Electrostatic Coating Cleaning Flow Paths for High-Voltage Insulation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrostatic coating apparatuses fail to effectively apply high voltage to aqueous coating materials due to high voltage leakage through aqueous coating material supply flow paths, leading to increased costs and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

An electrostatic coating apparatus with a housing, coating machine, and high voltage generator, incorporating an atomizing head cleaning flow path, cleaning fluid flow path, discharge air flow path, and switching valves to manage cleaning fluid and air, minimizing high voltage leakage and reducing waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a cleaning liquid is used to clean the rotary atomizing head and feed tube, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but high voltage leakage occurs through the cleaning liquid

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidhigh voltage insulation
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A three-way valve is introduced as an intermediary device to control the cleaning liquid flow path. The valve enables selective connection between the cleaning liquid supply source and the atomizing head cleaning flow path, allowing the system to switch between cleaning mode and high voltage application mode, thereby preventing direct contact between cleaning liquid and high voltage components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning system is segmented into distinct flow paths: a cleaning liquid flow path for effective cleaning, and a discharge air flow path for removing residual liquid. This segmentation allows the system to achieve both cleaning effectiveness and high voltage insulation by separating the cleaning function from the high voltage application function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If discharge air is used to remove all cleaning liquid from the flow path, then high voltage leakage is prevented, but cleaning liquid consumption increases and discharge duration extends

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehigh voltage insulationVSAvoidcleaning liquid consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different treatment to different portions of the cleaning liquid. Instead of removing all cleaning liquid, the system only removes residual liquid from the discharge flow path while retaining cleaning liquid in the supply flow path for reuse. This localized approach reduces cleaning liquid consumption while still preventing high voltage leakage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If discharge air is used to remove all cleaning liquid, then high voltage leakage is prevented, but the time for next cleaning operation increases due to refilling requirement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehigh voltage insulationVSAvoidcleaning operation cycle time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cleaning liquid supply flow path maintains a continuous supply of cleaning liquid without requiring complete drainage and refilling. The three-way valve allows the system to maintain cleaning liquid in the supply path during high voltage operations, eliminating the need for time-consuming refilling operations and maintaining continuous readiness for cleaning

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The apparatus reduces costs by minimizing cleaning fluid consumption and preventing high voltage leakage, maintaining efficient operation with reduced cleaning fluid discharge duration and simplified structure.

Implementation Method 1

The high voltage generator (12) supplies a high voltage to the coating material

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic charge: Electrostatics

Implementation Method 2

a discharge air flow path (17) which is connected to the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and through which the discharge air flows

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas pressure: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP4005683B1Electrostatic coating apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG
  • EP4005683B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4005683B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4005683B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is an electrostatic coating apparatus comprising: an atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) which is disposed at a coating machine (3) and through which a cleaning fluid for cleaning a rotary atomizing head (6) and a front end of a feed tube (8C) of a cartridge (8) flows; a cleaning fluid flow path (14) connecting a cleaning fluid supply source (15) with the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13); a cleaning fluid valve (16) disposed in the cleaning fluid flow path (14) and configured to open and close the cleaning fluid flow path (14); a discharge air flow path (17) connected to the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and through which the discharge air flows; a cleaning fluid discharge flow path (20) connected to the cleaning fluid flow path (14) at a connection point (D) located between the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and the cleaning fluid valve (16); a discharge air switching valve (21) disposed in the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13) and configured to open and close the atomizing head cleaning flow path (13); and a cleaning fluid discharge valve (22) disposed in the cleaning fluid discharge flow path (20) and configured to open and close the cleaning fluid discharge flow path (20).