Patent ID: 6190727
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: B05B

Abstract:
A spray coating apparatus providing automatic spread rate control, comprising:a spray nozzle that produces a diverging spray pattern having a generally flat triangular shape, and a supply line connected to said spray nozzle for supplying a liquid coating material under pressure thereto;a conveyor including a moving surface arranged to carry articles past said spray nozzle and through said diverging spray pattern such that a coating of said liquid coating material is applied to a surface of said articles;an actuator having a movable member connected to said spray nozzle for moving the spray nozzle toward and away from the moving surface of the conveyor; andcontrol means for (1) computing a target position of said movable member as a function in which a distance D of the nozzle, that produces a diverging spray pattern having a generally flat triangular shape, to the surface of the article to be coated varies in inverse proportional relationship to a target spread rate S', and (2) controlling the actuator to move the movable member to the computed target position, in order to maintain target spread rate S' on said surface.