COMPACT PAINT BOOTH AND METHOD

• US 20090304940A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Durr Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Durr Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Bucknell, Thomas A., Heldt, Robert, Grigoleit, Jan, Sougioltzis, Vassilios
• Granted Patent: US 9,375,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/427.200
• 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 13/0431 with spray heads moved by robots or articulated arms, e.g. for applying liquid or other fluent material to 3D-surfaces B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0463 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/0452 the conveyed articles being vehicle bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/55 using cleaning fluids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/20 Arrangements for spraying in combination with other operations, e.g. drying; Arrangements enabling a combination of spraying operations
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1015 responsive to a conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature B05C11/1005 takes precedence; responsive to position or movement of the coating head relative to the target
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 13/02 for particular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/02 travelling along a guideway
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means

Abstract

Paint booths for applying paint to an object, as well as methods for degrading coating operations associated with a paint booth, are disclosed. Paint booth may generally include one or more robot rails positioned parallel to the path of the conveyor, and one or more robots positioned on at least one of the rails. Robots may be configured to simultaneously apply a first paint layer to the interior and exterior surfaces of the object. Paint booths may further include one or more additional robots positioned on at least one of the rails and configured to simultaneously apply a second paint layer to the interior and exterior surfaces of the object.

Claims

1. A paint booth for applying paint to an object, the object including interior and exterior surfaces, the object moving through the paint booth along a conveyor, the conveyor defining a path, the paint booth comprising:

a first and second robot rail positioned parallel to the path of the conveyor;

at least a first and second robot positioned on at least one of the rails and configured to simultaneously apply a first paint layer to the interior and exterior surfaces of the object; and

at least a third and a fourth robot positioned on at least one of the rails and configured to simultaneously apply a second paint layer to the interior and exterior surfaces of the object.

2. The paint booth of claim 1, further comprising third and fourth rails, wherein the first through fourth rails are positioned in lower and upper positions on opposite sides of the conveyor.

3. The paint booth of claim 2, further comprising a fifth rail extending in said direction generally perpendicular to the conveyor and at least one robot positioned on the fifth rail.

4. The paint booth of claim 3 wherein the robot positioned on the fifth rail is configured to apply a third paint layer to the object.

5. The paint booth of claim 1, wherein said first and second robots are further configured to open and close a door on the object.

6. A method of degrading operation in a paint booth, the paint booth including a plurality of robots, the plurality of robots having individual assignments related to applying a coating to an object, the object including exterior and interior surfaces, the method comprising:

detecting a malfunction in one of the plurality of robots wherein the malfunction prevents the robot from performing its individual assignment;

identifying the assignment of the robot that has malfunctioned, and

selecting from the plurality of robots a first robot to perform the task previously assigned to the robot detected to be malfunctioning based upon at least a relative priority of the assignments that the robots have.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein one of the plurality of robots is designated as a degrade robot and is preferentially selected to perform the assignment of any robot detected to be malfunctioning.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the relative priority is that exterior surfaces are preferred over interior surfaces.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a path is calculated for the robot selected to perform the task previously assigned to the robot that was detected to be malfunctioning.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a second malfunction of a second of the plurality of robots, said second malfunction preventing said second robot from performing its assigned task;

comparing the tasks assigned to the first and second robots that have been detected to be malfunctioning; and

selecting from the plurality of robots a first robot to perform the task previously assigned to the first robot detected to be malfunctioning based upon the proximity of the robot to perform the assignment of the robot that has malfunctioned and based upon the relative priority of the assignments that the robots have and selecting from the plurality of robots a second robot to perform the task previously assigned to the second robot detected to be malfunctioning based upon the proximity of the robot to perform the assignment of the second robot that has malfunctioned and the relative priority of the assignments that the robots have.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein exterior surfaces are given a higher priority than interior surfaces of the object.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the selecting from the plurality of robots the first robot to perform the task previously assigned to the robot detected to be malfunctioning is additionally based upon a proximity of the robot to perform the assignment of the robot that has malfunctioned.