing device is arranged in the transportable paint roller, paint brush, paint pad, or the paint spraying device downstream of the paint inlet line or the paint hose and upstream of the paint dispensing line.

6. The paint application system according to claim 5, wherein the hydraulic control line is configured as a flexible line, in particular as a rubber line with an elastic extensibility.

7. The paint application system according to claim 5, wherein a control fluid in the form of oil is arranged in the hydraulic control line.

8. The paint application system according to claim 5, wherein the coupling means is configured as a pressure diaphragm, the said coupling means being integrated substantially without edges and dead spaces into a paint duct on the pressure side of the paint pump.

9. The paint application system according to claim 1, wherein the paint pump is configured as a peristaltic pump, in particular as an annular segment-shaped peristaltic pump.

10. The paint application system according to claim 1, wherein, in a second regulating circuit, the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator comprises, as measuring element, a hydraulic force sensor, in particular a diaphragm plate, the hydraulic force sensor being connected via a paint inlet line to a pressure side on the paint hose, and the hydraulic force sensor having a prestressing means, in particular a spring stressing means which is loaded on the rear side, which has to be overcome in order to generate a movement and represents a setpoint value for the reduced paint pressure in a paint outlet line, a pressure range at the paint outlet line, in particular between 0.3 and 0.4 bar, being regulated, as a controlled variable, via a slide which is arranged on the hydraulic force sensor, in such a way that, in the case of a movement of the hydraulic force sensor, the slide enlarges or reduces the passage cross section from the paint inlet line to the hydraulic force sensor, in order to permit a larger or smaller introduction of pressure from the pressure side on the paint hose.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following text, the invention is to be explained in greater detail using a diagrammatic exemplary embodiment.

(2) FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of a paint application system with a paint supply, a base station and a paint spray pistol; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detailed illustration of the base station with paint pump and pressure monitor, and of the paint spray gun with pressure reducing device/pressure regulator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) In detail, FIG. 1 shows a paint application system 1 which comprises a base station 2 and a paint spray gun 3 and a paint supply in the form of a paint bucket 4. Here, the base station 2 is attached to the paint bucket 4 via a paint intake line 5 which is held in a hose guide 6. Starting from the base station 2, a paint pressure line 10 leads to a connector 11 on the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator 12 on the paint spray gun 3. The pressure reducing device/pressure regulator 12 is arranged below a spray head 13, at which the paint is atomized and dispensed in a known way by way of an air flow from a fan 14. In order to control the dispensing of paint and/or the fan 14, a trigger 15 is provided in the region of a handle 16, which trigger 15 preferably operates a needle valve. If the trigger 15 is then released when paint is provided in the paint pressure line 10, no paint is dispensed from the spray head 13. A back-pressure of paint builds up in the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator 12 via the connector 11 and the paint pressure line 10 as far as the base station 2. The paint pump is arranged in the base station 2, which paint pump is then deactivated via the pressure monitor when a predefined maximum pressure is reached.

(5) The technical interaction of the individual components is to be explained in greater detail in the following text using FIG. 2.

(6) FIG. 2 shows the open housing of the base station 2 and a diagrammatically shown paint bucket 4 which is connected to the base station 2 via a paint intake line 5. Furthermore, FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows the paint pressure line 10 which leads from the base station 2 to a front part of a paint spray gun 3, what is known as a front end 17.

(7) In the following exemplary embodiment, the arrangement according to the invention exhibits two regulating circuits which are coupled via the paint pressure line 10.

(8) A peristaltic pump 20 with a pump motor 21 is arranged in the base station 2. The paint intake line 5 is guided via the pump inlet 22 to the peristaltic pump 20, and the peristaltic pump 20 produces a paint pressure at the pump outlet 23, which paint pressure is provided in accordance with the pump performance of the said peristaltic pump 20. A paint pressure of 8 bar2 bar is advantageously set as a controlled variable at this location, namely at the pump outlet 23. Other paint pressures which are appropriate depending on the application are likewise conceivable.

(9) A constituent part of the pressure monitor 30 is situated connected to the pump outlet 23, which pressure monitor 30 records the paint pressure at the pump outlet as a measured variable via a membrane coupling 31 in a volume, through which flow passes. The paint pressure at the pump outlet 23 is transmitted via the membrane coupling 31 to a hydraulic control line 32 which leads as a flexible line which can be laid in the housing to a membrane switch 33. An advantage of the flexible hydraulic control line 32 is that it can be routed in the housing in virtually any desired, but kink-free paths, and no potential guiding of an electric switching operation has to take place in the region of the pump outlet 23 and the paint pressure region. The hydraulic control line 32 opens onto the membrane switch 33 which has a membrane 34 on the top side. The membrane 34 is moved by way of the paint pressure which is transmitted by means of the hydraulic control line 32, preferably is raised up, and therefore likewise lifts a spring lever 40 which is fastened to a switch 41. The spring lever 40 can be preloaded with a spring prestress, in order to cover the necessary hysteresis range of the controlled variable. If it is raised up sufficiently, the spring lever 40 operates a button 42 on the switch 41 which then performs a switching operation on the peristaltic pump 20, in particular on the motor 21 or its controller. The setpoint value setting of the regulating circuit can take place via the spring lever 40, since the latter has a direct influence on the controlled variable. If the pressure in the paint at the pump outlet 23 drops again, the pressure in the hydraulic control line 22 will also drop across the membrane coupling 31, and the membrane 34 is lowered on the membrane switch 33 in such a way that the spring lever 40 relieves the button 42 and operates the switch 41 correspondingly.

(10) The paint pressure line 10 is arranged so as to start from the threaded flange 50 of the base station 2. As a disturbance variable at the threaded flange 50 there, the pressure change p1 is propagated via the pressure line 10 as far as the paint inlet line 141 at the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator 12 at the front end 17.

(11) The pressure fluctuation p2 will prevail as a disturbance variable at the paint inlet line 141 in the pressure reducing device/pressure regulator 12, depending on which paint pressure the paint pump of the base station 2 provides and how the pressure conditions have been set in the paint hose. Here, both hydrostatic and hydrodynamic effects play a considerable role. The pressure is propagated from the paint inlet line to the measuring element in the form of the hydraulic force sensor 160 which is configured in the present case as a diaphragm plate 151. The diaphragm plate is understood to be a measuring element which is defined by the setpoint value setting of a prestressed spring 154. The controlled variable is to be set in the form of from 0.3 bar to 0.4 bar in the paint outlet line 156. To this end, the hydraulic force sensor 160 or diaphragm plate 151 is moved in the direction of the spring 154 by the disturbance variables p2 at the paint inlet line 141, a slide 144 which is coupled to the diaphragm plate 151 narrowing or even closing the passage of the paint inlet line 141 to the diaphragm plate 151. The controlled variable of from 0.3 bar to 0.4 bar which is provided in this way at the paint outlet line 156 is subject to the disturbance variable of the dispensed paint volume and the associated pressure drop which depends on whether the needle 110 at the needle valve 105 of the spray head 13 is pulled, that is to say is open or closed. If the needle valve 105 is closed, no paint discharge takes place, with the result that the pressure which is built up in the front end 17 between the paint pressure in the paint line 10 at the paint inlet line 141 and the controlled variable in the paint outlet line 156 is adjusted. As soon as a corresponding system pressure is reached, the pressure monitor 30 will likewise switch off the paint pump via the above-described embodiment and will hold the system under static pressure. If the needle 110 is then withdrawn via the trigger 15 and paint is dispensed as a result via the needle valve 105 at the spray head 13, a volumetric flow is produced and the regulation at the second regulating circuit in the front end 17 of the paint spray gun 3 adjusts the desired paint pressure in the paint outlet line.

(12) It goes without saying that, in addition to the paint spray gun 3 which is shown, other apparatuses for dispensing paint are also conceivable, for example paint rollers or paint brushes or the like which have a corresponding trigger or a paint dispensing valve and are supplied with paint via a paint pump by way of a paint hose.

(13) Moreover, it is possible to operate a plurality of paint consumers on one paint pump, since the necessary system pressure in the paint hose or in a plurality of paint hoses downstream of a diverter at the base station with a paint pump is provided in the entire system via the pressure monitor.

(14) Moreover, it is provided in one preferred embodiment to also make it possible to set the prestress of the spring lever 40 or a corresponding means, in order to influence the switching point.

(15) The invention is not restricted to the embodiment which is shown; rather, it includes those refinements which make use of the concept which is essential to the invention, as indicated in the patent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(16) 1 Paint application system 2 Base station 3 Paint spray gun 4 Paint bucket 5 Paint intake line 6 Hose guide 10 Paint pressure line 11 Connector 12 Pressure reducing device/pressure regulator 13 Spray head 14 Handle, fan 15 Trigger 16 Handle 17 Front end 20 Peristaltic pump 21 Motor 22 Pump inlet 23 Pump outlet 30 Pressure monitor 31 Membrane coupling 32 Hydraulic control line 33 Membrane switch 34 Membrane 40 Spring lever 41 Switch 42 Button 50 Threaded flange 105 Needle valve 110 Needle 141 Paint inlet line 144 Slide 151 Diaphragm plate 154 Spring 156 Paint outlet line 160 Hydraulic force sensor