System and method of pointillist painting

• US 8,789,490 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SSO Venture Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: SSO Venture Partners, LLC
• Inventors: Randall, John Neal, Page, Kenneth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TADESSE, YEWEBDAR T
• Application Number:
  US13/354,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20130189434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 118/300, 118/58, 118/62, 118/63, 118/305, 118/410, 345/419, 222/386
• US Class Current: 118/62
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1002 Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1034 specially designed for conducting intermittent application of small quantities, e.g. drops, of coating material B05C5/0225, B05C11/1026 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1036 Means for supplying a selected one of a plurality of liquids or other fluent materials, or several in selected proportions, to the applying apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0216 by relative movement of article and outlet according to a predetermined path
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/022 the outlet being fixed during operation
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0225 characterised by flow controlling means, e.g. valves, located proximate the outlet B05C5/0258, B05C5/0275 take precedence; supply valves upstream the coating head B05C11/1036
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 9/12 the auxiliary operation being performed after the application B05C9/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/26 performed by applying the liquid or other fluent material from an outlet device in contact with, or almost in contact with, the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/36 Successively applying liquids or other fluent materials, e.g. without intermediate treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/0406 the gas being air
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/06 to obtain multicolour or other optical effects B05D5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/061 Special surface effect
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/50 Multilayers
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/00 Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns printing apparatus or machines of special type or for particular purposes B41F17/00; special designs or pictures per se B44F; manufacturing printed circuits using printing techniques H05K3/12 ; manufacturing organic semiconductor devices using printing techniques H10K71/13
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/008 Sequential or multiple printing, e.g. on previously printed background; Mirror printing; Recto-verso printing; using a combination of different printing techniques; Printing of patterns visible in reflection and by transparency; by superposing printed artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/06 Veined printings; Fluorescent printings; Stereoscopic images; Imitated patterns, e.g. tissues, textiles
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0023 Digital printing methods characterised by the inks used inks per se C09D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B44B 2700/00 : Machines, apparatus, tools or accessories for artistic work
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 2/00 : Special techniques in artistic painting or drawing, e.g. oil painting, water painting, pastel painting, relief painting
• CPC Class Codes: B44D 2/005 : Relief painting imitating brush strokes B44F11/02
• CPC Class Codes: B44F 1/08 : characterised by colour effects
• CPC Class Codes: B44F 11/02 : Imitation of pictures, e.g. oil paintings
• CPC Class Codes: B44F 7/00 : Designs imitating three-dimensional effects

Abstract

A system of pointillist painting comprises an automated 3-D positioning system disposed proximate a painting surface, a colorant dispenser coupled to the gantry structure and having a dispensing tip in fluid communication with a colorant chamber, the gantry structure operable to move the colorant dispensing tip to a specified position of the painting surface, where the colorant dispenser is operable to apply a specified amount of a colorant to the painting surface and creating a dot having a two-dimensional coverage and three-dimensional profile at the specified position.

Claims

1. A system of pointillist painting, comprising:

an automated 3-D positioning system disposed proximate a painting surface;

a colorant dispenser coupled to a gantry structure and having a dispensing tip in fluid communication with a colorant chamber configured for storing a liquid colorant, the gantry structure operable to move the colorant dispensing tip to a specified position on the painting surface, where the colorant dispenser is operable to apply a specified controlled amount of a liquid colorant to the painting surface, the colorant dispenser adapted for depositing a colorant dot having a two-dimensional coverage and three-dimensional profile at the specified position on the painting surface, wherein the colorant dispenser further comprises;

a piston disposed in the colorant chamber; and

a push rod coupled to the piston operable to advance the piston toward the dispensing tip to exude the specified amount of liquid colorant onto the painting surface; and

an air nozzle coupled to the colorant dispensing tip operable to controllably direct at least one measured puff of pressurized air to modify at least one of the two-dimensional coverage and three-dimensional profile of the colorant dot already deposited on the painting surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the push rod is coupled to an actuator operable to advance the push rod in the colorant chamber.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gantry structure comprises:

an X-axis actuator operable to variably displace the colorant dispenser along an X-axis;

a Y-axis actuator operable to variably displace the colorant dispenser along a Y-axis; and

a Z-axis actuator operable to variably displace the colorant dispenser along a Z-axis.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air hose coupling the air nozzle to a pressurized air source.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a second air nozzle coupled to the colorant dispensing tip operable to controllably direct at least one measured puff of pressurized air in a different direction to further modify at least one of the two-dimensional coverage and three-dimensional profile of the colorant dot on the painting surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the push rod is detachably coupled to the piston disposed in the colorant chamber.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the colorant chamber, piston, and dispensing tip are configured to be releasably coupled to the gantry structure.