Patent ID: 6197175
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: C25D

Abstract:
An electrical contacting system for an electrophoretic dip painting plant for motor vehicle bodies that are guided through an electrophoretic dip paint bath comprising an overhead conveyor having a plurality of conveyor hangers for engaging beneath body carriers, each carrier supporting one body and being placeable on two respective conveyor hangers, said hangers being arranged one behind the other in a direction of conveyance and being pivotable about upper pivot axes extending horizontally and transversely to the direction of conveyance,wherein each conveyor hanger has at least two lower contacting devices secured to said hanger and each body carrier has at least four upper contacting devices secured to said carrier and adapted to be placed on said lower contacting devices,each lower contacting device having a support and contact element pointing upwards as well as a guide element arranged next to said support and contact element transversely to the direction of conveyance and likewise pointing upwards, andeach upper contacting device having a protective bell open at the bottom and storing a bubble of air in the submerged state,said protective bell having in the area of said bubble a downwardly concave, partially circular cylindrical support and contact surface adapted to be placed on a support and contact element and having a cylinder axis approximately horizontal and extending transversely to the direction of conveyance as well as on its outer side facing the guide element two locking elements forming a vertical opening between them for interacting with a locking nose on the guide element in order to make passage of the locking noses through the openings formed by the locking elements of the protective bells possible during placement of a body carrier on two conveyor hangers and to prevent any lifting of the protective bells away from the lower contacting devices during the inclined submergence of a body into the paint bath,said protective bell having at its outer side provided with the locking elements a rigid axle stub coaxial to the cylinder axis of its support and contact surface, andsaid guide element having for a lateral guidance of the axle stub an upwardly open guide slot parallel to the support and contact element of the lower contacting device,the side edges of said guide slot forming in the upper area of the guide slot insertion curves for the axle stub extending at an incline from top to bottom towards one another.