DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TREATING THE SURFACES OF MOULDED PARTS

• US 20170246652A1
• Filed: 02/27/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyemansion GMBH
• Original Assignee: Dyemansion GMBH
• Inventors: EWALD, Felix, KRAMER, Philipp
• Granted Patent: US 10,639,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 19/04 the particulate material being projected, poured or allowed to flow onto the surface of the work B05C19/02 takes precedence; involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B B05C19/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/005 incorporating means for heating or cooling the liquid or other fluent material B05C11/1042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/04 with special provision for agitating the work or the liquid or other fluent material
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 3/109 Passing liquids or other fluent materials into or through chambers containing stationary articles
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/18 performed by dipping
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

A device and method is provided for treating surfaces, in particular for colouring moulded parts, said device comprising a container for receiving moulded parts and a first cover. The container can be closed, preferably, by using the first cover. A system is also provided for introducing liquid and/or powdery surface treatment agents into an inner chamber of the closed container. The system comprises a capsule in which the surface treatment agents which are to be introduced are accommodated.

Claims

1. A device (V) for surface treatment, in particular, for dying of molded parts, comprising

a container (25) for receiving a number of molded parts to be treated,

a first cover (15), wherein the container (25) is closable with the first cover (15), preferably, in a pressure-, fluid-, and/or air-tight manner, and

an arrangement for introducing liquid and/or pulverized surface treatment agents into an inner space (26) of the closed container (25), wherein

the arrangement comprises a capsule (5) and an application means,

the surface treatments agents to be introduced are received within the capsule (5), and

the application means can be coupled to the capsule (5), in order to apply a gas and/or fluid (41) to at least one chamber (5c) formed in the capsule (5), in order to bring the surface treatment agent received in the capsule into the inner space (26) of the container (25).

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement further comprises a capsule mount (20) for receiving the capsule (5), wherein the capsule mount (20) comprises at least one opening (16), through which the surface treatment agents to be introduced pass from the capsule (5) into the inner space (26) of the container (25).

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the capsule (5) can be arranged in the inner space (26) of the container (25).

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the application means comprises at least one supply line (6), in order to supply the gas and/or fluid (41) to the at least one chamber (5c) of the capsule (5), wherein the supply line (6) is guided through the wall of the container (25) or through the first cover (15) into the inner space (26) of the container.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein

the inner-sided end of the supply line (6) is configured as a nozzle (17), or

at least one nozzle (17) is arranged within the inner space (26) of the container (25), wherein the nozzle is or may be coupled to the supply line (6),

wherein the nozzle is adapted to penetrate through or pierce a wall of the capsule (5), if the capsule is pressed against the nozzle.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the inner-space-sided end of the supply line (6) may be coupled to inlet openings (5b) of the capsule (5).

7. The device according to claim 3, wherein the capsule mount (20) is formed in the first cover (15).

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a second cover (4) is assigned to the capsule mount (20), by means of which the capsule mount (20) is closable and/or by means of which the capsule (5) arranged within the capsule mount (20) is pressed against the opening (16), whereby outlet openings (5a) of the capsule (5) are facing the opening (16), wherein

the second cover (4) closes the capsule mount (20) in a pressure-, fluid-, and/or air-tight manner, and/or

the capsule (5) pressed against the opening (16) closes the opening in a pressure-, fluid-, and/or air-tight manner.

9. The device according to claim 3, wherein the capsule mount (20) is configured as capsule container with the at least one opening (16), preferably, as lattice box.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a basket (30) for receiving the molded parts which is introducible into and removable from the inner space (26) of the container (25).

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the capsule mount (20) is arranged at the basket (30), preferably, at the bottom of the basket, especially preferable at least partially at the bottom-sided external side of the basket, and wherein the basket (5) may be arranged at the capsule mount (20) such that it may be advanced towards the application means during introducing of the basket into the container (25), and/or is pressed against the application means, in particular, against the nozzles (17).

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the capsule (5) is configured such that pressing against the nozzles (17) effects a penetration or a piercing of the wall of the capsule (5).

13. The device according to claim 12, wherein the pressing of the capsule (5) against the nozzles (17) is effected by the first cover (15), if the cover is closed.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the application means comprises a compressor (7), which may be coupled to the capsule (5), preferably via the at least one supply line (6), in order to introduce the gas and/or the fluid under a pressure into the inner space of the capsule (5), which is greater than the internal pressure of the container (25).

15. The device according to claim 8, wherein the second cover (4) comprises a number of pneumatic coupling links, which, on the one hand, may be coupled via the supply lines (6) to the compressor (7), and on the other hand, to the inlet openings (5b) of the capsule (5).

16. The device according to claim 5, wherein at least one nozzle (17) is configured so as to be movable in axial direction, preferably, until the nozzle effects a piercing of the wall of the capsule (5).

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises

a fluid supply (9), via which a fluid, in particular, water is introducible into the inner space (26), wherein a stop valve is assigned to the fluid supply (9), and/or

means for applying a negative pressure and/or an overpressure to the inner space (26).

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises a drain (10), in order to empty the inner space (26), preferably, by means of a negative pressure suction means which may be coupled to the drain (10).

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein a heating and/or cooling means (12), preferably, a heating or cooling sleeve, is assigned to the container (25) for heating and/or cooling the inner space (26).

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device comprises an agitator (11), in particular, a magnetic agitator, an oblique blade agitator, or a rod agitator.

21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the application means is adapted to apply the gas and/or fluid to a number of chambers (5c) formed in the capsule (5) separately and independently of each other.

22. A capsule (5), in particular, for use in a device (V) for surface treatment according claim 1, wherein

the capsule comprises a substantially pressure resistant and fluid-tight housing (5d),

at least one chamber (5c) is formed in the interior of the housing (5d) for receiving a liquid and/or pulverized surface treatment agent,

at least one outlet opening (5a) is formed or may be formed in the wall of the housing (5), wherein the surface treatment agent may escape through the outlet opening, and

a fluid and/or gas (41) may be applied to the at least one chamber (5c) of the capsule (5), in order to effect the escaping of the surface treatment agent through the outlet opening (5a).

23. The capsule according to claim 22, wherein at least one inlet opening (5b) is formed or may be formed in the wall of the housing (5d), wherein the fluid and/or gas (41) may be applied to the at least one chamber (5c) of the capsule (5).

24. The capsule according to claim 22, wherein at least two, preferably, at least three chambers (5c) are formed within the interior of the housing (5d), wherein each chamber receives a liquid and/or pulverized surface treatment agent, wherein at least one inlet opening (5b) and at least one outlet opening (5a) is assigned to each chamber, wherein the fluid and/or gas may be applied to the chambers independently of each other, and wherein the surface treatment agent may escape from each one of the chambers independently of each other.

25. The capsule according to claim 22, wherein chamber walls (5e) are provided in the housing (5d), which separate the chambers (5c) from each other fluid- and air-tightly, wherein the chamber walls (5e) preferably consist of a stable material.

26. The capsule according to claim 23, wherein the outlet opening (5a) acts as inlet opening (5b).

27. The capsule according to claim 22, wherein the outlet openings (5a) respectively comprise a locking means (5f) being adapted to open the outlet openings for an escaping of the surface treatment agent, as soon as the pressure in the respective chamber exceeds a predetermined value.

28. The capsule according to claim 22, wherein at least one portion of the wall of the housing (5d) is formed as opening or piercing area (5g), wherein the outlet opening (5a) and/or the inlet opening (5b) may be formed in the opening or piercing area (5g).

29. The capsule according to claim 28, wherein the opening or piercing area (5g) is formed with a thinner wall than the remaining wall of the housing (5d).

30. The capsule according to claim 28, wherein at least one predetermined breaking point (5f) is provided in the opening or piercing area (5g).

31. The capsule according to claim 22, wherein a barcode, QR code, an RFID tag, or an NFC tag is arranged at the housing (5d) comprising or storing information on which surface treatment agent is present in which one of the chambers (5c) of the capsule (5), and which parameters are to be set for the surface treatment.

32. A method for surface treatment, in particular, for dying of molded parts, by means of a capsule (5) according to claim 22, wherein the capsule comprises at least one chamber (5c), wherein a surface treatment agent is received in the at least one chamber, wherein the molded parts are put into the container (25) of the device (V), and wherein the method comprises the following steps, after the capsule has been put into an operational state

(a) filling of the container (25) with a liquid substrate, preferably, water,

(b) applying a gas and/or a fluid to a first chamber of the capsule (5) such that the surface treatment agent received in the first chamber escapes from the first chamber into the inner space (26).

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein, if the capsule (5) comprises more than one chamber (5c),

the step (b) or the steps (a) and (b) are repeated for each further chamber of the capsule (5), or

the step (b) is carried out substantially simultaneously for each chamber of the capsule (5).

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein after the step (b), after a predetermined time period has elapsed, the substrate-surface treatment agent-mixture is removed from the container (25).

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein prior to or after the application of the fluid and/or gas to the chamber of the capsule (5), the substrate or the substrate—

surface treatment agent—

mixture is heated, preferably, by means of the heating and/or cooling means (12) arranged in the container (25).

36. The method according to claim 32, wherein as a last step, the molded parts introduced into the container (25) are dried.

37. A use of a capsule (5) according to claim 22 for surface treatment, in particular, for dying of molded parts, which are introduced for surface treatment into the device (V) for surface treatment.