Coating equipment, especially painting robots

Abstract

The present invention relates to a coating apparatus (e.g. a painting robot) for coating parts (e.g. automotive body parts) with a coating agent (e.g. paint), comprising a protected area (8) which is explosion-proof due to an explosion hazard (e.g. due to an explosive atmosphere, e.g. gas or dust) and / or which is under high voltage during operation, a non-protected area (9) which is not explosion-proof because an explosion-proof atmosphere does not prevail during normal operation or only occasionally and very rarely does an explosion-proof atmosphere prevail and / or which is at ground potential during operation, a number of sensors (10-13) arranged in the protected area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus, a data interface (16) for external data communication arranged in the non-protected area (9), and a transmission system (21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one protected area (8) and the data interface (16) in the other non-protected area (9). Furthermore, the invention provides a collector (14) in the protected area (8), on the one hand the collector (14) is connected to the sensors (10-13) for receiving measured values ​​of process variables from the sensors (10-13), and on the other hand the collector (14) is connected to a transmission system (21) for transmitting the measured values ​​of the sensors (10-13) to the data interface (16).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating device (for example, a painting robot) for coating parts (for example, automobile body parts) with a coating agent (for example, paint).

[0002] In modern painting systems for painting automobile body parts, a multi-axis painting robot that guides a rotary atomizer is usually used as a coating device. In order to achieve high coating efficiency and minimize overspray, electrostatic coating agent charging is generally used. This means that while the automobile body to be painted is electrically grounded, the applied paint is electrostatically charged to a high voltage potential. Therefore, the spray of the applied paint is attracted to the electrically grounded automobile body, thereby increasing the coating efficiency and correspondingly reducing the overspray. However, the potential separation between the electrically grounded part of one painting robot and the high voltage part of the other painting robot becomes a problem. For example, this potential separation can occur in one of the robot arms of the painting robot.

[0003] Such a painting robot or a rotary atomizer guided by a painting robot usually has a plurality of sensors such as a pressure sensor or a rotation speed sensor. Such sensors are sometimes also arranged in a part of the painting robot at a high voltage potential. Therefore, the data transmission of the measured values from a part of the painting robot at a high voltage potential to the electrically grounded part of the painting robot needs to include potential separation. Therefore, in the prior art, an optical waveguide is used for this purpose.

[0004] One of the problems of the aforementioned painting robot with electrostatic coating agent charging and a plurality of sensors is the power supply for the electrically operated sensors in the high voltage part of the painting robot. In the prior art, a battery is provided for each individual sensor, but this has various drawbacks. For example, the battery has to be replaced relatively frequently, which requires the cost for battery replacement and also consumes resources.

[0005] Another problem is that each sensor requires a photoelectric converter for data transmission via an optical waveguide, and since this requires a considerable number of photoelectric converters, it is relatively costly.

[0006] Furthermore, each individual sensor typically requires its own optical waveguide, which also increases costs. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] Therefore, the present invention is based on the objective of providing a coating apparatus that has been significantly improved. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This problem is solved by the coating apparatus described in the main claim.

[0009] The present invention includes a general technical teaching that an acquisition device, connected to each individual sensor and for collecting and transmitting the measurement values ​​of the sensors, is placed in the high-voltage area of ​​the coating apparatus. This advantageously enables central power supply of the sensors by the acquisition device and also enables bundled data transmission of the sensor measurement values ​​by the acquisition device.

[0010] First, similar to the prior art described at the beginning, the coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a protective area that is under high voltage during operation, as is common in the case of electrostatic charging of a coating agent, for example. For example, the protective area may be at a potential higher than 1kV, 5kV, 10kV, 20kV, or 50kV.

[0011] However, the concept of a protected area as used within the scope of this invention does not necessarily require that the protected area be under high voltage during operation. Instead, the protected area can be an explosion-proof area. Explosion protection for parts or areas of machinery is known from the prior art and is standardized in technical standards such as IEC / EN 60079-11 - Part 11, IEC / EN 60079-25 - Part 25, and IEC / EN 60079-14 - Part 14.

[0012] However, the term "protected area" as used within the scope of the present invention may also refer to the area of ​​a coating device that is under high voltage during operation and is additionally explosion-proof.

[0013] Furthermore, similar to the prior art described at the beginning, the coating apparatus according to the present invention includes an unprotected area that is not explosion-proof or is at ground potential during operation. Therefore, the term "unprotected area" may have different meanings within the scope of the present invention. For example, the unprotected area may be that area of ​​the coating apparatus that is at ground potential during operation where explosion protection is not relevant. However, the term "unprotected area" as used within the scope of the present invention may also refer to that area of ​​the coating apparatus that is not explosion-proof during operation where the potential of the unprotected area is not useful. Moreover, within the scope of the present invention, the term "unprotected area" may also refer to that area of ​​the coating apparatus that is at ground potential during operation and is not explosion-proof.

[0014] Furthermore, similar to the prior art described at the beginning, the coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of sensors located within a protected area for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus. For example, as will be detailed later, the sensors may be pressure sensors or velocity sensors.

[0015] Furthermore, the coating apparatus according to the present invention includes, for example, a data interface (I / O converter) that enables external data transmission from the coating apparatus, which has a robot controller. The data interface is located within an unprotected area.

[0016] Furthermore, similar to the prior art described above, the coating apparatus according to the present invention also includes a transmission system for transmitting data between a sensor in one protected area and a data interface in the other unprotected area. For example, this transmission system may have an optical waveguide, as already described at the beginning of the prior art. Such an optical waveguide advantageously allows for potential isolation between the one protected area and the other unprotected area.

[0017] The coating apparatus according to the present invention features a central collection device located within a protected area, as briefly mentioned above. This collection device is connected on the one hand to a sensor and receives measured values ​​of process variables from the sensor. On the other hand, the collection device is connected to a transmission system for transmitting the sensor measurements to a data interface. Thus, the collection device collects measurements from the sensor and transmits them to a data interface within an unprotected area.

[0018] On the one hand, this central data collection system has the advantage that individual sensors do not require their own I / O interface (e.g., photoelectric converter). Rather, it is sufficient if the central data collection system includes an I / O interface with, for example, a photoelectric converter and is connected to an optical waveguide.

[0019] On the other hand, the central collection device has the advantage of simplifying the power supply to individual sensors by supplying the electrical energy required for operation from the central collection device to each sensor. Unlike the prior art described at the beginning, individual sensors no longer need to have batteries that need to be replaced frequently.

[0020] As briefly mentioned above, individual sensors within the protected area are preferably powered by electrical energy, which can be supplied by a data collection device. The data collection device can then obtain the necessary electrical energy from a transmission system, and thus the transmission system has two functions. On the one hand, the transmission system transmits data between a data interface in one unprotected area and a data collection device in the other protected area. On the other hand, the transmission system also transmits power from the unprotected area to the data collection device in the protected area, so that the data collection device can then supply the necessary power to the individual sensors.

[0021] In contrast, in another embodiment of the present invention, the electrical energy required to operate the sensors is not transmitted from the transmission system to the collection device. Instead, a power source (e.g., a battery) may be located within the protected area, which supplies the electrical energy required to operate the sensors to the collection device, thereby transmitting the energy to the individual sensors. This power source within the protected area is preferably inherently safe to ensure explosion protection, in particular, as standardized in technical standards such as IEC / EN 60079-11 - Part 11, IEC / EN 60079-25 - Part 25, and IEC / EN 60079-14 - Part 14.

[0022] As briefly mentioned above, the transmission system for data transmission between a data collection device in one protected area and a data interface in the other unprotected area may have an optical waveguide. The use of an optical waveguide also enables potential isolation.

[0023] However, instead, the transmission system can operate entirely wirelessly to provide the necessary potential isolation between the protected area, which is at high voltage on one side, and the unprotected area, which is at ground potential on the other. For example, the transmission system may use inductive coupling, resonant inductive coupling, or capacitive coupling, to name just a few examples.

[0024] And the transmission system may have the following components. · A transmitting coil for inductive coupling, · An oscillator for driving the transmitting coil with an AC voltage signal, · A transmitter-side resonance circuit coupled to the transmitting coil, · A receiving coil for inductive coupling with the transmitting coil, · A receiver-side resonance circuit coupled to the receiving coil, and / or · A rectifier for rectifying the signal coupled to the receiving coil.

[0025] Therefore, the transmission system may provide both wireless power transmission and wireless information transmission. However, alternatively, it is also possible that the measurement data of the sensor is transmitted wired and the transmission system only serves as a wireless power transmission. Furthermore, alternatively, it is also possible that the energy required to operate the sensor is transmitted wired and the transmission system only transmits the sensor data wirelessly.

[0026] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coating device includes a coating robot (e.g., a painting robot), which usually includes a serial robot kinematics having a proximal robot arm ('Arm 1') and a distal robot arm ('Arm z').

[0027] It should be mentioned that the coating agent to be applied according to the present invention is not limited to paint, and other types of coating agents such as adhesives, insulating agents, and sealing agents are also included.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the parts to be coated according to the present invention are not limited to automotive body parts, and the present invention can also coat other types of parts.

[0029] In the above-mentioned coating robot, the insulating section may be located on the distal robot arm between one protected area and the other non-protected area. For example, such an insulating section may be formed as a plastic partition wall.

[0030] Furthermore, it should be noted that the transmission system may be located entirely or partially within the distal robot arm. For example, the aforementioned components (transmitting coil, oscillator, transmitter-side resonant circuit, receiver-side resonant circuit, receiver coil, rectifier) ​​may be located entirely or partially within the distal robot arm.

[0031] Furthermore, it should be noted that the coating apparatus for electrostatic charging of the coating agent may include a high-voltage cascade preferably located within the proximal robotic arm of the coating robot.

[0032] Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, at least one sensor, such as a vibration sensor, may be placed within the unprotected area of ​​the coating apparatus.

[0033] Regarding the sensor, various possibilities exist within the scope of the present invention. As briefly mentioned above, the sensor may be a pressure sensor or a speed sensor. However, to give just a few examples, the sensor may also be a flow sensor, force sensor, acceleration sensor, vibration sensor, or temperature sensor.

[0034] Furthermore, as briefly mentioned above, the coating apparatus includes a data interface within an unprotected area to enable external data connectivity. For example, this data interface may provide at least one of the following interface types: • Internet interface, • Bluetooth® interface, • USB interface, IO Link, • Optical waveguide interface, • Analog interface, especially for transmitting measured temperature values. • Digital interface, • Ethernet-based fieldbus systems, such as EtherCAT, Sercos III, and Profinet.

[0035] Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the data collection device can communicate digitally with individual sensors.

[0036] Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, it is also possible that a power supply for the data interface is located within an unprotected area of ​​the coating apparatus, and that this power supply may be designed to ensure explosion protection as already described above, with reference to various technical standards for explosion protection.

[0037] Furthermore, it should be noted that the coating apparatus may have a metering pump that measures the coating agent and has a specific inlet pressure and a specific outlet pressure during operation. In this case, the metering pump may be located within a protected area with a sensor measuring the inlet and / or outlet pressure of the metering pump. In addition, a temperature sensor may also be provided to measure the temperature of the coating agent, preferably on or inside the metering pump.

[0038] Further advantageous embodiments of the present invention are shown in the dependent claims and will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings, along with the description of preferred embodiments of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the painting robot according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 2] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a painting robot with various components attached to its robotic arm. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows an example of the modification. [Figure 4] Further modifications of Figure 2, which includes a wireless transmission system, are shown. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram of a modified version of the wireless transmission system shown in Figure 4 is presented. [Figure 6A] A perspective view of a metering pump with a pressure measurement module is shown. [Figure 6B] Figure 6A shows a perspective view of the pressure measurement module of the metering pump. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] Below, we will first describe an embodiment of the painting robot 1 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0041] The painting robot 1 has a largely conventional structure and includes a robot base 2, a pivotable robot section 3, a proximal robot arm 4 ('arm 1'), a distal robot arm 5 ('arm 2'), and a multi-axis robot hand axis 6, with a rotary sprayer 7 that charges the coating agent electrostatically mounted on the robot hand axis 6.

[0042] Due to electrostatic charging of the coating agent, certain areas of the painting robot 1 are at a high voltage potential during operation. Figure 2 shows such a protected area 8, which is at a high voltage potential during operation and extends substantially across the distal robot arm 5, robot hand axis 6, and rotary sprayer 7.

[0043] Furthermore, the painting robot 1 is at electrical ground potential even during operation and therefore has an uncharged area. Figure 2 shows this unprotected area 9, which is at ground potential and essentially includes the proximal robot arm 4, the pivotable robot section 3, and the robot base 2.

[0044] The protected area 8 contains several sensors 10, 11, 12, and 13, which may be, for example, rotational speed sensors, pressure sensors, flow sensors, or temperature sensors. It should be noted that sensors 10-13 operate electrically and receive the necessary electrical energy from a central collection device 14 located within the protected area 8.

[0045] Furthermore, an intrinsically safe power source 15, which may include, for example, a battery, is located within the protected area 8. The intrinsically safe power source 15 supplies power to the central collection device 14, which in turn supplies the power necessary for the operation of the sensors 10-13. This is advantageous because each sensor 10-13 does not require its own power source in the form of a battery that would have to be frequently replaced.

[0046] In the unprotected area 9 of the painting robot 1, there is a data interface 16 (I / O converter) connected to the data acquisition device 14 via an optical waveguide 17. The data acquisition device 14 and the data interface 16 each include a photoelectric converter to enable data transmission via the optical waveguide 17.

[0047] During operation, the data acquisition device 14 collects sensor data from sensors 10-13 and transmits it in an aggregated manner to the data interface 16 via the optical waveguide 17.

[0048] The data interface 16 enables external data connections via illustrated interface types such as analog and / or digital interfaces (e.g., Ethernet bus, Bluetooth®, IO-Link, analog interface AI-T, AI, AI / AO, digital interface DI) for transmitting temperature data.

[0049] Furthermore, the interface 16 may include a vibration sensor 18 and an inherently safe power supply 19.

[0050] Figure 3 shows a modified example of the embodiment shown in Figure 2. To avoid repetition, refer to the above description, and the same reference numerals will be used for corresponding details.

[0051] A special feature of this embodiment is that the intrinsically safe power supply 15 shown in Figure 2 is not located within the protected area 8. Instead, an intrinsically safe power supply 19 located within the unprotected area 9 is connected to the collection device 14 via the power line 20. Thus, the collection device 14 receives the electrical energy necessary to operate the sensors 10-13 from the intrinsically safe power supply 19 via the power line 20.

[0052] Figure 4 shows further modifications of the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3, but to avoid repetition, refer to the above description and use the same reference numerals for corresponding details.

[0053] A particular feature of this embodiment is that the data interface 16 is connected to the collection device 14 by a transmission system 21 having inductive coupling. The transmission system 21 includes an inductively coupled transmitting coil 22 and a receiving coil 23.

[0054] In one embodiment, the transmission system 21 enables power to be transmitted from the data interface 16 to the collection device 14 so that the collection device 14 can supply the power necessary for operation to the sensors 10-13.

[0055] On the other hand, the transmission system 21 also enables bidirectional data transmission between the data interface 16 and the data acquisition device 14 by modulating the data signal into a high-frequency signal. In this way, the data acquisition device 14 can transmit sensor data to the data interface 16.

[0056] Regarding Figure 1-4, it should be noted that modifications without electrostatic coating charging are also possible. In this case, protected area 8 is an explosion-proof area, while unprotected area 9 is not explosion-proof.

[0057] Furthermore, it is possible that the protected area 8 is under high voltage and explosion-proof, while the unprotected area 9 is at ground potential and not explosion-proof.

[0058] Figure 5 shows a modified example of the transmission system 21 in Figure 4. To avoid repetition, refer to the above description, and the same reference numerals are used for corresponding details.

[0059] A special feature here is that the transmitting coil 22 is inductively coupled to the transmitter-side resonant circuit 24, while the receiving coil 23 is inductively coupled to the receiver-side resonant circuit 25.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in the diagram, the transmitting coil 22 is driven by the oscillator 26, while the receiving coil 23 is connected to the rectifier 27.

[0061] Therefore, in this embodiment, the transmission system 21 operates with resonant inductive coupling.

[0062] Figures 6A and 6B show perspective views of a metering pump 28 located within the protective area 8 and used to measure the amount of paint to be applied.

[0063] A pressure measurement module 29 is attached to the metering pump 28, and the module is equipped with pressure sensors for measuring the pressure at the inlet and outlet of the metering pump 28.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Rather, countless modifications and variations are possible using the spirit of the present invention, and these are also included within the scope of the present invention. In particular, the present invention seeks protection for the subject matter and features of dependent claims independently of the claims they refer to, and especially without the features of the main claims. Accordingly, the present invention includes different aspects of the present invention that enjoy protection independently of each other.

[0065] [Note] [Note 1] A coating apparatus (1) for coating parts with a coating agent, and in particular a painting robot (1) for painting automobile body parts with paint, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication, located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), It has, f)f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). A collection device (14) is provided, Coating apparatus (1).

[0066] [Note 2] a) The sensors (10-13) operate using electrical energy, b) The sensors (10-13) are supplied with the electrical energy necessary for operation by the collection device (14), and, c) In addition to transmitting the data, the transmission system (21) also supplies the electrical energy necessary to operate the sensors (10-13) to the collection device (14), so that the collection device (14) can supply the electrical energy necessary to operate the sensors (10-13). The coating apparatus (1) described in Appendix 1.

[0067] [Note 3] a) The sensors (10-13) operate using electrical energy, b) The sensors (10-13) are supplied with the electrical energy necessary for operation by the collection device (14), in particular by the collection device (14) as a self-contained power source having a photocurrent generator, a mechanical compressed air generator, an accumulator, and a battery, and in particular as a self-contained power source having a solar cell, and c) The power supply (15) is located in the protection area (8), in particular as a battery. c1) The power supply (15) within the protected area (8) supplies the electrical energy necessary for operation to the sensors (10-13) via the collection device (14), and, c2) The power supply (15) within the protected area (8) is intrinsically safe to ensure explosion protection, in particular in accordance with technical standards such as IEC / EN 60079-11 - Part 11, IEC / EN 60079-25 - Part 25, and / or IEC / EN 60079-14 - Part 14. The coating apparatus (1) described in Appendix 1.

[0068] [Note 4] The transmission system (17, 21) connects the data interface (16) in the unprotected area (9) to the collection device (14) in the protected area (8), thereby separating the potential between the data interface (16) and the collection device (14). Bringing about For this purpose, it includes at least one optical waveguide, or A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0069] [Note 5] The transmission system (17, 21) separates the potential between the data interface (16) and the collection device (14). Bringing about Therefore, especially, a) inductive coupling, b) Resonant inductive coupling, or c) capacitive coupling, by Bringing about Therefore, it operates wirelessly. A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0070] [Note 6] The aforementioned transmission system (17, 21) a) Transmitting coil (22) for inductive coupling, b) Oscillator (26) for driving the transmitting coil with an AC voltage signal, c) A transmitter-side resonant circuit (24) coupled to the transmitting coil (22), d) Receiving coil (23) for inductive coupling with transmitting coil (22), e) A receiver-side resonant circuit (25) coupled to the receiving coil (23), and / or f) A rectifier (27) for rectifying the signal coupled to the receiving coil (23), Includes parts such as, The coating apparatus (1) described in Appendix 5.

[0071] [Note 7] a) The coating apparatus (1) comprises a coating robot (1) having a proximal robot arm (4) and a distal robot arm (5), b) The protective area (8) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), and c) The unprotected area (9) is at least partially located within the proximal robot arm (4), A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6.

[0072] [Note 8] a) In particular, an insulating section as a plastic partition is positioned on the distal robot arm (5) between the protected area (8) and the unprotected area (9), and / or b) The transmission system (17, 21) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), and in particular, b1) The transmitting coil (22), b2) The oscillator (26), b3) The transmitter-side resonant circuit (24), b4) The receiver-side resonant circuit (25), b5) The receiving coil (23), and / or, b6) The rectifier (27), It comes with parts such as and / or, c) The coating apparatus (1) for electrostatic charging of the coating agent includes a high-voltage cascade preferably located within the proximal robot arm, and / or d) A sensor (18), in particular a vibration sensor, is located within the unprotected area (9). The coating apparatus (1) described in Appendix 7.

[0073] [Note 9] The aforementioned sensors (10-13) a) In particular, a pressure sensor located on a metering pump for measuring the coating agent, b) Flow sensor, c) Speed ​​sensor, d) Force sensor, e) Accelerometer, f) Vibration sensor, g) Temperature sensor, This includes at least one of the following sensors (10-13): A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 8.

[0074] [Note 10] The aforementioned data interface (16) is a) Ethernet interface, b) Bluetooth® interface, c) USB interface, d) IO link, e) Optical waveguide interface, f) Analog interface, especially for transmitting measured temperature values. g) Digital interface, h) Ethernet-based fieldbus system, i) Analog input / output interface, j) Digital input / output interface, It provides at least one of the following interface types: A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 9.

[0075] [Note 11] a) The collection device (14) communicates digitally with each of the sensors (10-13), and / or b) The power supply (19) for the data interface (16) is located within the unprotected area (9), and the power supply (19) within the unprotected area (9) is intrinsically safe to ensure explosion protection, in particular in accordance with technical standards such as IEC / EN 60079-11 - Part 11, IEC / EN 60079-25 - Part 25, and / or IEC / EN 60079-14 - Part 14. A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 10.

[0076] [Note 12] a) The coating apparatus (1) includes a metering pump (28) that measures the coating agent and has an inlet pressure and an outlet pressure during operation, b) The metering pump (28) is located within the protective area (8), c) One of the sensors (10-13) is a pressure sensor that measures the outlet pressure of the metering pump (28), d) One of the sensors (10-13) is a pressure sensor that measures the inlet pressure of the metering pump (28), e) Optionally, one of the sensors (10-13) is a temperature sensor for measuring the coating agent temperature, preferably located on or inside the metering pump (28). A coating apparatus (1) as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 11. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0077] 1 Painting robot 2. Robot base 3. Pivotable robot section 4. Proximal Robotic Arm ('Arm 1') 5. Distal robotic arm ('Arm 2') 6 Robot hand axes 7 Rotary sprayer 8. Protected areas within 'ARM 2' 9 Unprotected areas within 'Arm 1' 10-13 Sensor 14 Collection device 15. Intrinsically safe power supply within the protected area ('ARM 2') 16 Data Interfaces 17 Optical waveguide between the acquisition device and the data interface 18. Vibration sensors in unprotected areas 19. Intrinsically safe power supply within an unprotected area ('Arm 1') 20 Power lines from an intrinsically safe power source in an unprotected area to a collection device in a protected area 21. Transmission system for power transmission from an intrinsically safe power source in an unprotected area to a collection device in a protected area. 22 Transmitting coil 23 Receiving coil 24 Transmitter-side resonant circuit 25 Receiver-side resonant circuit 26 Oscillators 27 Rectifier 28 Measuring pump 29 Pressure measuring module with pressure sensors at the input and output of a metering pump

Claims

1. A coating apparatus (1) for coating a part with a coating agent, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), f) f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). Collection device (14), It has, moreover, g) The sensors (10-13) operate using electrical energy, h) The sensors (10-13) are supplied with the electrical energy necessary for operation by the collection device (14), and, i) The power supply (15) is located in the protection area (8), i1) The power supply (15) within the protected area (8) supplies the electrical energy necessary for operation to the sensors (10-13) via the collection device (14), and, i2) The power supply (15) within the protected area (8) is inherently safe to ensure explosion protection. Characterized by, Coating apparatus (1).

2. The collection device (14) is a self-contained power source. The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 1.

3. The self-contained power supply comprises a photocurrent generator, a mechanical compressed air generator, an accumulator, a battery, or a solar cell. The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 2.

4. The power source (15) is a battery. A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The power supply (15) within the protected area (8) is inherently safe to ensure explosion protection in accordance with technical standards such as IEC / EN 60079-11-Part 11, IEC / EN 60079-25-Part 25, and / or IEC / EN 60079-14-Part 14. A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A coating apparatus (1) for coating a part with a coating agent, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), f) f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). Collection device (14), It has, moreover, The transmission system (17, 21) is characterized by operating wirelessly to provide potential separation between the data interface (16) and the acquisition device (14). Coating apparatus (1).

7. The transmission system (17, 21) provides potential separation between the data interface (16) and the collection device (14). a) inductive coupling; b) Resonant inductive coupling, or c) capacitive coupling; To achieve this, it operates wirelessly. The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 6.

8. The aforementioned transmission system (17, 21) a) Transmitting coil (22) for inductive coupling, b) Oscillator (26) for driving the transmitting coil with an AC voltage signal, c) Transmitter-side resonant circuit (24) coupled to the transmitting coil (22), d) Receiving coil (23) for inductive coupling with transmitting coil (22), e) A receiver-side resonant circuit (25) coupled to the receiving coil (23), and / or f) A rectifier (27) for rectifying the signal coupled to the receiving coil (23), Includes parts such as, The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 6 or 7.

9. a) The sensors (10-13) operate using electrical energy, b) The sensors (10-13) are supplied with the electrical energy necessary for operation by the collection device (14), and, c) In addition to transmitting the data, the transmission system (21) also supplies the electrical energy necessary to operate the sensor (10-13) to the collection device (14), so that the collection device (14) can supply the electrical energy necessary to operate the sensor (10-13). A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The transmission system (17, 21) includes at least one optical waveguide to connect the data interface (16) in the unprotected area (9) to the acquisition device (14) in the protected area (8), thereby providing potential separation between the data interface (16) and the acquisition device (14). A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. a) The coating apparatus (1) comprises a coating robot (1) having a proximal robot arm (4) and a distal robot arm (5), b) The protective area (8) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), and c) The unprotected area (9) is at least partially located within the proximal robot arm (4), A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A coating apparatus (1) for coating a part with a coating agent, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), f) f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). Collection device (14), It has, g) The coating apparatus (1) comprises a coating robot (1) having a proximal robot arm (4) and a distal robot arm (5), h) The protective area (8) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), and i) The unprotected area (9) is at least partially located within the proximal robot arm (4), moreover, j) The insulating section is positioned on the distal robot arm (5) between the protected area (8) and the unprotected area (9), and / or k) The transmission system (17, 21) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), and / or l) The coating apparatus (1) for electrostatic charging of the coating agent includes a high-voltage cascade and / or m) The sensor (18) is located within the unprotected area (9), Characterized by, Coating apparatus (1).

13. A coating apparatus (1) for coating a part with a coating agent, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), f) f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). Collection device (14), It has, g) The coating apparatus (1) comprises a coating robot (1) having a proximal robot arm (4) and a distal robot arm (5), h) The protective area (8) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), and i) The unprotected area (9) is at least partially located within the proximal robot arm (4), moreover, j) An insulating section, which serves as a plastic partition, is positioned on the distal robot arm (5) between the protected area (8) and the unprotected area (9). Coating apparatus (1).

14. The transmission system (17, 21) is at least partially located within the distal robot arm (5), The aforementioned transmission system (17, 21) Transmitting coil (22), Oscillator (26), Transmitter-side resonant circuit (24), Receiver-side resonant circuit (25), Receiving coil (23), and / or, rectifier (27), including, The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 12 or 13.

15. The coating apparatus (1) for electrostatic charging of a coating agent includes a high-voltage cascade, the high-voltage cascade is located within the proximal robot arm, A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

16. A sensor (18) is located within the unprotected area (9), and the sensor (18) is a vibration sensor. A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 12 to 15.

17. The aforementioned sensors (10-13) a) Pressure sensor, b) Flow sensor, c) Speed ​​sensor, d) Force sensor, e) Accelerometer, f) Vibration sensor, g) Temperature sensor, This includes at least one of the following sensors (10-13): A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. The pressure sensor is located on a metering pump that measures the coating agent, The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 17.

19. The aforementioned data interface (16) is a) Ethernet interface, b) Bluetooth® interface, c) USB interface, d) IO link, e) Optical waveguide interface, f) Analog interface, g) Digital interface, h) Ethernet-based fieldbus system, i) Analog input / output interface, j) Digital in / out interface, It provides at least one of the following interface types: A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. The analog interface is for transmitting the measured temperature value. The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 19.

21. A coating apparatus (1) for coating a part with a coating agent, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), f) f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). Collection device (14), It has, moreover, g) The collection device (14) communicates digitally with each of the sensors (10-13), and / or h) The power supply (19) for the data interface (16) is located within the unprotected area (9), and the power supply (19) within the unprotected area (9) is inherently safe to ensure explosion protection. Characterized by, Coating apparatus (1).

22. The power supply (19) in the unprotected area (9) is inherently safe to ensure explosion protection in accordance with technical standards such as IEC / EN 60079-11-Part 11, IEC / EN 60079-25-Part 25, and / or IEC / EN 60079-14-Part 14. The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 21.

23. A coating apparatus (1) for coating a part with a coating agent, a) Explosion-proof and / or protected areas under high voltage during operation (8) b) Unprotected areas that are not explosion-proof and / or are at ground potential during operation (9) c) Several sensors (10-13) located within the protective area (8) for measuring process variables of the coating apparatus (1), d) A data interface (16) for external data communication located within the unprotected area (9), e) A transmission system (17, 21) for transmitting data between the sensors (10-13) in one of the protected areas (8) and the data interface (16) in the other unprotected area (9), f) f1) Arranged within the protective area (8), f2) On the one hand, it is connected to the sensor (10-13) and receives the measured value of the process variable from the sensor (10-13), and, f3) On the other hand, the measurement values ​​of the sensors (10-13) are connected to the transmission system (17, 21) in order to transmit them to the data interface (16). Collection device (14), It has, moreover, g) The coating apparatus (1) includes a metering pump (28) that measures the coating agent and has an inlet pressure and an outlet pressure during operation, h) The metering pump (28) is located within the protective area (8), i) One of the sensors (10-13) is a pressure sensor that measures the outlet pressure of the metering pump (28), j) One of the sensors (10-13) is a pressure sensor that measures the inlet pressure of the metering pump (28), Coating apparatus (1).

24. One of the sensors (10-13) is a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the coating agent. The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 23.

25. The temperature sensor is located on or inside the metering pump (28). The coating apparatus (1) according to claim 24.

26. A painting robot (1) for painting automobile body parts with paint, A coating apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

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