Device for Emptying Powder Bags for Powder Spraying Apparatus

• US 20120009046A1
• Filed: 09/16/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gema Switzerland GmbH (Graco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Illinois GEMA AG
• Inventors: Mauchle, Felix, Steinemann, Mark, Vieli, Hanspeter
• Application Number:
  US13/234,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20120009046A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/21
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1445 involving vibrations B05B7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1454 comprising means for supplying collected oversprayed particulate material spray booth with arrangements for collecting oversprayed material B05B14/40
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1472 Powder extracted from a powder container in a direction substantially opposite to gravity by a suction device dipped into the powder
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0091 using frames whereby the container is bottom supported

Abstract

A powder-bag emptying unit for powder spray coating facilities, comprises a bag-receiving hopper which is designed to receive a powder bag. The bag-receiving hopper is narrower at its bottom than at its top. The hopper wall keeps the powder bag dimensionally stable and in a fixed position in which a bag aperture is situated at the top end of the bag. The bag-receiving hopper is fitted at its lower end at the hopper center with a hopper opening which is open downward and permits coating powder to drop out of it. The bag-receiving hopper further is fitted with at least one vibrator to shake the bag-receiving hopper.

Claims

1. A powder-bag emptying unit for powder spray coating facilities, comprising a bag-receiving hopper which is designed to receive a powder bag, said bag-receiving hopper being narrower at its bottom than at its top, the hopper wall keeping the powder bag dimensionally stable and in a fixed position wherein a bag aperture is situated at the top end of the bag, the bag-receiving hopper being fitted at its lower end at the hopper center with a hopper opening which is open downward and permits coating powder to drop out of it, the bag-receiving hopper further being fitted with at least one vibrator to shake said bag-receiving hopper.

2. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein a hopper angle of the hopper inside surface is between 45 and 90°

.

3. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hopper further comprises a center axis that extends vertically.

4. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bag-receiving hopper is oriented on at least one weight sensor for measuring the weight of the bag-receiving hopper including the hopper contents.

5. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one weight sensor is connected to a signal generator for generating a signal based on the measured weight.

6. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an aperture-edge retaining means comprising an outer retaining element to grip the upper bag segment near an aperture edge of the bag aperture and an inner retaining element for insertion into the upper bag segment near its aperture edge, the two retaining elements being stretchable relative to each other to clamp the upper bag segment between them, the upper inner retaining element comprising a downward pointing passage to pass a powder feed pipe.

7. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the aperture edge retaining means is mechanically connected to a height adjusting device and can be moved up and down by said device.

8. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the powder feed pipe is connected to a height adjusting device and can be moved up and down by said height adjusting device.

9. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 further including an aperture edge retaining means comprising an outer retaining element to grip the upper bag end segment near the aperture edge of the bag aperture and an inner retaining element for insertion into the upper bag end segment near its aperture edge, the two retaining elements being mutually stretchable to insert the upper bag end segment between them, the inner retaining element comprising at least one of a powder feed pipe and a pipe containing a powder feed pipe, said pipe being inserted downward through the bag aperture into the powder bag situated in the bag-receiving hopper.

10. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 9 wherein the aperture edge retaining means is connected mechanically to a height adjusting device and said retaining means can be moved up and down by said height adjusting device.

11. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 including a powder feed pipe having a lower end, wherein the lower end of the powder feed pipe points toward the lower hopper end and is displaceable downward into the vicinity of the lower hopper end.

12. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the hopper includes a center axis, the powder feed pipe is oriented along the hopper center axis and points in a longitudinal direction of said axis, and can be displaced along the longitudinal direction of said axis.

13. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 6 wherein the powder feed pipe is oriented parallel to the inside surface of the receiving-bag hopper and is displaceable up and down parallel to the hopper inside surface.

14. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hopper includes a center axis, an inside cross-sectional dimension of the bag-receiving hopper orthogonal to the hopper center axis is at least 50% smaller at the lower hopper end than at the upper hopper end.

15. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 further including a powder feed pipe having an upper end and a powder pump mounted at the upper end of the powder feed pipe.

16. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bag-receiving hopper is mounted in a manner to be laterally displaceable into different positions.

17. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hopper further comprises a center axis that extends vertically.

18. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bag-receiving hopper is oriented on at least one weight sensor for measuring the weight of the bag-receiving hopper including the hopper contents.

19. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bag-receiving hopper is oriented on at least one weight sensor for measuring the weight of the bag-receiving hopper including the hopper contents.

20. A powder-bag emptying unit as claimed in claim 17 wherein the bag-receiving hopper is oriented on at least one weight sensor for measuring the weight of the bag-receiving hopper including the hopper contents.