Coating machine and coating method

Abstract

To provide a coating machine which can perform coating while keeping a constant distance from a wall surface 3 without depending on a distance sensor, and to provide a coating method.SOLUTION: A coating machine includes: a dolly 10 including rear wheels 12 and a steerable front wheel 11; a steering rod 20 connected to the front wheel to change a direction of the front wheel and extending forward; a following part 30 which is attached to the steering rod and moves forward with the dolly in a state that the following part is in contact with a wall surface; a steering biasing part 33 which biases the steering rod toward the wall surface; and a spray gun 70 provided at the dolly. When the dolly moves close to the wall surface, the front wheel is steered in a direction such that the dolly moves away from the wall surface by the steering rod pushed by the following part. When the dolly moves away from the wall surface, the front wheel is steered in a direction such that the dolly moves close to the wall surface by the steering rod biased by the steering biasing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating machine and a coating method that sprays paint onto a surface to be coated while traveling along the wall surface. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an injection device for injecting a spray material onto a target object, Patent Publication No. 2022-74959 (Patent Document 1) discloses an injection device that moves and paints while measuring the distance to a wall surface 500 using a first direction distance sensor 151 (see paragraph number 0029, etc., of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-74959 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when measuring the distance to an object using a distance sensor, as in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the device configuration tends to become complicated. Also, there is a problem that if the distance sensor becomes dirty with paint or the like, it becomes impossible to measure the distance accurately.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a coating machine and a coating method that can coat while maintaining a constant distance from a wall surface without relying on a distance sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The coating machine of the present invention comprises: A sprayer that sprays paint onto a surface to be painted while traveling along the wall surface, a bogie having rear wheels and steerable front wheels; a steering rod connected to the front wheels and extending forward to change the direction of the front wheels; a tracing unit attached to the steering rod and moving forward together with the carriage while being in contact with a wall surface; a steering biasing portion that biases the steering rod toward a wall surface; a spray gun provided on the carriage, When the carriage approaches a wall surface, the steering rod is pushed by the tracing portion, and the front wheels are steered in a direction in which the carriage moves away from the wall surface, When the carriage moves away from the wall, the steering rod is biased by the steering biasing portion, and the front wheels are steered in a direction in which the carriage approaches the wall.

[0007] According to the atomizer of the present invention, the tracking section and the steering rod allow the front wheels of the carriage to always face in a direction along the wall surface, which allows the atomizer to travel along the wall surface despite its simple configuration.

[0008] A preferred example of the coating machine of the present invention is: The steering rod, a vertical rotation shaft erected from the front wheel; a handle shaft connected to the vertical rotation shaft; a handle tilt angle adjustment unit that can adjust the angle of the handle shaft to an upright position or a forward tilt position, When the carriage is to travel along a wall surface, the handle shaft is tilted forward to bring the tracing portion into contact with the wall surface, thereby steering the front wheels; When the carriage is allowed to travel freely, the front wheels can be steered by operating the handle shaft in an upright position.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the sprayer of the present invention, the handle shaft does not get in the way when the carriage is moved freely. Furthermore, the handle shaft is provided upright, making it easy to operate the handle shaft by hand, etc.

[0010] A preferred example of the coating machine of the present invention is: a vertical linear motion unit provided upright on the carriage; a gun support portion that can reciprocate up and down along the vertical linear motion portion; an actuator shaft provided on the gun support portion to enable the spray gun to swing; Equipped with.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment of the sprayer of the present invention, in addition to wall surfaces, floor surfaces, or road surfaces (hereinafter, floor surfaces or road surfaces may be referred to as "road surfaces, etc."), and boundaries between wall surfaces and road surfaces, etc., ceiling surfaces can also be painted using only the sprayer of the present invention.

[0012] A preferred example of the coating machine of the present invention is: The actuator shaft is configured so that its axis can be switched between a vertical direction and a horizontal direction in the front-rear direction of the carriage.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the sprayer of the present invention, the trajectory of the paint sprayed from the spray gun due to the swinging of the spray gun can be switched between a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the carriage and a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the carriage. This makes it suitable for a variety of work sites. Note that the axis of the actuator shaft does not have a significant effect on the painting performed by the spray gun even if it is not perfectly vertical or horizontal. Therefore, the term "vertical" or "horizontal" used here means that it is sufficient if the axis is approximately vertical or horizontal. Similarly, it does not matter whether the actuator shaft is pointing in the fore-and-aft direction of the carriage, or if it is slightly off-axis.

[0014] A preferred example of the coating machine of the present invention is: a vertical bracket having a wide surface extending vertically and projecting toward the rear of the carriage; a mounting plate pivot shaft attached to the vertical bracket and serving as a left-right and horizontal shaft for pivotally supporting the gun support part; and a slide part having a fixing member attached to the vertical bracket and fixing the gun support part at a predetermined angle, The gun support portion is attached to the vertical linear movement portion via the slide portion.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the sprayer of the present invention, the angle of the actuator shaft can be changed simply by removing the fixing member and rotating the gun support portion around the mounting plate rotation shaft.

[0016] A preferred example of the coating machine of the present invention is: The nozzle of the spray gun is tilted relative to the actuator axis.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the coating machine of the present invention, the nozzle of the spray gun is tilted. For example, when the trajectory of the paint sprayed from the spray gun is set to a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the cart, the nozzle can be tilted toward the rear of the cart. This makes it less likely for paint to splash onto the cart or the like, preventing contamination of the coating machine. Furthermore, when the trajectory of the paint sprayed from the spray gun is set to a direction substantially along the direction of travel of the cart, the spray gun can be set to be tilted downward or upward. This makes it easier to ensure a thick paint film near the boundary between a road surface or the like and a wall surface, or near the boundary between a ceiling surface and a wall surface.

[0018] The coating method of the present invention comprises: a bogie positioning step of positioning the bogie with the front wheels facing a traveling direction while the tracing portion is brought into contact with a wall surface; an advancing step of advancing the carriage; a gun driving step of aligning the axis of the actuator shaft vertically, swinging the spray gun with the nozzle tilted downward, and moving the gun support part up and down as needed; A spray step of spraying paint from the spray gun to simultaneously paint the floor surface or road surface and the wall surface; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0019] The coating method of the present invention comprises: A coating method using the coating machine according to the above invention, a bogie positioning step of positioning the bogie with the front wheels facing a traveling direction while the tracing portion is brought into contact with a wall surface; an advancing step of advancing the carriage; a gun driving step of aligning the axis of the actuator shaft in the front-to-rear direction of the carriage and horizontally, swinging the spray gun with the nozzle tilted toward the rear of the carriage, and moving the gun support part up and down as necessary; A spray step of spraying paint from the spray gun to paint at least one of a floor surface, a road surface, a wall surface, and a ceiling surface; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0020] According to these coating methods of the present invention, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned coating machine of the present invention can be achieved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] As described above, according to the coating machine and coating method of the present invention, coating can be performed while maintaining a constant distance from the wall surface without relying on a distance sensor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a sprayer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the sprayer, illustrating a state in which the handle shaft is erected. [Figure 5] 10A to 10C are a plan view, a rear view, and a side view illustrating the configuration of the periphery of the gun support portion when the actuator axis is oriented vertically. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are a plan view, a rear view, and a side view illustrating the configuration of the periphery of the gun support portion when the actuator shaft is oriented horizontally. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the state in which the ceiling surface is being painted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a sprayer 1 and a spraying method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Surfaces to be sprayed by the sprayer 1 of this embodiment include, for example, wall surfaces, floor surfaces, road surfaces, boundaries between wall surfaces and road surfaces, ceiling surfaces, etc.

[0024] First, the configuration of the sprayer 1 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the sprayer 1 of this embodiment includes a carriage 10, a steering rod 20, a tracking unit 30, a steering biasing unit 33, a vertical linear motion unit 40, a gun support unit 50, a gun drive actuator 60, a spray gun 70, and a slide unit 80. Although not shown, the sprayer 1 also includes a pressure-feeding device that pressure-feeds paint under predetermined conditions such as pressure and temperature, and a supply hose that connects the pressure-feeding device to the spray gun 70. The paint used in the sprayer 1 of the present invention is, for example, a two-component paint used to form a waterproof layer on the deck or wall of an elevated road or bridge.

[0025] The dolly 10, on which the components of the sprayer 1 of this embodiment are mounted, has a generally elongated rectangular shape in a plan view. One front wheel 11 and two rear wheels 12 for propelling the dolly 10 are mounted and supported by axles 13, 14 on the bottom of the dolly 10. Of these, the front wheel 11 is configured to be steerable by changing its direction. A travel motor (not shown) for propelling the dolly 10 is provided on either the front wheel 11 or the rear wheel 12. Furthermore, although not shown, a control unit for controlling the operation of the vertical linear motion unit 40, the gun drive actuator 60, etc., and a power source for supplying power to the control unit and various motors are mounted on the dolly 10 as needed. However, these control units and power sources may be provided separately, and control signals or power may be supplied wirelessly or via a wire.

[0026] The steering rod 20 is connected to the front wheel 11 to change the direction of the front wheel 11, extends forward, and includes a vertical rotating shaft 21, a handle tilt angle adjustment unit 22, and a handle shaft 27. The vertical rotating shaft 21 supports the front wheel 11 so that its direction can be freely changed, and is erected from the front wheel 11. Specifically, the vertical rotating shaft 21 erects from the upper end of the fork 15 that rotatably supports the front wheel 11 on its axle 13, penetrates the bogie 10, protrudes above the bogie 10, and is rotatably attached to the bogie 10.

[0027] The handlebar tilt angle adjustment unit 22 supports the handlebar shaft 27 so that the angle can be adjusted from an upright position to a tilted position forward. The handlebar tilt angle adjustment unit 22 includes an angle adjustment bracket 23 attached to the upper end of the vertical rotation shaft 21, a pivot pin 24, a fixing pin 25, and a fixing hole 26 for inserting the fixing pin 25. The handlebar tilt angle adjustment unit 22 also serves to connect the vertical rotation shaft 21 and the handlebar shaft 27. Note that tilting the handlebar shaft 27 is intended to include not only a state in which the handlebar shaft 27 is tilted in a side view, but also a state in which it is tilted horizontally or further downward than horizontal.

[0028] The handle shaft 27 includes an extension shaft 28 and a grip portion 29. The extension shaft 28 is a rod-shaped member connected to the vertical rotation shaft 21 via the handle tilt angle adjustment portion 22. The grip portion 29 is attached to protrude in the left and right directions from the extension shaft 28 and is a horizontally long rectangular member in a plan view or front view. When the handle shaft 27 is tilted forward, a tracing portion 30 is attached to the grip portion 29. On the other hand, when the handle shaft 27 is placed upright as shown in FIG. 4, the tracing portion 30 can be removed as necessary, and the worker or the like can grasp and operate the grip portion 29 while sitting on the cart 10.

[0029] The tracking unit 30 is attached to the steering rod 20 or the extension shaft 28 and moves forward together with the bogie 10 while abutting against the wall surface 3. The tracking unit 30 includes a projection rod 31 and an abutment wheel 32. The projection rod 31 is attached to the gripping unit 29 and is a rod-shaped member that extends from the left to right of the bogie 10 toward the wall surface 3. The abutment wheel 32 is a wheel provided at the tip of the projection rod 31 and moves forward while rotating while abutting against the wall surface 3 as the bogie 10 moves forward. In this embodiment, the position of the abutment wheel 32 is offset forward from the attachment position of the projection rod 31 to the steering rod 20 or the extension shaft 28. This is to prevent the handle shaft 27 from unintentionally cutting into the wall surface 3. Alternatively, a sled-shaped member may be used in place of the abutment wheel 32.

[0030] The steering biasing portion 33 biases the steering rod 20 toward the wall surface 3. In this embodiment, an elastic body 33 (rubber band) is used as the steering biasing portion 33. Specifically, an eyebolt 34 is provided at the front corner of the bogie 10, and this eyebolt 34 and the grip portion 29 are connected by the rubber band 33, a spring (not shown), or the like. The steering biasing portion 33 is not limited to the elastic body 33, and for example, biasing by an electric motor such as a servo motor, or other known methods may be used.

[0031] The vertical linear motion unit 40 is a linear motion mechanism that is erected at the rear of the carriage 10. The vertical linear motion unit 40 can move the gun support unit 50 in the up and down direction. In this embodiment, the vertical linear motion unit 40 is attached so as to protrude from the rear end of the carriage 10, and the lower end of the vertical linear motion unit 40 is located below the surface of the carriage 10. This increases the range of movement of the gun support unit 50, allowing it to be moved below the carriage 10.

[0032] Next, the gun support section 50, gun drive actuator 60, spray gun 70, and slide section 80 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the area around the gun support section 50 when the axis ad of the actuator shaft 63 is oriented vertically. Figure 5(A) is a plan view from the rear side, Figure 5(B) is a rear view, and Figure 5(C) is a side view. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the area around the gun support section 50 when the axis ad of the actuator shaft 63 is oriented horizontally in the fore-and-aft direction of the carriage 10. Figure 6(A) is a plan view from the rear side, Figure 6(B) is a rear view, and Figure 6(C) is a side view.

[0033] The gun support section 50 is a plate-like member to which the gun drive actuator 60 and spray gun 70 are attached, and includes a gun mounting plate 51, a motor bracket 52, and a shaft mounting plate 53. The gun mounting plate 51 is a plate-like member that is generally L-shaped in side and rear views, with the shaft mounting plate 53 provided on a portion of the wider surface on the longer side of the L-shape when viewed from the side. An actuator shaft hole 54 is provided through the gun mounting plate 51 and the shaft mounting plate 53. A motor bracket 52, which is generally U-shaped in side view, is provided on the surface of the gun mounting plate 51 opposite the shaft mounting plate 53 and at a different position from the actuator shaft hole 54. A shaft support hole 55 and a fastening hole 56 are provided at a thickness-wise midpoint of the short side of the L-shape in side view of the gun mounting plate 51, extending in the left-right direction.

[0034] The gun drive actuator 60 swings the spray gun 70 and includes a motor 61, an actuator shaft 63, two pulleys 64 and 65, and a belt 66. The motor 61 is the power source for swinging the spray gun 70, and its output shaft 62 penetrates the motor bracket 52. A small pulley 64 is attached to the output shaft 62 of the motor 61. A servo motor, a stepping motor, or the like is used for the motor 61, and it can rotate at any angle and speed. The actuator shaft 63 is a rod-shaped member that penetrates the actuator shaft hole 54. A large pulley 65 is attached to one end of the actuator shaft, and the spray gun 70 is attached to the other end. The small pulley 64 and large pulley 65 are connected by a belt 66.

[0035] The spray gun 70 sprays paint sent from a pressure-feeding device (not shown) through a supply hose. The bottom of the spray gun 70 is attached to an actuator shaft 63 and swings (arrow sw in Figure 1). As shown in Figures 5(B) and 6(C), the spray gun 70 is configured so that its nozzle 71 is tilted at a predetermined angle θ from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction ad of the actuator shaft 63. In other words, it is tilted with respect to the actuator shaft 63.

[0036] The slide unit 80 is attached to the vertical linear motion unit 40 to be movable up and down and to support the gun support unit 50. It includes a base plate 81, a linear motion unit mounting bracket 82, a vertical bracket 83, a mounting plate pivot shaft 84, and a fixed member 85. The base plate 81 is a plate-like member whose wide surface is vertical and horizontal, and is provided on the rear side of the vertical linear motion unit 40 relative to the carriage 10. Two linear motion unit mounting brackets 82, which are approximately L-shaped in plan view, are provided facing each other on the left and right ends of the rear side of the base plate 81 when viewed from the rear of the carriage 10. These linear motion unit mounting brackets 82 are attached to a reciprocating motion mechanism (not shown) inside the vertical linear motion unit 40, enabling the slide unit 80 to move up and down. The vertical brackets 83 are two plate-like members that are attached to the left and right ends of the surface of the base plate 81 and extend toward the rear of the carriage 10 with their wide surfaces oriented vertically. Between these two vertical brackets 83, a mounting plate rotation shaft 84 is provided, which is attached in the left-right and horizontal directions and passes through the shaft support hole 55 of the gun mounting plate 51 to rotatably support the gun mounting plate 51. In order to fix the gun mounting plate 51 at a predetermined angle, a fixing member 85 (fixing pin 85) is provided between the two vertical brackets 83 and parallel to the mounting plate rotation shaft 84, which passes through the fastening hole 56 of the gun mounting plate 51 to fix the gun support part 50 at the predetermined angle. This fixing pin 85 is inserted into any angle adjustment hole 86 provided in the vertical bracket 83, thereby fixing the gun mounting plate 51 at the predetermined angle.

[0037] Next, based on the configuration of the coater 1 described above, an embodiment of the operation of the coater 1 and a coating method will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0038] [First embodiment] The coating method of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The coating method of this embodiment comprises a carriage positioning step, an advancing step, a gun driving step, and a spraying step. Note that the advancing step, gun driving step, and spraying step must be performed simultaneously when coating a surface to be coated, but the order in which the respective operations are started may be reversed (the same applies to other embodiments).

[0039] The dolly placement step involves placing the dolly 10 with the tracing unit 30 abutting against the wall surface 3 and the front wheels 11 facing the direction of travel. Specifically, the dolly 10 is placed on the road surface or the like 2 so that the distance d1 (see FIG. 3 ) between the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 and the wall surface 3 is an appropriate value. Next, the length of the extension rod 31 of the tracing unit 30 is adjusted so that the front wheels 11 face the direction of travel when the abutment wheels 32 abut against the wall surface 3. Note that the extension rod 31 can also be designed in advance to have an appropriate length. In this way, the distance d1 between the nozzle 71 and the wall surface 3 becomes an appropriate value simply by placing the dolly 10.

[0040] The forward step is to move the bogie 10 forward along the wall surface 3. When the bogie 10 is moved forward, as the bogie 10 approaches the wall surface 3, the steering rod 20 is pushed by the tracking portion 30, causing the front wheels 11 to steer in a direction away from the wall surface 3 (arrow stL in FIG. 1). On the other hand, as the bogie 10 moves away from the wall surface 3, the steering rod 20 is biased by the steering biasing portion 33, causing the front wheels 11 to steer in a direction approaching the wall surface 3 (arrow stR in FIG. 1). This action causes the bogie 10 to travel along the wall surface 3.

[0041] The gun drive step operates the spray gun 70. Prior to performing the gun drive step, the paint spray range and film thickness for the wall surface 3, road surface 2, etc. are determined as preparations, and the operation of each component is set. In the coating method of this embodiment, the axis ad of the actuator shaft 63 is vertically oriented, and the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is swung horizontally (arrow sw in FIG. 1). The spray gun 70 is selected so that the tilt angle θ (see FIG. 5(B)) of the spray gun 70 is appropriate. Here, the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is tilted downward. Furthermore, the swing angle and speed of the spray gun 70, which swings as the actuator shaft 63 rotates, are determined and set in the control unit. Furthermore, the travel speed of the carriage 10 and the amount of paint sprayed are also set. Depending on the coating range, the gun support unit 50 may need to be moved up or down. Therefore, the upper and lower operating positions and reciprocating speed (arrow ud in FIG. 3) of the vertical linear motion unit 40 are determined as necessary and set in the control unit. Based on the operating range thus set, the spray gun 70 is driven.

[0042] Next, in the spray step, paint is sprayed from the spray gun 70 to simultaneously paint the floor or road surface 2 and the wall surface 3. Here, "simultaneously" refers to the range that can be painted by moving the spray gun 70 while the carriage 10 is traveling. In the painting method of this embodiment, while the carriage 10 is traveling, the spray gun 70 is oscillated horizontally (in the direction of travel of the carriage), and if necessary, the vertical linear motion unit 40 is also operated to move the spray gun 70 back and forth vertically, thereby spraying paint from the spray gun 70. Furthermore, the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is tilted downward. This combination allows paint to be simultaneously applied to the road surface 2, the wall surface 3, and the boundary between the road surface 2 and the wall surface 3 with the required film thickness. Note that if the vertical linear motion unit 40 moves up and down at a constant vertical reciprocating speed, the closer the orientation of the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is to the horizontal, the thicker the film thickness on the wall surface 3 and the thinner the film thickness on the road surface 2, etc. On the other hand, the further downward the nozzle 71 is pointed, the thinner the film thickness on the wall surface 3 tends to be and the thicker the film thickness on the road surface 2, etc. Although not shown, even if the wall surface 3 is on the left side, painting can of course be performed in the same manner as above by pointing the copying section 30 and the spray gun 70 to the left side.

[0043] In addition, by tilting the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 upward and moving the gun support part 50 to the top of the vertical linear motion part 40, it is possible to paint the boundary between the ceiling surface 6 and the wall surface 3, and between the ceiling surface 6 and the wall surface 3, simultaneously.

[0044] [Second embodiment] The coating method of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 as appropriate for the configuration of each part of the coater 1. The coating method of this embodiment includes a carriage placement step, an advancement step, a gun drive step, and a spray step.

[0045] The carriage positioning step and the forward moving step are the same as those in the coating method according to the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described here. The length of the extension rod 31 is set appropriately depending on which part of the ceiling surface 6 is to be coated.

[0046] The gun driving step operates the spray gun 70. Prior to performing the gun driving step, the paint spray range and film thickness on the ceiling surface 6 are determined as preparations. In the coating method of this embodiment, the axis ad of the actuator shaft 63 is aligned horizontally and in the fore-and-aft direction of the carriage 10, and the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is swung in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the carriage 10. The spray gun 70 is selected so that the tilt angle θ (see FIG. 6(C)) of the spray gun 70 is appropriate. Here, the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is oriented toward the rear of the carriage 10. Furthermore, the swing angle (arrow sw2 in FIG. 7) and speed of the spray gun 70, which swings as the actuator shaft 63 rotates, are determined and set in the control unit. The travel speed of the carriage 10 and the amount of paint sprayed are also set. The slide unit 80 is moved to the top of the vertical linear motion unit 40 to optimize the distance d2 between the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 and the ceiling surface 6. However, since it may be necessary to move the gun support unit 50 up and down depending on the coating range, the upper end operating position, lower end operating position, and reciprocating motion speed (arrow ud in Figure 3) of the vertical linear motion unit 40 are determined as necessary and set in the control unit. The spray gun 70 is driven based on the operating range set in this way.

[0047] Next, in the spray step, paint is sprayed from the spray gun 70 to paint the ceiling surface 6. In the painting method of this embodiment, the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 is swung (arrow sw2) in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the cart 10 while the cart 10 is traveling. Furthermore, if necessary, the vertical linear motion unit 40 is also operated to move the spray gun 70 back and forth in the up and down direction, thereby spraying paint from the spray gun 70. For example, the vertical linear motion unit 40 may operate to lower the sliding unit 80 when the spray gun 70 is pointing directly upward, or to raise the sliding unit 80 when the spray gun 70 is swung and tilted, in order to maintain a certain distance (d2) between the spray gun 70 and the ceiling surface 6. This allows the cart 10 to paint the ceiling surface 6 while traveling along the wall surface 3.

[0048] Furthermore, in the gun driving step, the slide portion 80 may be set to an appropriate height above the road surface 2 or the like, and the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 may be swung left and right with the nozzle 71 facing downward. In this manner, the road surface 2 or the like can be painted. Furthermore, by swung the spray gun 70 up and down toward the right while reciprocating the slide portion 80 up and down, the wall surface 3 can be painted. Furthermore, by moving the slide portion 80 up and down while increasing the swing angle of the spray gun 70, the road surface 2 or the like, the wall surface 3, and the ceiling surface 6 can be painted simultaneously. Of course, the spray gun 70 can also be pointed left to paint the wall surface on the left side, although this is not shown.

[0049] The coating method of this embodiment is also effective when a portion of the wall surface 3 is recessed 4, as shown by the dashed line representing the wall 3 in FIG. 3 . This is because the thickness of the paint film is generally insufficient on the inclined surface 5, which is the boundary between the recessed portion 4 and other portions. In such cases, by making the oscillation speed of the spray gun 70 sufficiently faster than the vertical movement speed of the slide portion 80 so that the nozzle 71 of the spray gun 70 faces the inclined surface 5 at least once, it becomes easier to ensure a sufficient thickness of the paint even on the inclined surface 5. In this case, when the abutment wheel 32 contacts the inclined surface 5 of the recessed portion 4 of the wall surface 3, the cart 10 may be traveled with the handle shaft 27 tilted, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2 .

[0050] As described above, the atomizer and coating method of this embodiment allow the carriage to travel along a wall surface with a simple configuration using the tracing unit, steering biasing unit, and steering rod. Also, by changing the inclination angle of the handle shaft or by using a bent extension rod, the contact wheel can be set to an appropriate height. Furthermore, by erecting the handle shaft, it becomes easier to operate the handle by grasping it, allowing the carriage to travel freely.

[0051] In addition, the vertical linear motion unit allows the slide unit to move up and down, and the spray gun attached to the actuator shaft can also be swung at any angle. Furthermore, the angle of the actuator shaft can be changed from vertical to horizontal. This allows the entire road surface, wall surface, and ceiling surface to be painted. Furthermore, because the spray gun nozzle is tilted from a direction perpendicular to the axis of the actuator shaft, the road surface, wall surface, and the boundary between the road surface and wall surface can be painted simultaneously. These configurations and operations are suitable for painting the road shoulder and wall surfaces on deck slabs that make up the road surface after painting the main areas such as lanes with other painting machines.

[0052] The above-described coating machine and coating method are merely examples of the present invention, and the configurations thereof can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1··Spray machine, 2··Road surface, floor surface, 3··Wall surface, 4··Concave portion, 5··Sloped surface, 6··Ceiling surface, 7··Pipe material, 8··Inner surface, 10,110··Carriage, 11··Front wheel, 12··Rear wheel, 13,14··Axle, 15··Fork, 20 Steering rod, 21 Vertical rotation shaft, 22 Handle tilt angle adjustment portion, 23 Angle adjustment bracket, 24 Axle support pin, 25 Fixing pin, 26 Fixing hole, 27 Handle shaft, 28 Extension shaft, 29 Grip portion, 30 ·· Copying portion, 31 ·· Extension rod, 32 ·· Contact wheel, 33 ·· Steering biasing portion, elastic body (rubber band), 34 ·· Eye bolt, 40··Vertical linear motion section, 50 Gun support part, 51 Gun mounting plate, 52 Motor bracket, 53 Shaft mounting plate, 54 Actuator shaft hole, 55 Shaft support hole, 56 Fastening hole, 60·· Gun drive actuator, 61·· Motor, 62·· Output shaft, 63·· Actuator shaft, 64·· Small pulley, 65·· Large pulley, 66·· Belt, 70··Spray gun, 71··Nozzle, 80··Slide portion, 81··Base plate, 82··Linear motion portion mounting bracket, 83··Vertical bracket, 84··Mounting plate rotation axis, 85··Fixing member (fixing pin), 86··Angle adjustment hole,

Claims

1. A sprayer that sprays paint onto a surface to be painted while traveling along the wall surface, a bogie having rear wheels and steerable front wheels; a steering rod connected to the front wheels and extending forward to change the direction of the front wheels; a tracing unit attached to the steering rod and moving forward together with the carriage while being in contact with a wall surface; a steering biasing portion that biases the steering rod toward a wall surface; a spray gun provided on the carriage, When the carriage approaches a wall surface, the steering rod is pushed by the tracing portion, and the front wheels are steered in a direction in which the carriage moves away from the wall surface, When the carriage moves away from the wall surface, the steering rod is biased by the steering biasing portion to steer the front wheels in a direction in which the carriage approaches the wall surface.

2. The steering rod, a vertical rotation shaft erected from the front wheel; a handle shaft connected to the vertical rotation shaft; a handle tilt angle adjustment unit that can adjust the angle of the handle shaft to an upright position or a forward tilt position, When the carriage is to travel along a wall surface, the handle shaft is tilted forward to bring the tracing portion into contact with the wall surface, thereby steering the front wheels; 2. The atomizer according to claim 1, wherein when the carriage is allowed to travel freely, the front wheels can be steered by operating the handle shaft in an upright position.

3. a vertical linear motion unit provided upright on the carriage; a gun support portion that can reciprocate vertically along the vertical linear motion portion; an actuator shaft provided on the gun support portion to enable the spray gun to swing; The atomizer according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. 4. The atomizer according to claim 3, wherein the actuator shaft is configured so that its axis can be switched between a vertical direction and a horizontal direction along the front-rear direction of the carriage.

5. a vertical bracket having a wide surface extending vertically and projecting toward the rear of the carriage; a mounting plate pivot shaft attached to the vertical bracket and serving as a left-right and horizontal shaft for pivotally supporting the gun support part; and a slide part having a fixing member attached to the vertical bracket and fixing the gun support part at a predetermined angle, 5. The sprayer according to claim 4, wherein the gun support portion is attached to the vertical linear movement portion via the slide portion.

6. 5. The sprayer according to claim 4, wherein the nozzle of the spray gun is tilted relative to the actuator axis.

7. A coating method using the coating machine according to claim 6, a bogie positioning step of positioning the bogie with the front wheels facing a traveling direction while the tracing portion is brought into contact with a wall surface; an advancing step of advancing the carriage; a gun driving step of aligning the axis of the actuator shaft vertically, swinging the spray gun with the nozzle tilted downward, and moving the gun support part up and down as needed; A spray step of spraying paint from the spray gun to simultaneously paint the floor surface or road surface and the wall surface; A coating method comprising:

8. A coating method using the coating machine according to claim 6, a bogie positioning step of positioning the bogie with the front wheels facing a traveling direction while the tracing portion is brought into contact with a wall surface; an advancing step of advancing the carriage; a gun driving step of aligning the axis of the actuator shaft in the front-to-rear direction of the carriage and horizontally, swinging the spray gun with the nozzle tilted toward the rear of the carriage, and moving the gun support part up and down as necessary; A spraying step of spraying paint from the spray gun to paint at least one of a floor surface, a road surface, a wall surface, and a ceiling surface; A coating method comprising:

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