Gravity Feed Valve and Filter for Spray Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spray coating devices require significant time for cleaning and preparation, as reusable components need to be cleaned and liquid coating materials are often mixed and transferred from one container to another, leading to inefficiencies and waste.
Innovation Solution
A gravity fed container assembly with an integrated valve and filter assembly that allows for mixing, measuring, and adding of liquid coating material in a single container, which automatically opens when connected to a spray coating gun, reducing preparation time and preserving unsprayed material for later use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If liquid coating material is mixed and transferred from a mixing cup to a spray container, then the spray device can be operated, but considerable time is spent on preparation and transfer operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the mixing cup and spray container into a single integrated container assembly. The container includes an integrated filter assembly and valve mechanism that allows coating material to be mixed directly in the container that will be used for spraying, eliminating the need for separate mixing and transfer operations between different containers.
Solution Approach 2:
The container assembly serves multiple functions: it acts as both a mixing vessel and a spray container, and the integrated filter assembly provides both filtration and valve actuation functions. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components and operations needed in the spray coating process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If reusable components are used in spray devices, then device functionality is maintained, but significant time is required for cleaning these components
Solution Approach 1:
The container assembly is designed as a separable unit that can be easily detached from the spray device. The filter assembly and valve mechanism are integrated into the container, allowing the entire assembly to be removed as one unit for cleaning or replacement, reducing the time and effort required to clean individual components.
3Extent of automation
If a valve is integrated with the filter assembly, then automated opening upon connection is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve mechanism is integrated into the filter assembly, with the filter serving dual purposes: filtration of coating material and actuation of the valve through its positioning. This merging reduces the number of separate components while achieving automated valve opening when the container connects to the spray device.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system, including a gravity fed container assembly, including a container, a lid configured to cover a chamber in the spray coating supply container, wherein the chamber is configured to hold a spray material, a filter assembly within the chamber and configured to filter the spray material in the chamber, and a valve coupled to the filter assembly and configured to open when the container couples to a spray device, wherein the valve is configured to move the filter assembly from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position blocks the filter assembly from filtering the spray material and the second position enables filtering of the spray material.