Coating agent applicator, application facility including the same, and application method using the same

Abstract

To provide a coating agent applicator, an application facility including the applicator and an application method using the applicator.SOLUTION: A coating agent applicator (10) includes print nozzles (12). Each of the print nozzle has an outlet channel (126) extending in a downstream direction to a discharge orifice (127) for a coating agent. The print nozzles (12) are distributed on at least two surfaces (142, 147) of a body (14) of the applicator (10). The discharge orifices (127) of the nozzles extend along at least two non-parallel surfaces (π127, π'127).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention relates to a coating agent applicator comprising one of a number of printing nozzles, each of which has an outlet channel extending in a downstream direction to an outlet orifice for the coating agent. [Background technology]

[0002] There is an increasing trend in the demand for customizing decorations applied to objects. For example, dual-tone coatings for automobile bodies are on the rise. Thus, many automobiles have black door uprights and the rest of the body is painted in another color. For high-end vehicles, the door uprights are given black styling with the surface separated by a cover plate. Another technique is to apply black stickers to the uprights by hand. These two methods of producing black uprights require qualified labor and are time-consuming and expensive. Similar problems arise when providing decorative patterns on the body, for example black strips on the roof or hood of the body, or black strips on the entire roof in a different color than the rest of the body.

[0003] By applying the paint using a print head with a printing nozzle, the application of the paint can be achieved with a certain degree of precision: as described in EP1884365A, two print heads are mounted side by side, linked to each other and follow the geometry of the surface to be coated. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, despite the use of a droplet system, a precise multi-axis robot moving the print head, and a high-speed robot, with scanning times of the order of milliseconds (ms), the strip of paint applied to the body has a precise edge along the axis of movement of the applicator, but not at its end. The start line of application and the arrival line of the strip of paint are jagged, i.e. they have irregularities. The start line corresponds to the working area of ​​the print nozzles, and the arrival line corresponds to the stop or non-working of these nozzles. In order to make the jagged edges as smooth as possible, the nozzles of another applicator can be used to form a transverse line in the first application pass, slightly overlapping. However, in this case, problems arise with the accessibility of the application area by the robot. For example, if the strip is to be formed on the roof of a car body, the robot needs to reach the front and rear glass areas and apply a transverse line along the width of the vehicle. In practice, this is very difficult to do.

[0005] If the application station where the application of the strip takes place is in "tracking" mode, i.e. if the conveyor that moves the car body during application is not stopped, the robot can access the front of the vehicle and then, after a time, the rear. This mode of operation is not very compatible with the precise application of paint, since it is desired to create a precisely defined strip along the conveyor axis. In addition, the position of the vehicle over time is not precisely defined enough to create a completely accurate start and finish line. In this case, the speed of the conveyor is not precisely known, especially due to the vibrations caused by the regulation and movement of the conveyor's drive motor.

[0006] If the station is in "stop-and-go" mode, i.e. the body is fixed in place during the application of the paint, the multi-axis robot supporting the applicator must be equipped with a seventh robot axis, which is in fact formed by the robot's travel rail along the conveyor's travel axis. This solution is not precise enough in terms of the expected results. It also leads to high costs in terms of cycle times, as the robot needs to be positioned in the front glass area before painting and then repositioned in the rear glass area, also before painting.

[0007] Such problems also occur when applying two-tone paints to elements other than the entire body of a motor vehicle, in particular to parts made of synthetic materials such as bumpers, or in the aviation sector, for coating aircraft cabins.

[0008] The present invention aims to address these problems by proposing a new coating agent applicator, which allows precise application of coating agent at the start and end lines of separate patterns or strips, and which reduces cycle times compared to known solutions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To that end, the invention relates to a coating agent applicator comprising printing nozzles, each of which has an outlet channel extending in a downstream direction to an outlet orifice for the coating agent. According to the invention, the printing nozzles are distributed on at least two faces of the body of the applicator, the outlet orifices of these nozzles extending along at least two non-parallel faces.

[0010] According to the invention, a printing nozzle arranged on a surface of the applicator body can be used parallel to the maximum dimension of an application phase of a coating agent, for example a strip of paint to be applied to the roof of a car body, and a printing nozzle distributed on a second surface of the same applicator on the discharge nozzle can be used to form the start and end lines of such a strip very precisely.

[0011] According to optional and advantageous aspects of the invention, such an applicator may include one or more of the following features in any technically acceptable combination:

[0012] The two planes form an angle between them and on the body side of the applicator of between 30° and 150°, preferably between 60° and 120°, preferably 60°, 90° or 120°.

[0013] The applicator comprises a plurality of first print nozzles having outlet orifices distributed on a first surface of the body and at least one second print nozzle having outlet orifices provided on a second surface of the body, the number of the first nozzles being different from the number of the second nozzles.

[0014] The printing nozzles distributed on both sides of the body are of the same type and have ejection orifices of the same size.

[0015] The printing nozzles distributed on both sides of the body are of the same type and have ejection orifices of the same size on each side and ejection orifices of different sizes between the two sides.

[0016] The two faces of the body on which the printing nozzles are distributed are adjacent.

[0017] The printing nozzles, distributed on two separate faces of the body, operate independently of each other when the applicator is in operation.

[0018] The applicator comprises a mixer integrated into the body of the applicator upstream of the print nozzle.

[0019] According to another aspect, the invention relates to an installation for applying a coating agent to an object to be coated, which installation comprises at least one said applicator, preferably mounted on an arm of a multi-axis robot provided for moving the applicator relative to the object to be coated.

[0020] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for applying a coating agent to an object to be coated using said applicator, said method comprising at least the following steps: a) during actuation of first printing nozzles distributed on a first surface of the applicator body, along a first movement axis; forming a pattern with the coating by moving the applicator along the b) forming at least one lateral boundary of the pattern by moving the applicator along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis during activation of second printing nozzles distributed on a second surface of the body.

[0021] This method allows the coating to be applied very accurately and quickly.

[0022] Preferably, during steps a) and / or b), the application distance between the exit orifice of the active printing nozzle and the surface of the object in the coating process is between 5 and 50 mm.

[0023] The invention can be understood in more detail and other advantages will become more apparent from the following description of two embodiments of an applicator, an installation and a method, given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram in a front view of an installation according to the present invention incorporating an applicator according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an applicator of the system of FIG. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of detail III of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of the installation of FIG. 1 during a first step of the method for applying a coating agent according to the invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 during a second step of the same method. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of an applicator according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The installation I shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5 is provided for applying paint to an object O which, in the example of the figures, is the body of a motor vehicle. More specifically, in this example, the installation I is intended to make it possible to provide the roof of such a body with a strip B of a contrasting colour, for example black.

[0026] In a variant, the object to be coated may be, without particular limitation, a part of the body of an automobile, for example a bumper, or more generally, any object that can be coated, for example a part of the cabin of an aircraft or the body of a household appliance.

[0027] The installation I comprises a conveyor 2. The conveyor 2 is arranged to move an object O along a conveying axis X2 perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1 and parallel to the plane of FIG.

[0028] The installation I also comprises an applicator 10. The applicator 10 is attached to the end of an arm of a multi-axis robot 20 which is arranged close to the conveyor 2.

[0029] The applicator 10 comprises a number of nozzles 12. The nozzles 12 are identical to one another and each belong to a print head 13.

[0030] The applicator 10 comprises a body 14. The body 14 constitutes a rigid structural element that supports the nozzle 12 and allows the nozzle 12 to be arranged in space. Preferably, the body 14 is a monoblock. In this example, the body 14 is a parallelepiped 14 and defines a front face 142, a rear face 143 parallel to the front face 142, two parallel longitudinal faces 144, 145 and two parallel transverse faces 146, 147. The front face 142 and the rear face 143 are perpendicular to the longitudinal faces 144, 145 and perpendicular to the transverse faces 146, 147. The longitudinal faces 144, 145 are also perpendicular to the transverse faces 146, 147. The faces 144-147 are adjacent to the face 142. When the applicator 10 is in operation to apply a coating agent to the object O, thereby forming the main part of the pattern, the front face 142 of the body 14 faces the object to be coated.

[0031] The nozzles 12 are rigidly attached to the body 14. More specifically, four rows of sixteen nozzles 12 are disposed on a front surface 142 of the body 14 and protrude from the planar front surface.

[0032] As is evident from figure 3, each nozzle 12 belongs to a print head 13. The print head 13 further comprises a control member 132, for example of a piezoelectric type component, and a rod 134. Each nozzle 12 comprises a needle 122 which is controlled by the control member 132 of the print head 13 to which the nozzle belongs. The needle 122 is connected to the member 132 by a rod 134.

[0033] The paint to be applied flows in a channel 16 disposed in the body 14 and circulates in the direction of the arrow F2 from one nozzle 12 to the other. The channel 16 constitutes a common supply means for the various nozzles 12 disposed on the face 142 of the applicator 10.

[0034] Reference numeral 121 denotes a part of the nozzle 12 which projects from the face of the body 14. Arranged inside the nozzle part 121 is a seat part 124. The seat part 124 selectively carries the needle 122 of the nozzle and is controlled by a member 132.

[0035] An outlet channel 126 is disposed in the nozzle 12 downstream of its needle 122 and seat 124. This outlet channel extends outwardly opposite the needle 122 through an outlet orifice 127 disposed in a front face 128 of the nozzle 12, more specifically in the front face 128 of the portion 121 thereof.

[0036] Each nozzle 12 therefore constitutes a printing nozzle intended to selectively eject paint through its ejection orifice 127 .

[0037] The reference d126 denotes the diameter of the outlet channel 126 of the nozzle 126, and d127 denotes the diameter of the exit orifice 127 of this nozzle. For example, the diameters d26 and d27 are equal. The diameter d127 is between 50 micrometers (μm) and 500 μm, preferably between 100 μm and 200 μm, and even more preferably of the order of 150 μm.

[0038] Each nozzle 12 can therefore eject a series of droplets G from its ejection orifice 127. Although in Figure 2 these droplets G are shown to all exit the print nozzle 12 simultaneously, this does not correspond to the methods described below, but rather allow the flow paths of these nozzles to be identified.

[0039] Reference numeral π142 denotes a main surface of the planar front surface 142. Reference numeral π127 denotes a surface in which the discharge orifices 127 of the nozzles 12 are arranged on the front surface 142. The surfaces π142, π127 are parallel and the orifices 127 are distributed in the vicinity of the front surface 142.

[0040] Mounted on a lateral face 147 are four nozzles 12 identical to those shown on the front face 142. These nozzles form a row of printing nozzles and project relative to this face 147. The lateral face is planar and its main surface is designated π 147.

[0041] The discharge orifices 127 of the nozzles 12 attached to the surface 147 may extend in a plane π′ 127 parallel to the surface π 147 and may be distributed in the vicinity of the surface 147 .

[0042] Similarly, the four print nozzles 12 are mounted on a planar lateral surface 146, the main surface of which is indicated by π 146. The ejection orifices of these nozzles 12 extend in a plane π″ 127 parallel to the plane π 146. These orifices may be evenly distributed over the latter adjacent surface 146.

[0043] The faces π142, π147 on the one hand and π142, π146 on the other hand are not parallel to one another, so that the outlet orifices 127 of the nozzles provided in the faces 142, 146, 147 respectively extend in at least two non-parallel directions.

[0044] In this sense, the applicator 10 can be qualified as a multi-directional multi-nozzle head, which constitutes a coating agent head capable of applying such coating agents with high precision, as will become apparent from the following description.

[0045] The symbol α denotes the angle defined inside the body 14,10 between the faces π 142, π 147.

[0046] In the example of figures 1 to 5, this angle α is equal to 90°.

[0047] In practice, this angle α can be between 30° and 150°, preferably between 60° and 90°. Preferred values ​​of this angle are 60°, 90° and 120°.

[0048] Since the surfaces π127, π'127 are parallel to the surfaces π142, π147, respectively, the angle α is also the angle between the surfaces π127 and π'127, and is measured on the side of these surfaces facing the body 14.

[0049] As long as the angle α is not equal to 180°, the nozzles 12 located on the faces 142 and 147 will eject paint perpendicular to the faces π127 and π'127, respectively, and thus can eject paint in two non-parallel directions.

[0050] The situation is similar for the print nozzles 12 arranged on the faces 142 and 146, respectively.

[0051] When it is necessary to form a strip B by forming a pattern on the roof of the body O of an automobile, the applicator 10 is moved by the multi-axis robot 20 above the area of ​​the roof to be coated, which is then moved parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, which is in fact parallel to the axis X2, as shown by the arrows F4 and F4' in FIG. 4.

[0052] During these operations, the nozzle 12 positioned on the front face 142 of the body 14 is actuated.

[0053] In other words, the needles 122 of these nozzles 12 are moved away from their seats 124 by actuators 132 and rods 134 of the corresponding print heads 13. Paint is supplied to the outlet channels 126 of these nozzles, from which it is discharged through respective discharge orifices F127 in the plane π127 towards the roof of the body O, as shown by the droplets G flowing in the direction of the arrow F42 in Fig. 4. This printing technique makes it possible to form straight strips B on the vehicle roof, with clearly defined longitudinal edges parallel to the direction of movement of the applicator along the arrows F4, F4'.

[0054] Thus, in the method for applying paint to an object O, such as a car body, shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, in a first step a strip B is provided by moving the applicator 10 in the direction of arrows F4 and F4' in Figure 4 during the actuation of the nozzle 12, whose discharge orifice 127 is arranged in the plane π127.

[0055] Then, in a second step, to form the lateral border of the strip B, during the actuation of the nozzles 12 attached to the lateral face 147, the robot 20 moves the lateral face 147 of the applicator 10 towards the trailing edge of the roof of the body, moving the applicator 10 perpendicular to the axis X2 in the direction of the arrows F5, F5' in FIG. 5, so that the paint droplets G are discharged from the discharge orifices 127 of these nozzles, located in the plane π'127, in the direction of the arrow F52 in FIG. 5 towards the edge of the roof. This allows the formation of a precise, non-jagged lateral border at the trailing end of the strip B.

[0056] In particular, because surfaces 142, 147 are adjacent, applicator 10 is quickly and easily passed by multi-axis robot 20 from the position of FIG. 4 to the position of FIG.

[0057] The same type of operations are then carried out. In the same second step of the method, the four nozzles 12 arranged on the lateral face 146 of the body 14 are activated to eject paint at the leading edge of the contour B through their ejection orifices 127 arranged on the face π″ 127.

[0058] In a variant, the order of carrying out the sub-steps of the second step consisting of forming the front and rear lateral boundaries of strip B can be reversed.

[0059] According to another variant, the lateral borders can be formed only in front of the strip B or only in the rear.

[0060] During the process for applying paint shown in figures 4 and 5, the application distance, i.e. the distance measured between the discharge orifice 127 of the working print nozzle 12 and the surface of the roof of the object O to be coated, is advantageously between 5 and 50 mm. This allows to accelerate the paint movement speed and to reduce the amount of overspray emission, i.e. the amount of spread of the paint mass relative to the imprint of the main spray, i.e. the amount of spread of the paint mass directed mainly towards the body. This allows to ensure that the free paint droplets G, and therefore the controlled liquid intended to form the strips B, are deposited as close as possible to the coverage area of ​​the main spray.

[0061] In a second embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6, elements similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals. In the following, this embodiment will be described only in terms of the differences from the previous embodiment.

[0062] In this embodiment, the nozzle 12 is fully integrated within the body 14 of the applicator 10. That is, the front face 128 of the nozzle 12, where the discharge orifice 127 is located, is joined to the side face of the body 14, in particular to the front face 142 and the lateral face 147 shown in Figure 6. That is, faces π142 and π127 are joined, and faces π147 and π'127 are also joined.

[0063] As mentioned above, the surfaces π142, π147 are non-parallel, as are the surfaces π127, π'127. Therefore, the nozzles 12 located on the surfaces 142, 147, respectively, can eject paint in both non-parallel directions.

[0064] Here, the angle α defined as in the first embodiment is equal to 120°.

[0065] In this embodiment, the printing nozzles 12 arranged on the face 142 are identical to each other, and the printing nozzles 12 arranged on the face 147 are identical to each other, but the diameter d127 of the discharge nozzle 127 of the printing nozzle 12 arranged on the face 142 has a first value, and the diameter d'127 of the orifice 127 of the nozzle 12 arranged on the face 147 has a second value smaller than the first value. That is to say, the discharge orifice 127 of the nozzle 12 arranged on the lateral face 147 is smaller than the discharge orifice 127 of the nozzle 12 arranged on the front face 142. This is due to the fact that when a nozzle 12 with a face 142 is used, a relatively large surface area is formed and, as is evident from the description of the first step of the method above, a relatively large paint flow rate is required. On the contrary, when the lateral borders of the strip B are formed in connection with the second step of the method, a greater precision is required and the surface to be coated has a smaller area. Indeed, the smaller the diameter d 127 or d' 127, the smaller the volume of droplets that emerge from the exit orifice 127 and the sharper the edge that is provided.

[0066] Printing nozzles 12 arranged on different faces of the body 14 are used at different moments during the process for applying a coating agent. This is why, when the applicator 10 is in use, printing nozzles whose discharge orifices are distributed on two separate faces of the body 14 are operated independently of each other. For example, one channel or several shared paint circulation channels 16 can be provided to supply the nozzles 12 mounted on the surface 142, yet another equivalent channel can be provided to supply the nozzles 12 provided on the surface 146, and still another equivalent channel can be provided to supply the nozzles 12 provided on the surface 147. The supply of paint to these different channels is preferably regulated by valves integrated in the body 14 and controlled independently of each other.

[0067] Furthermore, the different actuators 132 of the print heads 13 having different nozzles 12 can be controlled independently of each other.

[0068] In an automobile body painting line, depending on the body model and the pattern to be painted, different areas of the surface need to be coated with an applicator of the type of the present applicator 10. For example, a decorative hood strip may be coated with a coating of 0.1 m. 2 The total roof coverage may be approximately 2m x 2m or 4m. 2 Accordingly, the applicator 10 can be selected depending on the anticipated application.

[0069] To that end, the applicator 10 is provided with an interface 18 on its rear face 143, allowing it to be quickly assembled to / disassembled from the end of the arm 22 of the robot 20. This interface allows for fluid and electrical connections between the robot 20 and the applicator 10. For example, the interface 10 can function with a magnetic clip system or according to any other suitable method.

[0070] In this case, different applicators 10 are stored in a warehouse in the working area of ​​the robot 20, for example at its foot. Each applicator applies paint at a range of flow rates and thus coats surfaces in areas within a range of areas during the time allotted for carrying out the method of the invention. This allows the robot 20 to mount the applicator 10 best suited to the pattern provided on the bodywork entering the working area.

[0071] The above description describes an applicator 10 in which the printing nozzles 12 are provided on three faces of the body 14, namely faces 142, 146 and 147. In a variant, the nozzles 12 can be provided on only two of these faces, or conversely on four, five or six of these faces. Preferably, in this case, the rear face 143 is not provided with nozzles 12.

[0072] As mentioned above, the present invention relates to the application of paints to motor vehicle bodies. The invention applies in particular to the application of basecoat type paints, i.e. color layers with or without effect, and to the application of one- or two-component varnishes. The application of a primer can also be considered.

[0073] Alternatively, the applicator 10 can be used to apply ink or any other coating.

[0074] If the coating agent has two or more components, according to a variant of the invention not shown, a static mixer is integrated into the installation I, more specifically inside the body 14, upstream of the nozzle 12, in the path of the channel 16.

[0075] According to an optional embodiment of the invention, an additional guide area can be moved to the height of the front face 128 of each nozzle 12 to include the droplets G leaving the exit orifice 127. This additional guide area can be discharged in the form of an air knife, i.e. an air curtain that acts as a boundary that the droplets G cannot cross, an air ring arranged in a vortex form or in the form of several air jets. This discharge converges or diverges towards the axis of the exit channel 126 of the respective nozzle. This additional guide area can be moved in the vicinity of the nozzles 12 in an individualized manner, a group of nozzles or in a grouped manner. A group of nozzles is for example a row of nozzles, a column of nozzles or a matrix of nozzles. A grouped manner includes all the nozzles arranged in the face of the body 14 of the applicator 10.

[0076] To improve the deposition of the coating by the applicator 10, an electrostatic charging system for the applied coating material can be provided, the system having an internal and / or external charge, which accelerates the droplets G leaving the discharge orifice 127 and deposits the droplets G on the surface to be coated that is coupled to the ground. Such an electrostatic system can be provided for each nozzle 12, for groups of nozzles such as rows and columns, for a matrix of nozzles, or in the form of a single electrostatic system provided for all the nozzles of the applicator 10.

[0077] The above mentioned number of nozzles 12 as described and illustrated above is merely for information. In variants, a different number can be used. Preferably, a number of print nozzles 12 are provided on a first face of the body 14, for example face 142, and are used during the first step of the method. These nozzles are preferably arranged in rows and columns. For the second step, one or more nozzles are provided on another face, for example face 146 or 147. The number of nozzles provided on the first face of the body 14 is different from, and in fact is greater than, the number of nozzles provided on the other face.

[0078] In the alternative, the body 14 of the applicator 10 can be supported by an apparatus other than a multi-axis robot, so long as the apparatus is capable of performing both steps of the method of the present invention. For example, a cross table can be used for coating parallelepiped objects.

[0079] In a variant, the installation I comprises several applicators 10 .

[0080] In alternative embodiments, the body 14 may have a shape other than a parallelepiped.

[0081] According to another variant, the body 14 may consist of a number of rigidly assembled fixtures, ie no relative movement with respect to one another is possible.

[0082] If the surface of the body 14 on which the printing nozzle 12 is assembled is not plane, the main surfaces π142, π146, π147 are defined as average surfaces in space, similar to the surfaces π127, π'127, π"127. This is particularly the case when the applicator is used to apply paint or varnish to frames or door contours which may have parts with several sides joined by rays that can be painted simultaneously.

[0083] The invention has been described above for forming strips, however, the invention is also applicable to forming other patterns on any object to be coated.

[0084] The above embodiments and modifications may be combined to form new embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A coating agent applicator (10), comprising: A printing nozzle (12), Each of the printing nozzles is an outlet channel (126) extending downstream to an outlet orifice (127) for the coating agent; The printing nozzles (12) are distributed on at least two faces (142, 146, 147) of the rigid body (14) of the applicator (10), the ejection orifices (127) of the nozzles extend along at least two non-parallel faces (π 127, π' 127, π" 127), and when the applicator (10) is in operation, the printing nozzles (12) provided on a first face (142) of the rigid body (14) are ejected from the second face (142) of the rigid body (14). a coating agent applicator (10) for applying a coating agent to a surface of the rigid body (14) and for applying a coating agent thereto, the coating agent applicator (10) being characterized in that the printing nozzles (12) distributed over the at least two surfaces (142, 146, 147) of the rigid body (14) are of the same type, have on each surface an ejection orifice (127) of the same dimension (d127) and have ejection orifices of different dimensions (d127, d'127) between the two surfaces.

2. 2. Applicator according to claim 1, characterized in that the two faces (π127, π'127, π"127) form between them an angle (α) of between 30° and 150° on the side of the rigid body (14) of the applicator (10).

3. The angle (α) between the two faces (π127, π'127, π"127) is 60 to 3. The applicator of claim 2, wherein the angle is between 120° and 120°.

4. 4. Applicator according to claim 3, characterized in that the angle (α) between the two faces (π 127, π' 127, π" 127) is equal to 60°, 90° or 120°.

5. 5. An applicator according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of first print nozzles (12) whose discharge orifices (127) are distributed on a first face (142) of the rigid body (14) and at least one second print nozzle (12) whose discharge orifices (127) are provided on a second face (146, 147) of the body, the number of the first print nozzles being different from the number of the second print nozzles.

6. Applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least two faces (142-146, 142-147) of the rigid body (14) on which the printing nozzles (12) are distributed are adjacent.

7. An applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the solid body (14) is a monoblock.

8. 8. Applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rigid body (14) is made up of a number of rigidly assembled parts, no relative movement with respect to one another is possible.

9. 9. An applicator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the rigid body (14) is a parallelepiped (14) and defines a front face (142), a rear face (143) parallel to the front face (142), two longitudinal faces (144, 145) parallel to each other and perpendicular to the front and rear faces, and two lateral faces (146, 147) parallel to each other and perpendicular to the front, rear and vertical faces, the longitudinal faces and the lateral faces being adjacent to the front face (142).

10. Intended for applying two-component or multi-component coatings, Applicator according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a mixer, upstream of the printing nozzle (12), integrated in the rigid body (14) of the applicator.

11. 11. An installation (I) for applying a coating agent to an object (O) to be coated, comprising at least one applicator (10) according to any of the preceding claims.

12. Installation (I) according to claim 11, characterized in that the applicator (10) is mounted on an arm (22) of a multi-axis robot (20) arranged to move relative to the object to be coated.

13. A method for applying a coating agent to an object to be coated (O) using an applicator (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of: a) forming a pattern (B) with said coating agent by moving said applicator (10) along a first movement axis (F4, F4') during activation of first printing nozzles (12) distributed on a first face (142) of said rigid body (14) of said applicator; b) forming at least one lateral boundary of said pattern by moving said applicator along a second axis (F5, F5') perpendicular to said first axis during activation of second printing nozzles (146, 147) distributed on a second face (146, 147) of said rigid body (14).

14. 14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that during steps a) and / or b) the application distance between the exit orifice (127) of the active printing nozzle (12) and the surface of the object (O) to be coated during the coating process is between 5 and 50 mm.

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