Liquid Coating Device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a liquid application device that applies liquid material using an application needle while causing the mechanism for moving the application needle to respond well to acceleration and deceleration. [Solution] A liquid application device 100 according to the present invention comprises: a tank 40 provided with a storage space S in which liquid material is stored; an application needle 50 provided with an end part 51 to which the liquid material stored in the storage space can adhere and which can move between the storage space and the outside of the storage space, the application needle being configured to apply the liquid material to a surface of a subject; a linear motor 20 provided with a movable part 21 capable of linear movement and a fixed part 22 longer than the movable distance of the movable part, the linear motor being configured to apply driving force for moving the application needle; and an air cylinder 30 that applies upward force in the direction of gravitational force to the movable part to hold the movable part.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid application device. [Background technology]

[0002] One method for applying a liquid material is to use a coating needle. In this method, the liquid material is attached to the tip of the coating needle and applied to the target object. In a conventional technology using a coating needle, the coating operation is performed by a linear motor that includes a movable part that moves in a straight line and a fixed part that guides the movable part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-34074 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a support part is provided that suspends and supports the movable part of the linear motor. The support part has an elastic part such as a spring member that suspends the movable part. The present inventor has been earnestly studying matters that allow the movable part to smoothly follow the acceleration and deceleration when the movable part of the linear motor is accelerated and decelerated in a coating device such as that in Patent Document 1.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid application device in which a mechanism for moving a application needle can easily adapt to acceleration and deceleration when applying a liquid material or the like using the application needle.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention that solves the above problem is a liquid application device. The liquid application device includes a tank, a coating needle, a linear motor, and an air cylinder. The tank has a storage space for storing a liquid material. The coating needle is capable of applying the liquid material stored in the storage space and has a tip portion that is movable between the storage space and the outside of the storage space, and applies the liquid material to the surface of an object. The linear motor includes a movable part that can move linearly and a fixed part that is longer than the movable length of the movable part, and applies a driving force that moves the coating needle. The air cylinder applies an upward force in the direction of gravity to the movable part, and holds the movable part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid application apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing the inside of the liquid application apparatus and connections to other devices in a state in which a cover member constituting the liquid application apparatus in FIG. 1 is not shown. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a linear motor, an air cylinder, and the like that constitute the liquid application device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a tank and a coating needle that constitute the liquid coating device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a tank and a coating needle that constitute the liquid coating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown here are merely illustrative in order to embody the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, all other possible embodiments, examples, and operating techniques that can be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention are included in the scope and gist of the present invention, and are included in the scope of the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0009] Furthermore, for the convenience of illustration and ease of understanding, the drawings attached to this specification may be represented diagrammatically with appropriate changes in scale, aspect ratio, shape, etc. from the actual product; however, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the interpretation of the present invention.

[0010] In the following description, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used, but unless otherwise specified, these are used for convenience and do not dictate any order.

[0011] In the following description, a Cartesian coordinate system and a cylindrical coordinate system are illustrated in the drawings. X in the Cartesian coordinate system is a direction that intersects with the direction in which the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 described later moves, and is referred to as the depth direction X for convenience. Y is a direction that intersects with the direction in which the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 moves and the depth direction X, and is referred to as the width direction Y.

[0012] Z is the height direction of the device, corresponds to the direction in which the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 moves, and is referred to as the height direction Z. r in the cylindrical coordinate system corresponds to the radial or radiation direction in the cylindrical shape of the fixed part 22 of the linear motor 20, and is referred to as the radial direction r. θ corresponds to the circumferential or angular direction of the fixed part 22 of the linear motor 20, and is referred to as the circumferential direction θ.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid application apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the inside of liquid application apparatus 100 in a state where cover member 13 constituting liquid application apparatus 100 is not shown.

[0014] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing linear motor 20, air cylinder 30, etc., which constitute liquid coating apparatus 100. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing tank 40 and coating needle 50 which constitute liquid coating apparatus 100. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing tank 40 and coating needle 50 which constitute liquid coating apparatus 100.

[0015] The liquid application device 100 according to this embodiment is used, for example, when supplying a sealant, adhesive, etc. Examples of the sealant or adhesive include compositions containing a curable resin such as a thermosetting resin, a photocurable resin, or a moisture curable resin. The sealant or adhesive may also contain an organic solvent, a filler, etc.

[0016] The thixotropic ratio of the liquid material is preferably in the range of 1.0-5, more preferably in the range of 1.5-5, and particularly preferably in the range of 1.7-4.

[0017] The thixotropy ratio is a characteristic value that indicates the ease with which an adhesive or sealant flows, and is defined as the ratio obtained by dividing the viscosity at a shear rate of 1 (1 / s) using a rheometer by the viscosity at a shear rate of 10 (1 / s).

[0018] 1 to 5, the liquid application device 100 includes a housing 10, a linear motor 20, an air cylinder 30, a tank 40, a application needle 50, a cable covering portion 60, a connector 70, an encoder 80, and a Hall sensor 90. These will be described in detail below.

[0019] (Housing) The housing 10 houses internal components such as a linear motor 20 and an air cylinder 30. The housing 10 includes bases 11 and 12 and cover members 13, 14, and 15, as shown in FIGS.

[0020] The base 11 is disposed at the lower part in the height direction Z of the liquid application device 100. The base 11 is configured so that the fixed part 22 of the linear motor 20 and the tank 40 can be installed thereon, and is configured to have a hole part (not shown) through which the application needle 50 can be inserted. In this embodiment, the base 11 is configured in a shape formed by combining multiple rectangular parallelepipeds (square prisms) that are substantially rectangular when viewed from above.

[0021] However, the specific shape is not limited to the above as long as the fixing part 22 and the tank 40 can be installed. The shape of the base 11 may be a polygonal prism other than a square prism, a cylinder, or the like. Also, the base may be configured such that the part where the fixing part 22 is installed and the part where the tank 40 is installed are separate members, and the two are coupled (connected) with bolts or the like.

[0022] The base 12 is disposed at the upper part of the liquid application device 100 in the height direction Z. The base 12 is configured so that a rod-shaped member of the fixed portion 22 constituting the linear motor 20 can be attached to the base 12. The base 12 is configured as a quadrangular prism that is approximately rectangular in plan view. However, as long as the linear motor 20, the air cylinder 30, the tank 40, etc. can be partially enclosed, the shape of the base 12 is not limited to a quadrangular prism, and may be configured as another polygonal prism, a cylinder, or the like.

[0023] Cover member 13 at least partially surrounds the built-in components in the circumferential direction θ of liquid applicator 100 between base 11 and base 12. Bases 11 and 12 are configured to have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in a plan view from height direction Z as described above, and liquid applicator 100 has four side surfaces. Cover member 13 is configured to surround adjacent side surfaces 13a and 13b of the four side surfaces of liquid applicator 100 as shown in FIG.

[0024] The cover members 14 and 15, together with the cover member 13, partially surround the built-in components in the circumferential direction θ of the liquid application device 100. In this embodiment, the cover member 14 is configured to be adjacent to the side surface 13a of the cover member 13 as shown in Fig. 1. A connector 70 is installed on the cover member 14. The cover member 15 is configured to be adjacent to the side surfaces 13b of the cover members 14 and 13.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cover members are composed of three members, cover members 13, 14, and 15. However, the number and shapes of the cover members are not limited to the above, as long as they can surround the built-in components such as the linear motor 20 and the air cylinder 30. For example, cover member 13 may be composed of two plates like cover members 14 and 15, and these two may be connected to the other cover members with bolts or the like.

[0026] (Linear motor) The linear motor 20 includes an electric motor without a rotating shaft, and is configured to perform linear motion to provide a driving force for moving the application needle 50. The linear motor 20 includes a movable part 21 and a fixed part 22, as shown in FIG. 2 etc.

[0027] The movable part 21 is configured to be linearly movable. In this embodiment, the movable part 21 applies a driving force that moves the application needle 50 to the storage space S in the tank 40 and to the outside of the storage space S. As shown in FIG. 3, the movable part 21 has an insertion part 23 that corresponds to a hole part (inner shape) in a substantially rectangular prism (outer shape) in this embodiment. The insertion part 23 is configured to allow the fixed part 22 to be inserted therethrough. In this embodiment, the movable part 21 is disposed outward in the radial direction r with respect to the fixed part 22.

[0028] Fixed part 22 is configured to be longer than the movable length in height direction Z of movable part 21. Fixed part 22 is configured to include a rod-shaped member having a substantially cylindrical shape that can be inserted into insertion part 23 of movable part 21. However, as long as the movable part can be moved relative to the fixed part, the specific shape of the fixed part is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be a polygonal prism such as a square prism, or other columnar body.

[0029] The movable part 21 is configured to apply a driving force to the application needle 50 by supplying electric power. The movable part 21 is configured to be integrally connected to a connecting member C1 in the depth direction X, as shown in Fig. 3. The connecting member C1 is configured to be movable in the height direction Z in accordance with the movement of the movable part 21.

[0030] The connecting member C1 is configured to be connected to the moving member C2 in the height direction Z. In this embodiment, the connecting member C1 and the moving member C2 are arranged to be aligned with the movable part 21 and the fixed part 22 of the linear motor 20 in the depth direction X.

[0031] The moving member C2 is configured to be movable in the height direction Z together with the connecting member C1 in accordance with the movement of the movable part 21. The moving member C2 is configured to directly or indirectly connect to the coating needle 50 described below. Here, the moving member C2 being directly or indirectly connected to the coating needle 50 means that the coating needle 50 is connected to the moving member C2 without any other member therebetween or is connected to the moving member C2 via another member.

[0032] (Air cylinder) The air cylinder 30 applies an upward force in the gravity direction (height direction Z) to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20, and holds the movable part 21. In this embodiment, the air cylinder 30 is disposed apart from the movable part 21 and the fixed part 22 of the linear motor 20 in the depth direction X and width direction Y.

[0033] The air cylinder 30 includes an air cylinder member 31 and a rod member 32, as shown in FIGS.

[0034] The air cylinder member 31 is configured to provide a storage space capable of storing a working fluid such as air. The air cylinder member 31 is connected to a compressor Cm, which is shown generally in a first connector 71 described below, and the working fluid is supplied to the air cylinder member 31. The working fluid is constantly supplied to the air cylinder member 31 regardless of whether the power of the liquid application device 100 is on or off.

[0035] The working fluid is supplied from the first connector 71 of the connector 70 to the lower part of the air cylinder member 31 through piping etc. installed in the internal space of the cover member 14, the base 11 etc. or around thereabouts, as shown by the arrow in Figure 2.

[0036] However, the above-mentioned fluid flow path is merely one example, and as long as the rod member 32 of the air cylinder 30 can be moved up and down in the height direction Z, the specific flow path of the fluid supplied to the air cylinder member 31 is not limited to the above.

[0037] The working fluid (working pressure) supplied to the air cylinder member 31 is adjusted to a constant pressure by a regulator rg, which is shown in schematic form. In this embodiment, the air cylinder member 31 is configured to be fixed to the cover member 15 by a bracket P1, as shown in FIG.

[0038] The rod member 32 is configured to be movable relative to the air cylinder member 31 with at least a portion of the rod member 32 exposed from the accommodation space of the air cylinder member 31. The rod member 32 is configured so that its position in the height direction Z can be adjusted according to the pressure of the working fluid supplied to the air cylinder member 31.

[0039] 3, the rod member 32 is configured to be connected to a connecting member C1 that is connected to the movable part 21 by a bracket P2. In this specification, a portion where the rod member 32 is connected to the connecting member C1 that is connected to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 is referred to as a connection part Cp.

[0040] 3, the rod member 32 is configured so that the connection part Cp is disposed above the air cylinder member 31 in the height direction Z. The rod member 32 is also configured so as to hold the movable part 21 even when the supply of power to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 is interrupted.

[0041] (tank) The tank 40 is configured to provide a storage space S for storing a liquid material. The tank 40 includes an attachment portion 41, a recess 42, and an opening 43, as shown in FIG.

[0042] The mounting part 41 is provided at an upper part of the tank 40 in the height direction Z as a part for mounting the tank 40 to the base 11 of the housing 10. The mounting part 41 can be fitted to the base 11, or can be fastened to the base 11 with bolts or the like after being inserted.

[0043] The recess 42 is configured to form a storage space S for storing the liquid material. A tapered portion 42a is provided at the bottom of the recess 42 to prevent or suppress the liquid material from remaining in the storage space S when the liquid material stored in the storage space S is moved from the opening 43 to the outside of the storage space S using the application needle 50. The tapered portion 42a is configured to be inclined toward the opening 43.

[0044] The opening 43 is provided in the lower part of the tank 40. The dimension of the portion (tip 51) of the coating needle 50 that passes through the opening 43 is made slightly smaller than the opening 43, so that the tip 51 of the coating needle 50 is configured to be movable between the storage space S and the outside of the storage space S.

[0045] (Applicator needle) As shown in FIG. 5, the application needle 50 includes a tip portion 51, a middle portion 52, and a base portion 53.

[0046] The tip 51 is configured to be capable of adhering the liquid material stored in the storage space S of the tank 40. The coating needle 50 is configured to be movable in the height direction Z by being connected to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20. As a result, the coating needle 50 is configured to be capable of being disposed from the storage space S to the outside of the storage space S through the opening 43 in a state in which the liquid material is adhered to the tip 51 of the coating needle 50 in the storage space S of the tank 40 as shown in FIG.

[0047] The intermediate portion 52 is provided between the tip portion 51 and the base portion 53 in the height direction Z. The base portion 53 is directly or indirectly connected to the moving member C2, which is connected to the connecting member C1, and the connecting member C1 is connected to the rod member 32 of the air cylinder 30. By configuring in this manner, the application needle 50 can be linked to the operation of the rod member 32 of the air cylinder 30.

[0048] The coating needle 50 is configured to have a stepped shape in which the dimensions of the portion intersecting the moving direction, such as the radial direction r, become gradually smaller toward the tip portion 51. In this embodiment, the coating needle 50 is configured to have a shape combining a plurality of cylinders with different diameters, such as the tip portion 51, the intermediate portion 52, and the base side portion 53 shown in Figures 4 and 5. This configuration makes it easier to separate the liquid material obtained from the storage space S of the tank 40 from the surrounding liquid material.

[0049] However, the specific shape of the coating needle is not limited to the above-mentioned shape as long as the liquid material stored in the storage space of the tank can be applied to the target object. The shape of the coating needle may be other than the above-mentioned shape, for example, the tip shape may be tapered.

[0050] (Cable sheath) The cable covering portion 60 is configured to cover a cable that supplies power to the Hall sensor 90 and a cable that supplies power to the movable portion 21 of the air cylinder 30 .

[0051] (connector) As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 70 includes a first connector 71, a second connector 72, and a third connector 73.

[0052] The first connector 71 can be connected to a pipe or the like that supplies working fluid to the accommodation space of the air cylinder member 31 of the air cylinder 30. The second connector 72 can be connected to a cable that supplies power to the Hall sensor 90. The third connector 73 can be connected to a cable that supplies power to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20.

[0053] (Encoder) The encoder 80 detects the position of the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20. The encoder 80 has a head 81 and a pattern 82, as shown in FIG.

[0054] Head 81 is configured to be able to receive light or the like for detecting the position of movable part 21. Pattern 82 can be provided with any shape such as unevenness, slits, holes, etc. The position of movable part 21 can be detected by the fact that the light or the like received by head 81 changes according to the position of pattern 82.

[0055] In this embodiment, the head 81 is provided on the fixed part 22, and the pattern 82 is provided on the movable part 21. However, as long as the position of the movable part 21 can be detected, the head 81 may be provided on the movable part 21, and the pattern 82 may be provided on the fixed part 22.

[0056] (Hall sensor) The Hall sensor 90 detects the position of the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 when power is turned on for the liquid application apparatus 100. In this embodiment, the Hall sensor 90 is configured to be installed on the movable part 21 as shown in FIG.

[0057] It should be noted that a sensor such as a photosensor may be used to detect when the movable part 21 exceeds a set position in the height direction Z, such as the top dead center or the bottom dead center.

[0058] As described above, the liquid application device 100 according to this embodiment includes the tank 40, the application needle 50, the linear motor 20, and the air cylinder 30. The tank 40 is configured to provide a storage space S for storing a liquid material.

[0059] The application needle 50 is capable of applying the liquid material stored in the storage space S, has a tip portion 51 that is movable between the storage space S and the outside of the storage space S, and is configured to apply the liquid material to the surface of an object.

[0060] The linear motor 20 includes a movable part 21 that is movable linearly and a fixed part 22 that is longer than the movable length of the movable part 21, and applies a driving force to move the application needle 50. The air cylinder 30 is configured to apply an upward force in the direction of gravity to the movable part 21 and to hold the movable part 21.

[0061] With this configuration, the air cylinder 30 offsets the weight of the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20, preventing the positioning accuracy of the linear motor 20 from decreasing, making it easier to respond to sudden acceleration and deceleration.

[0062] The air cylinder 30 includes an air cylinder member 31 and a rod member 32. The air cylinder member 31 is configured to provide a storage space capable of storing a working fluid. The rod member 32 is configured to be movable relative to the air cylinder member 31 with at least a portion of the rod member 32 exposed from the storage space.

[0063] The rod member 32 is configured to have a connection part Cp that is connected to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20. With this configuration, the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 is held using the air cylinder 30, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in positioning accuracy when the linear motor 20 is suddenly accelerated or decelerated.

[0064] Moreover, the rod member 32 is configured so that the connection part Cp is disposed on the upper side in the gravity direction with respect to the air cylinder member 31. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the movable part 21 from moving downward more than necessary due to its own weight when the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 is accelerated or decelerated.

[0065] Furthermore, the movable part 21 supplies a driving force to the application needle 50 when power is supplied. The rod member 32 is configured to hold the movable part 21 even when the supply of power to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 is interrupted. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to prevent the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 from suddenly dropping unintentionally even when the power to the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 is unintentionally interrupted.

[0066] The tank 40 also includes an opening 43 through which the tip 51 of the coating needle 50 movably protrudes from the storage space S. The coating needle 50 is configured to be movable from the storage space S to the outside of the storage space S through the opening 43 in a state in which the liquid material is attached to the tip 51 of the coating needle 50 in the storage space S of the tank 40.

[0067] Therefore, the application needle 50 can be moved from the opening 43 to the outside of the storage space S by the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20, so that the liquid material can be applied to the surface of the object.

[0068] Moreover, application needle 50 is configured to have a stepped shape in which the dimension in the radial direction r gradually decreases toward tip portion 51, such as base portion 53, intermediate portion 52, and tip portion 51. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to easily separate the liquid material applied in tank 40 from the surrounding liquid material in tank 40.

[0069] Moreover, the movable part 21 includes an insertion part 23 through which the fixed part 22 is inserted, and the fixed part 22 is configured to include a rod-shaped member that can be inserted through the insertion part 23 of the movable part 21. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to move the movable part 21 in the height direction Z, and to attach the liquid material to the application needle 50 that is linked to the movable part 21, thereby enabling the operation of applying the liquid material to the target object.

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above, it has been described that the circular insertion part 23 is provided so that the movable part 21 of the linear motor 20 can move in the cylindrical fixed part 22. However, as long as the movable part 21 can move linearly relative to the fixed part 22, the shapes of the movable part and the fixed part are not limited to the above. In addition to the above, the shape of the insertion part may be a shape other than a circle, such as a polygon. In addition to the above, the movable part and the fixed part may be configured in a plate shape, and the movable part and the fixed part may be arranged in parallel to have a certain clearance.

[0071] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-204145, filed on December 9, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 20 Linear motor, 21 Moving parts, 23 Insertion part, 22 Fixed part, 30 Air Cylinder 31 Cylinder member, 32 Rod member, 40 tanks, 43 openings, 50 application needles, Cp connection part, S storage space, Z height direction (gravity direction).

Claims

1. a tank having a storage space for storing a liquid material; an application needle capable of applying the liquid material stored in the storage space and having a tip portion movable between the storage space and an outside of the storage space, and applying the liquid material to a surface of an object; a linear motor including a movable part that is linearly movable and a fixed part that is longer than the movable length of the movable part, the linear motor applying a driving force to move the application needle; an air cylinder that applies an upward force in the direction of gravity to the movable part and holds the movable part.

2. The air cylinder includes a cylinder member having an accommodation space capable of accommodating a working fluid, and a rod member movable relative to the cylinder member with at least a portion of the rod member exposed from the accommodation space, The liquid application device according to claim 1 , wherein the rod member is provided with a connection portion that is connected to the movable portion of the linear motor.

3. The liquid application device according to claim 2 , wherein the connecting portion of the rod member is disposed above the cylinder member in the direction of gravity.

4. the movable portion applies the driving force to the application needle by supplying electric power; The liquid application device according to claim 2 , wherein the rod member holds the movable portion of the linear motor even when the supply of power to the movable portion is interrupted.

5. the tank has an opening through which the tip of the application needle movably projects from the storage space, The liquid application device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the application needle is capable of being positioned from the storage space to outside the storage space through the opening when the liquid material is attached to the tip of the application needle in the storage space of the tank.

6. The liquid application device according to claim 5 , wherein the application needle has a stepped shape in which a radial dimension thereof decreases stepwise toward the tip end.

7. The movable portion includes an insertion portion through which the fixed portion is inserted, 7. The liquid application apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed portion includes a rod-shaped member capable of being inserted into the insertion portion of the movable portion.

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