Patent ID: 8662416

Claim:
A rotary atomizer including a rotating bell secured to a rotating shaft of an air motor held in an atomizer body, the rotating bell defining a plurality of orifices for dispensing a paint toward an object to be painted, the rotation of the rotating bell atomizing the paint so as to spray the paint toward the object to be painted, the rotary atomizer comprising: a paint passage having a paint port, at a distal end thereof, fluidly communicating with the orifices of the rotating bell; a water passage, disposed outside of the paint passage, having a water port, at a distal end thereof, fluidly communicating with the orifices of the rotating bell; the paint and water being simultaneously dispensed through the orifices; a manifold defining a paint supply passage, an air supply passage and a supply water passage; the air motor held in a front part of the manifold, the air motor having the rotating shaft rotatable about a predetermined axis, the rotating shaft being rotationally driven by air supplied through the air supply passage; a double tube assembly including an inner tube extending through the rotating shaft along the axis and a concentric outer tube having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube, the outer tube extending through the rotating shaft along the axis so as to define a passage between an outer surface of the inner tube and an inner surface of the outer tube, wherein the double tube assembly comprises a tip member attached to the distal end of the inner tube, the tip member defining an annular proximal end and a tapered part, attached to the proximal end, converging in the distal direction; and the tapered part defining, at the distal end thereof, a paint port fluidly communicating with the orifices of the rotating bell, the valve body being sealingly engagable with an inner surface of the tapered part and extendable from the paint port; the rotating bell secured to the rotating shaft to rotate therewith, and defining the plurality of orifices for dispensing the paint toward the object to be painted; a pneumatic trigger valve attached to the manifold, the trigger valve including a valve stem movable along the axis of the rotating shaft of the air motor between an open position and a closed position, a needle attached to the valve stem and extending through the inner tube of the double tube assembly; and the needle defining a valve body, at the distal end thereof, extendable beyond the distal end of the inner tube of the double tube assembly.