Apparatus for painting traffic marks on road surface

• US 20050081783A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Joongang HAK Wonco Limited, Korea University
• Original Assignee: Korea University
• Inventors: Hong, Daehie
• Granted Patent: US 7,294,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/207
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/22 by spraying E01C23/206 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for painting traffic marks on a road surface without requiring any professional painting skills. The apparatus having: a first support and second support being parallel to each other and a coupling unit to couple the supports. There is also a gantry unit, having: at least one Y-axial gantry coupled to and being movable along the first and second support, and an X-axial gantry coupled to the Y-axial gantry to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the first support and second support. The apparatus further includes: a jet unit coupled to the X-axial gantry, with a jet nozzle to spray paint downwards; a feeding device, having a first feeding unit to move the Y-axial gantry and a second feeding unit to move the X-axial gantry. There may be a third feeding unit to move the jet unit. There is also a control unit to control operation of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for painting marks on a road surface, said apparatus comprising:

a trailer unit, comprising a first support and a second support, said first support being parallel to said second support;

a gantry unit, comprising;

at least one Y-axial gantry coupled to said first support and said second support, wherein said at least one Y-axial gantry is movable in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first support and said second support; and

at least one X-axial gantry coupled to said at least one Y-axial gantry to be movable in a direction substantially parallel to said first support and said second support;

a jet unit coupled to said X-axial gantry, said jet unit having a jet nozzle;

a feeding device, comprising;

a first feeding unit to move the Y-axial gantry; and

a second feeding unit to move the X-axial gantry; and

a control unit to control operation of said feeding device, said jet unit apparatus and said gantry unit.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said first feeding unit is further comprised of a rack and pinion.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said trailer unit is further comprised of a coupling unit to couple said first support to said second support.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein each said at least one Y-axial gantry has a Y-axial guide groove that longitudinally extends along said Y-axial gantry and said X-axial gantry is in communication with said Y-axial guide groove.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said X-axial gantry is further comprised of an X-axial guide groove that longitudinally extends along said X-axial gantry and said jet unit is in communication with said X-axial guide groove.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod, said first connecting rod couples a first end of a first Y-axial gantry to a first end of a second Y-axial gantry and a second connecting rod couples a second end of a first Y-axial gantry to a second end of a second Y-axial gantry.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first feeding unit comprises:

a rack longitudinally provided on said first support and said second support;

a pinion to engage said rack; and

a first motor having a motor housing coupled to said Y-axial gantry and an output shaft coupled to said pinion to rotate said pinion.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said second feeding unit comprises:

an Y-axial belt longitudinally provided in said Y-axial gantry;

a second motor to rotate said Y-axial belt;

a connecting unit coupled to said Y-axial belt and said X-axial gantry for coupling said Y-axial gantry to said X-axial gantry.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising a first pulley and second pulley coupled to each other by said Y-axial belt, wherein said first pulley is rotated by said Y-axial belt and rotates said second pulley and said connecting unit, thereby rotating said X-axial gantry along said Y-axial gantry.

10. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said feeding device further comprises a third feeding unit to move said jet unit.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein said third feeding unit comprises:

an X-axial belt longitudinally provided in said X-axial gantry and coupled to said jet unit; and

a third motor to rotate said X-axial belt.

12. The apparatus as in claim 1, said jet unit comprising:

a check valve to prevent backflow of paint; and

a jet nozzle rotating unit to control a paint spraying angle of the jet nozzle.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

at least two X-axial wheels; and

at least two Y-axial wheels.

14. The apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising:

an X-axial wheel rotating unit to rotate said at least two X-axial wheels; and

an Y-axial wheel rotating unit to rotate said at least two Y-axial wheels, wherein said control unit independently controls said X-axial wheel rotating unit and said Y-axial wheel rotating unit.

16. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said jet unit is further comprised of a gear box and a jet nozzle rotating unit for rotating said jet nozzle.

17. An apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising at least one monitoring unit mounted to at least one of said at least two X-axial wheels.

18. An apparatus as in claim 13, further comprising at least one monitoring unit mounted to at least one of said at least two Y-axial wheels.

19. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said control unit provides a set of instructions to control operation of said feeding device, said gantry unit and said jet unit.

20. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an attachment means for attaching said apparatus to a vehicle.

21. An apparatus for painting traffic marks on a road surface, said apparatus comprising:

a trailer unit, comprising a first support and a second support being parallel to each other; and

at least one coupling unit to couple said first support to said second support;

a gantry unit, comprising;

a first Y-axial gantry and a second Y-axial gantry coupled at both ends to said first support and said second support to be parallel with each other, wherein said first Y-axial gantry and said second Y-axial gantry move substantially perpendicular to said first support and said second support; and

at least one X-axial gantry coupled to said first Y-axial gantry and said second Y-axial gantry to move in a direction substantially parallel to said first support and said second support;

a jet unit coupled to said X-axial gantry to move along said X-axial gantry, said jet unit having a jet nozzle to spray paint downwards;

a feeding device, comprising;

a first feeding unit to move the Y-axial gantry;

a second feeding unit to move the X-axial gantry;

a third feeding unit to move said jet unit; and

a control unit to control operation of said feeding device, said gantry unit and said jet unit.

22. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said first feeding unit is further comprised of a rack and pinion.

23. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein each said at least one Y-axial gantry has a Y-axial guide groove that longitudinally extends along said Y-axial gantry and said X-axial gantry moves along said Y-axial guide groove.

24. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said X-axial gantry is further comprised of an X-axial guide groove that longitudinally extends along said X-axial gantry and said jet unit moves along said X-axial guide groove.

25. The apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod, said first connecting rod couples a first end of a first Y-axial gantry to a first end of a second Y-axial gantry and a second connecting rod couples a second end of a first Y-axial gantry to a second end of a second Y-axial gantry.

26. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said first feeding unit comprises:

a rack longitudinally provided on said first support and said second support;

a pinion to engage said rack; and

a first motor having a motor housing coupled to said Y-axial gantry and an output shaft coupled to said pinion to rotate said pinion.

27. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said second feeding unit comprises:

a Y-axial belt longitudinally provided in the Y-axial gantry;

a second motor to rotate said Y-axial belt;

a connecting unit coupled to said Y-axial belt and said X-axial gantry for coupling said Y-axial gantry to said X-axial gantry.

28. The apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising a first pulley and second pulley coupled to each other by said Y-axial belt, wherein said first pulley is rotated by said Y-axial belt and rotates said second pulley and said connecting unit, thereby rotating said X-axial gantry along said Y-axial gantry.

29. The apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said third feeding unit comprises:

an X-axial belt longitudinally provided in said X-axial gantry and coupled to said jet unit; and

a third motor to rotate said X-axial belt.

30. The apparatus as in claim 21, said jet unit comprising:

a check valve to prevent backflow of paint; and

a jet nozzle rotating unit to control a paint spraying angle of the jet nozzle.

31. The apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising:

at least two X-axial wheels; and

at least two Y-axial wheels.

32. The apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising:

an X-axial wheel rotating unit to rotate said at least two X-axial wheels; and

an Y-axial wheel rotating unit to rotate said at least two Y-axial wheels, wherein said control unit independently controls said X-axial wheel rotating unit and said Y-axial wheel rotating unit.

33. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said jet unit is further comprised of a gear box and a jet nozzle rotating unit for rotating said jet nozzle.

34. An apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising at least one monitoring unit mounted to at least one of said at least two X-axial wheels.

35. An apparatus as in claim 21, further comprising at least one monitoring unit mounted to at least one of said at least two Y-axial wheels.

36. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein said control unit provides a set of instructions to control operation of said feeding device, said gantry unit and said jet unit.

37. An apparatus for painting traffic marks on a road surface, said apparatus comprising:

a trailer unit, comprising a first support and a second support being parallel to each other; and

at least one coupling unit to couple said first support to said second support;

a gantry unit, comprising;

a first Y-axial gantry and a second Y-axial gantry coupled at both ends to said first support and said second support to be parallel with each other, wherein said first Y-axial gantry and said second Y-axial gantry each have a Y-axial guide groove and move longitudinally in a direction substantially perpendicular to said first support and said second support;

at least one X-axial gantry having an X-axial guide groove, wherein said X-axial gantry is coupled to said first Y-axial gantry and said second Y-axial gantry to be longitudinally movable in a direction substantially parallel to said first support and said second support along said Y-axial guide groove;

a jet unit coupled to said X-axial gantry to be longitudinally movable along said X-axial guide groove, said jet unit having a jet nozzle, a check valve and a jet nozzle rotating unit;

a feeding device, comprising;

a first feeding unit to move the Y-axial gantry, said first feeding unit comprising;

a rack longitudinally provided on said first support and said second support;

a pinion to engage said rack; and

a first motor having a motor housing coupled to said Y-axial gantry and an output shaft coupled to said pinion to rotate said pinion;

a second feeding unit to move the X-axial gantry, said second feeding unit comprising;

a Y-axial belt longitudinally provided in said Y-axial gantry;

a second motor to rotate said Y-axial belt; and

a connecting unit coupled to said Y-axial belt and said X-axial gantry for coupling said Y-axial gantry to said X-axial gantry;

a third feeding unit to move said jet unit, said third feeding unit comprising;

an X-axial belt longitudinally provided in said X-axial gantry and coupled to said jet unit; and

a third motor to rotate said X-axial belt; and

a control unit to control operation of said feeding device and operation of said jet unit.

38. The apparatus as set forth in claim 37, further comprising a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod, said first connecting rod couples a first end of a first Y-axial gantry to a first end of a second Y-axial gantry and a second connecting rod couples a second end of a first Y-axial gantry to a second end of a second Y-axial gantry.

39. The apparatus as in claim 37, further comprising a first pulley and second pulley coupled to each other by said Y-axial belt, wherein said first pulley is rotated by said Y-axial belt and rotates said second pulley and said connecting unit, thereby rotating said X-axial gantry along said Y-axial gantry.

40. The apparatus as in claim 37, further comprising:

at least two X-axial wheels; and

at least two Y-axial wheels.

41. The apparatus as in claim 37, further comprising:

an X-axial wheel rotating unit to rotate said at least two X-axial wheels; and

an Y-axial wheel rotating unit to rotate said at least two Y-axial wheels, wherein said control unit independently controls said X-axial wheel rotating unit and said Y-axial wheel rotating unit.

42. An apparatus as in claim 37, wherein said jet unit is further comprised of a gear box.

43. An apparatus as in claim 37, further comprising at least one monitoring unit mounted to said at least one X-axial wheel.

44. An apparatus as in claim 37, further comprising at least one monitoring unit mounted to said at least one Y-axial wheel.

45. A method of applying paint to a surface comprising the steps of:

providing an apparatus for painting traffic marks on a road surface, said apparatus comprising;

a first support and a second support being parallel;

a gantry unit coupled to said first support and said second support and having at least one X-axial gantry and at least one Y-axial gantry;

a jet unit coupled to said X-axial gantry, said jet unit having a jet nozzle to spray paint downwards;

a feeding device, comprising;

a first feeding unit to move the Y-axial gantry; and

a second feeding unit to move the X-axial gantry; and

a control unit to control operation of the apparatus;

inputting a traffic marking request into said control unit, wherein said control unit determines a set of instructions move said X-axial gantry, said Y-axial gantry and said jet unit to provide a traffic marking; and

performing said set of instructions to emit paint from said jet unit to paint said traffic marking.

46. A method as in claim 45, further comprising the step of:

monitoring said apparatus;

determining whether said traffic marking is accurate; and

adjusting said X-axial gantry, said Y-axial gantry and said jet unit to provide an accurate traffic marking.