Patent ID: 6439480
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: B05B

Abstract:
A device for automatic spray application of paint, comprising:a spray nozzle (2); a spray application robot having the spray nozzle (2) located at a free end of a robot arm (1); a paint container (5) arranged in close connection to the spray nozzle and providing paint to the spray nozzle during the spray application, the paint container having an elongated feeding tube (16) at an opening (15) of the paint container; a number of receiving members (6, 18) receiving and holding the paint container close to the spray nozzle such that the paint container is detachable and removable from the device when replacing a paint container, the receiving members have a first space (6) that is delimited inside the robot arm and adapted to receive the paint container (5), and the elongated feeding tube (16) is held by the receiving members (6, 18) when the feeding tube is inserted in the nozzle (2); and a dosing means (8-12) for dosing paint from the paint container (5) to the spray nozzle by regulating the compression of an inner volume (13) of the paint container and thereby forcing paint out of the paint container and into the spray nozzle through the opening (15) of the paint container, the dosing means (8-12) is arranged inside the robot arm (1) in a second space (7) adjacent to the first space (6), and the dosing means is adapted to influence an external surface of the paint container (5), wherein the robot arm (1) can be opened for inserting and taking out the paint container (5), into and out of the first space (6), respectively, by the arrangement of an end piece of the receiving members of the arm being pivotable with respect to the rest of the arm, about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arm.