APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE PAINTING OF HULLS OF BOATS OR THE LIKE

• US 20130243963A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vincenzo Rina
• Original Assignee: Vincenzo Rina
• Inventors: Rina, Vincenzo
• Granted Patent: US 9,522,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/421.1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/18 using fluids, e.g. gas streams
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 13/005 mounted on vehicles or designed to apply a liquid on a very large surface, e.g. on the road, on the surface of large containers
• 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 14/00 Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material arrangements integral with nozzles B05B1/28
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 14/30 comprising enclosures close to, or in contact with, the object to be sprayed and surrounding or confining the discharged spray or jet but not the object to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1013 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1018 responsive to distance of target
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0075 Manipulators for painting or coating
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 21/00 Chambers provided with manipulation devices constructional features of the mounting of the manipulator in the wall B25J1/08 ; glove-boxes for nuclear applications G21F7/04
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 5/00 Equipment usable both on slipways and in dry docks

Abstract

Apparatus for painting hulls of boats includes at least an anthropomorphic robot having paint dispensing elements, at least a supporting body which defines a chamber for containing the robot and which includes at least an opening for applying paint on a reference surface, handling elements of the body along at least a direction of moving close to/away from the surface, air suction elements to form a suction stream substantially along the entire surrounding edge of the opening, according to a preset suctionable air flow, command and control elements operatively connected to the handling elements to control movement of the body along the moving direction, sensor elements associated with the body to detect the distance of the surrounding edge from the reference surface and operatively connected to the command and control elements, the latter being programmed to adjust the distance of the surrounding edge of the opening from the reference surface.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. Apparatus (1) for the painting of hulls of boats or the like, comprising:

at least an anthropomorphic robot (2) having dispensing means (3) of the paint;

at least a supporting body (4) which defines a chamber (5) for containing said robot (2) and which comprises at least an opening (6) suitable for allowing the application of the paint on a reference surface (S), said dispensing means (3) having at least three degrees of freedom inside said chamber (5);

handling means (9, 10) for handling said body (4) along at least a direction of moving close to/away from (22) said reference surface (S);

air suction means (11) comprising at least a suction mouth (13) associated with said body (4) to form a suction stream substantially along the entire surrounding edge of said opening (6), according to a preset suctionable air flow;

command and control means (20) operatively connected to said handling means (9, 10) to control the movement of said body (4) along said direction of moving close/away (22);

sensor means (21) associated with said body (4) to detect the distance of the surrounding edge of said opening (6) from said reference surface (S) and operatively connected to said command and control means (20), the latter being programmed to adjust the distance of the surrounding edge of said opening (6) from said reference surface (S) so as to keep the difference between the flow rate of air entering into the area between the surrounding edge of said opening (6) and said reference surface (S) and said preset suctionable air flow below a preset value.

22. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said command and control means (20) are programmed to make the flow rate of the air entering into the area between the surrounding edge of said opening (6) and said reference surface (S) substantially the same as said preset suctionable air flow.

23. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said command and control means (20) comprise at least an electronic unit and at least a memory which can be preset with at least a value of the suctionable air flow by means of said suction means, said electronic unit being suitable for reading said predefined value of the suctionable air flow from said memory, for calculating said inlet air flow rate, for comparing said preset suctionable air flow with said calculated inlet air flow and for operating on said handling means (9, 10), for moving said body (4) along said direction of moving close/away (22) so as to make the difference between said calculated inlet air flow and said preset suctionable air flow lower than a preset value.

24. Apparatus (1) according to claim 23, wherein said memory comprises at least two preset values of the air flow suctionable by said suction means and that said command and control means (20) comprise interface means operatively connected to said electronic unit and usable to select manually one of said preset values.

25. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said command and control means (20) are operatively connected to said suction means (11) to adjust the suctionable air flow depending on said selected preset value.

26. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said suction mouth (13) is arranged substantially along the entire surrounding edge of said opening (6).

27. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said supporting body (4) is substantially parallelepiped-shaped and that said opening (6) is defined on at least one of the walls (4a) of said supporting body (4).

28. Apparatus (1) according to claim 27, wherein said suction mouth (13) is arranged in correspondence to at least a section of the surrounding edge of each of the walls (4a) of said body (4) which delimit said opening (6).

29. Apparatus (1) according to claim 28, wherein said suction mouth (13) extends substantially along the entire surrounding edge of each of the walls (4a) of said body (4) which delimit said opening (6).

30. Apparatus (1) according to claim 29, characterized by the fact that said suction mouth (13) extends substantially along the entire surrounding edge of said opening (6) without interruption.

31. Apparatus (1) according to claim 27, wherein said suction mouth (13) is defined in correspondence to the thickness of said walls (4a).

32. Apparatus (1) according to claim 27, wherein said suction means (11) comprise at least a suction duct (12) communicating with said suction mouth (13) and associated with at least one of the walls (4a) of said supporting body (4) adjacent to the wall on which said opening (6) is defined.

33. Apparatus (1) according to claim 27, wherein each of said walls (4a) has inside it an interspace (19) communicating with said suction mouth (13), where said interspace (19) defines at least in part a relative suction duct (12).

34. Apparatus (1) according to claim 32, wherein said suction means (11) comprise a plurality of said suction ducts (12) associated with each of the walls (4a) of said supporting body (4) adjacent to said opening (6).

35. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said sensor means (21) are associated with said body (4) in correspondence to the surrounding edge delimiting said opening (6).

36. Apparatus (1) according to claim 34, wherein said sensor means (21) are associated with said walls (4a) in correspondence to an area separate from said suction mouths (13).

37. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein said command and control means (20) are operatively connected to said dispensing means (3) and to said suction means (11) and are suitable for keeping the ratio between the flow rate of paint dispensed by said dispensing means (3) and said preset air flow within a predefined interval.

38. Apparatus (1) according to claim 21, wherein it comprises means for detecting the temperature and/or humidity inside said chamber (5) and heating means (23) arranged inside said chamber (5) and which can be started to modify the detected temperature and/or humidity.

39. Apparatus (1) according to claim 38, wherein said command and control means (20) are operatively connected in inlet to said heating means (23) and in outlet to said detection means, said command and control means (20) being programmed to modify the temperature of said heating means (23) so as to make the difference between said detected value of temperature and/or humidity and said reference value of temperature and/or humidity lower than a predefined value.

40. Procedure for the painting of hulls of boats or the like, by means of an apparatus comprising:

at least an anthropomorphic robot (2) having dispensing means (3) of the paint;

at least a supporting body (4) which defines a chamber (5) for containing said robot (2) and which comprises at least an opening (6) suitable for allowing the application of the paint on a reference surface (S), said dispensing means (3) being mobile inside said chamber (5) with at least three degrees of freedom;

air suction means (11) comprising at least a suction mouth (13) associated with said body (4) to form a suction stream substantially along the entire surrounding edge of said opening (6);

wherein said method comprises the following stages of;

setting at least a value of suctionable air flow by means of said suction means (11);

detecting the distance of the surrounding edge which delimits said opening (6) from the reference surface (S);

calculating the air flow entering through the area placed between the surrounding edge of said opening (6) and said reference surface (S);

comparing said calculated inlet air flow with said preset suctionable air flow;

adjusting the position of said body (4) with respect to the reference surface (S) so that the difference between said calculated inlet air flow and said preset suctionable air flow is lower than a preset value.