Electrostatic powder spray gun

• US 6,276,618 B1
• Filed: 05/07/1998
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Parkerizing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nihon Parkerizing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yanagida, Kenzo, Yamamoto, Masahiro, Kumata, Mitsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US09/073,984
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 239/704, 239/706, 239/702, 239/705, 239/290, 239/291, 239/690, 239/693, 239/697
• US Class Current: 239/693
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/18 using fluids, e.g. gas streams
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/032 for spraying particulate materials
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/10 producing a swirling discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 239/19 Nozzle materials

Abstract

In an electrostatic powder spray gun, a cylindrical air curtain is formed toward the front side of a gun main body by supplying compressed air to an air chamber formed between the outer peripheral surface of a cover member and an outer cylinder so as to eject the air from an air blowing opening. Owing to the air curtain, powder particles move toward an object to be coated without the risk of scattering to an ion trap electrode.

Claims

1. An electrostatic powder spray gun for electrostatically coating charged powder particles onto a surface of an electrically-grounded object to be coated, said spray gun comprising:

a gun main body from which powder particles are sprayed and for charging the powder particles;

an air curtain forming device for forming an air curtain by ejecting air along an outer surface of said gun main body in a direction toward a front side thereof, thereby to prevent the powder particles from scattering; and

a free ion trap device for trapping free ions, said free ion trap device including a ring member at an outer peripheral portion of said gun main body, a plurality of ion trap supporting members projecting from said ring member toward said front side of said gun main body, and a plurality of electrically-grounded pin-shaped ion trap electrodes fixed to respective said supporting members;

wherein said gun main body includes an inner cylinder having therethrough a powder flow path, a cylindrical cover member covering an outer peripheral portion of said inner cylinder, a conically-shaped diffuser at a front side of said powder flow path, and a ring-shaped nozzle opening at an outer peripheral portion of said diffuser; and

wherein said diffuser includes a front cover composed of porous material and forming a front end surface of said diffuser, and a first air chamber at a rear side of said front cover, compressed air supplied to said first air chamber being ejected through said front cover to a front side thereof.

2. A spray gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said air curtain forming device includes an outer cylinder covering said gun main body and defining an air chamber around an outer surface thereof, and a ring-shaped blowing opening between said outer surface of said gun main body and a front end portion of said outer cylinder.

3. A spray gun as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pin-shaped electrodes at a front end portion of said diffuser.

4. A spray gun as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a ring-shaped cover at a front of said cylindrical cover member, said ring-shaped cover being composed of porous material, and a cylindrical second air chamber between said cylindrical cover member and said outer peripheral portion of said inner cylinder, compressed air supplied to said second air chamber being ejected through said ring-shaped cover to said front side of said gun main body.

5. A spray gun as claimed in claim 1, further comrising a vortex flow forming structure for forming a vortex air flow with conveying air supplied to said powder flow path of said inner cylinder.

6. A spray gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said ion trap supporting member has therethrough a respective air flow path, compressed air being ejected through each said air flow path from a periphery of the respective said electrode.

7. A spray gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said electrode extends from a tip of a respective said supporting member.