Method of cleaning a paint feed line of a painting system

• US 20050139237A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carlisle Fluid Technologies Germany GmbH (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITW Oberflaechentechnik GmbH & Co. K.G. (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Bahr, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,877 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/22.100
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/14 for supplying a selected one of a plurality of liquids or other fluent materials or several in selected proportions to a spray apparatus, e.g. to a single spray outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/1481 comprising pigs, i.e. movable elements sealingly received in supply pipes, for separating different fluids, e.g. liquid coating materials from solvent or air cleaning pipes with pigs B08B9/0557, pigs per se F16L55/26
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/55 using cleaning fluids

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided to clean a paint feed-line (1) of a painting system, line running from at least one paint tank (2, 9) to a paint deposition device (3) and feeding paint in this direction during the operational stages. During cleaning stages between operational stages, a cleaning substance is forced through the feed line (1). An inert gas, for instance nitrogen, is used as the gas for this purpose, and at the end of the cleaning stages the feed line (1) is filled with the inert gas. The gas remains in the feed line (1) until the next operational stage begins.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method of cleaning a paint feed line of a painting system in which the paint feed line connects at least one paint tank to at least one paint deposition device for the purpose of moving the paint during operational stages from the tank to the deposition device, said method comprising:

moving a cleaning substance through the feed line during a cleaning stage between the operational stages; and

filling the feed line with an inert gas at the end of the cleaning stage and keeping the inert gas in the feed line until the next operational stage begins, thereby effectively preventing ambient air from entering the feed line in the time interval between the termination of the cleaning stage and the beginning of the next operational stage.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising, during the cleaning stage, the steps of

before moving the cleaning substance through the feed line, forcing the residual paint in the feed line back into the tank by means of the inert gas;

and

after moving the cleaning substance through the feed line, removing the residual cleaning substance from the feed line by means of the inert gas.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein in the step of moving the cleaning substance through the feed line, the cleaning substance is forced in a direction from the deposition device toward the tank to be removed in the same direction from the feed line.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the inert gas filled in the feed line at the end of the cleaning stage is expelled, at the beginning of the next operational stage, out of the deposition device by means of the paint fed from the tank through the feed line.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the deposition device is briefly opened when the cleaning substance is moved through the feed line.

24. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the inert gas is nitrogen.

25. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the cleaning substance is a foam mixture of a cleaning fluid and the inert gas.

26. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein

said feed line includes first and second opposite ends connected to said tank and said deposition device, respectively;

an inert gas source of the inert gas is connected to the second end of the feed line via a first controlled valve;

a collection container is connected to the first end of the feed line through a second controlled valve;

the tank is connected to the first end of the feed line via a third, controlled valve; and

a cleaning substance source of the cleaning substance is connected to the second end of the feed line via a fourth, controlled valve;

said method further comprising;

at the beginning of the cleaning stage, first, opening the first controlled valve to force the residual paint in the feed line, by the inert gas, back into the tank;

then, closing the third valve and opening the second valve;

thereafter, opening the fourth controlled valve to force the cleaning substance through the feed line;

then, closing the fourth valve and allowing the cleaning substance to be removed from the feed line by the inert gas;

thereafter, closing the second valve after the residual cleaning substance has been removed and the feed line has been filled with the inert gas.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further comprising detecting, by a sensor, a boundary between the residual paint and the inert gas.

30. The method as claimed in claim 26, comprising releasing, for a predetermined period of time, the cleaning substance from said cleaning substance source into said feed line after the residual paint has cleared the second end of said feed line under the action of the inert gas.

31. The method as claimed in claim 26, comprising

keeping the third valve open until the cleaning substance has completely passed the third valve, and

after the cleaning substance has completely passed the third valve, closing the first and third valves thereby keeping an amount of the inert gas under pressure within said feed line until the next operational stage begins.

32. The method as claimed in claim 19, comprising completely closing both ends of said feed line to thereby keep the inert gas under pressure in the feed line until the next operational stage begins with an opening of a nozzle of the deposition device.

33. The method as claimed in claim 19, comprising filling said feed line exclusively with the inert gas and subsequently closing completely both ends of said feed line to thereby keep the inert gas under pressure in the feed line until the next operational stage begins with an opening of a nozzle of the deposition device.

28. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising closing said second valve and opening said third valve upon detecting the boundary between the residual paint and the inert gas at a point adjacent the first end of said feed line.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising detecting, by the same sensor, a boundary between the inert gas and the cleaning substance;

and

closing the third valve after a predetermined time period has lapsed after detecting the boundary between the inert gas and the cleaning substance, said predetermined time period being sufficient for the cleaning substance to completely pass the third valve.