Liquid coating device and capping method

Abstract

A liquid coating device (100) includes: a coating section (1) to coat a liquid to an object (200); a supporting member (30): extending in an extension direction; deformable in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member; and supporting the coating section at one end of the supporting member; a cap member (41) to cover at least a part of the coating section; a pressing member (46) to press the coating section against the cap member in the intersection direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism (47) to drive the pressing member.

Description

[DESCRIPTION][Title of Invention]LIQUID COATING DEVICE AND CAPPING METHOD[Technical Field]

[0001] The present embodiment relates to a liquid coating device and a capping method. [Background Art]

[0002] In a liquid coating device that coats a liquid to an object, at least a part of a coating section to which the liquid is supplied is covered with a cap member for the purpose of preventing drying of the coating section or protecting or cleaning the coating section.

[0003] For example, Patent Literature (PTL) 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-137548) discloses a configuration in which a head fixed to a distal end of a robot arm is moved onto a cap member, and capping is performed by bringing the head close to the cap member in a normal direction of a nozzle surface.

[0004] Meanwhile, in a case where the coating section is supported by a supporting member including a cantilever supporting the coating section at a free end of the cantilever, when the coating section is pressed against the cap member at the time of capping the coating section, the supporting member may be deformed by a pressing force or a reaction force at that time. In this case, a gap is generated between the coating section and the cap member due to deformation of the supporting member, and there is a possibility that the coating section and the cap member cannot be favorably brought into close contact with each other.[Summary of Invention][Technical Problem]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present embodiment is to suppress the generation of the gap between the coating section and the cap member.[Solution to Problem]

[0006] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid coating device is provided that includes: a coating section to coat a liquid to an object; a supporting member: extending in an extension direction; deformable in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member; and supporting the coating section at one end of the supporting member; a cap member to cover at least a part of the coating section; a pressing member to press the coating section against the cap member in the intersection direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism to drive the pressing member.In another aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid coating device is provided that includes: a coating section to coat a liquid to an object; a cap member to cover at least a part of thecoating section; a supporting member: extending in an extension direction; deformable in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member; and supporting the cap member at one end of the supporting member; a pressing member to press the cap member against the coating section in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism to drive the pressing member.In further another aspect of the present disclosure, a capping method is provided that includes covering at least a part of a coating section with a cap member, the coating section to coat a liquid to an object; supporting the coating section at one end of a supporting member extending in an extension direction; moving the coating section to a position facing the cap member; and pressing the coating section or the supporting member to press the coating section against the cap member in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member.[Advantageous Effects of Invention]

[0007] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to suppress the generation of the gap between the coating section and the cap member.[Brief Description of Drawings]

[0008] A more complete appreciation of embodiments of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained and understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.[FIG. 1]FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a liquid coating device according to a first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a more specific configuration of a liquid supply section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a coating section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 4]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the coating section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a support structure of the coating section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 6]FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a maintenance and recovery operation according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the maintenance and recovery operation according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 9]FIG. 9 is a reference diagram for explaining a problem at the time of capping.[FIG. 10]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 11]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 12]FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 13]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 14]FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating the capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 15]FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 16]FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 17]FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a pressing member is pressed against a coating section.[FIG. 18]FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section according to a second embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 19]FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section according to the second embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 20]FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section according to a third embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 21]FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section according to a fourth embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 22]FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section according to a fifth embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 23]FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section according to a sixth embodiment of the present embodiment.[FIG. 24]FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the coating section rotates at the time of capping.[FIG. 25]FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the coating section is pressed against the cap member by the pressing member in the example of FIG. 24.[FIG. 26]FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a plurality of the coating sections is provided on the supporting member.[FIG. 27]FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the coating sections are pressed against the cap member by the pressing member in the example of FIG. 26.[FIG. 28]FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the cap member is supported by a supporting member including a cantilever supporting the coating section at a free end of the cantilever.[FIG. 29]FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the cap member is pressed against the coating section by the pressing member in the example of FIG. 28.[FIG. 30]FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a painting device includes a small first coating section and a large second coating section.[FIG. 31]FIG. 31 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the second coating section is capped in the example of FIG. 30.[FIG. 32]FIG. 32 is a side view illustrating a state in which the second coating section is capped in the example of FIG. 30.[FIG. 33]FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the supporting member extends in the vertical direction and the coating section and the cap member are pressed in the horizontal direction.[FIG. 34]FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the coating section is a coating roller. [FIG. 35]FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a maintenance and recovery section that caps the coating roller.[FIG. 36]FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the coating roller is pressed against the cap member by the pressing member.The accompanying drawings are intended to depict embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted to limit the scope thereof. The accompanying drawings are not to be considered as drawn to scale unless explicitly noted. Also, identical or similar reference numerals designate identical or similar components throughout the several views. [Description of Embodiments]

[0009] In describing embodiments illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure of this specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that have a similar function, operate in a similar manner, and achieve a similar result.Referring now to the drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.Hereinafter, the present embodiments will be described with reference to accompanying drawings. In the drawings for describing the present embodiment, constituent elements such as members and constituent parts having the same function or shape are denoted by the same reference signs as long as they can be discriminated, and the description thereof will be omitted after being once described.

[0010] <Overall Configuration of Liquid Coating Device>First, an overall configuration of a liquid coating device according to a first embodiment of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0011] Here, as an example of the liquid coating device, a painting device 100 that coats a liquid to a vehicle body of an automobile that is an object 200 to paint the vehicle body will be exemplified. Note that the object 200 may be, in addition to the vehicle body of an automobile, a body of an aircraft, a hull of a ship, or other three-dimensional structures.

[0012] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the painting device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment includes four painting robots 2.

[0013] Each of the painting robots 2 includes a base portion 10 installed on a floor surface or the like, a first arm 11 provided on the base portion 10, a second arm 12 connected to the first arm 11, and a head unit 13 provided at a distal end of the second arm 12. The first arm 11 and the second arm 12 of the painting robot 2 are robot arms rotatably and swingably connected via a joint portion, and rotationally drive or swingably drive to function as a movement mechanism that moves the head unit 13 to a desired position. Note that the movement mechanism that moves the head unit 13 may be a linear actuator or the like that linearly moves the head unit 13 in one direction, two directions orthogonal to each other, or three directions, in addition to the robot arm.

[0014] Specifically, the first arm 11 is provided to be rotatable in a direction of an arrow A and to be swingable in a direction of an arrow B in FIG. 1 with respect to the base portion 10.Furthermore, the second arm 12 is provided to be rotatable in a direction of an arrow C and to be swingable in a direction of an arrow D in FIG. 1 with respect to a distal end of the first arm 11. The head unit 13 is attached to a distal end of the second arm 12 so as to be rotatable in a direction of an arrow E and swingable in a direction of an arrow F in FIG. 1. The number of the painting robots 2 is not limited to four, and may be one, two, three, or five or more.

[0015] The head unit 13 includes a coating section 1 that coats a liquid, and a position detection section 3 that detects a position of the object 200. Furthermore, the coating section 1 includes a plurality of nozzles that discharges liquid. The position detection section 3 is attached to the distal end of the second arm 12 integrally with the coating section 1. The position detection section 3 includes, for example, a stereo camera that detects three- dimensional position information of three or more feature points in the object 200. The stereo camera includes a plurality of cameras. The position detection section 3 acquires a distance image of the object 200 by a triangulation method based on parallax between images captured by the plurality of cameras.

[0016] The painting device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment includes, in addition to the painting robot 2, a liquid supply section 4, a maintenance and recovery section 40, and a control section 5.

[0017] The liquid supply section 4 includes a liquid storage section 6 and an air supply section 7. The liquid storage section 6 is, for example, a tank that stores liquid 8 such as paint therein. The air supply section 7 is a compressor or the like that supplies air into the liquid storage section 6. When air is supplied from the air supply section 7 to the liquid storage section 6, the inside of the liquid storage section 6 is pressurized, whereby the liquid 8 in the liquidstorage section 6 is supplied to the coating section 1 and discharged as droplets from the nozzle of the coating section 1. In addition to the droplets, the coating section 1 can also discharge the liquid in a thread shape. In FIG. 1, only a path for supplying the liquid 8 from the liquid storage section 6 to one coating section 1 is illustrated, but the liquid 8 is supplied from the liquid storage section 6 to all the coating sections 1 in the same manner.Furthermore, a plurality of the liquid storage sections 6 that stores liquids of different colors or types may be prepared, and the colors or types of the liquids may be switched and supplied to the respective coating sections 1.

[0018] The maintenance and recovery section 40 includes a capping means and a cleaning means for maintaining and recovering the function of the coating section 1. The maintenance and recovery section 40 is provided for each of the painting robots 2. In a case where after painting, the next painting is not performed for a while, or in a case where painting is performed by switching the liquid to a different color or type, the maintenance and recovery section 40 performs a maintenance and recovery operation after the completion of the previous painting. Specifically, a nozzle surface of the coating section 1 is capped, and a residual liquid adhering to the coating section 1 is washed away by a cleaning liquid. As a result, clogging of the nozzle due to drying of the residual liquid can be prevented, and adhesion of the residual liquid to the object in a case where the liquid is switched for painting can be prevented.

[0019] The control section 5 controls an operation of each painting robot 2 and a discharge operation of each coating section 1 based on the position information of the object 200 detected by the position detection section 3 in addition to the shape data of the object 200 and the image data of painting input in advance. As a result, the head unit 13 is moved along the shape of the object 200, and the liquid is coated from the coating section 1 to a surface of the object 200. Furthermore, the control section 5 also controls an operation of the maintenance and recovery section 40. In FIG. 1, only signal lines from the control section 5 to one painting robot 2, one coating section 1, and one maintenance and recovery section 40 and a signal line from one position detection section 3 to the control section 5 are illustrated, but the control section 5 controls the operations of all the painting robots 2, all the coating sections 1, and all the maintenance and recovery sections 40, and receives detection signals from all the position detection sections 3.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a more specific configuration of the liquid supply section 4 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0021] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the liquid supply section 4 includes a plurality of air regulators 9 in addition to the liquid storage section 6 and the air supply section 7. The air regulator 9 is provided in an air flow path 111 connecting the air supply section 7 and a plurality of theliquid storage sections 6. The air regulator 9 adjusts an air pressure sent from the air supply section 7 to each of the liquid storage sections 6. Furthermore, the plurality of liquid storage sections 6 is individually connected to the coating sections 1 via air flow paths 112.Therefore, when the inside of each of the liquid storage sections 6 is pressurized, the liquid 8 is supplied from each liquid storage section 6 to each of the coating sections 1. Note that the liquid storage section 6 may not be provided for each coating section 1, but may be one liquid storage section provided in common for all the coating sections 1.

[0022] Configuration of Coating Section>Next, a configuration of the coating section 1 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coating section 1 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the coating section 1 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0023] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the coating section 1 includes a housing 20, and a supply port 21 and a collection port 22 provided in the housing 20.

[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 4, a plurality of discharge modules 23 is disposed side by side in a row or a plurality of rows in the housing 20. Each of the discharge modules 23 includes a nozzle plate 25, a nozzle valve 26, a piezoelectric element 27, and a liquid flow path 28. The nozzle plate 25 is provided with a nozzle 24 that discharges liquid for each discharge module 23. The nozzle 24 is openable and closable by the nozzle valve 26. The piezoelectric element 27 is a drive means that expands and contracts when a voltage is applied to open and close the nozzle valve 26. The liquid flow paths 28 communicate with each other among the discharge modules 23 to form a common flow path. Furthermore, the liquid flow paths 28 also communicate with the supply port 21 and the collection port 22.

[0025] In a state where a valve of the collection port 22 is closed, when liquid is supplied from the supply port 21 into the housing 20, the liquid flows into the liquid flow paths 28 and is pressurized. At this time, in a case where no voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 27, since the nozzle 24 is closed by the nozzle valve 26, no liquid is discharged from the nozzle 24. On the other hand, when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 27, the nozzle valve 26 is driven, and the nozzle 24 is opened, so that liquid is discharged from the nozzle 24. Furthermore, the liquid that has not been discharged from the nozzle 24 is discharged to the outside through the collection port 22.

[0026] <Support Structure of Coating Section>FIG. 5 illustrates a support structure of the coating section 1 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0027] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the coating section 1 is supported by a supporting member 30 including a cantilever that supports the coating section at a free end of the cantilever. The supporting member 30 is attached to the distal end of the second arm 12 of the painting robot 2 to support the coating section 1. The term "cantilever support" as used herein refers to a state in which one end 30a of the supporting member 30 is secured to the second arm 12, and the coating section 1 is held by a free end 30b on a side opposite to the one end 30a of the supporting member 30. The supporting member 30 is a plate member in a rectangular shape or the like, and is provided to extend long from the one end 30a secured to the second arm 12 toward the free end 30b. Note that the supporting member 30 may have another shape such as a rod shape instead of a plate shape. Furthermore, a communication substrate 31 that sends an electric signal to the coating section 1 and a tube 32 that supplies a liquid to the coating section 1 are connected to the coating section 1.

[0028] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, since the coating section 1 is supported by the supporting member 30, painting can be favorably performed on the object 200 having a complicated structure such as a vehicle body. That is, since the coating section 1 is provided so as to protrude from the distal end of the second arm 12 via the plate-shaped supporting member 30, the coating section 1 can enter a narrow place and approach the object 200 while avoiding interference with the object 200 even if the object 200 has a complicated structure. Therefore, it is possible to favorably perform painting even in a place where it is difficult to perform painting.

[0029] Configuration of Maintenance and Recovery Section>FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic configuration of the maintenance and recovery section 40 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment. In FIG. 6, an arrow X direction indicates a horizontal direction, and an arrow Z direction indicates a vertical direction.

[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 6, the maintenance and recovery section 40 includes a cap member 41, a cleaning means 42, a drying means 43, and the like. The cap member 41 includes a cap body 50 in a concave shape and a seal portion 51 provided over the entire edge of an opening 50a of the cap body 50.The seal portion 51 is formed of an elastic body such as rubber. In the cap body 50, the cleaning means 42 and the drying means 43 are disposed. The cleaning means 42 includes a cleaning nozzle 52 that discharges a cleaning liquid. Furthermore, the drying means 43 includes a drying nozzle 53 that blows dry air such as hot air. The dry air may be cold air as well as hot air. Furthermore, a waste liquid flow path 54 for discharging the cleaning liquid from the inside of the cap body 50 to a waste liquid tank is provided at a bottom of the cap body 50.

[0031] In the case of maintaining and recovering the function of the coating section 1 by the maintenance and recovery section 40, first, the painting robot 2 is driven to move the coating section 1 above the cap member 41 as illustrated in FIG. 7. As a result, a nozzle surface 15 (the nozzle plate 25 in FIG. 4) of the coating section 1 is disposed so as to face the opening 50a of the cap member 41. In this case, on the nozzle surface 15, eight nozzles 24 are disposed in a direction orthogonal to a paper surface of FIG. 7, and two nozzles 24 (nozzle rows) disposed side by side in a direction orthogonal to the paper surface are provided on the left and right. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 are brought relatively close to each other, and the cap member 41 is brought into contact with the nozzle surface 15. Accordingly, at least a part of the nozzle surface 15 is covered with the cap member 41. Moreover, the cap member 41 is pressed against the coating section 1, and the seal portion 51 of the cap member 41 is brought into close contact with the nozzle surface 15. As a result, a gap between the nozzle surface 15 and the cap member 41 is sealed. Then, in this state, the cleaning liquid is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 52 to clean the nozzle surface 15 and the nozzle 24. Thereafter, drying air is blown from the drying nozzle 53 to dry the nozzle surface 15 and the nozzle 24. In this way, the function of the coating section 1 is maintained and recovered. Note that the cleaning liquid in the cap member 41 is discharged to the waste liquid tank through the waste liquid flow path 54.

[0032] < Problem during Capping >Meanwhile, in the configuration in which the coating section 1 is supported by a supporting member 30 including a cantilever supporting the coating section 1 at a free end of the cantilever as in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, while the coating section 1 can be brought close to the object 200 and favorably painted, there is a problem that the supporting member 30 is easily deformable in a direction intersecting its longitudinal direction. Therefore, as illustrated in FIG. 9, when the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, the supporting member 30 is deformed in a direction of an arrow K in the drawing by a reaction force when the coating section 1 is pressed or a pressing force of the cap member 41 against the coating section 1. As a result, when a gap is generated between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41, there is a risk that the cleaning liquid leaks to the outside when the cleaning liquid is ejected from the cleaning nozzle 52.

[0033] Furthermore, the generation of such a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 is also a problem in a configuration in which the cleaning liquid is not sprayed. For example, in a configuration in which the nozzle surface 15 and the nozzle 24 are moisturized by the cap member 41, when a gap is generated between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41, the nozzle surface 15 or the nozzle 24 is easily dried, and thus, there is a possibility that liquid such as paint remaining in the nozzle surface 15 and the nozzle 24 is solidified to cause liquid discharge failure.

[0034] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the following capping structure and capping method are proposed so that the gap generated between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed and the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be favorably brought into close contact with each other. Hereinafter, a capping structure and a capping method according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment will be described.

[0035] <Capping Structure According to First Embodiment of Present Embodiment FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the maintenance and recovery section 40 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment. In FIG. 10, an arrow X direction and an arrow Y direction indicate arbitrary horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and an arrow Z direction indicates a vertical direction orthogonal to each of the horizontal directions X and Y.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the maintenance and recovery section 40 includes, in addition to the cap member 41, a cap holder 44, a support base 45, a pressing member 46, a drive mechanism 47, and the like.

[0037] The cap holder 44 includes a plate-shaped portion 44a to which the cap holder 44 is attached, and a chassis 44b provided integrally with the plate-shaped portion 44a. In this case, the cap member 41 is attached to the plate-shaped portion 44a via a pair of elastic members 48 such as springs. Therefore, the cap member 41 is held so as to be elastically displaceable in a direction of an arrow P in FIG. 10 with respect to the cap holder 44. Furthermore, in the chassis 44b, various tubes for sending cleaning liquid and drying air to the cleaning nozzle 52 and the drying nozzle 53 in the cap member 41 are accommodated.

[0038] The support base 45 includes a chassis 45a in which the chassis 44b of the cap holder 44 is accommodated, and a columnar portion 45b provided integrally with the chassis 45a. The pressing member 46 is attached to the columnar portion 45b.

[0039] The pressing member 46 is an arm-shaped or longitudinal member formed to be bent at a predetermined angle. Here, the pressing member 46 is formed to be bent, but the pressing member 46 may not be bent. The pressing member 46 is attached so as to be rotatable in a direction of an arrow Q in FIG. 10 about a rotation shaft 60 supported by the columnar portion 45b of the support base 45. Specifically, a portion 460 on one end side with respect to a center in a longitudinal direction of the pressing member 46 is secured to the rotation shaft 60, and a portion 461 on the other end side with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member 46 is swingable about the rotation shaft 60.

[0040] Furthermore, in addition to the pressing member 46, the cap holder 44 is also attached to the rotation shaft 60. Specifically, a portion 440 on one end side of a center in a longitudinaldirection of the plate- shaped portion 44a of the cap holder 44 is secured to the rotation shaft 60. Therefore, a portion 441 on the other end side with respect to the center in the longitudinal direction of the cap holder 44 is swingable in a direction of an arrow R in FIG. 10 around the rotation shaft 60.

[0041] The drive mechanism 47 includes the rotation shaft 60 that rotatably supports the pressing member 46 and the cap holder 44. In the first embodiment of the present embodiment, a rotary actuator that is rotationally driven by air pressure is used as the drive mechanism 47. In a case where liquid that is not flammable due to electrical sparks, or the like is used, an electric actuator or the like can be used as the drive mechanism 47.

[0042] The drive mechanism 47 includes the rotation shaft 60 and a chassis 47a that rotatably holds the rotation shaft 60. The chassis 47a of the drive mechanism 47 is secured to the columnar portion 45b of the support base 45. On the other hand, the rotation shaft 60 is supported to be freely rotatable with respect to the columnar portion 45b via the chassis 47a.Furthermore, the rotation shaft 60 includes two shafts that hold the pressing member 46 and the cap holder 44 separately and are rotatable in opposite directions. Therefore, the pressing member 46 and the cap member 41 are rotatable in opposite directions to each other.

[0043] Furthermore, a return spring 61 that returns the pressing member 46 to the original position is attached to one end of the rotation shaft 60. Moreover, the columnar portion 45b of the support base 45 is provided with a stopper portion 62 that stops the returned pressing member 46 at the original position.

[0044] <Capping Method According to First Embodiment of Present EmbodimentNext, a capping operation of the maintenance and recovery section 40 according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment will be described.

[0045] When capping the coating section 1, as illustrated in FIG. 11, first, the coating section 1 is moved to an upper side of the cap member 41, and the nozzle surface 15 of the coating section 1 is disposed at a position facing the opening 50a of the cap member 41.

[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 12, in a state where the coating section 1 is disposed above the cap member 41, a tip (the portion 461 on the other end side) of the pressing member 46 is located above the coating section 1, and stands by at a position away from a movement path of the coating section 1 and the supporting member 30 so as not to interfere with the coating section 1 and the supporting member 30. Furthermore, the cap holder 44 is held in a state of being inclined obliquely downward with respect to the horizontal direction by its own weight.

[0047] When the drive mechanism 47 is driven from the state illustrated in FIG. 12, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the pressing member 46 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing, and the tip (portion 461 on the other end side) of the pressing member 46 approaches the supporting member 30. Here, the drive mechanism 47 rotationally drives not only the pressing member 46 but also the cap holder 44. In this case, since the cap holder 44 rotates in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the pressing member 46, the cap holder 44 rotates so that a tip (the portion 441 on the other end side) thereof is lifted upward. However, since the rotation shaft 60 that supports the cap holder 44 is provided to be freely rotatable with respect to the columnar portion 45b of the support base 45, even if the tip of the cap holder 44 tries to be lifted, the cap holder 44 rotates downward by its own weight. Therefore, the cap holder 44 does not rotate in terms of appearance, and is held at its original position. Therefore, only the pressing member 46 operates to rotate.

[0048] Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 14, when the tip (portion 461 on the other end side) of the pressing member 46 comes into contact with an upper surface of the supporting member 30, the tip (portion 441 on the other end side) of the cap holder 44 is operated to be lifted up. That is, when the pressing member 46 comes into contact with the supporting member 30, the cap holder 44 is temporarily supported by the supporting member 30 via the pressing member 46, so that the cap holder 44 is lifted up by a driving force of the drive mechanism 47.

[0049] As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the cap member 41 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 15 of the coating section 1. Then, after the cap member 41 comes into contact with the nozzle surface 15, the pressing member 46 further presses the supporting member 30 downward, so that the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41. Since a pressing force of the pressing member 46 is set to be larger than an elastic force of the elastic member 48 that biases the cap member 41, the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41 against the elastic force of the elastic member 48. As a result, the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 are brought into close contact with each other, and the nozzle surface 15 is capped by the cap member 41.

[0050] Thereafter, the driving of the drive mechanism 47 is stopped, whereby the nozzle surface 15 is held in a capped state, and the capping operation is completed. Note that, while the pressing member 46 is driven to press the coating section 1 against the cap member 41 and while the cap member 41 is driven to be pressed against the coating section 1, the first arm 11 and the second arm 12 of the painting robot 2, which is a movement mechanism for moving the coating section 1, are held in a stationary state without being driven. Therefore, the capping operation is stably performed without a positional shift of the coating section 1 with respect to the cap member 41. Thus, the movement mechanism stops moving the coating section 1 to drive the pressing member 46 to press the coating section 1 against the cap member 41 and cause the cap member 41 to be pressed against the coating section 1.

[0051] As described above, in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, when capping the coating section 1, the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41 by the pressing member 46. As a result, a close contact state between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be satisfactorily secured. That is, in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 16, even if the supporting member 30 is deformed by the pressing of the coating section 1 and the cap member 41, the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41 in the direction intersecting the extension direction (longitudinal direction) of the supporting member 30 by the pressing member 46, so that the generation of the gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed.

[0052] In particular, in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 11, since the supporting member 30 is formed in a plate shape smaller in a thickness direction (arrow T direction) than in a length direction (arrow L direction) and a width direction (arrow W direction) (T < W < L), when the cap member 41 is pressed against the coating section 1 in the thickness direction of the supporting member 30, the supporting member 30 tends to be easily deformed in the thickness direction.However, according to the first embodiment of the present embodiment, by pressing the coating section 1 in the thickness direction of the supporting member 30 by the pressing member 46, the gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed, and the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be favorably brought into close contact with each other. As a result, it is possible to reduce a possibility that the cleaning liquid leaks from between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41, and it is possible to improve the reliability of the maintenance and recovery function. Furthermore, even in the maintenance and recovery section 40 that does not spray the cleaning liquid, the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be favorably brought into close contact with each other by applying the present embodiment, so that it is possible to suppress drying of the nozzle surface 15 and the nozzle 24 and to prevent a defect such as a liquid discharge failure.

[0053] The object against which the pressing member 46 is pressed is not limited to the supporting member 30, and may be the coating section 1 as illustrated in FIG. 17. In this case, the pressing member 46 is preferably pressed on a tip side (a side opposite to the supporting member 30 side) of a central portion m of the coating section 1 in the longitudinal direction of the supporting member 30. As a result, the generation of the gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be more effectively suppressed. On the other hand, in a case where the pressing member 46 is pressed against the supporting member 30 as in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, since the pressing member 46 is not pressed against the coating section 1, there is an advantage that damage and breakage of the coating section 1 due to pressing of the pressing member 46 can be avoided.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the present embodiment, the pressing member 46 and the cap holder 44 are driven by the same drive mechanism 47. That is, since the two members are driven using one drive mechanism 47, the size and cost can be reduced as compared with a case where the respective members are driven using separate drive mechanisms. Note that the driving of the pressing member 46 and the cap holder 44 is not limited to the case of being performed using one drive mechanism 47, and may be performed using separate drive mechanisms.

[0055] Furthermore, in order to release the capping state of the coating section 1, the pressing force of the pressing member 46 and the pressing force of the cap member 41 may be released by depressurizing the rotary actuator of the drive mechanism 47 or the like. When the pressing force of the pressing member and the pressing force of the cap member are released, the pressing member 46 rotates in a direction opposite to the pressing direction by a biasing force of the return spring 61 in FIG. 10. The cap member 41 rotates downward by its own weight. As a result, the pressing member 46 and the cap member 41 are separated from the coating section 1, and the capping state of the coating section 1 is released. Furthermore, the pressing member 46 is held at the original position by abutting against the stopper portion 62.

[0056] Note that the method for returning the pressing member 46 to the original position is not limited to the case of using the return spring 61, and the driving force of the rotary actuator may be used. That is, the rotary actuator may be rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation direction at the time of capping to return the pressing member 46 to the original position. In this case, since the return spring 61 is unnecessary, the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

[0057] Configuration of Other Embodiments>Next, another embodiment of the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, portions different from those of the first embodiment of the present embodiment will be mainly described, and description of the same portions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0058] FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section 40 according to a second embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0059] In the second embodiment of the present embodiment, a roller 49 is rotatably provided at a tip of a pressing member 46.

[0060] In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 19, when the pressing member 46 rotates so as to approach a supporting member 30, the roller 49 at the tip is pressed against the supporting member 30. Accordingly, since a coating section 1 is pressed against a cap member 41, a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since therotatable roller 49 is pressed, it is possible to prevent the supporting member 30 from being scratched and damaged, and reliability is improved. Since an outer peripheral surface of the roller 49 has a predetermined width, pressing can be performed in a wider range than the above-described embodiment. Note that the roller 49 may be pressed against the coating section 1 instead of the supporting member 30.

[0061] Next, FIG. 20 illustrates a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section 40 according to a third embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0062] In the third embodiment of the present embodiment, an air cylinder 64 is used as a drive mechanism 47 that drives a pressing member 46. As described above, a linear drive mechanism such as the air cylinder 64 may be used as the drive mechanism 47.

[0063] The pressing member 46 is integrally attached to a distal end of a rod 65 of the air cylinder 64. Therefore, when the rod 65 is driven in the vertical direction in FIG. 20, the pressing member 46 is pressed against or separated from a coating section 1. When the pressing member 46 is pressed against the coating section 1 by driving of the air cylinder 64 in a state where the coating section 1 and a cap member 41 face each other, the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41.

[0064] As described above, also in the third embodiment of the present embodiment, since the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, generation of a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed, and the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be favorably brought into close contact with each other. Furthermore, when the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, the air cylinder 64, the coating section 1, and the cap member 41 are preferably arranged in a line. As a result, the coating section 1 can be effectively pressed against the cap member 41. Note that the pressing member 46 may be pressed against the supporting member 30.

[0065] Next, FIG. 21 illustrates a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section 40 according to a fourth embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0066] In the fourth embodiment of the present embodiment, a robot arm 66 that holds a pressing member 46 is used as a drive mechanism 47. The robot arm 66 includes a plurality of joint portions 67 that can be rotationally driven and the like.

[0067] In this case, by driving the robot arm 66 to press a pressing member 46 against a coating section 1, the coating section 1 is pressed against a cap member 41. As a result, also in the fourth embodiment of the present embodiment, generation of a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed, and the coating section 1 and the capmember 41 can be favorably brought into close contact with each other. Furthermore, the pressing member 46 may be pressed against a supporting member 30.

[0068] Next, FIG. 22 illustrates a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section 40 according to a fifth embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0069] In the fifth embodiment of the present embodiment, a pressing member 46 is configured by a cam member 68 rotationally driven by a drive mechanism 47. The cam member 68 includes a cam surface 68a having a different distance from a rotation center O.

[0070] In this case, when the cam member 68 rotates, the cam surface 68a is pressed against a coating section 1, so that the coating section 1 is pressed against a cap member 41. At this time, the cam member 68, the coating section 1, and the cap member 41 are preferably arranged in a line so that the coating section 1 is effectively pressed against the cap member 41.

[0071] As described above, also in the fifth embodiment of the present embodiment, since the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, generation of a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed, and the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be favorably brought into close contact with each other. Furthermore, the cam member 68 may be pressed against a supporting member 30.

[0072] Next, FIG. 23 illustrates a configuration of a maintenance and recovery section 40 according to a sixth embodiment of the present embodiment.

[0073] In the sixth embodiment of the present embodiment, a cap member 41 is driven in the vertical direction by an air cylinder 69. As described above, the air cylinder 69 that is a linear drive mechanism may be used as a drive mechanism 47 that drives the cap member 41.

[0074] In this case, the cap member 41 is pushed upward by a rod 70 of the air cylinder 69, whereby the cap member 41 is pressed against a coating section 1. Furthermore, the air cylinder 69 is preferably arranged in a line with the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 so that the cap member 41 can be effectively pressed against the coating section 1.

[0075] <Example of Another Liquid Coating Device>The present embodiment is also applicable to a liquid coating device having the following configuration.

[0076] FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a coating section 1 rotates during capping. In this case, the coating section 1 is pressed by a cap member 41 and capped byrotating about a rotation axis J provided on a proximal end side of a supporting member 30. However, in a case where deformation occurs in the supporting member 30 when the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, a gap may be generated between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41.

[0077] Therefore, even in such a configuration, it is preferable to provide a pressing member 46 that presses the coating section 1 against the cap member 41 as illustrated in FIG. 25. As a result, generation of a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can be suppressed, and the coating section 1 can be favorably brought into close contact with the cap member 41.

[0078] Furthermore, as in the example illustrated in FIG. 26, a supporting member 30 may be provided with a plurality of coating sections 1. In this case, when each of the coating sections 1 is pressed against a corresponding cap member 41, a gap may be generated particularly between the coating section 1 disposed on a distal end side of the supporting member 30 and the cap member 41.

[0079] Therefore, even in such a configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 27, it is preferable to provide a pressing member 46 that presses each coating section 1 against each cap member 41 so as to be able to suppress generation of a gap between each coating section 1 and each cap member 41.

[0080] Furthermore, the present embodiment can also be applied to a configuration in which a cap member 41 is 1 is supported by a supporting member 30 including a cantilever supporting the coating section 1 at a free end of the cantilever as in the example illustrated in FIG. 28. In this case, when a coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, the supporting member 30 may be deformed, and a gap may be generated between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41.

[0081] Therefore, it is preferable to apply the present embodiment also to such a configuration and to provide the pressing member 46 that presses the cap member 41 against the coating section 1 as illustrated in FIG. 29. That is, the present embodiment is applicable to any of the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 as a first member and a second member as long as it includes the first member that is supported by a supporting member 30 including a cantilever supporting the first member at a free end of the cantilever and a second member that is pressed against the first member. In the case of the example of FIG. 29, when the coating section 1 is pressed against the cap member 41, the pressing member 46 is pressed against the cap member 41, so that the cap member 41 is pressed against the coating section 1 in a direction intersecting an extension direction (longitudinal direction) of the supporting member 30, and generation of a gap between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41 can besuppressed. Note that the pressing member 46 may be pressed against the supporting member 30. Furthermore, the elastic member 48 illustrated in FIG. 10 or the like may be provided, and the coating section 1 may be pressed against the cap member 41 by the elastic member 48.

[0082] The present embodiment can also be applied to a configuration including a small first coating section 1A and a large second coating section IB as illustrated in FIG. 30. In this case, the first coating section 1A is constituted by one coating section 1, and the second coating section IB is constituted by an aggregate of a plurality of the coating sections 1. The first coating section 1A and the second coating section IB are integrally attached to a distal end of a robot arm (second arm 12) of a painting robot 2 via a supporting member 30. However, the second coating section IB is attached to a position (robot arm side) closer to a proximal end of the supporting member 30 than the first coating section 1A. Furthermore, in a state where the first coating section 1A and the second coating section IB are attached to the robot arm, nozzle surfaces 15A and 15B thereof are disposed to face different directions. In this case, the nozzle surfaces 15A and 15B are disposed to face directions orthogonal to each other. Note that the directions of the nozzle surfaces 15A and 15B are not limited to directions orthogonal to each other, and may be disposed in intersecting directions other than the orthogonal directions, such as in the case of being inclined.

[0083] As described above, in the configuration of FIG. 30, since the nozzle surfaces 15A and 15B of the first coating section 1A and the second coating section IB are disposed to face directions orthogonal to or intersecting each other, the capping operations of the nozzle surfaces 15A and 15B are performed at different timings in a state where the robot arm of the painting robot 2 is stationary. First, as illustrated in FIG. 31, after the second coating section IB is pressed against a large second cap member 4 IB and capped, another small first cap member 41 A is pressed against the first coating section 1A from the state of FIG. 32, whereby the first coating section 1A is capped. At this time, the operation in which the first coating section 1A is capped by the small first cap member 41 A is the same as the capping operation in the first embodiment of the present embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 12 to 15, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] When the first coating section 1A is capped, since the first coating section 1A is pressed against the first cap member 41 A by the pressing member 46, a gap between the first coating section 1A and the first cap member 41 A is suppressed, and favorable capping is performed. Furthermore, since the robot arm of the painting robot 2 is stationary without being driven when the first coating section 1A is capped, the relative position between the second coating section IB and the second cap member 4 IB can be well maintained. The second cap member 4 IB caps the second coating section IB before the first cap member 41 A caps the first coating section 1A.

[0085] As described above, the present embodiment is also applicable to a configuration including the second coating section IB and the second cap member 4 IB pressed in a direction intersecting the pressing direction of the first coating section 1A and the first cap member 41 A. That is, the present embodiment can also be applied to a configuration including a third member (for example, the second coating section IB) provided integrally with the first member (for example, the first coating section 1A), and a fourth member (for example, the second cap member 4 IB) pressed against the third member in a direction intersecting the pressing direction between the first member and the second member (for example, the first cap member 41 A). Furthermore, the first member may be the first cap member 41 A, the third member may be integrally provided as the second cap member 4 IB, the second member may be the first coating section 1A, and the fourth member may be the second coating section IB.

[0086] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 33, the present embodiment is also applicable to a configuration in which a supporting member 30 extends in a vertical direction Z, and a coating section 1 and a cap member 41 are pressed in a horizontal direction X. Even in such a configuration, when deformation occurs in the supporting member 30 at the time of capping, a gap may occur between the coating section 1 and the cap member 41. Therefore, it is preferable to suppress the occurrence of the gap by applying the present embodiment.

[0087] The present embodiment is also applicable to a configuration in which a coating roller 71 is provided at a distal end of a robot arm 72 via a supporting member 30 as illustrated in FIG. 34. In this case, since the coating roller 71 is supported by the supporting member 30 including a cantilever supporting the coating roller 71 at a free end of the cantilever, when the coating roller 71 is pressed against a cap member or the like, the supporting member 30 may be deformed to generate a gap between both the members.

[0088] Therefore, it is preferable to apply the present embodiment also to such a configuration. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 35, an upper cap member 80 that covers the coating roller 71 is provided on the side of a pressing member 46. When capping the coating roller 71, as illustrated in FIG. 36, the supporting member 30 is pushed by the pressing member 46, and at this time, the upper cap member 80 includes a recess 80a so as not to interfere with the supporting member 30. Furthermore, the coating roller 71 is disposed on the cap member 41, and a support frame 73 of the coating roller 71 comes into contact with a seal portion 51 of the cap member 41. Here, although the support frame 73 of the coating roller 71 does not cover the side and the upper side of the coating roller 71, the upper cap member 80 covers the side and the upper side of the coating roller 71 by the movement of the pressing member 46, whereby the coating roller 71 is capped. As described above, at the time of capping, the pressing member 46 pushes the supporting member 30 and the coating roller 71 is pressedagainst the cap member 41, so that generation of a gap between the support frame 73 of the coating roller 71 and the cap member 41 pressed by the coating roller 71 can be suppressed, and both the members can be favorably brought into close contact with each other.

[0089] Furthermore, the present embodiment is also applicable to painting performed for purposes other than coloring and designing a vehicle body of an automobile or the like. For example, in a painting step of a vehicle body of an automobile, there are an undercoating for the purpose of securing adhesion, rust prevention, and the like of a coating film to a base material of the vehicle body, an intermediate coating for the purpose of securing impact resistance, durability, and the like, and a top coating for applying coloring and design. The painting device according to the present embodiment may be used for the undercoating or the intermediate coating in addition to the top coating. Furthermore, in a case where there is a painting step of a protective layer such as a clear layer to be applied for the purpose of delustering and protection of a coating film after a top coating step, the painting device according to the present embodiment may be used in the painting step of the protective layer. Moreover, in a case where a peelable protective layer for protecting a painted surface is painted after shipment of an automobile or in a factory, the painting device according to the present embodiment can also be used for painting the protective layer. The peelable protective layer may be any layer as long as it adheres to a painted surface of the vehicle body and can chemically or physically protect a painted portion from dust, metal powder, oil, salt, acid, ultraviolet rays, and the like, and for example, is preferably formed of a material containing an acrylic copolymer agent as a main component.

[0090] Furthermore, the present embodiment is also applicable to a liquid coating device that coats liquid for purposes other than painting.For example, there is a marking device that coats a liquid to an object to mark a specific portion.

[0091] Furthermore, the present embodiment is not limited to a liquid coating device that discharges a liquid to a three-dimensional structure such as a vehicle body or a building material. For example, the present embodiment can also be applied to a liquid coating device that coats a liquid to a planar object such as a plate material or a sheet. Furthermore, the “liquid coating device” according to the present embodiment may include a post-processing device and the like in addition to means related to conveyance of an object and a pre-processing device.

[0092] To summarize the aspects of the present embodiment described above, the present embodiment includes at least the following aspects.

[0093] Aspect 1According to Aspect 1, a liquid coating device includes: a coating section which is supported by a supporting member including a cantilever supporting the coating section at a free end of the cantilever and coats a liquid to an object; a cap member which covers at least a part of the coating section; a pressing member press the coating section against the cap member in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism which drives the pressing member.

[0094] Aspect 2According to Aspect 2, a liquid coating device includes: a coating section which coats a liquid to an object; a cap member which is supported by a supporting member including a cantilever supporting the coating section at a free end of the cantilever and covers at least a part of the coating section; a pressing member which presses the cap member against the coating section in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism which drives the pressing member.

[0095] Aspect 3According to Aspect 3, the liquid coating device of Aspect 1 further includes an elastic member which presses the cap member against the coating section.

[0096] Aspect 4According to Aspect 4, in the liquid coating device of Aspect 3, a pressing force of the pressing member is larger than an elastic force of pressing the cap member against the coating section.

[0097] Aspect 5According to Aspect 5, in the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1, 3, and 4, the pressing member rotates and is pressed against the coating section or the supporting member to press the coating section against the cap member, and the cap member rotates and is pressed against the coating section after the pressing member is pressed against the coating section or the supporting member.

[0098] Aspect 6According to Aspect 6, in the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1, 3, and 5, the drive mechanism rotates the pressing member and the cap member in opposite directions so as to bring the pressing member and the cap member close to each other.

[0099] Aspect 7According to Aspect 7, the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1, and 3 to 6 further includes a movement mechanism which moves the coating section, the movement mechanism being not driven and being stationary while the pressing member is driven to press the coatingsection against the cap member and while the cap member is driven to be pressed against the coating section.

[0100] Aspect 8According to Aspect 8, the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1, and 3 to 7 further includes: a second coating section provided integrally with the coating section; and a second cap member pressed against the second coating section in a direction intersecting a pressing direction between the coating section and the cap member, in which after the second cap member is pressed against the second coating section, the cap member is pressed against the coating section, and the coating section is pressed against the cap member.

[0101] Aspect 9According to Aspect 9, in the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1, and 3 to 8, the supporting member is a plate-shaped member, and the pressing member is pressed against the plate-shaped member to press the coating section against the cap member.

[0102] Aspect 10According to Aspect 10, in the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1 to 9, the drive mechanism includes a linear drive mechanism that drives the pressing member in a linear direction.

[0103] Aspect 11According to Aspect 11, in the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1 to 9, the drive mechanism includes a robot arm that includes a plurality of joint portions and holds the pressing member.

[0104] Aspect 12According to Aspect 12, in the liquid coating device of any one of Aspects 1 to 9, the pressing member includes a cam member rotationally driven by the drive mechanism.

[0105] Aspect 13According to Aspect 13, a capping method for covering at least a part of a coating section that coats a liquid to an object with a cap member, the capping method including: opposing the coating section, supported by a supporting member including a cantilever supporting the coating section at a free end of the cantilever, to the cap member, and pressing the coating section or the supporting member with a pressing member to press the coating section against the cap member in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the supporting member. The above-described embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Thus, numerous additional modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, elements and / or features of different illustrative embodiments maybe combined with each other and / or substituted for each other within the scope of the present invention.This patent application is based on and claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-155833, filed on September 21, 2023, in the Japan Patent Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.[Reference Signs List]

[0106] 1 coating section2 painting robot11 first arm (movement mechanism)12 second arm (movement mechanism)30 supporting member41 cap member46 pressing member47 drive mechanism48 elastic member64 air cylinder (linear drive mechanism)66 robot arm68 cam member100 painting device (liquid coating device)200 object[Citation List][Patent Literature]

[0107] [PTL 1]Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-137548

Claims

[CLAIMS]

1. A liquid coating device comprising: a coating section to coat a liquid to an object; a supporting member: extending in an extension direction; deformable in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member; and supporting the coating section at one end of the supporting member; a cap member to cover at least a part of the coating section; a pressing member to press the coating section against the cap member in the intersection direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism to drive the pressing member.

2. A liquid coating device comprising: a coating section to coat a liquid to an object; a cap member to cover at least a part of the coating section; a supporting member: extending in an extension direction; deformable in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member; and supporting the cap member at one end of the supporting member; a pressing member to press the cap member against the coating section in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the supporting member; and a drive mechanism to drive the pressing member.

3. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member to press the cap member against the coating section.

4. The liquid coating device according to claim 3, wherein the elastic member presses the cap member against the coating section with an elastic force, and the pressing member presses the cap member against the coating section with a pressing force larger than the elastic force.

5. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member rotates to press one of the coating section and the supporting member to press the coating section against the cap member to cause the cap member to rotate and pressed the cap member against the coating section.

6. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism rotates the pressing member in one direction and rotates the cap member in another direction opposite to the one direction to bring the pressing member and the cap member close to each other.

7. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, further comprising a movement mechanism to move the coating section, wherein the movement mechanism stops moving the coating section to drive the pressing member to press the coating section against the cap member and cause the cap member to be pressed against the coating section.

8. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, further comprising: a second coating section attached to the one end of the supporting member together with the coating section; and a second cap member to be pressed against the second coating section in a direction intersecting the intersection direction, wherein the second cap member pressed against the second coating section causes the cap member to be pressed against the coating section and causes the coating section to be pressed against the cap member.

9. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, wherein the supporting member includes a plate member, and the pressing member presses the plate member in the intersection direction to press the coating section against the cap member.

10. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism includes a linear drive mechanism that drives the pressing member in a linear direction.

11. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, wherein the drive mechanism includes a robot arm including a plurality of joint portions to hold the pressing member.

12. The liquid coating device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member includes a cam member rotationally driven by the drive mechanism.

13. A capping method comprising: covering at least a part of a coating section with a cap member, the coating section to coat a liquid to an object;supporting the coating section at one end of a supporting member extending in an extension direction; moving the coating section to a position facing the cap member; and pressing the coating section or the supporting member to press the coating section against the cap member in an intersection direction intersecting the extension direction of the supporting member.

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