Liquid Coater Nozzle Clearance Adjustment via Dual Sensor Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid application apparatuses face challenges in accurately adjusting nozzle clearance due to misalignment and surface irregularities, leading to inconsistent sealant application and potential damage to the nozzle.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a non-contact distance sensor and a contact detection sensor to measure and adjust nozzle clearance separately, using a moving unit to align the nozzle and sensor relative to a reference surface, minimizing the impact of surface undulations and inclinations, and ensuring precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the liquid coater is disposed inside the coating drum, then the coating process is simplified and coating uniformity is improved, but the nozzle clearance cannot be adjusted without disassembling the coating drum
Solution Approach 1:
The coating drum is divided into separable parts: the drum body and the liquid coater assembly. The liquid coater can be removed from the drum without disassembling the drum itself, allowing nozzle clearance adjustment while maintaining the simplified coating process and uniformity benefits of the integrated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coater is designed with movable components that allow dynamic adjustment of nozzle clearance. The adjustment mechanism enables the nozzle position to be changed relative to the drum surface while the liquid coater remains positioned inside the drum, providing both adjustability and coating uniformity.
2Ease of operation
If the liquid coater is disposed outside the coating drum, then the nozzle clearance can be easily adjusted, but the coating process becomes complex and coating uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the liquid coater as a separate removable assembly from the coating drum, the system allows the liquid coater to be positioned outside the drum for easy adjustment while maintaining the ability to achieve uniform coating when operated in the integrated configuration.
3Ease of operation
If the coating drum is disassembled to adjust nozzle clearance, then the nozzle clearance can be adjusted, but production time is lost and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The coating drum is designed as a separable assembly where the liquid coater can be removed independently. This allows nozzle clearance adjustment by simply detaching and reattaching the liquid coater assembly, eliminating the need to disassemble the entire coating drum and minimizing production time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coater is pre-configured with adjustable nozzle mechanisms that can be set before installation. This preliminary adjustment capability allows operators to prepare the desired nozzle clearance settings in advance, reducing adjustment time during production and maintaining high productivity.
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
This approach allows for accurate and consistent adjustment of nozzle clearance, reducing labor and costs, and preventing nozzle damage, thereby ensuring reliable sealant application even with surface distortions.
Implementation Method 1
a non-contact distance sensor (laser displacement sensor) is mounted on the head section with the nozzle, laser light is emitted from the sensor to the work, reflected light from the work is detected by the sensor to measure the distance L
Implementation Method 2
reflected light from the work is detected by the sensor
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of adjusting a clearance between a nozzle and a work to a desired value in a liquid application apparatus wherein a liquid discharged from the nozzle is applied to the work, comprises (a) a distance measurement step of measuring, by using a non-contact distance sensor positioned in parallel with the nozzle, a distance from the non-contact distance sensor to a reference surface of a contact detection sensor detecting a contact of the nozzle front end with the reference surface opposite to the nozzle front end, (b) a nozzle contacting step of making contacts with the nozzle front end and the reference surface of the contact detection sensor to obtain a positional information of the nozzle, (c) a distance measurement step of measuring, by the non-contact distance sensor, a distance from the non-contact distance sensor to the work before applying the liquid to the work, and (d) a step of adjusting a nozzle clearance to a desired value based on the relative positional information between the nozzle and the non-contact distance sensor determined by the distance measurement step (a) and the nozzle contacting step (b), and the distance determined by the distance measurement step (c), thereby to enable the nozzle clearance adjustment based on accurate information of the relative position between the nozzle and the non-contact distance sensor in the nozzle clearance direction, which is less influenced by the work's windings, heaves or others.