Process for dispensing liquid colorants into a paint can, and quality control therefor
First Claim
1. A method of formulating paint by dispensing paint ingredients into a paint can, in an apparatus comprising a first tint-dispensing station storing various liquid colorants for dispensing thereat, and a second base-dispensing station storing liquid base for dispensing thereat, said method comprising:
- (a) conveying a paint can to a first tint-dispensing station;
(b) dispensing a prewetting amount of liquid base at the first tint-dispensing station;
(c) after said (b) step, dispensing liquid colorants, one at a time, at said first tint-dispensing station making up the formula of the color of the paint for the paint can;
(d) after said step (c), conveying the partially-filled paint can to a second base-dispensing station;
(e) dispensing the remaining volume of liquid base of the particular formula for the respective paint can at the second base-dispensing station;
(f) thereafter, conveying the paint can from the second base-dispensing station.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated paint-batching system for producing paint cans of any size and color. The system includes a plurality of paint-batching cells, with each cell having a machine comprised of either one or two dispensing stations. When two dispensing stations are used, the two dispensing stations are: A first tint-station, where a small volumetric dispensing of the base, water-base or oil-base, of the paint is dispensed, in order to wet the bottom of the can, at the first station, thereafter, is dispensed all of the liquid colorants making up the formula of the paint can, and a second base-dispensing station at which the remainder of the base of the formula of the paint is dispensed. Each of the first and second stations of the paint-batching machine of the invention has operatively associated therewith a weighing platform upon which rests the paint can during the dispensing at the respective station used in quality-control weighing of each dispensing. When only one dispensing station is used, all of the above-steps are performed at the one station. Each paint can has attached to it a bar-code label which represents a relocatable memory-address of the computer which stores the color-formula for that can and other information. The computer operating system controls the guidance of the particular paint can along its conveyance, so that the paint can is designated to one of a plurality of paint-batching cells of the system of the invention, with the bar-code of the paint can being read at a plurality of stations along the entire manufacturing process.
150 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method of formulating paint by dispensing paint ingredients into a paint can, in an apparatus comprising a first tint-dispensing station storing various liquid colorants for dispensing thereat, and a second base-dispensing station storing liquid base for dispensing thereat, said method comprising:
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(a) conveying a paint can to a first tint-dispensing station; (b) dispensing a prewetting amount of liquid base at the first tint-dispensing station; (c) after said (b) step, dispensing liquid colorants, one at a time, at said first tint-dispensing station making up the formula of the color of the paint for the paint can; (d) after said step (c), conveying the partially-filled paint can to a second base-dispensing station; (e) dispensing the remaining volume of liquid base of the particular formula for the respective paint can at the second base-dispensing station; (f) thereafter, conveying the paint can from the second base-dispensing station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification