APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC PAINTING

Abstract: An apparatus for the automatic painting of at least one article is provided. The apparatus comprises a support (5) for the article to be painted, a transport system (8-10) transporting the support along a painting means, wherein the transport system simultaneously rotates the support around a horizontal axis during the transport of the support.

Description: Apparatus for automatic painting 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic painting of at least one article. More particularly, the present invention relates to a revolving flat- painting installation for painting articles with an increased surface-finish quality. 2. The Prior Art When articles, such as plastic articles are automatically painted, the surface finish of the painting is often not superior since the paint does not remain evenly distributed on the article due to the influence of gravity. This applies in particular to vertical paint application systems comprising a carrier or frame for the articles to be painted, which is moved during the application of the paint by a robot, to allow the application of the paint from all sides of the articles. As a consequence of the gravity influence, paint drops and wrinklings are produced which are similar to the texture of an orange skin. It is therefore the problem of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the automatic painting of at least one article where any deteriorating effects of the influence of gravity are avoided, in order to provide painted articles with improved surface qualities. 3. Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for the automatic painting of at least one article comprising a support for the article to be painted, a transport system transporting the support along a painting means, wherein the transport system simultaneously rotates the support around a horizontal axis during the transport of the support. The rotation performed simultaneously to the transport of the system assures that the orientation of the at least one article with respect to the direction of gravity changes continuously thus avoiding a flow of the paint in the gravitation direction and the resulting negative effects to the surface of the painted article. Preferably, the transport system transports the support after the painting procedure to further processing stages for the at least one article, such as evaporating tunnels, or furnace tunnels. In this way the continued rotation of the support avoids any negative influence of gravity during the post processing of the paint applied to the article. The transport system comprises preferably at least one conveyor, to which the support is mounted. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, two parallel conveyors are bridged by the support. Preferably, the support is rotated by means of a pinion engaging an endless chain arranged preferably essentially parallel to the conveyor. By means of adjusting the speed of the endless chain, the rotational speed of the support can be modified in order to take different viscosities of different paints into account. According to a further preferred aspect of the invention, a method for the automatic painting of at least one article is provided comprising the steps of arranging the article on a support, transporting the support along a painting device and simultaneously to transporting rotating the support around a horizontal axis. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the articles are positioned longitudinally with respect to the support which is conveyed by the two conveyors. One of the conveyors has an attached carriage to which one of the ends of the support is connected. To this end of the support, a pinion is mounted to produce rotation thereof, whilst the other end is able to rotate freely, mounted on a bearing which is supported on a carriage circulating on a motorized twin chain. By this arrangement, the various carriers which are arranged at regular distances on respective pairs of carriages, simultaneously have a movement of rotation (about the support) and of advance along the installation, in accordance with the following steps: - Application of paint within the painting cabins. Evaporating tunnels. Furnace tunnels for the articles. Rotation of the carrier is produced by means of the aforementioned pinion being attached to the main carriage and receiving movement by action of a simple roller chain at the desired rotational speed which is independent from that of the conveyors. 4. Brief Description of the Drawings In the following detailed description reference is made to the enclosed figures showing: Fig. 1 a schematic elevational, cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a partial top plan view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 ; Fig. 3 an elevational side view of the apparatus wherein the pinion providing the rotational movement as well as the support moving on the conveyors can be observed; and Fig. 4 a partial view similar to that of Figure 3 but corresponding to the other end of the support. 5. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments With reference to Figure 1, the preferred embodiment according to the present invention comprises two conveyors 1 and 2 being arranged in parallel on a plurality of posts 3, 4. Between the conveyors 1 and 2, a shaft 8 extends being mounted to the upper side of the conveyors so that it is transported along the conveying direction. To the shaft 8, a plurality of support structures 5 are mounted carrying the articles 6 to be painted. The support structures may have the form of wheels 7 being mounted at regular distances along the shaft 8 (see Figures 3 and 4). As schematically indicated in Figure 1, the shaft 8 and the support structure 5 are transported by means of the conveyors 1 and 2 below a painting station 14 which sprays the paint onto the articles 6. Although in the preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1 the paint is sprayed onto the articles 6 from above, any other direction is possible as well. The shaft 8 is mounted by its ends to respective carriages 9 and 10 which advance in parallel, pulled by the respective conveyors 1 and 2. As can be seen in Figure 2, it is possible that only one conveyor 2 is provided and that the carriage 9 on the opposite side of the conveyor 2 is provided with a plurality of rollers rolling along a rail or the like. In order to provide the simultaneous rotation of the shaft 8 and thereby of the articles 6 mounted to the structure 5, a pinion 12 is arranged close to one end of the shaft engaging a corresponding endless chain 13 (cf. Figure 2). Due to the rotatable suspension of the shaft 8 by means of a bearing 11 in the carriages 9, 10, the shaft 8 can be rotated, if the speed of the endless chain 13 differs from the speed of the conveyors. Thus, the rotational speed of the shaft 8 and thus of the support structure 5 can be modified in order to take different properties of the used paint (viscosity, drying time etc.) into account so that smooth surfaces of the painted articles 6 are achieved. The endless chain 13 is preferably driven by a corresponding motor. Depending on the drying time of the used paint, it is desirable to use the described transport system with a simultaneous rotation not only along the painting station 14 but also in further processing stages, like evaporating tunnels furnace tunnels for the articles etc. Thus, a negative influence of gravity on the surface of the painted articles is not only excluded during painting but also during subsequent stages of the processing of the article.

Claims: Claims 1. An apparatus for the automatic painting of at least one article (6) comprising: a. a support (5, 8) for the article (6) to be painted; b. a transport system (1, 2, 9, 10) transporting the support (5, 8) along a painting means (14); wherein c. the transport system (1, 2, 9, 10) simultaneously rotates the support (5, 8) around a horizontal axis during the transport of the support (5, 8). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport system (1, 2, 9, 10) transports the support (5, 8) to further processing stages for the at least one article (6). 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the transport system (1, 2, 9, 10) comprises at least one conveyor (1, 2) to which the support (5, 8) is mounted. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein two parallel conveyors (1, 2) are bridged by the support (5, 8). 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the support (5, 8) is rotated by means of a pinion (12) engaging an endless chain (13) arranged essentially parallel to the conveyor(s) (1, 2). 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the speed of the endless chain (13) can be adjusted to modify the rotational speed of the support (5, 8). 7. Method for the automatic painting of at least one article (6) comprising the steps of: a. arranging the article (6) on a support (5, 8); b. transporting the support (5, 8) along a painting device (14); and c. simultaneously to the transporting rotating the support (5, 8) around a horizontal axis. 8. A revolving flat-painting installation conceived with the aim of increasing the quality of surface finish of painted articles, and of the kind of those which comprise supports for fastening and supporting the articles to be painted by a robot when on their way through a painting station, characterized in that each support (5) is horizontally positioned making a rotational movement about its shaft (8), at the same time as making an advance movement due to that each shaft (8) is placed between two conveyors (1, 2), each of which has attached a carriage (9, 10) connecting a respective end of said shaft (8) which simultaneously rotates due to a pinion (12) mounted thereon which gears with an endless chain (13) having an independent drive, whereby the articles (6) to be painted move and rotate simultaneously during application within painting cabins, evaporation tunnels and furnace tunnels. 9. A revolving flat-painting installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the carriage (9) of one conveyor (1), has a bearing means (11), to which a pinion (12) for rotating the carrier is coupled, whilst the carriage attached to the other conveyor (2) has a bearing freely-supporting the other end of the shaft (8).

Inventors: ARAUZ GONZALES TEODORO, ESCANDON HUERTA AGUSTIN, ARAUZ GONZALES, TEODORO, ESCANDON HUERTA, AGUSTIN
Applicants: ARAUZ GONZALES TEODORO, ESCANDON HUERTA AGUSTIN, LAB RADIO S A, ARAUZ GONZALES, TEODORO, ESCANDON HUERTA, AGUSTIN, LAB. RADIO, S.A.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B05B13
IPC codes: B05B13, B05C11, B05D3