Spray gun unit for coating

Abstract

To provide spray gun units which can be reduced in weight so that more spray gun units can be mounted and therefore can be produced more, in a coating apparatus that can eliminate necessity for cleaning a spray gun and a coating hose when switching coating materials and further can easily perform work in a short time.SOLUTION: A spray gun unit, which is attached to a stationary coating robot, is provided with: a base plate 2; a rotating body 3 whose tip is turnably attached to the base plate through the base plate; a gun manifold 4 which comprises a plurality of lengthy spray gun support arms to which the spray gun connected to the tip of the rotary body is attached; and a main body case which has a rotary actuator 8 for turning the rotating body attached to the base plate, an air supply device 11 for supplying various air to the spray gun 31, a magnetic sensor that is used for stopping turning of the rotating body when the rotating body turns at a predetermined angle, and a join part 20 that is connected to the coating robot.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spray gun unit for painting, and more particularly to a spray gun unit for painting that enables easy color change of paint during painting.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a painting apparatus, there is a spray gun for injecting paint onto an object to be painted (hereinafter referred to as "work"), and a paint supply means for supplying paint to the spray gun via a paint hose. While supplying paint from the paint supply means to the spray gun, the supplied paint is injected from the spray gun toward the work. However, when changing the color of the paint in the painting of the work, a method has been adopted in which, without changing the spray gun, only one spray gun supplies paint while changing the color of the supplied paint.

[0003] For example, FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a conventional paint color change method. In the figure, 51 is a spray gun, 53 is a manifold, and 52 is a paint hose for supplying paint to the spray gun 51. In FIG. 12, paints of different colors are used as a supply system to the spray gun 51 via the manifold 53. That is, in FIG. 12, 54a is a tank for paint A, 54b is a tank for paint B, and 54c is a tank for a cleaning agent. In these tanks 54a, 54b, 54c, the base ends of a supply path 55a for paint A, a supply path 55b for paint B, and a supply path 55c for the cleaning agent are arranged, respectively. The tips of the supply path 55a for paint A, the supply path 55b for paint B, and the supply path 55c for the cleaning agent are each connected to the paint hose 52 within the manifold 53. Further, pumps 56a, 56b, 56c and on-off valves 57a, 57b, 57c are interposed in the paths of the supply path 55a for paint A, the supply path 55b for paint B, and the supply path 55c for the cleaning agent, respectively.

[0004] When painting with Paint A, close the on-off valves 57b of the supply line 55b for Paint B and 57c of the supply line 55c for the cleaning agent, open the on-off valve 57a of the supply line 55a for Paint A, and drive the pump 56a of the supply line 55a for Paint A. Then, Paint A in the tank 54a for Paint A is supplied to the spray gun 51, and thus the workpiece can be painted with Paint A.

[0005] Next, after the painting with Paint A is completed, when painting with Paint B, first close the on-off valve 57a of the supply line 55a for Paint A and the on-off valve 57b of the supply line 55b for Paint B, open the on-off valve 57c of the supply line 55c for the cleaning agent, and drive the pump 56c of the supply line 55c for the cleaning agent. Then, the cleaning agent is supplied to the spray gun 51, and the paint hose 52 and the inside of the spray gun 51 are cleaned.

[0006] After that, close the on-off valve 57a of the supply line 55a for Paint A and the on-off valve 57c of the supply line 55c for the cleaning agent, open the on-off valve 57b of the supply line 55b for Paint B, and drive the pump 56b of the supply line 55b for Paint B. Then, Paint B in the tank 54b for Paint B is supplied to the spray gun 51, and the workpiece can be painted with Paint B. Therefore, according to this method, paints of a plurality of colors can be supplied to the spray gun 51, and it becomes possible to perform painting with a plurality of paints using one spray gun.

[0007] However, when such a method is adopted, every time the paint color is changed, the spray gun and the paint hose must be cleaned, which is troublesome and cannot withstand the annoyance, and also causes a decrease in work efficiency.

[0008] In addition, when the spray gun and the paint hose are cleaned every time the paint color is changed, the paint remaining in the hose is wasted and a cleaning solvent such as thinner is required, resulting in a lot of waste. In particular, in recent years, the number of multi-variety, small-batch production workpieces has been increasing. Therefore, with the conventional method, the decrease in work efficiency due to such cleaning operations, the waste of residual paint, and the use of cleaning solvents have led to an increase in costs.

[0009] In this regard, when changing the paint color, a method of removing and replacing the spray gun from the painting machine is also conceivable. According to this method, it is not necessary to clean the spray gun and the paint hose every time the paint color is changed. However, with this method, there is a problem that the attachment and detachment work of the spray gun is difficult and the work efficiency is poor.

[0010] Also, in the past, a spray gun unit connected to an overhead robot equipped with a robot arm movably connected in the longitudinal direction of a rail provided in a painting booth has been proposed. In this spray gun unit, an arm equipped with a spray gun is rotatably provided and is to be mounted on a support shaft connected to the tip of the robot arm of the painting robot. However, in this spray gun unit, as a method of rotating the spray gun unit, a motor and a belt are used, the motor is arranged on the robot arm side, the motor and the spray gun unit side are connected by a belt, and the spray gun unit is rotated by driving the motor. Therefore, the mechanism for rotating the spray gun unit becomes complicated. As a result, there is a problem that the support shaft 62 and the spray gun unit 63 become heavy and the number of spray gun units cannot be increased. Furthermore, since it is necessary to make the motor explosion-proof, the cost is high.

[0011] Therefore, the applicant has previously proposed a spray gun unit that rotatably includes a support portion having a plurality of arms each provided with a spray gun and is equipped with a motor for rotating this support portion.

[0012] According to this spray gun unit, it is possible to change the paint color only by rotating the support part. Moreover, since it is equipped with a motor, the mechanism for rotating the support part is not complicated. Furthermore, there is an advantage that the spray gun unit can be moved alone.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0013]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Patent Document 7

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0014] However, in this spray gun unit, a conventional rotary actuator provided as a motor for rotating the support part is used. In the conventional rotary actuator, since there are only two stop positions of the drive shaft, in the spray gun unit using this, only two arms can be mounted, that is, only two colors of paint can be used. Therefore, it has been pointed out that painting using three or more colors of paint cannot be performed.

[0015] Therefore, the present invention has a spray gun unit equipped with a plurality of spray guns, eliminating the need to clean the spray guns and paint hoses during paint color change and enabling the color change operation to be performed in a short time. In a painting apparatus, the present invention aims to provide a spray gun unit that simplifies the rotation mechanism of the spray gun unit, thereby reducing its weight, facilitating an increase in the number of spray gun units, and enabling an increase in production volume.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0016] The spray gun unit for painting of the present invention is a spray gun unit mounted at a plurality of locations on the ball screw spline in a painting robot, comprising a main body pillar installed in a painting booth, a spray gun support arm rotatably connected to the main body pillar in the vertical direction, and a long ball screw spline movably connected to the spray gun support arm in the width direction of the spray gun support arm and rotatably connected along the circumferential direction, and including: a base plate; a rotating body rotatably attached to the base plate in such a way that the tip portion penetrates the base plate; a plurality of long spray gun support arms on which spray guns are respectively mounted during painting of a workpiece, which are connected to each other at the base end portions and arranged radially outward, and a gun manifold connected to the tip portion of the rotating body and rotating coaxially with the rotating body as the rotating body rotates; a rotary actuator attached to the base plate and connected to the rotating body by a transmission means for rotating the rotating body; an air supply device attached to the base plate for supplying atomizing air, pattern air, and needle operation air to the spray gun; a magnetic sensor for monitoring the rotation of the rotating body and stopping the rotation of the rotating body by stopping the rotary actuator when the rotating body rotates by a predetermined angle. A main body case that is connected to the base plate and has joint parts connected to multiple locations of the ball screw spline in the painting robot. On the rotating body, the same number of paint supply paths for supplying paint to each of the spray guns are formed as the number of spray gun support arms. Inside each of the spray gun support arms, a tip portion is connected to the paint supply path of the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm during painting of the workpiece, and a base end portion is connected to any one of the paint supply paths formed in the rotating body. A paint supply path is formed that leads to the paint supply path. A connecting portion is formed on the gun manifold. Inside each of the spray gun support arms, an atomizing air supply path for supplying atomizing air to the spray gun, a pattern air supply path for supplying pattern air to the spray gun, and a needle operating air supply path for supplying needle operating air to the spray gun are formed. The tip portions of the respective atomizing air supply paths, pattern air supply paths, and needle operating air supply paths are connected to the air supply paths in the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm during painting of the workpiece, and the ends on the side opposite to the anti-spray gun are opened on the side wall of the spray gun support arm. The rotary actuator is an air rotary actuator that can be rotated one by one by an air-driven stepping motor. The air supply device Comprises a device main body attached to the base plate and a movable part provided on the device main body so as to be able to move forward and backward. The movable part has a supply device side atomizing air supply path, a supply device side pattern air supply path, and a supply device side needle operating air supply path whose tip portions communicate with the atomizing air supply path, pattern air supply path, and needle operating air supply path formed in the spray gun support arm, and has a supply device side connecting portion connected to the connecting portion formed on the gun manifold. When any of the spray gun support arms is at a predetermined position where the end openings on the anti-spray gun side of the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle operation air supply passage of the spray gun support arm face the tip portions of the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operation air supply passage, by advancing the movable part toward the spray gun support arm side, the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operation air supply passage that the movable part has communicate with the end openings of the opposing atomizing air supply passage, pattern air supply passage, and needle operation air supply passage, and the supply device side connecting part is connected to the connecting part formed in the gun manifold. This is the gist of the invention.

Effect of the Invention

[0017] The spray gun unit for painting of the present invention is rotatably attached to a base plate, and a gun manifold is connected to the tip portion of a rotating body. A plurality of long spray gun support arms to which spray guns are attached during painting of a workpiece are connected to each other at their base portions, and are arranged radially outward. As the rotating body rotates, it rotates coaxially with the rotating body. Therefore, by changing the paint supplied to the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm to different colors, it is possible to change the paint color by simply rotating the rotating body to replace the spray gun used. Thus, it is possible to easily perform the color change in a short time, and since there is no need to clean the spray gun and the paint hose every time the paint color is changed, waste of paint and cleaning solvents such as thinner is eliminated. Also, when performing multiple coats of applying different paints on one workpiece to form multiple layers, by changing the types of paints supplied to the spray guns attached to the spray gun support arms, it is possible to change the type of paint by simply rotating the rotating body to replace the spray gun used. In that case too, since there is no need to clean the spray gun and the paint hose every time the paint type is changed, waste of paint and cleaning solvents such as thinner is eliminated.

[0018] In addition, in the spray gun unit of the present invention, since it is provided with a rotary actuator for rotating the rotating body, unlike the conventional method of providing a motor on the robot arm side and connecting the motor and the spray gun unit by a belt to rotate the spray gun unit, the rotation mechanism of the spray gun unit can be simplified. As a result, the weight of the spray gun unit can be reduced, and it is possible to increase the production volume by increasing the number of spray gun units.

[0019] And at that time, in the present invention, as the rotary actuator, by using a stepping motor driven by air, an air rotary actuator capable of rotating one by one is adopted. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating body can be stopped finely, so that it can cope even when the number of spray gun support arms increases. In addition, since the air rotary actuator used in the present invention is driven by air, explosion-proof measures are not required.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] The spray gun unit of the present invention is used by being mounted at a plurality of locations of a ball screw spline in a painting robot, which includes a main body pillar installed in a painting booth, a spray gun support arm rotatably connected to the main body pillar in the vertical direction, and a long ball screw spline movably connected to the spray gun support arm in the width direction of the spray gun support arm and rotatably connected along the circumferential direction.

[0022] And, the spray gun unit of the present invention has a base plate, and a rotating body is rotatably attached to the base plate in such a manner that the tip portion penetrates the base plate.

[0023] Also, a gun manifold that rotates coaxially with the rotating body is connected to the tip portion of the rotating body as the rotating body rotates. This gun manifold has a plurality of long spray gun support arms. And, these spray gun support arms are radially arranged toward the outer peripheral side by being connected to each other at the base end portions, and spray guns are respectively attached to the spray gun support arms when painting a workpiece.

[0024] In addition, a rotary actuator is attached to the base plate. This rotary actuator is connected to the rotating body by a transmission means such as a belt and is used to rotate the rotating body.

[0025] Furthermore, an air supply device for supplying atomizing air, pattern air, and needle operation air to the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm is attached to the base plate.

[0026] Also, the spray gun unit of the present invention has a magnetic sensor for monitoring the rotation of the rotating body. This magnetic sensor monitors the rotation of the rotating body and is used to stop the rotary actuator and stop the rotation of the rotating body when the rotating body rotates by a predetermined angle due to the drive of the rotary actuator.

[0027] Next, the spray gun unit of the present invention has a main body case. This main body case is connected to the base plate and has a joint portion that is connected to the ball screw spline in the painting robot. By connecting this joint portion to the ball screw spline, it is possible to attach the spray gun unit of the present invention to the painting robot.

[0028] Next, the same number of paint supply paths for supplying paint to each of the spray guns are formed in the rotating body as the number of spray gun support arms. Inside each of the spray gun support arms, a paint supply path is formed such that the tip end is connected to the paint supply path of the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm during painting of the workpiece, and the base end communicates with one of the paint supply paths formed in the rotating body. Thus, when paint is supplied to the rotating body, the supplied paint is supplied to the spray gun through the inside of the rotating body and the inside of the spray gun support arm.

[0029] Next, a connecting portion is formed in the gamma holder, and inside each of the spray gun support arms, there are formed an atomizing air supply passage for supplying atomizing air to the spray gun, a pattern air supply passage for supplying pattern air to the spray gun, and a needle operating air supply passage for supplying needle operating air to the spray gun. And each of the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle operating air supply passage is connected at the tip to the air supply passage in the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm during painting of the workpiece, and the end on the anti-spray gun side is opened on the side wall of the spray gun support arm.

[0030] Also, in the present invention, the rotary actuator is rotated by a stepping motor driven by air, and an air rotary actuator that can be rotated one by one is used.

[0031] Next, the air supply device includes a device main body attached to the base plate and a movable part provided on the device main body so as to be able to move forward and backward. The movable part has a supply device side atomizing air supply passage, a supply device side pattern air supply passage, and a supply device side needle operating air supply passage that communicate with the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle operating air supply passage formed in the spray gun support arm, respectively, and also has a supply device side connecting portion connected to the connecting portion formed in the gamma manifold.

[0032] And when any one of the spray gun support arms is at a predetermined position where the end openings on the anti-spray gun side of the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle operation air supply passage formed inside the spray gun support arm face the tips of the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operation air supply passage, by moving the movable part forward toward the spray gun support arm side, the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operation air supply passage that the movable part has communicate with the end openings of the opposing atomizing air supply passage, pattern air supply passage, and needle operation air supply passage, and the supply device side connecting part is connected to the connecting part formed in the gun manifold.

Embodiment

[0033] An embodiment of the spray gun unit for painting of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "spray gun unit") will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views for explaining the spray gun unit of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a view seen from the front side, and FIG. 2 is a view seen from the back side. Also, FIGS. 3 to 5 are partial exploded views for explaining the internal structure of the spray gun unit of this embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a partial omitted view for explaining the internal structure of the spray gun unit of this embodiment.

[0034] In the figure, 1 is the spray gun unit of this embodiment. The spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment is assumed to be attached to a stationary type painting robot installed in a painting booth.

[0035] Here, a painting robot to which the spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment is attached will be briefly described. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the painting robot to which the spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment is attached. In the figure, 41 is the painting robot. This painting robot 41 has a main body pillar 42 installed in a painting booth. A first arm 43 is rotatably connected to the main body pillar 42 in the vertical direction. A second arm 44 is rotatably connected to the first arm 43 in the vertical direction. Further, a long ball screw spline 45 is connected to the tip portion of the second arm 44. This ball screw spline 45 is movable in the width direction of the second arm 44, that is, in the left - right direction, and is rotatable along the circumferential direction.

[0036] And the spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment is mounted and used at both ends of the ball screw spline 45 in the painting robot 41. That is, with the spray guns 31 mounted on each of the spray gun support arms 5, it is attached and used at both ends of the ball screw spline 45 by the connecting joints 20.

[0037] Next, the spray gun unit 1 will be described. The spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment has a base plate. In FIGS. 4 to 6, 2 is the base plate. A rotating body 3 is rotatably attached to this base plate 2. And this rotating body 3 is cylindrical, and the tip portion 3a penetrates the base plate 2 and protrudes to the front side of the base plate 2.

[0038] And a gun manifold is connected to the tip portion 3a of the rotating body 3. This gun manifold is configured to rotate coaxially with the rotating body 3 as the rotating body 3 rotates.

[0039] Here, the gamma manifold will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the figures, 4 is the gamma manifold. In this embodiment, the gamma manifold 4 has four long spray gun support arms 5. These spray gun support arms 5 are connected to each other at their proximal ends. As a result, the spray gun support arms 5 are radially arranged outwardly around the connected proximal ends. And when painting the workpiece, spray guns 31 are respectively mounted on the distal ends of the spray gun support arms 5.

[0040] Therefore, in this embodiment, by enabling different colors of paint to be supplied to each of the spray guns 31, the color change can be easily performed. Also, by enabling different paints to be supplied to each of the spray guns 31, it is also possible to perform multi-coat painting in which a plurality of types of paint are applied to one workpiece to perform multi-layer painting with one spray gun unit.

[0041] Here, the structure of the spray gun 31 used in this embodiment will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the spray gun 31. The spray gun 31 used in this embodiment is the same as a generally used atomizing spray gun for painting, and a paint supply passage 32 is formed inside. And the paint supply passage 32 has a paint inlet 32a for receiving paint and a paint outlet 32b for spraying the received paint toward the workpiece. The paint outlet 32b is opened and closed by advancing and retracting a needle 33 by needle advancing and retracting air supplied by a needle advancing and retracting air supply passage 36.

[0042] In addition, the spray gun 31 used in this embodiment is formed with an atomizing air supply passage 34 for atomizing the paint discharged from the paint discharge port 32b and spraying it toward the workpiece. The tip of this atomizing air supply passage 34 is opened at an arbitrary position around the paint discharge port 32b, and the base end side is connected to an atomizing air supply means (not shown). When air is supplied, atomizing air is supplied around the paint discharge port 32b through the atomizing air supply passage 34, enabling the paint discharged from the paint discharge port 32b to be atomized.

[0043] Furthermore, the spray gun 31 used in this embodiment is formed with a pattern air supply passage 35 for changing the ejection pattern of the paint atomized by the atomizing air to an arbitrary pattern. The tip of the pattern air supply passage 35 is opened outside the tip opening of the atomizing air supply passage 34, and the base end side is connected to a pattern air supply means (not shown). When air is supplied, pattern air is supplied around the tip opening of the atomizing air supply passage 34 through the pattern air supply passage 35, enabling the ejection pattern of the paint atomized by the atomizing air to be changed.

[0044] In the above description, the case where there are four spray gun support arms 5 has been described. However, the number of spray gun support arms 5 is not necessarily limited to four, and may be three or less or five or more.

[0045] Next, inside the rotating body 3, the same number of paint supply passages as the spray gun support arms 5, that is, four in this embodiment, are formed for supplying paint to each of the spray guns 31. The tip of this paint supply passage is opened at the end face of the tip portion 3a of the rotating body 3, and the base end portion is connected to a paint supply hose or the like through joint means at the base end face of the rotating body 3.

[0046] On one hand, inside each of the spray gun support arms 5, a paint supply path for supplying paint to the spray gun 31 attached to the tip of the arm 5 during workpiece painting is formed. And this paint supply path has its tip connected to the paint supply path 32 of the spray gun 31, and its base end communicates with the opening at the tip of any one of the paint supply paths formed in the rotating body 3.

[0047] Inside each of the spray gun support arms 5, an atomizing air supply path for supplying atomizing air to the spray gun 31, a pattern air supply path for supplying pattern air, and a needle advancing / retracting air supply path for supplying needle advancing / retracting air are formed. The respective atomizing air supply path, pattern air supply path, and needle advancing / retracting air supply path have their tips connected to the atomizing air supply path 34, pattern air supply path 35, and needle advancing / retracting air supply path 36 in the spray gun 31 attached to the arm 5 during workpiece painting, and the ends on the anti-spray gun side are open at the side wall of the spray gun support arm 5.

[0048] In FIGS. 3 and 7, 6 is a connecting plate. That is, in this embodiment, the gamma manifold 4 has a connecting plate 6, and the gamma manifold 4 is constituted by the spray gun support arm 5 and the connecting plate 6. And the connecting plate 6 is in a disk shape and is continuously provided on the side facing the rotating body 3 at the base end portion of the spray gun support arm 5. And this connecting plate 6 is connected to the rotating body 3, whereby the rotating body 3 and the gamma manifold 4 are connected.

[0049] Also, on the connecting plate 6, four paint supply holes continuous with the paint supply paths formed inside each of the spray gun support arms 5 are formed. The paint supply paths formed inside each of the spray gun support arms 5 and the paint supply paths formed in the rotating body 3 communicate with each other through the paint supply holes formed in the connecting plate 6.

[0050] Furthermore, the connecting plate 6 is provided with three air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c that are respectively continuous with the openings at the ends on the anti-spray gun side of the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply passage formed inside each of the spray gun support arms 5. The number of these holes is the same as the number of spray gun support arms 5, that is, four sets are formed.

[0051] Next, in the figure, 8 is an air rotary actuator. That is, in the spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment, the air rotary actuator 8 is disposed above the rotating body 3, and this air rotary actuator 8 is attached to the base plate 2.

[0052] The rotating part 8a of the air rotary actuator 8 penetrates through the base plate 2 and protrudes to the front side of the base plate 2. A pulley 9 is attached as a connecting means to the portion of the rotating body 3 that protrudes from the base plate 2. The tip 8a of the air rotary actuator 8 and the tip 3a of the rotating body 3 are connected via a belt 10. By driving the air rotary actuator 8, the rotating body 3 rotates via the belt 10, and together with that, the gun manifold 4 also rotates.

[0053] Here, the air rotary actuator 8 used in this embodiment will be described. The air rotary actuator 8 used in this embodiment is a rotary actuator constituted by a stepping motor driven by air, and thereby enables rotation one by one.

[0054] In a conventional rotary actuator, the rotation axis cannot be fixed at an arbitrary position, and there are only two stop positions. Therefore, only two spray gun support arms can be attached to the rotating body, and a large number of color changes cannot be performed. Also, when a rotary actuator is provided inside the unit, in a conventional electric rotary actuator, it is necessary to be explosion-proof.

[0055] On the other hand, in the air rotary actuator 8 used in this embodiment, as described above, a stepping motor driven by air is used, and since it enables rotation one by one, it is possible to mount three or more spray gun units. Furthermore, there is no need for explosion protection, and the cost can be reduced.

[0056] Next, in FIGS. 3 and 6, reference numeral 11 denotes an air cylinder as air supply means. That is, in the spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment, the air cylinder 11 is attached to the base plate 2 in a position below the rotating body 3, and by this air cylinder 11, air is supplied to the atomizing air supply passage 34, the pattern air supply passage 35, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply passage 36 in the spray gun 31.

[0057] Here, the air cylinder 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 8, and 9. FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views showing the air cylinder 11. FIG. 8 shows the front side lower part, and FIG. 9 shows the back side lower part. The air cylinder 11 of this embodiment has a device main body 12 attached to the base plate 2, and a movable part 13 is provided in the device main body 12 so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the device main body 12.

[0058] Also, inside the air cylinder 11, a supply device side atomizing air supply passage, a supply device side pattern air supply passage, and a supply device side needle operating air supply passage are formed. The tips of these supply device side atomizing air supply passage, supply device side pattern air supply passage, and supply device side needle operating air supply passage are air supply joints 14a, 14b, and 14c. And these air supply joints 14a, 14b, and 14c can be connected to the air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c formed in the connection plate 6 by advancing the movable part 13. By this connection, air can be supplied to the atomizing air supply passage 34, the pattern air supply passage 35, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply passage 36 in the spray gun 31 through the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply passage formed inside the spray gun support arm 5.

[0059] That is, in this embodiment, the means for supplying air to the atomizing air supply passage 34, the pattern air supply passage 35, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply passage 36 in the spray gun 31 is shared by the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operating air supply passage formed inside the air cylinder 11. Therefore, by means of the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operating air supply passage formed inside the air cylinder 11, air is supplied to the atomizing air supply passage 34, the pattern air supply passage 35, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply passage 36 in all the spray guns 31. For this reason, even when the number of spray guns increases, it is not necessary to increase the supply passages for supplying atomizing air, pattern air, and needle advancing / retreating air to the spray gun 31, and it is possible to prevent the entire spray gun unit from becoming larger. Therefore, it is possible to provide a large number of spray gun support arms in one spray gun unit.

[0060] Also, a connecting pin 15 as a supply device side connecting portion is formed on the movable portion 13. On the other hand, a connecting hole 16 as a connecting portion to which the connecting pin 15 formed on the movable portion 13 is connected is formed in the connecting plate 6. By advancing the movable portion 13, the connecting pin 15 is connected to the connecting hole 16 of the connecting plate 6, thereby making it possible to fix the position of the gun manifold 4.

[0061] That is, the air rotary actuator 6 used in this embodiment is different from a conventional rotary actuator having two stop positions. Since it cannot detect the position for stopping one by one, if air leaks, it will be in a free state and the position of the gun manifold 4 cannot be fixed. Therefore, in this embodiment, by advancing the movable portion 13, the connecting pin 15 is connected to the connecting hole 16 of the connecting plate 6, thereby fixing the position of the gun manifold 4.

[0062] Note that the number of connecting holes 16 formed in the connecting plate 6 is the same as the number of spray gun support arms 5. As shown in Fig. 7, one connecting hole 16 is formed for each of the three air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c. The connecting pin 15 is arranged to connect to the connecting hole 16 of the connecting plate 6 when the movable part 13 moves forward and any of the air supply joints 14a, 14b, and 14c for air supply is connected to any of the air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c formed in the connecting plate 6.

[0063] Next, Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the rotating body 3 and the gun manifold 4. In the figure, 17 is a magnetic sensor. That is, in this embodiment, the magnetic sensor 17 is installed on the base plate 2, a shielding plate 18 is attached to the rotating body 3, and the spray gun support arm 5 is monitored by monitoring the rotation of the rotating body 3. When the rotating body 3 rotates and the shielding plate 18 approaches the magnetic sensor 17, it is determined that the spray gun support arm 5 has reached a predetermined position, and the air rotary actuator 6 is stopped to fix the position of the spray gun support arm 5.

[0064] That is, in this embodiment, when the movable part 13 moves forward and any of the air supply joints 14a, 14b, and 14c for air supply is connected to any of the air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c formed in the connecting plate 6, and further, when the connecting pin 15 is connected to the connecting hole 16 of the connecting plate 6, the atomizing air supply path, the pattern air supply path, and the needle advancing / retreating air supply path that are continuous with the air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c connected to the air supply joints 14a, 14b, and 14c are provided, and the position of the spray gun support arm 5 is set to a predetermined position. Then, when the rotating body 3 rotates by a predetermined angle and any of the spray gun support arms 5 reaches a predetermined position, the magnetic sensor 17 and the shielding plate 18 are arranged so that any of the shielding plates 18 approaches any of the magnetic sensors 17, whereby the rotating body 3 stops when the spray gun support arm 5 reaches a predetermined position.

[0065] Therefore, unlike the conventional rotary actuator with two stop positions, the air rotary actuator 6 used in this embodiment cannot detect that the spray gun support arm has reached a predetermined position for each stop. However, due to the action of the magnetic sensor 17, it is possible to stop the rotating body 3 when the spray gun support arm 5 reaches the predetermined position. In this embodiment, since the magnetic sensor 17 uses a reed switch type proximity sensor manufactured by Nippon Aref Co., Ltd., which is commercially available, the description of its detailed configuration and the like is omitted.

[0066] Next, in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, reference numeral 19 denotes a main body case. That is, in this embodiment, the main body case is attached to the base plate 2 in an arrangement for accommodating the rotating body 3 and the air rotary actuator 6. This main body case 19 has a pair of side walls 21 and a rear wall 22 connecting the rear ends of the side walls 21. And a connecting joint portion 20 for connecting the spray gun unit 1 to the ball screw spline 45 in the painting robot is formed on the rear wall 22.

[0067] In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a main body cover. The main body cover 23 is used to cover the front, side, rear, and bottom surfaces of the spray gun unit 1 in this embodiment, excluding the gun manifold 4 and the connecting joint portion 20, and includes an upper cover 23a, a front cover 23b, side covers 23c, and a rear cover 23d.

[0068] The operation of the spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described. The spray gun unit 1 of this embodiment is used by being attached to a stationary type painting robot installed in a painting booth.

[0069] When painting the workpiece, a paint supply hose is connected to the proximal end portion of the paint supply passage in the rotating body 3 via joint means so that paint can be supplied to the spray gun. Further, air supply means such as an air hose is connected to the proximal ends of the atomizing air supply passage, the pattern air supply passage, and the needle operation air supply passage on the supply device side in the air cylinder 11 so that various types of air can be supplied to the spray gun. At this time, the paint supplied to the spray gun is made different in color and type for each spray gun, thereby enabling color change and multiple coats with one spray gun unit.

[0070] Next, with the spray gun support arm 5 having the spray gun 31 capable of spraying the paint to be first applied to the workpiece in a predetermined position, the movable part 13 of the air cylinder 11 is advanced. Thereby, the air supply joints 14a, 14b, 14c in the movable part 13 are connected to the air supply holes 7a, 7b, 7c formed in the connection plate 6, and the connection pin 15 is connected to the connection hole 16 of the connection plate 6 to fix the position of the gun manifold 4 and fix the spray gun support arm 5 in a predetermined position. Then, thereafter, in that state, by supplying paint and air to the spray gun, the workpiece is painted.

[0071] When changing the color or type of the paint, the movable part 13 of the air cylinder 11 is first retracted to release the connection between the air supply joints 14a, 14b, 14c in the movable part 13 and the air supply holes 7a, 7b, 7c formed in the connection plate 6, and the connection between the connection hole 16 of the connection plate 6 and the connection pin 15.

[0072] Then, the air rotary actuator 6 is actuated to rotate the rotating body 3. Due to the action of the magnetic sensor 17, when the spray gun support arm 5 having the spray gun 31 capable of spraying the paint to be applied next reaches a predetermined position, the air rotary actuator 6 is stopped to stop the rotation of the rotating body 3. In this state, the movable part 13 of the air cylinder 11 is advanced, and the air supply joints 14a, 14b, and 14c in the movable part 13 are connected to the air supply holes 7a, 7b, and 7c formed in the connection plate 6. At the same time, the connection pin 15 is connected to the connection hole 16 of the connection plate 6 to fix the position of the gun manifold 4 and fix the spray gun support arm 5 at a predetermined position. Then, thereafter, in this state, the paint and air are supplied to the spray gun to paint the workpiece, and this operation is repeated until the painting of the workpiece is completed.

[0073] Therefore, according to the spray gun unit of this embodiment, by making the paint supplied to the spray gun mounted on the spray gun support arm different colors or different types, it is possible to change the spray gun used and perform color change or multiple coats only by rotating the rotating body. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform color change and type change in a short time, and there is no need to clean the spray gun and the paint hose every time the paint color or type is changed, and waste of paint and cleaning solvents such as thinner is eliminated.

[0074] And at this time, in the spray gun unit of this embodiment, an air rotary actuator 6 constituted by a stepping motor driven by air is used as means for rotating the rotating body. Thus, since it enables rotation one by one, different from the case of using a conventional rotary actuator in which the rotation axis cannot be fixed at an arbitrary position with only two stop positions, it is possible to mount three or more spray gun units. Furthermore, there is no need for explosion protection, and the cost can be suppressed.

[0075] In addition, since the air supply means for supplying air to the atomizing air supply passage 34, the pattern air supply passage 35, and the needle advancing / retracting air supply passage 36 in the spray gun 31 is shared by the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, the supply device side pattern air supply passage, and the supply device side needle operating air supply passage formed inside the air cylinder 11, even when the number of spray guns increases, it is possible to prevent the entire spray gun unit from becoming large. Therefore, it becomes possible to provide a large number of spray gun support arms in one spray gun unit.

[0076] Furthermore, by advancing the movable part 13 of the air cylinder, the connecting pin 15 can be connected to the connecting hole 16 of the connecting plate 6, thereby making it possible to fix the position of the gun manifold 4.

[0077] Also, since the rotation of the rotating body is monitored by the magnetic sensor, it is possible to reliably stop the rotating body 3 when the spray gun support arm 5 reaches a predetermined position.

Industrial Applicability

[0078] The spray gun unit for painting of the present invention can perform the replacement of the spray gun only by rotating the gun manifold that supports the spray gun. Therefore, it is applicable to the entire painting apparatus that enables color change or type change of the paint with one device.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0079] 1 Spray gun unit 2 Base plate 3 Rotating body 4 Gun manifold 5 Spray gun support arm 6 Connecting plate 7 Hole for air supply 8 Air rotary actuator 9 Pulley 10 Belt 11 Air supply device (air cylinder) 12 Device body 13 Movable part 14 Air supply joint 15 Connecting pin 16 Connecting part 17 Magnetic sensor 18 Masking plate 19 Main body case 20 Connecting joint part 21 Side wall 22 Rear wall 23 Cover 24 Paint supply path joint part 25 Paint hose 26 Air hose 31 Spray gun 32 Paint supply path 33 Needle 34 Atomizing air supply path 35 Pattern air supply path 36 Air supply path for needle advancement and retraction 41 Painting robot 42 Main body pillar 43 First arm 44 Second arm 45 Ball screw spline

Claims

1. A main body pillar (42) installed in a painting booth, a spray gun support arm rotatably connected to the main body pillar (42) in the vertical direction, and a long ball screw spline (45) that is movably connected to the spray gun support arm in the width direction of the spray gun support arm and rotatably connected along the circumferential direction. A spray gun unit (1) mounted at a plurality of locations on the ball screw spline (45) in the painting robot, a base plate (2), a rotating body (3) rotatably attached to the base plate (2) in such a way that the tip portion penetrates the base plate (2), A plurality of long spray gun support arms (5) to which spray guns are respectively attached when painting a workpiece are radially arranged toward the outer peripheral side by being connected to each other at the base end portions, and are connected to the tip portion of the rotating body (3) and rotate coaxially with the rotating body (3) as the rotating body (3) rotates. A gun manifold (4), a rotary actuator (8) attached to the base plate (2) and connected to the rotating body (3) by a transmission means (10) and used to rotate the rotating body (3), an air supply device (11) attached to the base plate (2) for supplying atomizing air, pattern air, and needle operation air to the spray gun (31), a magnetic sensor (17) for monitoring the rotation of the rotating body (3) and stopping the rotary actuator (8) to stop the rotation of the rotating body (3) when the rotating body (3) rotates by a predetermined angle, a main body case (19) having a joint portion (20) connected to the base plate (2) and connected to the ball screw spline (45) of the painting robot (41), On the rotating body (3), the same number of paint supply paths for supplying paint to each of the spray guns (31) are formed as the number of spray gun support arms (5). Inside each of the spray gun support arms (5), the tip portion is connected to the paint supply path of the spray gun mounted on the spray gun support arm (5) when painting the workpiece, and a paint supply path is formed whose base end portion communicates with any of the paint supply paths formed on the rotating body (3), a connecting portion (16) is formed on the gun manifold (4), Inside each of the spray gun support arms (5), there are formed an atomizing air supply passage for supplying atomizing air to the spray gun (31), a pattern air supply passage for supplying pattern air, and a needle operation air supply passage for supplying needle operation air. The respective atomizing air supply passage, pattern air supply passage, and needle operation air supply passage are connected at their tip ends to the air supply passage in the spray gun attached to the spray gun support arm (5) during painting of the workpiece, and the ends on the side opposite to the spray gun are opened on the side wall of the spray gun support arm (5). The rotary actuator (8) is an air rotary actuator that can be rotated one by one by an air-driven stepping motor. The air supply device (11) comprises a device body (12) attached to the base plate (2) and a movable part (13) provided on the device body (12) so as to be able to move forward and backward. The movable part (13) has a supply device side atomizing air supply passage, a supply device side pattern air supply passage, and a supply device side needle operation air supply passage whose tip ends communicate with the atomizing air supply passage, pattern air supply passage, and needle operation air supply passage formed inside the spray gun support arm (5), and also has a supply device side connecting means (15) connected to the connecting part (16) formed on the gun manifold (4). When any of the spray gun support arms (5) is at a predetermined position where the end openings on the side opposite to the spray gun of the atomizing air supply passage, pattern air supply passage, and needle operation air supply passage formed inside the spray gun support arm (5) face the tip ends of the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, supply device side pattern air supply passage, and supply device side needle operation air supply passage, by moving the movable part (13) forward toward the spray gun support arm (5), the supply device side atomizing air supply passage, supply device side pattern air supply passage, and supply device side needle operation air supply passage of the movable part (13) communicate with the end openings of the opposing atomizing air supply passage, pattern air supply passage, and needle operation air supply passage, and the supply device side connecting means (15) is connected to the connecting part (16) formed on the gun manifold (4). A spray gun unit characterized by this.

2. The spray gun support arm of the painting robot (41) is characterized in that it comprises a first arm (43) rotatably connected to the main body pillar (42) in the vertical direction and a second arm (44) rotatably connected to the first arm (43) in the vertical direction. The spray gun unit according to claim 1.

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