Paint brush

Abstract

The present invention provides a paint brush that, even when attached to the hand of a robot where precise control is difficult, can properly paint the object being painted. [Solution] This paint brush comprises a bristle bundle section 7 made up of numerous bristles, a bristle bundle holding section 8 that holds the base of the bristle bundle section 7, and a bristle bundle reinforcing section 15, at least a portion of which is positioned within the bristle bundle section 7. The bristle bundle reinforcing section 15 comprises a plurality of metal wires 16 that extend from the bristle bundle holding section 8 toward the tip of the bristle bundle section 7.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a painting brush for painting.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a painting brush having a tuft portion composed of a large number of hair materials and a handle to which the root of the tuft portion is fixed is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, conventionally, a roller-type painting brush (roller brush) having a roller brush portion formed in a roller shape and an introduction pipe and a support for rotatably holding the roller brush portion is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Further, conventionally, a humanoid heavy-duty robot for working on overhead line poles and overhead line beams for railways is known (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Overhead line poles and overhead line beams are formed of, for example, steel materials such as a plurality of angle steels (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The plurality of steel materials are fixed to each other by welding or by using rivets or bolts.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Non-Patent Documents

[0004]

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] In the case of overhead line poles and overhead line beams formed from multiple steel materials or steel pipes, it is necessary to periodically repaint the surface of the overhead line poles and beams to prevent corrosion (rust), etc. The inventors of this application are considering, for example, attaching a paint brush to the hand of a humanoid heavy machinery robot described in Non-Patent Document 1 to paint overhead line poles and beams.

[0006] However, in the case of the humanoid heavy machinery robot described in Non-Patent Document 1, fine control (operation) of the hand is difficult. For example, if the paint brush described in Patent Document 1 is attached to the hand of the humanoid heavy machinery robot and used for painting, excessive force may be applied to the bristles when the bristles are pressed against the overhead line poles or beams, causing the bristles to be crushed. Furthermore, the inventors of this invention have found that because the bristles are crushed, it is difficult to properly paint the overhead line poles or beams.

[0007] Furthermore, the inventors of this invention have found that, for example, when a painting brush described in Patent Document 2 is attached to the hand of a humanoid heavy machinery robot and used for painting, excessive force may be applied to the roller brush when it is pressed against an overhead line pole or overhead line beam, causing the roller brush to collapse. Moreover, because the roller brush collapses, it stops rotating, making it difficult to properly paint the overhead line pole or overhead line beam.

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a paint brush that can properly paint an object even when attached to the hand of a robot, which has difficulty in fine control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, the paint brush of the present invention comprises a bristle bundle portion made up of a large number of bristles, a bristle bundle holding portion that holds the base portion of the bristle bundle portion, and a bristle bundle reinforcing portion in which at least a part is disposed within the bristle bundle portion, wherein the bristle bundle reinforcing portion comprises a plurality of metal wires extending from the bristle bundle holding portion toward the tip of the bristle bundle portion.

[0010] The paint brush of the present invention is equipped with a bristle bundle reinforcement section having multiple metal wires extending from the bristle bundle holding section toward the tip of the bristle bundle, and at least a portion of the bristle bundle reinforcement section is located within the bristle bundle. Therefore, in the present invention, even when the paint brush is attached to a robot hand where fine control is difficult and painting is performed, the bristle bundle reinforcement section can prevent the bristle bundle from being crushed when the bristle bundle is pressed against the object to be painted, such as an overhead line pole. Thus, in the present invention, even when the paint brush is attached to a robot hand where fine control is difficult and used, it is possible to properly paint the object to be painted.

[0011] In the present invention, the outer shape of the hair bundle is formed in a truncated cone or cylindrical shape, where the outer diameter of the hair bundle increases toward the tip of the hair bundle. If one side of the hair bundle having a truncated cone or cylindrical outer shape is designated as the first direction side and the opposite side of the first direction side as the second direction side, the end of the hair bundle on the first direction side is held by the hair bundle holding portion. The metal wire comprises a parallel portion parallel to the axial direction of the hair bundle and an inclined portion that extends from the parallel portion toward the second direction and is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the hair bundle so as it moves toward the second direction, it moves toward the radially outward direction of the hair bundle. Preferably, the hair bundle reinforcing portion is formed in a whisk shape by a plurality of metal wires arranged in the circumferential direction of the hair bundle.

[0012] With this configuration, even if there are protruding parts such as bolts used to fix multiple steel members together on an object to be painted, such as an overhead line pole, the brush-like reinforcing section is formed in a tea whisk shape, which prevents the tip portion of the brush-like reinforcing section (the second direction side) from catching on the protruding parts of the object to be painted. Therefore, even if there are protruding parts on the object to be painted, it becomes possible to paint the object properly.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that the metal wire has a curved portion that extends from the inclined portion toward the second direction and bulges radially outward from the bristle bundle portion, with the curved portion constituting the end of the metal wire toward the second direction. With this configuration, the metal wire becomes more flexible when the tip of the metal wire, which is the end of the metal wire toward the second direction, is pressed against the object to be painted. Therefore, it becomes possible to reduce the contact pressure between the tip of the metal wire and the object to be painted when the tip of the metal wire is pressed against the object to be painted. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the tip of the metal wire from scraping off the paint applied to the object when the paint brush moves while the tip of the metal wire is in contact with the object to be painted.

[0014] In the present invention, for example, the hair bundle holding portion is formed in a cylindrical shape, the parallel portion is arranged on the inner circumference side of the hair bundle holding portion, and the inclined portion is arranged inside the hair bundle portion.

[0015] In the present invention, the paint brush includes a metal wire holder for holding the portions of a plurality of metal wires on the first direction side, the metal wire holder includes a cylindrical member with an internal thread formed on its inner circumferential surface, a shaft member with an external thread formed on its outer circumferential surface that engages with the internal thread of the cylindrical member, and a nut that engages with the shaft member, the axial direction of the cylindrical member and the axial direction of the shaft member coincide with the axial direction of the bristle bundle, the metal wire has a bent portion that extends radially outward from the end of the parallel portion on the first direction side, the bent portion constitutes the end of the metal wire on the first direction side, a plurality of first grooves are formed on the end face of the cylindrical member on the first direction side where the bent portion is arranged, a plurality of second grooves are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member where at least a portion of the parallel portion is arranged, the end of the shaft member on the first direction side protrudes in the first direction side beyond the end face of the cylindrical member on the first direction side, and preferably the nut is positioned on the first direction side of the cylindrical member and in contact with the end face of the cylindrical member on the first direction side.

[0016] This configuration makes it easy to attach and detach the nut to the shaft member and the shaft member to the cylindrical member. Furthermore, by removing the nut from the shaft member and removing the shaft member from the cylindrical member, it becomes possible to remove multiple metal wires from the metal wire holder. Therefore, compared to a case where multiple metal wires are fixed to the metal wire holder by adhesive, for example, it becomes easier to attach and detach multiple metal wires to the metal wire holder. As a result, for example, if a metal wire is damaged, it becomes possible to easily replace it. Also, for example, when cleaning the metal wire holder or metal wires with multiple metal wires removed from the metal wire holder, it becomes possible to easily remove multiple metal wires from the metal wire holder.

[0017] In the present invention, the paint brush comprises, for example, two adjacent bristle bundles and two adjacent bristle bundle holders.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the painting brush of the present invention is characterized by comprising a plurality of roller brush portions formed in a roller shape, a roller holding shaft arranged on the inner circumference side of the plurality of roller brush portions, and an annular reinforcing member arranged between adjacent roller brush portions in the axial direction of the roller holding shaft, with the roller holding shaft inserted on the inner circumference side.

[0019] The paint brush of the present invention is equipped with a reinforcing member positioned between adjacent roller brush sections in the axial direction of the roller holding shaft. The reinforcing member is formed in an annular shape through which the roller holding shaft is inserted on its inner circumference. Therefore, in the present invention, even when the paint brush is attached to a robot hand where fine control is difficult and painting is performed, the reinforcing member prevents the roller brush section from being crushed when it is pressed against an object to be painted, such as an overhead line pole, and allows the roller brush section to rotate. Thus, in the present invention, even when the paint brush is attached to a robot hand where fine control is difficult and used, it is possible to properly paint the object to be painted.

[0020] In the present invention, the reinforcing member is a reinforcing plate formed in the shape of a flat plate, and it is preferable that the outer diameter of the reinforcing plate is smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion. With this configuration, when painting is performed by pressing the outer surface of the roller brush portion against the object to be painted, it is possible to suppress the outer surface of the reinforcing plate from contacting the object to be painted with excessive contact pressure. Therefore, when the paint brush moves while the outer surface of the roller brush portion is in contact with the object to be painted, it is possible to suppress the outer surface of the reinforcing plate from scraping off the paint applied to the object to be painted.

[0021] In the present invention, the reinforcing member is a reinforcing plate formed in a flat plate shape, and it is preferable that a large number of irregularities arranged in the circumferential direction of the reinforcing plate are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing plate. With this configuration, it becomes possible to reduce the contact area between the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing plate and the painting object when the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing plate contacts the painting object. Therefore, when the painting brush moves in a state where the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing plate contacts the painting object, it becomes possible to suppress the outer peripheral surface of the reinforcing plate from scraping off the paint applied to the painting object.

[0022] In the present invention, the reinforcing member is a reinforcing plate formed in a flat plate shape, the reinforcing plate is provided with protrusions protruding on both sides in the thickness direction of the reinforcing plate, and it is preferable that the protrusions are inserted into the roller brush part adjacent to the reinforcing plate in the axial direction of the roller holding shaft. With this configuration, it becomes possible to rotate two adjacent roller brush parts together via the reinforcing plate in the axial direction of the roller holding shaft. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform appropriate painting by two adjacent roller brush parts via the reinforcing plate.

Effects of the Invention

[0023] As described above, in the present invention, even when a painting brush is attached to and used for the hand of a robot that is difficult to control finely, it becomes possible to appropriately paint the painting object.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a plan view of the painting brush according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a schematic view of a robot to which the painting brush shown in FIG. 1 is attached. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the tuft part and the tuft holding part shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is an exploded perspective view of the tuft part, the tuft holding part, the tuft reinforcing part, and the wire holding part shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view of the tuft reinforcing part and the wire holding part shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 6](A) is a perspective view of the cylindrical member shown in Figure 4, and (B) is a rear view of the cylindrical member shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the structure of the hair bundle reinforcement section in the modified example. [Figure 8] This diagram illustrates the structure of the hair bundle reinforcement section in the modified example. [Figure 9] This is a plan view of a painting brush according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a robot to which a paint brush is attached. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a paint brush. [Figure 12] Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of some components of a paint brush. [Figure 13] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the roller brush when painting with the paint brush shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] [Embodiment 1] (Composition of a paint brush) Figure 1 is a plan view of a paint brush 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a robot 2 to which the paint brush 1 shown in Figure 1 is attached. Figure 3 is a side view of the bristle bundle portion 7 and the bristle bundle holding portion 8 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the bristle bundle portion 7, the bristle bundle holding portion 8, the bristle bundle reinforcement portion 15, and the metal wire holding portion 17 shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the bristle bundle reinforcement portion 15 and the metal wire holding portion 17 shown in Figure 3. Figure 6(A) is a perspective view of the cylindrical member 18 shown in Figure 4, and Figure 6(B) is a rear view of the cylindrical member 18 shown in Figure 4.

[0027] The painting brush 1 in this embodiment is, for example, a brush used for painting railway overhead line poles and overhead line beams. Overhead line poles are installed on both sides of the tracks, flanking the tracks. Overhead line beams connect the upper ends of the overhead line poles installed on both sides of the tracks. Overhead wires are suspended from the overhead line beams. Overhead line poles and overhead line beams are composed of multiple steel materials and steel pipes. For example, overhead line poles and overhead line beams are composed of multiple angle steels, channel steels, and H-beams. Multiple steel materials and steel pipes are fixed to each other by welding, or by using rivets and bolts. In this embodiment, a special fiber paint with relatively high viscosity containing fibers is applied to the overhead line poles and overhead line beams using the painting brush 1.

[0028] The paint brush 1 is used, for example, attached to the hand 3 of a vertical articulated robot 2, as shown in Figure 2. The robot 2 is equipped with a paint supply mechanism 4 that supplies paint to the paint brush 1. The paint supply mechanism 4 includes, for example, a paint pressure tank, a compressor to increase the pressure in the paint pressure tank, and piping such as a high-pressure hose connecting the paint pressure tank and the paint brush 1. The paint in the paint pressure tank is sent out of the paint pressure tank using the pressure inside the tank. An on / off valve is installed in the middle of the piping. The on / off valve is a solenoid valve.

[0029] The paint brush 1 comprises a bristle bundle section 7 made up of numerous bristles and a bristle bundle holding section 8 that holds the base of the bristle bundle section 7. As shown in Figure 1, the paint brush 1 in this embodiment comprises two adjacent bristle bundle sections 7 and two adjacent bristle bundle holding sections 8. The paint brush 1 also comprises a brush base section 9 to which the two bristle bundle holding sections 8 are fixed. The outer shape of the bristle bundle section 7 is formed in a frustoconical shape, with the outer diameter of the bristle bundle section 7 increasing towards the tip of the bristle bundle section 7.

[0030] For convenience, in the following description, the axial direction of the hair bundle 7, which has a frustoconical shape, will be defined as the front-to-back direction. In the following description, the root side of the hair bundle 7 (the Z1 direction side in Figure 1, etc.), which is one side in the front-to-back direction, will be defined as the "back" side, and the tip side of the hair bundle 7 (the Z2 direction side in Figure 1, etc.), which is the opposite side, will be defined as the "front" side, and the X direction in Figure 1, etc., which is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, will be defined as the left-to-right direction. In this embodiment, the Z1 direction side is the first direction side, which is one side in the axial direction of the hair bundle 7, and the Z2 direction is the second direction side, which is the opposite side of the first direction side.

[0031] The hair bundle holding portion 8 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Specifically, the hair bundle holding portion 8 is formed in a thick cylindrical shape. The hair bundle holding portion 8 is positioned so that its axial direction and front-to-back direction coincide. Two hair bundle holding portions 8 are positioned adjacent to each other in the left-to-right direction. The rear end of the hair bundle portion 7 is held by the hair bundle holding portion 8, and the hair bundle holding portion 8 is positioned behind the hair bundle portion 7.

[0032] The outer shape of the hair bundle portion 7 is formed in the shape of a frustoconical cone, with the outer diameter gradually increasing towards the front. Two hair bundle portions 7 are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The left portion of the hair bundle portion 7 located on the right side overlaps with the right portion of the hair bundle portion 7 located on the left side. A through hole 7a is formed in the hair bundle portion 7, penetrating it in the front-back direction. The through hole 7a is a round hole formed at the radial center of the hair bundle portion 7. The through hole 7a leads to the inner circumference of the hair bundle holding portion 8. Alternatively, the two hair bundle portions 7 and the two hair bundle holding portions 8 may be arranged so that the left portion of the right hair bundle portion 7 and the right portion of the left hair bundle portion 7 do not overlap.

[0033] The brush base 9 comprises a main body 10 to which the rear end of the bristle bundle holding part 8 is fixed, and a fixed part 11 to which the hand 3 of the robot 2 is fixed. The fixed part 11 is fixed to the rear end of the main body 10. A nipple 12 is attached to the main body 10. One end of a pipe connecting the paint pressure tank and the paint brush 1 is attached to the nipple 12. Inside the main body 10, paint channels are formed to supply paint to each of the two bristle bundle parts 7.

[0034] Furthermore, the paint brush 1 includes a bristle bundle reinforcement section 15, at least a portion of which is positioned within the bristle bundle section 7. The bristle bundle reinforcement section 15 comprises a plurality of metal wires 16 extending from the bristle bundle holding section 8 toward the tip side of the bristle bundle section 7 (i.e., toward the front). In this embodiment, the bristle bundle reinforcement section 15 is composed of a plurality of metal wires 16. Specifically, the bristle bundle reinforcement section 15 is composed of eight metal wires 16. The paint brush 1 also includes a metal wire holding section 17 for holding the rear portion (root portion) of the eight metal wires 16.

[0035] The metal wire 16 is a wire made of a metal with spring properties. In this embodiment, the metal wire 16 is made of steel. Specifically, the metal wire 16 is a piano wire made of carbon steel. The cross-section of the metal wire 16 is circular. The outer diameter of the metal wire 16 is, for example, about 1.5 mm. The metal wire 16 includes a parallel portion 16a that is parallel to the front-rear direction, an inclined portion 16b that extends forward from the parallel portion 16a and is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as it moves forward, it is inclined toward the radially outward direction of the hair bundle portion 7, a curved portion 16c that extends forward from the inclined portion 16b and bulges radially outward of the hair bundle portion 7, and a bent portion 16d that extends radially outward from the rear end of the parallel portion 16a.

[0036] The parallel section 16a, the inclined section 16b, and the bent section 16d are formed in a straight line. The curved section 16c is formed in a curved shape. For example, the curved section 16c is formed in an arc shape. The metal wire 16 in this embodiment is composed of the parallel section 16a, the inclined section 16b, the curved section 16c, and the bent section 16d. The curved section 16c constitutes the front end of the metal wire 16. The bent section 16d constitutes the rear end of the metal wire 16. The eight metal wires 16 are arranged at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction of the hair bundle section 7. The hair bundle reinforcement section 15 is formed in a whisk shape by the eight metal wires 16 arranged in the circumferential direction of the hair bundle section 7. The tip of the curved section 16c is positioned outside the parallel section 16a in the radial direction of the hair bundle section 7.

[0037] Because the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 is formed in the shape of a tea whisk, the multiple metal wires 16 are not connected to each other at the front end of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15, and the multiple metal wires 16 are separated. Similarly, at the rear end of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15, the multiple metal wires 16 are not connected to each other, and the multiple metal wires 16 are separated. The parallel section 16a and the bent section 16d are located on the inner circumference side of the hair bundle holding section 8. The rear end of the bent section 16d is located in front of the rear end surface of the hair bundle holding section 8. The inclined section 16b and the curved section 16c are located inside the hair bundle section 7. The front end of the curved section 16c is located behind the front end surface of the hair bundle section 7. In other words, the tip (front end) of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 is located behind the front end surface of the hair bundle section 7. For example, the tip of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 is located about 10 mm behind the front end surface of the hair bundle section 7.

[0038] The metal wire holder 17 comprises a cylindrical member 18 with an internal thread formed on its inner circumference, a shaft member 19 with an external thread formed on its outer circumference that engages with the internal thread of the cylindrical member 18, and nuts 20 and 21 that engage with the shaft member 19. In this embodiment, the metal wire holder 17 is composed of the cylindrical member 18, the shaft member 19, and the two nuts 20 and 21.

[0039] The cylindrical member 18 and the shaft member 19 are formed in a thick-walled cylindrical shape. The axial direction of the cylindrical member 18 and the axial direction of the shaft member 19 coincide with the front-to-back direction. The length of the shaft member 19 in the front-to-back direction is longer than the length of the cylindrical member 18 in the front-to-back direction. For example, the length of the shaft member 19 in the front-to-back direction is about 2.5 times the length of the cylindrical member 18 in the front-to-back direction. Also, the length of the cylindrical member 18 in the front-to-back direction is shorter than the length of the parallel portion 16a of the metal wire 16. For example, the length of the cylindrical member 18 in the front-to-back direction is about half the length of the parallel portion 16a.

[0040] As described above, male threads are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 19. The male threads are formed over the entire length of the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 19 in the front-rear direction. The front portion of the shaft member 19 is located on the inner circumference side of the cylindrical member 18. The front end surface of the shaft member 19 is located slightly in front of the front end surface of the cylindrical member 18. More than half of the shaft member 19 in the front-rear direction is located behind the cylindrical member 18. That is, the rear end of the shaft member 19 protrudes behind the rear end surface of the cylindrical member 18.

[0041] Multiple first grooves 18a are formed on the rear end surface of the cylindrical member 18, where the bent portion 16d of the metal wire 16 is positioned. Specifically, eight first grooves 18a are formed on the rear end surface of the cylindrical member 18. The first grooves 18a are recessed toward the front. The depth of the first grooves 18a is greater than the outer diameter of the metal wire 16. The first grooves 18a are formed in a straight line extending radially across the cylindrical member 18. The eight first grooves 18a are arranged at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical member 18 and are arranged radially around the axis of the cylindrical member 18. The first grooves 18a are formed from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 18.

[0042] Multiple second grooves 18b are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 18, in which at least a portion of the parallel portion 16a of the metal wire 16 is positioned. Specifically, the same number of second grooves 18b as the number of first grooves 18a are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 18. That is, eight second grooves 18b are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 18. The second grooves 18b are recessed toward the radially outward direction of the cylindrical member 18. The depth of the second grooves 18b is greater than the outer diameter of the metal wire 16. The second grooves 18b are formed in a straight line extending in the front-rear direction. The eight second grooves 18b are arranged at a constant pitch in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical member 18. The rear end of the second grooves 18b is connected to the inner end of the first groove 18a in the radial direction of the cylindrical member 18. The second grooves 18b are formed from the inner end of the first groove 18a in the radial direction of the cylindrical member 18 to the front end surface of the cylindrical member 18.

[0043] The inner circumferential surfaces of nuts 20 and 21 have female threads that engage with the male threads formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft member 19. Nut 20 is positioned behind the cylindrical member 18. Nut 20 is in contact with the rear end surface of the cylindrical member 18 with a predetermined contact pressure. Nut 21 is positioned behind nut 20. Nut 21 is in contact with the rear end surface of nut 20 with a predetermined contact pressure. Nut 21 serves to prevent nut 20 from loosening. The rear end surface of the shaft member 19 is positioned behind the rear end surface of nut 21.

[0044] As shown in Figure 5, the rear portion of the parallel section 16a of the metal wire 16 is housed in the second groove 18b. A shaft member 19 is positioned inside the parallel section 16a in the radial direction of the cylindrical member 18, and the shaft member 19 restricts the movement of the parallel section 16a inward in the radial direction of the cylindrical member 18. The front portion of the parallel section 16a is positioned in front of the cylindrical member 18. The bent section 16d of the metal wire 16 is housed in the first groove 18a. A nut 20 is positioned behind the bent section 16d, and the nut 20 restricts the movement of the bent section 16d backward. In this embodiment, the eight metal wires 16 can be removed from the metal wire holder by removing the nuts 20 and 21 from the shaft member 19 and removing the shaft member 19 from the cylindrical member 18.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the cylindrical member 18 and nuts 20 and 21 are arranged on the inner circumference side of the hair bundle holding portion 8. The front end surface of the cylindrical member 18 is positioned behind the front end surface of the hair bundle holding portion 8. The inner circumference side of the shaft member 19 is connected to the inner circumference surface of the front portion of the hair bundle holding portion 8. The rear end of the shaft member 19, which protrudes behind the rear end surface of the nut 21, protrudes behind the rear end surface of the hair bundle holding portion 8. The rear end of the shaft member 19 is attached to the main body portion 10.

[0046] As described above, a paint channel is formed inside the main body 10 to supply paint to each of the two bristle bundles 7. This channel leads to the inner circumference of the two shaft members 19. Paint supplied from the paint supply mechanism 4 via piping flows into the main body 10 through the nipple 12. The paint that flows into the main body 10 is supplied to the bristle bundles 7 by passing through the channel in the main body 10, the inner circumference of the shaft members 19, and the inner circumference of the front part of the bristle bundle holding section 8. When painting overhead line poles and overhead line beams with the paint brush 1 attached to the hand 3 of the robot 2, the two bristle bundles 7 are pressed against the overhead line poles and overhead line beams located in front of the paint brush 1.

[0047] (Main effects of this form) As described above, in this embodiment, the paint brush 1 is equipped with a bristle bundle reinforcement section 15, part of which is positioned within the bristle bundle section 7. The bristle bundle reinforcement section 15 is composed of multiple metal wires 16 extending from the bristle bundle holding section 8 toward the tip of the bristle bundle section 7. Therefore, in this embodiment, even when the paint brush 1 is attached to the hand 3 of a robot 2, which is difficult to control precisely, the bristle bundle reinforcement section 15 prevents the bristle bundle section 7 from being crushed when pressed against the object to be painted, such as an overhead line pole. Thus, in this embodiment, even when the paint brush 1 is attached to the hand 3 of a robot 2, which is difficult to control precisely, it is possible to paint the object to be painted appropriately.

[0048] In this embodiment, the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 is formed in a whisk-like shape by multiple metal wires 16 arranged circumferentially around the hair bundle section 7. At the front end of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15, the multiple metal wires 16 are not connected to each other and are separated. Therefore, in this embodiment, even if there are protruding parts such as bolts used to fix multiple steel members constituting the overhead line pole on the overhead line pole, it is possible to prevent the front end of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 from getting caught on the protruding parts of the overhead line pole. Consequently, in this embodiment, even if there are protruding parts on the object to be painted, such as an overhead line pole, it is possible to paint the object to be painted appropriately.

[0049] In this embodiment, the curved portion 16c that bulges radially outward of the bristle bundle 7 constitutes the tip (front end) of the metal wire 16, and the metal wire 16 is more flexible when the tip (front end) of the metal wire 16 is pressed against the object to be painted. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the contact pressure between the tip of the metal wire 16 and the object to be painted when the tip of the metal wire 16 is pressed against the object to be painted. Consequently, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the tip of the metal wire 16 from scraping off the paint applied to the object to be painted when the paint brush 1 moves while the tip of the metal wire 16 is in contact with the object to be painted.

[0050] In this embodiment, the metal wire holding portion 17 is composed of a cylindrical cylindrical member 18 with an internal thread formed on its inner circumference, a shaft member 19 with an external thread formed on its outer circumference that engages with the internal thread of the cylindrical member 18, and nuts 20 and 21 that engage with the shaft member 19. This makes it easy to attach and detach the shaft member 19 to and from the cylindrical member 18 and the nuts 20 and 21 to and from the shaft member 19. In this embodiment, the rear portion of the parallel portion 16a of the metal wire 16 is housed in the second groove 18b of the cylindrical member 18, and the bent portion 16d of the metal wire 16 is housed in the first groove 18a of the cylindrical member 18. As described above, by removing the nuts 20 and 21 from the shaft member 19 and removing the shaft member 19 from the cylindrical member 18, multiple metal wires 16 can be removed from the metal wire holding portion 17.

[0051] Therefore, this embodiment makes it easier to attach and detach multiple metal wires 16 to the metal wire holder 17 compared to, for example, the case where multiple metal wires 16 are fixed to the metal wire holder 17 by adhesive. Consequently, in this embodiment, for example, if a metal wire 16 is damaged, it becomes possible to easily replace the metal wire 16. Furthermore, in this embodiment, for example, even when cleaning the metal wire holder 17 or the metal wires 16 with multiple metal wires 16 removed from the metal wire holder 17, it becomes possible to easily remove the multiple metal wires 16 from the metal wire holder 17.

[0052] (Modification of Embodiment 1) Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating the configuration of the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 in the modified example.

[0053] In Embodiment 1, reinforcing metal wires 26 for reinforcing the metal wire 16 may be fixed to the metal wire 16 (see Figure 7). That is, the hair bundle reinforcement section 15 may have the same number of reinforcing metal wires 26 as the metal wire 16. The reinforcing metal wires 26 are composed of, for example, parallel sections 26a arranged along the parallel section 16a and inclined sections 26b arranged along the inclined section 16b. The reinforcing metal wires 26 are fixed to the outside of the metal wire 16 in the radial direction of the hair bundle section 7 by welding.

[0054] In Embodiment 1, the tip of the curved portion 16c may be positioned at the same location as the parallel portion 16a in the radial direction of the hair bundle portion 7 (see Figure 8(A)), or it may be positioned inward from the parallel portion 16a. Also, in Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 8(B), the metal wire 16 does not have to have a curved portion 16c. That is, the metal wire 16 may be composed of a parallel portion 16a, an inclined portion 16b, and a bent portion 16d. Also, in Embodiment 1, the metal wire 16 may be composed of an inclined portion 16b, a curved portion 16c, and a bent portion 16d, or it may be composed of a parallel portion 16a, a curved portion 16c, and a bent portion 16d, or it may be composed of a parallel portion 16a and a bent portion 16d.

[0055] In Embodiment 1, the ends of the two metal wires 16, which are positioned on either side of the center of the cylindrical member 18 when viewed from the front and rear, may be connected. For example, as shown in Figure 8(C), the ends of the two metal wires 16 may be connected via two straight sections 16e. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8(D), the ends of the two metal wires 16 may be connected via an arc-shaped curved section 16f, or as shown in Figure 8(E), the ends of the two metal wires 16 may be connected via a single straight section 16g.

[0056] In Embodiment 1, the inclined portion 16b of the metal wire 16 may be formed in a curved shape that bulges radially outward from the hair bundle portion 7. For example, the inclined portion 16b may be formed in an arc shape with a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature of the curved portion 16c. Also, in Embodiment 1, the hair bundle reinforcement portion 15 may be composed of eight or fewer metal wires 16, or it may be composed of nine or more metal wires 16. According to the inventors' research, it is preferable that the hair bundle reinforcement portion 15 is composed of, for example, 12 metal wires 16.

[0057] In Embodiment 1, the multiple metal wires 16 may be fixed to the metal wire holding portion 17 by adhesive. In this case, for example, the metal wire holding portion 17 is composed only of the cylindrical member 18. Alternatively, in Embodiment 1, the multiple metal wires 16 may be held by the hair bundle holding portion 8. In this case, the metal wire holding portion 17 becomes unnecessary. In this case, the entire hair bundle reinforcement portion 15 may be placed inside the hair bundle portion 7.

[0058] In Embodiment 1, the outer shape of the bristle bundle portion 7 may be cylindrical, or it may be barrel-shaped with a larger outer diameter in the middle portion in the front-to-back direction. Also in Embodiment 1, the paint brush 1 may have only one bristle bundle portion 7 and one bristle bundle holding portion 8, or it may have three or more bristle bundle portions 7 and the same number of bristle bundle portions 7 as three or more bristle bundle holding portions 8. Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, two bristle bundle portions 7 may be held by one bristle bundle holding portion 8.

[0059] [Embodiment 2] (Composition of a paint brush) Figure 9 is a plan view of a painting brush 31 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of a robot 2 to which the painting brush 31 shown in Figure 9 is attached. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the painting brush 31 shown in Figure 9. Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the configuration of the painting brush 31 shown in Figure 9. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state of the roller brush sections 37B and 37C when painting is performed with the painting brush 31 shown in Figure 9.

[0060] The paint brush 31 in this embodiment, like the paint brush 1 in Embodiment 1, is a brush for painting railway overhead line poles and overhead line beams. In this embodiment as well, a special fiber paint with relatively high viscosity containing fibers is applied to the overhead line poles and overhead line beams by the paint brush 31. Similar to Embodiment 1, the paint brush 31 is used by being attached to the hand 3 of a vertical articulated robot 2, for example, as shown in Figure 10. The robot 2 is equipped with a paint supply mechanism 4 that supplies paint to the paint brush 31.

[0061] The paint brush 31 comprises a plurality of roller brush sections 37 formed in a roller shape, and a roller holding section 38 that rotatably holds the plurality of roller brush sections 37. The roller holding section 38 comprises a linear roller holding shaft 39 arranged on the inner circumference side of the plurality of roller brush sections 37, and a linear support shaft 40 to which the intermediate portion of the roller holding shaft 39 is fixed at one end. The axial direction of the roller holding shaft 39 and the axial direction of the support shaft 40 are perpendicular. The central part of the roller holding shaft 39 is fixed to one end of the support shaft 40. The roller holding section 38 is formed in a T shape.

[0062] For convenience, the axial direction of the roller holding shaft 39 will be considered the left-right direction in the following explanation. Furthermore, in the following explanation, the side in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 9, which is the X1 direction side, will be referred to as the "right" side, and the opposite side, as shown in Figure 9, which is the X2 direction side, will be referred to as the "left" side. Of the axial directions of the support shaft 40, the side to which the roller holding shaft 39 is fixed (the Y1 direction side in Figure 9, etc.) will be referred to as the "tip" side, and the opposite side of the tip, as shown in Figure 9, which is the Y2 direction side, will be referred to as the "base" side.

[0063] The roller brush section 37 is formed of a chemical fiber, such as polyester or acrylic fibers. The roller brush section 37 is cylindrical in shape. The roller brush section 37 is rotatably mounted on the roller holding shaft 39 and rotates on the outer circumference of the roller holding shaft 39. The painting brush 31 in this embodiment has four roller brush sections 37 arranged in the left-right direction. Two of the four roller brush sections 37 are located to the right of the support shaft 40, and the remaining two roller brush sections 37 are located to the left of the support shaft 40.

[0064] In the following description, when distinguishing between the four roller brush sections 37, the roller brush section 37 located on the far right will be referred to as "roller brush section 37A", the roller brush section 37 located second from the right as "roller brush section 37B", the roller brush section 37 located third from the right as "roller brush section 37C", and the roller brush section 37 located on the far left as "roller brush section 37D".

[0065] The roller holding shaft 39 and the support shaft 40 are metal pipes made of stainless steel or the like, and are formed in an elongated cylindrical shape. That is, the roller holding shaft 39 and the support shaft 40 are formed in a cylindrical shape with both ends open. The base end of the support shaft 40 is held by the hand 3. The center of the roller holding shaft 39 in the left-right direction is fixed to the tip of the support shaft 40. As shown in Figure 11, the tip of the support shaft 40 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the roller holding shaft 39. The roller holding shaft 39 has a through hole through which the tip of the support shaft 40 is inserted. The inner circumference side of the support shaft 40 is connected to the inner circumference side of the roller holding shaft 39.

[0066] The right end of the roller holding shaft 39 is positioned to the left of the right end face of the roller brush portion 37A. The left end of the roller holding shaft 39 is positioned to the right of the left end face of the roller brush portion 37D. The outer diameter of the roller holding shaft 39 is significantly smaller than the inner diameter of the roller brush portion 37. The roller holding shaft 39 has a through hole 39a that penetrates through the roller holding shaft 39 in the radial direction. That is, the roller holding shaft 39 has a through hole 39a that extends from the inner circumferential surface to the outer circumferential surface of the roller holding shaft 39. The through hole 39a penetrates the roller holding shaft 39 in the axial direction of the support shaft 40.

[0067] The through holes 39a are formed in the portion of the roller holding shaft 39 to the right of the support shaft 40 and in the portion of the roller holding shaft 39 to the left of the support shaft 40. Furthermore, the through holes 39a are formed in two locations on the roller holding shaft 39 to the right of the support shaft 40 and in two locations on the roller holding shaft 39 to the left of the support shaft 40. The two through holes 39a located to the right of the support shaft 40 are positioned at the same location in the left-right direction and are located on the inner circumference of the roller brush portion 37A. The two through holes 39a located to the left of the support shaft 40 are positioned at the same location in the left-right direction and are located on the inner circumference of the roller brush portion 37D.

[0068] The roller holding section 38 includes a roller holding shaft 39 and a support shaft 40, as well as a fixing plate 41 to ensure the fixing strength of the roller holding shaft 39 to the support shaft 40. The fixing plate 41 is formed in a flat plate shape with the left-right direction as the thickness direction. When viewed from the left-right direction, the shape of the fixing plate 41 is U-shaped. The fixing plate 41, which has a U-shape when viewed from the left-right direction, is fixed to the roller holding shaft 39 and the support shaft 40 such that the opening side of the fixing plate 41 is positioned towards the base end. Furthermore, the U-shaped fixing plate 41 is fixed to the roller holding shaft 39 and the support shaft 40 such that the inner surface of the fixing plate 41 contacts the outer surface of the roller holding shaft 39 in the circumferential direction of the roller holding shaft 39 and contacts the outer surface of the support shaft 40 in the axial direction of the support shaft 40 (see Figure 12).

[0069] Furthermore, the paint brush 31 includes two annular ring members 44 fixed to the inner circumferential surfaces of the roller brush sections 37B and 37C, two annular reinforcing members 45 positioned between the roller brush sections 37A and 37B and between the roller brush sections 37C and 37D in the left-right direction, two end plate members 46 positioned at both ends of the paint brush 31 in the left-right direction, one shaft member 47 inserted through the inner circumferential side of the roller holding shaft 39, and two push nuts 48 attached to both ends of the shaft member 47.

[0070] The ring member 44 is made of a resin such as polyacetal resin. The ring member 44 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the ring member 44 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the roller brush portion 37. The outer circumferential surface of the ring member 44 is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the roller brush portions 37B and 37C. The ring member 44 protrudes radially inward from the roller brush portions 37B and 37C. The roller holding shaft 39 is inserted through the inner circumferential side of the ring member 44, and the ring member 44 is positioned on the outer circumferential side of the roller holding shaft 39. The ring member 44 is also rotatably held on the roller holding shaft 39.

[0071] The length of the ring member 44 in the left-right direction is shorter than the length of the roller brush portion 37 in the left-right direction. For example, the length of the ring member 44 in the left-right direction is about one-third the length of the roller brush portion 37 in the left-right direction. In the following description, when the two ring members 44 are described separately, the ring member 44 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the roller brush portion 37B will be referred to as "ring member 44A," and the ring member 44 fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the roller brush portion 37C will be referred to as "ring member 44B."

[0072] The ring member 44A is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the right end portion 37e of the roller brush portion 37B, which is located on the right side of the support shaft 40. The ring member 44B is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the left end portion 37f of the roller brush portion 37C, which is located on the left side of the support shaft 40. The right end face of the ring member 44A is positioned in the same location in the left-right direction as, for example, the right end face of the roller brush portion 37B. The left end face of the ring member 44B is positioned in the same location in the left-right direction as, for example, the left end face of the roller brush portion 37C.

[0073] The inner circumferential surface of the ring member 44 is composed of a cylindrical parallel surface 44c that is parallel to the axial direction of the ring member 44, which is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a frustoconical inclined surface 44d whose inner diameter gradually increases towards one side in the axial direction of the ring member 44. The width of the inclined surface 44d in the left-right direction is wider than the width of the parallel surface 44c in the left-right direction. For example, the width of the inclined surface 44d in the left-right direction is about four times the width of the parallel surface 44c in the left-right direction.

[0074] In ring member 44A, the right end of the inner circumferential surface is a parallel surface 44c. Also in ring member 44A, the right end of the inclined surface 44d is connected to the left end of the parallel surface 44c, and the inner diameter of the inclined surface 44d gradually increases towards the left. In ring member 44B, the left end of the inner circumferential surface is a parallel surface 44c. Also in ring member 44B, the left end of the inclined surface 44d is connected to the right end of the parallel surface 44c, and the inner diameter of the inclined surface 44d gradually increases towards the right.

[0075] In ring member 44A, the right end of the parallel surface 44c and the left end of the inclined surface 44d are chamfered. In ring member 44B, the left end of the parallel surface 44c and the right end of the inclined surface 44d are chamfered. The minimum inner diameter of the inclined surface 44d is equal to the inner diameter of the parallel surface 44c. The inner diameter of the parallel surface 44c is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the roller holding shaft 9.

[0076] As described above, the reinforcing member 45 is positioned between the roller brush section 37A and the roller brush section 37B, and between the roller brush section 37C and the roller brush section 37D in the left-right direction. That is, the reinforcing member 45 is positioned between adjacent roller brush sections 37 in the left-right direction. The reinforcing member 45 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. Furthermore, the reinforcing member 45 is formed in a flat plate shape with the left-right direction as the thickness direction. In other words, the reinforcing member 45 in this embodiment is a metal reinforcing plate formed in a flat plate shape. Therefore, in the following, the reinforcing member 45 will be referred to as the "reinforcing plate 45".

[0077] The reinforcing plate 45 is formed in an annular shape. The roller holding shaft 39 is inserted through the inner circumference of the reinforcing plate 45, and the reinforcing plate 45 is positioned on the outer circumference of the roller holding shaft 39. The reinforcing plate 45 is rotatably held on the roller holding shaft 39. The inner diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 is smaller than the inner diameter of the roller brush portion 37. For example, the inner diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the parallel surface 44c of the ring member 44. The outer diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 is smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37. Specifically, the outer diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37. For example, the outer diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 is about 10% smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37.

[0078] The outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 has numerous protrusions 45a arranged in the circumferential direction of the reinforcing plate 45 (see Figure 12). The numerous protrusions 45a are formed by a continuous arrangement of numerous triangular protrusions that project outward in the radial direction of the reinforcing plate 45 when viewed from the left or right direction, in the circumferential direction of the reinforcing plate 45.

[0079] The reinforcing plate 45 is provided with projections 45b that protrude from both sides in the thickness direction of the reinforcing plate 45 (i.e., protrude from both sides in the left-right direction) (see Figure 12). In this embodiment, multiple triangular projections 45b that are cut and bent toward both sides in the left-right direction are formed on the reinforcing plate 45. The tips of the projections 45b are pointed. In addition, in this embodiment, three projections 45b are formed on the right and left sides of the reinforcing plate 45, respectively, which are arranged at equal angular pitches with respect to the center of the reinforcing plate 45 when viewed from the left-right direction.

[0080] The projections 45b are inserted into the roller brush sections 37 adjacent to the reinforcing plate 45 in the left-right direction. Specifically, the projection 45b formed on the right side of the reinforcing plate 45 positioned between the roller brush section 37A and the roller brush section 37B is inserted into the left end face of the roller brush section 37A, and the projection 45b formed on the left side of this reinforcing plate 45 is inserted into the right end face of the roller brush section 37B. Furthermore, the projection 45b formed on the right side of the reinforcing plate 45 positioned between the roller brush section 37C and the roller brush section 37D is inserted into the left end face of the roller brush section 37C, and the projection 45b formed on the left side of this reinforcing plate 45 is inserted into the right end face of the roller brush section 37D.

[0081] The end plate members 46 are made of a metal such as stainless steel. The end plate members 46 are formed in a cylindrical shape with a flange. As described above, the end plate members 46 are positioned at both ends of the painting brush 31 in the left-right direction. The end plate member 46 positioned on the right side consists of an annular and flat end plate portion 46a positioned to the right of the roller brush portion 37A, and a cylindrical portion 46b extending to the left from the end plate portion 46a. The end plate member 46 positioned on the left side consists of an annular and flat end plate portion 46a positioned to the left of the roller brush portion 37D, and a cylindrical portion 46b extending to the right from the end plate portion 46a.

[0082] The end plate portion 46a is formed in a flat plate shape with the left-right direction as the thickness direction. The end plate portion 46a located on the right side is positioned to the right of the roller holding shaft 39, and the end plate portion 46a located on the left side is positioned to the left of the roller holding shaft 39. The inner diameter of the end plate portion 46a and the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 46b are equal. As described later, the shaft member 47 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape. The shaft member 47 is inserted through the inner circumference of the end plate member 46. The inner diameter of the end plate member 46 (i.e., the inner diameters of the end plate portion 46a and the cylindrical portion 46b) is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the shaft member 47 and is smaller than the inner diameter of the roller brush portion 37.

[0083] The outer diameter of the end plate portion 46a is larger than the inner diameter of the roller brush portion 37. Also, the outer diameter of the end plate portion 46a is smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 46b is significantly smaller than the inner diameter of the roller holding shaft 39. The left portion of the cylindrical portion 46b of the end plate member 46 located on the right side is positioned on the inner circumference side of the right end of the roller holding shaft 39. The right portion of the cylindrical portion 46b of the end plate member 46 located on the left side is positioned on the inner circumference side of the left end of the roller holding shaft 39.

[0084] The shaft member 47 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape in the left-right direction. The shaft member 47 is inserted through the inner circumference of the two end plate members 46 and is positioned on the inner circumference of the roller holding shaft 39. The right end of the shaft member 47 protrudes to the right of the end plate portion 46a located on the right side. That is, the right end of the shaft member 47 is a first protrusion 47a that protrudes to the right of the right end face of the roller brush portion 37A. The left end of the shaft member 47 protrudes to the left of the end plate portion 46a located on the left side. That is, the left end of the shaft member 47 is a second protrusion 47b that protrudes to the left of the left end face of the roller brush portion 37D.

[0085] The push nuts 48 are attached to the first projection 47a and the second projection 47b. The push nuts 48 serve to prevent the shaft member 47 from coming off the roller holding shaft 39 and the end plate member 46. The distance between the two push nuts 48 in the left-right direction is greater than the sum of the left-right length of the four roller brush portions 37, the outer diameter of the support shaft 40, the left-right thickness of the two reinforcing plates 45, and the left-right thickness of the two end plate portions 46a.

[0086] Paint is supplied to the paint brush 31 from the paint supply mechanism 4 via piping. The paint supplied from the paint supply mechanism 4 flows into the inner circumference of the support shaft 40 from the opening at the base end of the support shaft 40. Paint is supplied to the roller holding shaft 39 from the opening at the base end of the support shaft 40, which flows into the inner circumference of the support shaft 40 and flows out from the opening at the tip end of the support shaft 40. Paint flows out from the openings and through holes 39a formed at both ends of the roller holding shaft 39 to the four roller brush sections 37. In this embodiment, the end plate section 46a serves to prevent the paint flowing out from the openings at both ends of the roller holding shaft 39 from flowing outwards in the left-right direction of the paint brush 31, and the paint flowing out from the openings at both ends of the roller holding shaft 39 is supplied to the roller brush section 37 side by the action of the end plate section 46a.

[0087] When painting overhead line poles and overhead line beams with a paint brush 31 attached to the hand 3 of robot 2, for example, four roller brush sections 37 are pressed against the painting surface P (see Figure 13) of the overhead line pole or overhead line beam, which is located on the tip side of the paint brush 31. When the roller brush sections 37A and 37D are pressed against the painting surface P, the roller brush sections 37A and 37D do not tilt in the left-right direction, and the inner surfaces of the roller brush sections 37A and 37D contact the outer surface of the roller holding shaft 39.

[0088] On the other hand, when the roller brush portion 37B is pressed against the painting surface P, as shown in Figure 13, the roller brush portion 37B tilts in the left-right direction until the left end of the inner circumferential surface of the roller brush portion 37B and the inclined surface 44d of the ring member 44A contact the outer circumferential surface of the roller holding shaft 39 at the tip side of the painting brush 31. That is, the roller brush portion 37B tilts with respect to the roller holding shaft 39 in a direction that approaches the roller brush portion 37C at the tip side of the painting brush 31. Also, when the roller brush portion 37C is pressed against the painting surface P, the roller brush portion 37C tilts in the left-right direction until the right end of the inner circumferential surface of the roller brush portion 37C and the inclined surface 44d of the ring member 44B contact the outer circumferential surface of the roller holding shaft 39 at the tip side of the painting brush 31. That is, the roller brush portion 37C tilts with respect to the roller holding shaft 39 in a direction that approaches the roller brush portion 37B at the tip side of the painting brush 31.

[0089] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, when the roller brush portions 37B and 37C are pressed against the painting surface P, the roller brush portions 37B and 37C tilt to such an extent that the gap between them is almost eliminated at the tip end of the painting brush 31. In other words, in this embodiment, the inclination angle of the inclined surface 44d is set such that when the roller brush portions 37B and 37C are pressed against the painting surface P and tilted to such an extent that the gap between them is almost eliminated, the inclined surface 44d contacts the outer circumferential surface of the roller holding shaft 39.

[0090] (Main effects of this form) As described above, in this embodiment, reinforcing plates 45 are positioned between the roller brush section 37A and the roller brush section 37B, and between the roller brush section 37C and the roller brush section 37D. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reinforcing plate 45 is formed in an annular shape through which the roller holding shaft 39 is inserted on the inner circumference. Therefore, in this embodiment, even when painting is performed by attaching the paint brush 31 to the hand 3 of the robot 2, which is difficult to control precisely, the reinforcing plate 45 suppresses the crushing of the roller brush section 37 when the roller brush section 37 is pressed against the painting surface P, making it possible to rotate the roller brush section 37. Thus, in this embodiment, even when the paint brush 31 is attached to the hand 3 of the robot 2, which is difficult to control precisely, it is possible to paint the object to be painted appropriately.

[0091] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 is smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37. Therefore, in this embodiment, when painting is performed by pressing the outer surface of the roller brush portion 37 against the painting surface P, it is possible to suppress the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 from contacting the painting surface P with excessive contact pressure. Consequently, in this embodiment, when the painting brush 31 moves while the outer surface of the roller brush portion 37 is in contact with the painting surface P, it is possible to suppress the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 from scraping off the paint applied to the painting surface P.

[0092] In this embodiment, numerous indentations 45a are formed on the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45, arranged in the circumferential direction of the reinforcing plate 45. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the contact area between the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 and the painted surface P when the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 comes into contact with the painted surface P. Consequently, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 from scraping off the paint applied to the painted surface P when the paint brush 31 moves while the outer surface of the reinforcing plate 45 is in contact with the painted surface P.

[0093] In this embodiment, the reinforcing plate 45 has protrusions 45b that project from both sides in the thickness direction of the reinforcing plate 45, and the protrusions 45b are inserted into the roller brush parts 37 adjacent to the reinforcing plate 45 in the left-right direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to rotate two adjacent roller brush parts 37 together via the reinforcing plate 45 in the left-right direction. Consequently, in this embodiment, it is possible to perform proper painting using two adjacent roller brush parts 37 via the reinforcing plate 45.

[0094] (Modification example of Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 2, the reinforcing plate 45 may have pin-shaped projections, such as cylindrical ones, that protrude outwards on both sides in the left-right direction, instead of the protrusions 45b that are cut and raised outwards on both sides in the left-right direction. Also, in Embodiment 2, the reinforcing plate 45 does not have to have protrusions 45b that protrude outwards on both sides in the left-right direction. Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the outer diameter of the reinforcing plate 45 may be equal to the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37, or it may be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion 37. Also, in Embodiment 2, the outer circumferential surface of the reinforcing plate 45 does not have to have a large number of bumps 45a formed on it.

[0095] In Embodiment 2, the reinforcing member 45 may be a disc-shaped brush made of a hard wire such as steel or nylon, and formed in an annular shape. Also in Embodiment 2, the entire inner surface of the ring member 44 may be an inclined surface 44d, or the entire inner surface of the ring member 44 may be a parallel surface 44c. Also, in Embodiment 2, the painting brush 31 does not have to be equipped with a ring member 44.

[0096] In Embodiment 2, the number of roller brush sections 37 on the paint brush 31 may be two, three, or five or more. If the number of roller brush sections 37 on the paint brush 31 is an odd number of three or more, for example, a portion of the roller holding shaft 39 that is off-center in the left-right direction is fixed to the tip of the support shaft 40. Also, for example, if three roller brush sections 37 are arranged to the right of the support shaft 40, a reinforcing plate 45 is placed between the rightmost roller brush section 37 and the second roller brush section 37 from the right, and a reinforcing plate 45 is placed between the second roller brush section 37 from the right and the third roller brush section 37 from the right. Furthermore, in Embodiment 2, the roller holding section 38 does not have to be formed in a T shape. For example, the roller holding section 38 may be formed in an L shape.

[0097] [Other embodiments] The above-described embodiments are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without altering the essence of the invention.

[0098] In the above-described configuration, the paint supply mechanism 4 does not necessarily have to be attached to the robot 2. In this case, before painting with the paint brush 1, the bristle bundle 7 is immersed in the paint palette containing the paint to allow the bristle bundle 7 to be sufficiently saturated with paint. Also in this configuration, before painting with the paint brush 31, the roller brush 37 is immersed in the paint palette containing the paint to allow the roller brush 37 to be sufficiently saturated with paint. In this configuration, the roller holding shaft 39 and the support shaft 40 do not necessarily have to be formed in a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the paint brushes 1 and 31 may be used to paint objects other than overhead line poles and overhead line beams. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0099] 1 Paint brush 7 Hair bundle section 8. Hair bundle holding section 15 Hair bundle reinforcement section 16 Metal wires 16a Parallel part 16b Slope 16c curved section 16d Folded section 17 Metal wire holding part 18. Cylindrical member 18a 1st groove 18b 2nd groove 19 Shaft member 20 nuts 31 Paint brush 37 Roller brush section 39 Roller holding shaft 45 Reinforcement plate (reinforcement member) 45a unevenness 45b protrusion Z1 1st direction side Z2 2nd direction side

Claims

1. It comprises a bundle of hairs consisting of numerous hairs, a bundle of hairs holding part that holds the base of the bundle of hairs, and a bundle of hairs reinforcing part that is at least partially positioned within the bundle of hairs, The brush for painting is characterized in that the bristle bundle reinforcing portion comprises a plurality of metal wires extending from the bristle bundle holding portion toward the tip of the bristle bundle portion.

2. The outer shape of the hair bundle is formed in a frustoconical or cylindrical shape, where the outer diameter of the hair bundle increases towards the tip of the hair bundle. If one side of the hair bundle portion having a frustoconical or cylindrical outer shape is designated as the first direction, and the side opposite the first direction is designated as the second direction, The end of the hair bundle portion on the first direction side is held by the hair bundle holding portion. The metal wire comprises a parallel portion parallel to the axial direction of the hair bundle and an inclined portion that extends from the parallel portion toward the second direction and is inclined with respect to the axial direction of the hair bundle so as it moves toward the second direction, it moves toward the radially outward direction of the hair bundle. The painting brush according to claim 1, characterized in that the bristle bundle reinforcement portion is formed in a tea whisk shape by a plurality of metal wires arranged in the circumferential direction of the bristle bundle portion.

3. The metal wire has a curved portion that extends from the inclined portion toward the second direction and bulges radially outward from the hair bundle portion, The painting brush according to claim 2, characterized in that the curved portion constitutes the end of the metal wire on the second direction side.

4. The hair bundle holding portion is formed in a cylindrical shape, The parallel portion is positioned on the inner circumference side of the hair bundle holding portion. The painting brush according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the inclined portion is arranged within the bristle bundle portion.

5. It includes a metal wire holding part for holding the portions of the multiple metal wires on the first direction side, The metal wire holding portion comprises a cylindrical member with an internal thread formed on its inner circumference, a shaft member with an external thread formed on its outer circumference that engages with the internal thread of the cylindrical member, and a nut that engages with the shaft member. The axial direction of the cylindrical member and the axial direction of the shaft member coincide with the axial direction of the hair bundle portion. The metal wire has a bent portion that extends radially outward from the end of the parallel portion on the first direction side, The bent portion constitutes the end of the metal wire on the first direction side, Multiple first grooves are formed on the end face of the cylindrical member on the first direction side, where the bent portion is arranged. Multiple second grooves are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member, in which at least a portion of the parallel portion is arranged. The end of the shaft member on the first direction side protrudes further in the first direction than the end face of the cylindrical member on the first direction side. The painting brush according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the nut is positioned on the first direction side of the cylindrical member and is in contact with the end face of the cylindrical member on the first direction side.

6. A paint brush according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by comprising two adjacent bristle bundle portions and two adjacent bristle bundle holding portions.

7. A painting brush characterized by comprising: a plurality of roller brush portions formed in a roller shape; a roller holding shaft disposed on the inner circumference side of the plurality of roller brush portions; and an annular reinforcing member disposed between adjacent roller brush portions arranged in the axial direction of the roller holding shaft, with the roller holding shaft inserted on its inner circumference side.

8. The reinforcing member is a reinforcing plate formed in the shape of a flat plate, The painting brush according to claim 7, characterized in that the outer diameter of the reinforcing plate is smaller than the outer diameter of the roller brush portion.

9. The reinforcing member is a reinforcing plate formed in the shape of a flat plate, The painting brush according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that a number of irregularities are formed on the outer surface of the reinforcing plate, arranged in the circumferential direction of the reinforcing plate.

10. The reinforcing member is a reinforcing plate formed in the shape of a flat plate, The reinforcing plate is provided with protrusions that extend from both sides in the thickness direction of the reinforcing plate, The painting brush according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the projection is inserted into the roller brush portion adjacent to the reinforcing plate in the axial direction of the roller holding shaft.

Images