Nozzle and coating applicator

Abstract

To secure sufficient application quality.SOLUTION: A nozzle 110 includes: a discharge member 111 having a discharge port 111a for discharging a fluid P; a plate-like cutting member 112 which is disposed close to the discharge member 111 and may rotate between a first position where the cutting member 112 opens the discharge port 111a and a second position where the cutting member 112 closes the discharge port 111a; and a rotation device which rotates the cutting member 112 between the first position and the second position so as to cut the fluid P discharged from the discharge port 111a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a nozzle and a coating device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a coating device that discharges a fluid from a nozzle onto a coating target (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A flow path through which the fluid flows is provided in the nozzle, and an auxiliary on-off valve is provided in the flow path. The auxiliary on-off valve is rotated by a swing actuator to open and close the flow path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-129454 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above coating device, even if the auxiliary on-off valve is closed, the fluid remains inside the nozzle outside (downstream side) of the auxiliary on-off valve. Therefore, the remaining fluid drips from the nozzle in a string-like manner and adheres to the object to be coated in excess, which may deteriorate the coating quality. Such stringing is particularly noticeable when a high-viscosity liquid, such as a steel plate reinforcing material for reinforcing the steel plate of an automobile body, is applied as a fluid.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to ensure sufficient coating quality in a nozzle and a coating device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is A discharge member having a discharge port for discharging a fluid; a plate-shaped cutting member disposed adjacent to the discharge member and rotatable between a first position at which the discharge port is opened and a second position at which the discharge port is closed; a rotating device that rotates the cutting member between the first position and the second position so as to cut the fluid discharged from the discharge port; A nozzle is provided, comprising:

[0007] According to this configuration, the cutting member rotates from the first position to the second position to cut the fluid discharged from the discharge port and close the discharge port. At this time, the fluid is cut on the outside of the discharge port and the discharge port is closed from the outside, so deterioration of the coating quality, such as the fluid inside the discharge member becoming stringy, can be suppressed. This nozzle can be effectively used especially when intermittently applying a high-viscosity fluid, and sufficient coating quality can be ensured.

[0008] The cutting member may have a cutting edge for cutting the fluid; The cutting edge may be biased towards the discharge member so as to press against the discharge member and may be configured to slide relative to the discharge member between the first position and the second position.

[0009] According to this configuration, the fluid can be cut with substantially no gap between the cutting member and the discharge port, so the fluid can be neatly sheared. If there is a gap between the cutting member and the discharge port, the fluid may be twisted and deformed in the gap, causing the cut edges of the fluid to become uneven, or the fluid may get stuck in the gap, adversely affecting the cutting operation.

[0010] The cutting member may have a curved shape that matches the rotation direction of the rotating device. The cutting member may have an arc shape that follows the rotation direction of the rotating device. The outer surface of the discharge member may have the same arc shape as the cutting member.

[0011] These configurations reduce the portion of the cutting member that is convex outward from the radius of rotation during rotation, thereby reducing the possibility that the fluid immediately after cutting will come into contact with and adhere to the cutting member, causing a disturbance in application. Also, a configuration in which the cutting member rotates (slides) relative to the discharge member can be efficiently realized in a space-saving manner. Here, the "same arc shape" refers to an arc with substantially the same curvature.

[0012] The rotation device may comprise a servo motor or a stepping motor.

[0013] According to this configuration, the cutting member can be rotated with high torque and high cutting speed, and the fluid can be cut cleanly. In particular, when the fluid is applied intermittently, the cutting member can be rotated to the second position and returned to the first position repeatedly at high speed.

[0014] The discharge outlet may be in the shape of a wide slit capable of discharging the fluid in a flat band shape, and the cutting member may be configured to move in the thickness direction of the fluid to cut the fluid.

[0015] According to this configuration, stringing can be suppressed even for flat, band-shaped fluids that are prone to stringing, and sufficient coating quality can be ensured.

[0016] A second aspect of the present invention is The nozzle; a flow device for flowing the fluid through the nozzle; a moving device that moves the nozzle and an object to be coated with the fluid relative to each other; a control device for controlling the rotation device, the flow device, and the movement device; The present invention provides an application device comprising:

[0017] According to this configuration, an application device using the nozzle can apply fluid to an object to be applied in a desired position and amount while ensuring sufficient application quality.

[0018] The flow device may be configured to be capable of flowing the fluid in a direction opposite to a direction in which the fluid is discharged from the nozzle so as to suck the fluid from the nozzle, The control device may control the rotating device to rotate the cutting member from the first position to the second position at the timing of the suction.

[0019] According to this configuration, the discharge flow rate of the fluid near the discharge port can be reduced or reduced to zero by sucking the fluid, and the fluid can be easily cut by rotating the cutting member in a state where the discharge flow rate of the fluid is reduced or zero. Here, the timing of suction includes during and immediately after suction of the fluid.

[0020] A direction in which the cutting member moves from the first position to the second position may be opposite to a direction in which the moving device moves the nozzle relative to the object to be coated.

[0021] According to this configuration, when the cutting member returns from the second position to the first position after cutting, it is positioned on the pre-application side (unapplication position), so that it is possible to prevent the fluid immediately after cutting from coming into contact with and adhering to the cutting member. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, sufficient coating quality can be ensured in the nozzle and coating device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a coating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of a dispensing device including a nozzle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a side view of the nozzle of FIG. 2 . [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle when the cutting member is in a first position. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle when the cutting member is in a second position. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle showing a first step of intermittent application of a fluid. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle showing a second step of intermittent application of the fluid. [Figure 10] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle showing a third step of intermittent application of a fluid. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle showing a fourth step of intermittent application of a fluid. [Figure 12] 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a fluid is applied to an object to be applied by the application device. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle showing a modified example of a cutting member. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle showing another modified example of the cutting member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] 1, the applicator 1 can be used to apply a fluid to an application target W. Examples of the fluid include a wide variety of fluids, such as steel plate reinforcing materials, heat dissipation gels, silicone materials, and other materials used in the manufacturing process of industrial products, and food materials such as gummies, chewing candies, mayonnaise, and cheese. In particular, the applicator 1 can handle high-viscosity liquids as fluids.

[0026] In this embodiment, the coating apparatus 1 includes a storage container 10, a pump 20, a robot arm (moving device) 30, and a discharge device 100 including a nozzle 110. The coating apparatus 1 is also referred to as a coating system.

[0027] The storage container 10 is a tank for storing a fluid. The storage container 10 is fluidly connected to the discharge device 100 via a supply pipe 11, and serves as a supply source of the fluid. The material, shape, and size of the storage container 10 can be set arbitrarily.

[0028] The pump 20 is attached to the storage container 10. The pump 20 serves as a power source for supplying the fluid from the storage container 10 to the discharge device 100 via the supply pipe 11. The type of pump 20 is not particularly limited, and any known pump can be used.

[0029] The robot arm 30 moves the discharge device 100 in any direction and at any speed relative to the coating target W fixed on a base 32. The robot arm 30 is, for example, a multi-jointed six-axis movable robot, and holds the discharge device 100 via a bracket 31. Note that instead of the robot arm 30, the position of the discharge device 100 may be fixed and the coating target W may be placed on a belt conveyer to realize relative movement therebetween. In other words, the moving device may be anything that moves the coating target W and the nozzle 110 relative to each other.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 2, the discharge device 100 includes a nozzle 110 for discharging a fluid, and a flow device 120 for causing the fluid to flow through the nozzle 110.

[0031] 3 to 7, the nozzle 110 includes a discharge member 111 having a discharge outlet 111a for discharging a fluid, a plate-shaped cutting member 112 arranged adjacent to the discharge member 111, and a rotating device 113 for rotating the cutting member 112.

[0032] The discharge member 111 is provided at the tip of the discharge device 100. The discharge member 111 is formed with a discharge port 111a that opens at the bottom side. A flow path F that gradually narrows toward the discharge port 111a is formed inside the discharge member 111. The flow path F communicates with the flow device 120 and is configured so that the fluid passes through it. The discharge member 111 is also configured to be detachable from the discharge device 100, and multiple types of discharge members 111 having flow paths F corresponding to flow devices 120 with various flow path diameters may be configured to be replaceable.

[0033] In this embodiment, the outlet 111a has a wide slit shape that can discharge the fluid in a flat band shape. That is, the outlet 111a is a slit-shaped opening whose length (width) in the left-right direction (longitudinal direction) in Fig. 3 is significantly larger than its length in the depth direction (shortitudinal direction) in Fig. 3. However, the shape of the outlet 111a is not limited to a slit shape, and may be a circle or any other shape.

[0034] In this embodiment, the cutting member 112 is, for example, a metal material having an elastic plate shape, and has a curved shape that matches the rotation direction of the rotating device 113. Specifically, the cutting member 112 has an arc shape that follows the rotation direction when viewed from the extension direction of a rotating shaft member 113c described later. In addition, the outer surface of the discharge member 111 has the same arc shape as the cutting member 112. Here, "the same arc shape" means that the curvature is substantially the same. In the illustrated example, the center of the arc shape of the cutting member 112 and the center of the arc shape of the discharge member 111 are arranged so as to substantially coincide with each other.

[0035] The cutting member 112 is configured to be rotatable between a first position (see FIG. 6) where the discharge port 111a is opened and a second position (see FIG. 7) where the discharge port 111a is closed. The cutting member 112 has a cutting edge 112a for cutting the fluid. The cutting edge 112a is formed sharply for cutting the fluid. The cutting edge 112a is biased toward the discharge member 111 so as to be pressed against the discharge member 111, and slides against the discharge member 111 between the first position (see FIG. 6) and the second position (see FIG. 7). The biasing is achieved by pressing the cutting member 112 with a screw 112b and fixing the cutting member 112 in a state where the arc shape of the cutting member 112 is slightly expanded by contact between the discharge member 111 and the cutting edge 112a, so that the cutting member 112 functions like a leaf spring. However, the biasing structure is not particularly limited, and any structure may be adopted.

[0036] The rotating device 113 rotates the cutting member 112 to reciprocate between a first position (see FIG. 6) and a second position (see FIG. 7) so as to cut the fluid discharged from the discharge port 111a. The rotating device 113 has a motor 113a which serves as a drive source for rotating the cutting member 112. In this embodiment, the motor 113a is a servo motor or a stepping motor. However, other types of motors may be used as the motor 113a.

[0037] 3, the rotating device 113 has a gear group 113b and a rotating shaft member 113c that transmit the driving force of the motor 113a to the cutting member 112. The rotating shaft member 113c extends in the horizontal direction and constitutes a central axis of rotation. That is, the cutting member 112 is rotated around the central axis. The rotating shaft member 113c is supported by a bearing 113d and is fixed by a holding member 113e that holds the cutting member 112 and a screw 113f. The holding member 113e is disposed close to the discharge member 111 and rotates together with the cutting member 112 between a first position (see FIG. 6) and a second position (see FIG. 7). The amount of rotation may be, for example, about 10° to 45°.

[0038] In this embodiment, the cutting member 112 is configured to move in the thickness direction of the fluid by the above-mentioned rotation to cut the fluid P. That is, the cutting member 112 is configured to be able to move in the thickness direction of the wide discharge port 111a to close the discharge port 111a (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0039] 3, the flow device 120 causes a fluid to flow through the nozzle 110. The flow device 120 is disposed above the nozzle 110 and is fluidly connected to the nozzle 110. In this embodiment, the flow device 120 is a so-called single-shaft eccentric screw pump. The single-shaft eccentric screw pump has a male-screw rotor 121 that receives power and rotates eccentrically, and a stator 122 whose inner circumferential surface is formed into a female-screw shape.

[0040] In this embodiment, the flow device 120 can not only discharge the fluid from the nozzle 110, but also suck the fluid from the nozzle 110. Specifically, the flow device 120 is configured to be able to flow the fluid in a direction in which the fluid is discharged from the nozzle 110 (downward in FIG. 3) and in a direction opposite to the direction (upward in FIG. 3). This is achieved by rotating the rotor 121 of the single-shaft eccentric screw pump forward and backward. In addition to the single-shaft eccentric screw pump, a positive displacement pump such as a piston pump or a tube pump capable of discharging and sucking the fluid may be used, or the flow device may be configured by combining various pumps with a valve having a suction function when closed.

[0041] 1, the coating apparatus 1 has a control device 40 that executes various controls. In this embodiment, the control device 40 controls the pump 20, the rotating device 113, the flow device 120, and the robot arm 30. In the illustrated example, one control device 40 is shown in schematic form, but a control device 40 may be provided separately for each of the pump 20, the rotating device 113, the flow device 120, and the robot arm 30.

[0042] The control device 40 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a micro processing unit (MPU) that cooperates with software to realize a predetermined function. The control device 40 may be configured with hardware circuits such as a dedicated electronic circuit or a reconfigurable electronic circuit designed to realize a predetermined function, or may be configured with various semiconductor integrated circuits. Examples of various semiconductor integrated circuits include a microcomputer, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), in addition to a CPU and an MPU. The control device 40 may also include a storage device such as a random access memory (RAM) and a read only memory (ROM). Specifically, the control device 40 may be configured with, for example, a dedicated control panel, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a robot controller capable of controlling an external axis, an information processing device such as a desktop personal computer, a notebook computer, a workstation, or a tablet terminal, or a printed circuit board having an equivalent function.

[0043] The control device 40 realizes a predetermined function by reading out the stored data and programs and performing various arithmetic processing. The programs executed by the control device 40 may be provided from an external device using a communication unit or the like that communicates according to a predetermined communication standard, or may be stored in a portable recording medium.

[0044] 1 and 8 to 11, the flow of applying the fluid P to the application target W will be described.

[0045] 1 and 8, under normal circumstances, the pump 20 is controlled by the control device 40, and the fluid P is sent from the storage container 10 to the discharge device 100. In the discharge device 100, the flow device 120 is driven to rotate in the forward direction by the control device 40, and the fluid P is discharged from the discharge port 111a. At this time, the cutting member 112 is located at a first position for opening the discharge port 111a. Then, the robot arm 30 is controlled by the control device 40, and the nozzle 110 is moved forward in the application direction (see arrow A1), and a strip-shaped fluid P is applied to the application target W. The movement by the robot arm 30 is similarly performed in FIGS. 9 to 11.

[0046] 1 and 9, when cutting starts, the control device 40 drives the flow device 120 to rotate in the reverse direction, and the fluid P is sucked from the discharge port 111a (see arrow A2). Then, at the timing of this suction, the control device 40 controls the rotating device 113 to rotate the cutting member 112 from the first position to the second position (see arrow A3). Here, the suction timing includes the time during and immediately after the suction of the fluid P. Note that FIG. 9 shows the time when the cutting member 112 is in the first position.

[0047] 1 and 10, when the cutting member 112 is located at the second position, the discharge port 111a is closed and the fluid P is cut. The direction in which the cutting member 112 moves from the first position to the second position is opposite to the direction in which the robot arm 30 moves the nozzle 110 relative to the coating target W (see arrow A1) (to the right in the figure, opposite to the arrow A1). Note that FIG. 10 shows the cutting member 112 at the second position.

[0048] 11, after cutting, the cutting member 112 is returned to the first position by the control device 40 (see arrow A4), and the flow device 120 is again driven to rotate in the forward direction by the control device 40, and the fluid P is discharged from the discharge port 111a. Note that FIG. 11 shows the time when the cutting member 112 is in the first position.

[0049] 12, in this embodiment, the flat band-shaped fluid P is intermittently applied from the discharge port 111a as described above. Such intermittent application is performed by controlling the rotating device, the flow device 120, and the robot arm 30 by the control device 40.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects are obtained.

[0051] By rotating the cutting member 112 from a first position (see Figs. 8 and 9) to a second position (see Fig. 10), the fluid P discharged from the discharge port 111a can be cut and the discharge port 111a can be closed. At this time, the fluid P is cut on the outside of the discharge port 111a and the discharge port 111a is closed from the outside, so deterioration of the application quality, such as the fluid P inside the discharge member 111 becoming stringy, can be suppressed. The nozzle 110 can be effectively used especially when intermittently applying a highly viscous fluid P, and sufficient application quality can be ensured.

[0052] In addition, because the cutting edge 112a of the cutting member 112 is biased toward the discharge member 111 so as to be pressed against the discharge member 111, the fluid can be cut with substantially no gap between the cutting member 112 and the discharge opening 111a (i.e., the discharge member 111), and the fluid P can be neatly sheared. If there were a gap between the cutting member 112 and the discharge opening 111a (i.e., the discharge member 111), the fluid P would be twisted and deformed in the gap, which could cause the cut edges of the fluid P to become uneven, or the fluid could get stuck in the gap, adversely affecting the cutting operation.

[0053] In addition, since both the cutting member 112 and the discharge member 111 are arc-shaped, the portion that protrudes outward from the turning radius of the cutting member 112 during turning can be reduced, reducing the possibility that the fluid P immediately after cutting will come into contact with and adhere to the cutting member 112, causing a disturbance in application. Also, a configuration in which the cutting member 112 turns (slides) relative to the discharge member 111 can be efficiently realized in a space-saving manner.

[0054] In addition, since the rotating device 113 has a servo motor or a stepping motor, it is possible to rotate the cutting member 112 with high torque and high cutting speed, and to neatly cut the fluid P. In particular, when the fluid P is applied intermittently, it is possible to repeatedly rotate the cutting member 112 to the second position and return it to the first position at high speed.

[0055] In addition, since the cutting member 112 is configured to move in the thickness direction of the flat, band-shaped fluid P to cut the fluid P, it is possible to suppress stringing even for flat, band-shaped fluid P that is prone to stringing, thereby ensuring sufficient coating quality.

[0056] Furthermore, the application device 1 using the nozzle 110 can apply the fluid P to the application target W in a desired position and amount while ensuring sufficient application quality. For example, intermittent application of the fluid P can be easily achieved.

[0057] Furthermore, since the cutting member 112 is rotated at the same time as the fluid P is sucked in, the fluid P can be easily cut.

[0058] Furthermore, since the cutting member 112 is located on the pre-application side (unapplication position) when it returns from the second position (see FIG. 10) to the first position (see FIG. 11) after cutting, it is possible to prevent the fluid P immediately after cutting from coming into contact with and adhering to the cutting member 112. Specifically, in FIG. 11, it can be seen that the applied fluid P is not located below the cutting member 112, and there is no risk of contact.

[0059] With reference to Fig. 13, the shape of the cutting member 112 may have a bent shape instead of a circular arc shape. The bent shape forms a curved shape that matches the rotation direction of the rotation device 113. In the illustrated example, the cutting member 112 has a roughly L-shape having two bent parts 112c, 112d. Fig. 13 shows the cutting member 112 at the second position, and the cutting member 112 can rotate in the direction of arrow A5 and move to the first position.

[0060] With reference to Fig. 14, the cutting member 112 may be provided with a cutting hole H. A hole edge 112e that defines the hole H functions as a cutting edge. Fig. 14 shows the cutting member 112 in a first position, and the cutting member 112 can rotate in the direction of arrow A6 and move to a second position.

[0061] Although specific embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be practiced with various modifications within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Coating equipment 10 Storage Container 11 Supply pipe 20 Pump 30 Robot arm (movement device) 31 Bracket 32 units 40 Control device 100 Discharge device 110 Nozzle 111 Discharge member 111a Discharge port 112 Cutting material 112a Cutting edge 112b Screw 112c,112d Bend part 112e Hole edge (cut edge) 113 Rotating device 113a Motor 113b Gears 113c Rotating shaft member 113d Bearing 113e Retaining member 113f Screw 120 Flow device 121 Rotor 122 Stator

Claims

1. A discharge member having a discharge port for discharging a fluid; a plate-shaped cutting member disposed adjacent to the discharge member and rotatable between a first position at which the discharge port is opened and a second position at which the discharge port is closed; a rotating device that rotates the cutting member between the first position and the second position so as to cut the fluid discharged from the discharge port; A nozzle comprising:

2. the cutting member has a cutting edge for cutting the fluid; 2. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the cutting edge is biased toward the discharge member so as to press against the discharge member and is configured to slide relative to the discharge member between the first position and the second position.

3. The nozzle according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting member has a bent shape that matches a rotation direction of the rotating device.

4. The nozzle according to claim 3 , wherein the cutting member has an arc shape aligned along a rotation direction of the rotating device.

5. The nozzle of claim 4 , wherein the outer surface of the discharge member has the same arcuate shape as the cutting member.

6. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the rotating device comprises a servo motor or a stepper motor.

7. the discharge port has a wide slit shape that can discharge the fluid in a flat band shape, The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the cutting member is configured to move in a thickness direction of the fluid to cut the fluid.

8. The nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a flow device for flowing the fluid through the nozzle; a moving device that moves the nozzle and an object to be coated with the fluid relative to each other; a control device for controlling the rotation device, the flow device, and the movement device; The coating device comprises:

9. The flow device is configured to be capable of flowing the fluid in a direction opposite to a direction in which the fluid is discharged from the nozzle so as to suck the fluid from the nozzle, The coating device according to claim 8 , wherein the control device controls the rotating device to rotate the cutting member from the first position to the second position at the timing of the suction.

10. The coating device according to claim 8 , wherein a direction in which the cutting member moves from the first position to the second position is opposite to a direction in which the moving device moves the nozzle relative to the coating target.

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