Coating Supply Device Segmentation for Rapid Color Change

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing painting robots face inefficiencies in color changes and refilling processes, leading to prolonged painting times due to the direct connection and high voltage requirements between the piston metering device and the color changer, which complicates electrical insulation and increases installation costs.

Innovation Solution

The coating agent supply device features a coating agent storage container that is filled independently during painting, allowing for indirect filling of the metering device, reducing color change times and enabling smaller paint supply lines with lower cross-sections, thus reducing installation costs and improving efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the piston metering device is filled directly from the color changer, then the electrical insulation can be maintained, but the color change time and refilling time are prolonged

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical insulationVSAvoidcolor change time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into two separate filling paths: one for the color changer and one for the piston metering device. The intermediate storage container acts as a buffer that decouples the filling operations, allowing the color changer to be refilled during painting operations while the piston metering device can be quickly replenished from the stored coating agent.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The intermediate storage container is filled with coating agent in advance during painting operations. This preliminary filling action ensures that when the piston metering device needs refilling, the coating agent is already available, eliminating the need for time-consuming color changes and enabling rapid refilling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If the piston metering device is filled directly from the color changer, then the system structure is simpler, but the refilling process is time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem structureVSAvoidpainting process speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The intermediate storage container is filled with coating agent in advance during painting operations. This preliminary filling action ensures that when the piston metering device needs refilling, the coating agent is already available, eliminating the need for time-consuming color changes and enabling rapid refilling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The intermediate storage container serves as a mediator between the color changer and the piston metering device. It buffers the coating agent supply, allowing the piston metering device to be quickly refilled without requiring the color changer to be stopped or changed, thus maintaining high painting process speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Speed

If larger paint supply lines are used for quick filling, then the filling speed increases, but the installation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling speedVSAvoidinstallation costs
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The filling operation is segmented into two phases: bulk filling of the intermediate storage container during painting operations, and rapid transfer to the piston metering device when needed. This segmentation allows the use of smaller supply lines for the bulk filling phase, reducing installation costs while maintaining high filling speed for the critical refilling phase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The intermediate storage container is filled in advance during painting operations, utilizing the available time to accumulate coating agent. This preliminary action allows the use of smaller supply lines with lower flow rates during this phase, reducing installation costs while ensuring rapid refilling capability when the piston metering device needs replenishment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP1772194B1Supply device for a coating agent and appropriate operating method
Publication Date: 2019.01.09 DUERR SYST AG
  • EP1772194B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1772194B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP1772194B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A coating reservoir (6) is used for holding and supplying a coating to a coating meter (1), and located upstream from the coating meter and connected on the output side to the coating meter. The coating meter is used for measuring the amount of coating. An independent claim is also included for an operating method of coating supply device.