Remote control for electrostatic sprayer elements

• US 5,660,334 A
• Filed: 01/13/1995
• Issued: 08/26/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Original Assignee: Clark Equipment Company (Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction Company Limited)
• Inventors: Heard, C. Ricky, Trusty, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US08/372,769
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 239/690, 239/691, 239/708, 239/148, 239/159, 239/172, 251/129.04, 137/412, 394/612, 394/618, 394/539, 394/500
• US Class Current: 239/691
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/00 Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/1616 and the arrangement comprising means for insulating a grounded material source from high voltage applied to the material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7368 Servo relay operation of control

Abstract

An electrostatic spray system has a high voltage section where an electric charge is applied to a liquid and the high voltage section is isolated from a lower potential section, such as a frame. The spray system has components on the high voltage section that communicate for operating functions with other components on the low voltage section, such as a liquid level sensor that controls flow into a liquid reservoir or valves on the high voltage section controlled from the low voltage section. Radio controls are provided for the components so there are no physical links for the operation of the components that can provide current leakage paths back to ground.

Claims

1. An electrostatic spray system for spraying electrostatically charged liquids comprising a high voltage section including a container for supplying conductive liquid, a source of a high voltage for electrostatically charging the conductive liquid, a valve manifold having at least one electrically operated valve thereon coupled to the container for controlling dispensing of electrostatically charged liquid under pressure at a location remote from the high voltage section, a low voltage support including a source of liquid for the container and a control for controlling liquid flow from the low voltage support to the high voltage section, wherein the improvement comprises a radio frequency transmitter on the low voltage support, and a radio frequency receiver on the high voltage section, said radio frequency receiver being coupled to operate the at least one valve and the radio frequency transmitter being on the low voltage support under operator control for transmitting selecting frequencies to the radio frequency receiver for operating the at least one valve to control dispensing of electrostatically charged liquid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency transmitter is a multiple frequency transmitter and the radio frequency receiver is a multiple frequency receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency transmitter is powered by a power supply mounted on the high voltage section.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a second radio frequency transmitter is mounted on the high voltage section and is powered from a power source on the high voltage section, said second radio frequency transmitter receiving input signals indicating the level of liquid in the container for the conductive liquid used in the electrostatic spray system and transmitting radio frequency signals to a second radio frequency receiver on the low voltage support, said second radio frequency receiver being coupled for controlling flow of liquid to the container.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the there is a source of flow of liquid mounted on the low voltage support, a flow control valve for controlling the flow of liquid into the container on the high voltage section, a sensor for sensing changes in levels of liquid in said container to provide the input signals to the second radio frequency transmitter, the second radio frequency receiver being coupled to control the valve to adjust the flow of liquid into the container as a function of the signals indicating level to maintain the liquid at a desired level.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the valve manifold has a plurality of electrically operated valves therein, each of said valves being operable in response to a different one of the multiple frequencies received by the multiple frequency receiver.