Device and methods for modifying surfaces

• US 10,518,291 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Bush, Stephan Gary, De Castro, Ted, Gruenbacher, Dana Paul, Morand, Kenneth Lee, Rabe, Thomas Elliot, Sherman, Faiz Feisal, Wernicke, Todd Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Juanita D
• Application Number:
  US14/968,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/04 for sequential operation or multiple outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/005 Repairing damaged coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/628 Memory colours, e.g. skin or sky

Abstract

A device and method for applying a material to a surface to repair, restore or refurbish at least a portion of the surface. The device has a sensor and one or more applicator nozzles. The device further includes a reservoir for containing a material to be deposited, and a CPU. The method includes providing information from the sensor about the surface to the CPU, which uses the information to identify where the material is to be deposited and/or how much to deposit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for applying a composition to a surface to repair, refurbish and/or restore the surface, the apparatus including:

a. an applicator head comprising a microfluidic die having one or more applicator nozzles;

b. a reservoir to hold the composition;

c. a sensor; and

d. a CPU;

wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least a portion of the surface and provide the CPU with information about the surface, and wherein the CPU analyzes the information from the sensor to identify surface deviations, and the CPU activates the one or more applicator nozzles based on the surface deviations, wherein the sensor is a color sensor and the sensor and the CPU is programmed to identify a predetermined change in lightness value (“

Δ

L_Svalue”

) of plus or minus 1.5% of the background lightness (“

background L”

).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor senses variations in color, brightness, reflectance, refractance temperature, surface height, texture, material composition, or combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic die includes a plurality of nozzles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microfluidic die includes a heating element or an electromechanical actuator.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined Δ

L_S value is greater than 3.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles to apply the composition to the surface where the surface deviations are located.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles to apply the composition to the surface where the surface deviations are not located.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles in a discontinuous deposition pattern.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles in a continuous deposition pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number and or frequency of nozzles fired can be adjusted by a user of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 where the one or more nozzles are disposed in an array that is a linear configuration, multiple rows, off-set, sine wave, curved, circular, or saw tooth arrangements.