Wear components in powder coating system

• US 20040245673A1
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Allsop, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US10/754,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20040245673A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/259
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/18 for improving resistance to wear, e.g. inserts or coatings; for indicating wear; for handling or replacing worn parts
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/65 Mounting arrangements for fluid connection of the spraying apparatus or its outlets to flow conduits
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/032 for spraying particulate materials
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1404 Arrangements for supplying particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14598 Coating tubular articles

Abstract

Wear components of a powder coating system are provided with a coded visual element in one aspect of the invention. The coded visual element can provide an indication of the manufacturer or a characteristic of the part. In molded parts, the coded visual element can be implemented as a different color overmolded part wherein a material of one color is overmolded on a base material of another color. The overmolded material can be elastomeric and formed with integral exterior rings to provide a friction fit for the wear component in, for example, a venturi pump or a spray gun while eliminating the need for separate O-rings and the need to machine or form grooves in the exterior of the parts to receive the O-rings. Similarly, integral flanges can be formed to eliminate the need for separate snap rings and grooves to accept the snap rings. Color coding of the overmolded material can also be implemented in a way to provide an indication of wear. Alternatively, the part can be constructed as a layered structure of two or more materials to provide an indication of wear with or without a visual coding element Another aspect of the invention is the idea of forming the replacement part as a single piece part such as a molded part. This type of part can be formed to incorporate integrally formed resilient rings and/or integrally formed flanges on the exterior of the part to take the place of O-rings and snap rings.

Claims

1. A wear part for a powder coating system, said wear part being molded from two different materials.

2. A wear part as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wear part is a nozzle or a throat or a hose connector.

3. A wear part as set forth in claim 1 having a main body portion that is molded from a first material and a secondary portion that is molded from a second material different from said first material.

4. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said secondary portion is elastomeric and is shaped to provide a friction fit for said wear part in a coating system device in which said wear part can be installed.

5. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said secondary portion is shaped as a pair of O-rings.

6. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said secondary portion is a different color from said main body portion of said wear part.

7. A wear part as set forth in claim 6 wherein said secondary portion is elastomeric and is shaped to provide a friction fit for said wear part in a coating system device in which said wear part can be installed.

8. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said secondary portion includes a shoulder for setting the longitudinal position of said wear part in a coating system device in which said wear part can be installed.

9. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said wear part is a throat and said secondary portion comprises an elastomeric material that provides a friction fit for said wear part in a throat holder, said main body portion of said throat forming a shoulder for setting the longitudinal position of said throat in the throat holder.

10. A wear part as set forth in claim 9 wherein said secondary portion of said wear part is a different color from said main body portion of said wear part.

11. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said wear part is a nozzle for fitting into a gun body and said secondary portion comprises an elastomeric material having a first section disposed inside said gun body that provides a friction fit for said wear part in the gun body and a second section on the exterior of said gun body that provides a gripping surface for said nozzle.

12. A wear part as set forth in claim 11 wherein said secondary portion of said nozzle is a different color from said main body portion of said nozzle.

13. A wear part as set forth in claim 3 wherein said wear part is a hose connector and said secondary portion comprises an elastomeric material that provides a friction fit for said hose connector in a gun body.

14. A wear part for a powder coating system, said wear part having a first wall portion partially defining a flow channel for powder, said first wall portion including first and second layers of material.

15. The wear part of claim 14 wherein said first and second layers are of different colors.

16. A wear part as set forth in claim 14 wherein said first layer of material continues past said second layer of material to form a second wall portion, said second wall portion being made only from said first layer of material, said first layer of material in said first wall portion being thinner than said first layer of material in said second wall portion.

17. A wear part as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second layer of material overlies said first layer of material in said first wall portion of said wear part, whereby sufficient wear of said first layer of material in said first wall portion renders said second layer of material visible from said flow channel.

18. A wear part as set forth in claim 15 wherein said second layer of material comprises an elastomeric material that provides a friction fit for said wear part in a coating system device in which said wear part can be installed.

19. A molded wear part for a powder coating system, said wear part being molded from at least one plastic material, said wear part having a portion that is elastomeric and is shaped to provide a friction fit for said wear part in a coating system device in which said wear part can be installed.

20. A wear part as set forth in claim 19 having a main body portion that is molded from a first material and a secondary portion that is overmolded on said main body portion from a second material different from said first material.

21. A wear part as set forth in claim 19 wherein one of said main body portion and said overmolded portion includes a shoulder for setting the longitudinal position of said wear part in a coating system device in which said wear part can be installed.

22. A nozzle for a powder coating material spray gun, said nozzle having a relatively more resilient portion of the surface on the exterior of the nozzle form a gripping surface for removal of said nozzle from the gun.

23. A nozzle as set forth in claim 22 wherein said relatively more resilient portion of the surface on the exterior of the nozzle is a molded portion of said nozzle which includes a part that is partially received in a body of the gun and that is elastomeric and that is shaped to provide a friction fit of said nozzle in the gun body.

24. A nozzle as set forth in claim 22 wherein said molded portion is an overmolded portion on a main nozzle body.

25. A nozzle as set forth in claim 22 wherein said overmolded portion is colored differently from the main nozzle body.

26. A wear component of a powder coating system, the component being contacted by the powder coating material and worn away by the powder coating material as the powder coating material flows through the system, the component having an exterior surface wherein said exterior surface includes a coded visual element.

27. The component of claim 26 wherein the coded visual element provides an indication of the manufacturer of the component.

28. The component of claim 26 wherein the coded visual element provides an indication of a characteristic of the component.

29. The component of claim 26 wherein the coded visual element comprises constructing the component with a first portion of a first color and a second portion of a second color.

30. The component of claim 26 wherein the component is a spray nozzle of a powder coating gun.

31. The component of claim 29 wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is molded.

32. The component of claim 31 wherein the first portion is a molded component and the second portion is an over molded component.

33. A component for a pump for transporting powder coating material, the component being contacted by the powder coating material as the powder coating material flows through the pump, the component having an exterior surface wherein said exterior surface includes a coded visual element.

34. The component of claim 33 wherein the coded visual element provides an indication of the manufacturer of the component.

35. The component of claim 33 wherein the coded visual element provides an indication of a characteristic of the component.

36. The component of claim 33 wherein the coded visual element comprises constructing the complement with a first portion of a first color and a second portion of a second color.

37. The component of claim 33 wherein the component is a venturi throat for a powder pump.

38. The component of claim 36 wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion is molded.

39. The component of claim 36 wherein the first portion is a molded component and the second portion is an over molded component.

40. A wear part for a powder coating system, said wear part being constructed as a single piece component having on its exterior an integrally formed resilient ring.

41. They wear part of claim 40 further comprising an integrally formed flange.

42. The wear part of claim 40 further comprising a visual coding element formed on the exterior of said part.

43. The wear part of claim 40 wherein said visual coding element provides an indication of the identity of the manufacturer of said part.

44. The wear part of claim 40 wherein said visual coding element provides information relating to a characteristic of the part.

45. The wear part of claim 40 wherein said part comprises an overmolded part constructed from two different materials.

46. A method of fabricating a wear part for a powder coating system, comprising the steps of:

providing a base component; and

overmolding a second component onto the base component.

47. A method as set forth in claim 46 wherein said step of providing a base component comprises providing a base component of a first color, and said step of overmolding a second component onto the base component comprises overmolding a second component of a second color different from the first color.

48. A method as set forth in claim 47 wherein said step of overmolding a second component onto the base component comprises providing an elastomeric exterior portion of the wear part.

49. A method as set forth in claim 48 wherein said step of overmolding a second component onto the base component comprises providing one or more elastomeric exterior rings on the wear part.

50. A method as set forth in claim 46 wherein said step of overmolding a second component onto the base component comprises providing an integral flange on the wear part.

51. A method as set forth in claim 46 wherein said step of overmolding a second component onto the base component comprises providing an elastomeric exterior portion of the wear part.

52. A method as set forth in claim 51 wherein said step of overmolding a second component onto the base component comprises providing one or more elastomeric exterior rings on the wear part and providing an integral flange on the wear part.

53. A method of fabricating a wear part for a powder coating system, comprising the steps of:

providing a first layer of material having a first surface which is intended for initial contact with powder coating material and having an opposite second surface; and

providing a second layer of material in contact with the second surface of the first layer of material, the material in the second layer being different from the material in the first layer;

the second layer of material becoming visible when the first layer of material wears away from contact with powder coating material.

54. A method as set forth in claim 53 wherein said step of providing a first layer of material comprises providing a first layer of material of a first color, and said step of providing a second layer of material comprises providing a second layer of material of a second color different from the first color.

55. A method as set forth in claim 53 wherein said step of providing a second layer of material comprises overmolding the second layer of material on the first layer of material.

56. A method as set forth in claim 53 wherein said step of providing a second layer of material comprises providing an elastomeric exterior portion of the wear part.

57. A method as set forth in claim 56 wherein said step of providing a second layer of material comprises providing one or more elastomeric exterior rings on the wear part.

58. A method as set forth in claim 56 wherein said step of providing a second layer of material comprises providing an integral flange on the wear part.

59. A method of fabricating a wear part for a powder coating system, comprising the steps of:

providing a first material;

providing a second material that is relatively more resilient than the first material; and

joining the first material to the second material to form the wear part so that a portion of the second material is visible on the exterior of the wear part.

60. A method as set forth in claim 59 wherein said step of providing a second layer of material comprises providing one or more elastomeric exterior rings on the wear part.

61. A method as set forth in claim 59 wherein said step of providing a first material comprises providing a first layer of material having a first surface which is intended for initial contact with powder coating material and having an opposite second surface, and said joining step comprises providing a second layer of the second material that is in contact with the second surface of the first layer of material, the second layer of material becoming visible when the first layer of material wears away from contact with powder coating material.

62. A method as set forth in claim 59 wherein said step of providing a first material comprises providing a first material of a first color, and said step of providing a second material comprises providing a second material of a second color different from the first color.