WO2016071837A1

WO2016071837A1 - Painting gun

Info

Publication number: WO2016071837A1
Application number: PCT/IB2015/058492
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roberto TUGNOLI
Original assignee: Ghelco S.R.L.
Priority date: 2014-11-04
Filing date: 2015-11-03
Publication date: 2016-05-12
Also published as: ITTO20140135U1; EP3215373A1; CN107073495A

Abstract

Spray painting device, comprising a grip part (10) and a spray head (20) mounted on the grip part (10), in which the spray head (20) comprises, on one side, a spray nozzle (21), and, on other sides, an air connector (23) for connection to a compressed air supply (AS) and at least one paint connector (25) for connection to a paint supply (PS). The spray head (20) is positioned visibly on the grip part (10). On the spray head (20), on the side of the spray nozzle (21), there is mounted a retaining member (30) adapted to retain an object to be painted (OP) and/or a mask (60).

Description

Painting gun

The present invention relates in a general way to paint spray guns.

There are known spray guns having a micro-nozzle, used in systems for painting objects.

These spray guns are made of extremely strong plastic material and are light and ergo- nomically shaped to facilitate their use by the operator.

The methods of micro-painting have been developed for decorating small objects and for producing relatively precise decorative patterns; the positioning of the spray nozzle, relative to the object to be painted and/or the mask, must therefore be as correct and stable as possible.

One object of the invention is therefore to provide a spray painting device which can be used to position the object to be painted and/or masked with respect to the spray nozzle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spray painting device which is easy to clean and maintain.

In view of these objects, the invention proposes a spray painting device comprising a grip part and a spray head mounted on the grip part, in which the spray head comprises, on one side, a spray nozzle, and, on other sides, an air connector for connection to a compressed air supply and at least one paint connector for connection to a paint supply, in which the spray head is exposedly positioned on the grip part, and in which a retaining member, for retaining an object to be painted and/or a mask, is mounted on the spray head, on the same side as the spray nozzle.

Specific embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the content of which is to be considered as an integral part of the present description.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the spray painting device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is another perspective view of the device of Figure 1 ;

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the device of Figure 1 ; and

Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of the device of Figure 1 in use.

With reference to the figures, these show a spray painting device, essentially comprising a grip part 10 and a spray head 20 exposedly mounted on the grip part 10.

The spray painting device is connected for operation to a painting system (not shown) of a conventional type, essentially comprising an electronic control unit with a control panel, electrical connections, reservoirs for paint and cleaning fluids, and hydraulic circuits for feeding paints and fluids to the device, together with a pneumatic connection for supplying compressed air from a compressed air source to the device. However, the specific configuration of the painting system is not the subject of the present invention.

The grip part 10 essentially comprises a casing 11 of plastic material formed by two half- shells 11a, l ib assembled together; this casing 1 1 is ergonomically shaped .to enable a user to grasp the grip part 10 with his hand.

A control push button 12 for actuating the device is conventionally placed on the control part 10. Conventional mechanisms and/or control circuits (not shown) are also provided inside the casing 11, for converting the pressure of the push button 12 to an actuation of the device. As an alternative to the push button or in combination therewith, it is possible to provide other control members such as pedals, connected for operation to the painting device for its actuation.

The spray head 20 is a device of a conventional type, and comprises, on one side, a spray nozzle 21, and, on other sides, an air connector 23 for connection to a compressed air supply AS and at least one paint connector 25 for connection to a paint supply PS. In the illus- trated example, the painting device in question is connectable to a paint supply (for supplying water- or ethanol-based paint, for example), and is also provided with a cleaning connector 27 for connection to a cleaning liquid supply CL (for example demineralized water or ethyl alcohol). These supplies can be selected by means of a control, in particular a switching valve (not shown) positioned on the painting system and connected for operation to the painting device.

According to an embodiment which is not shown, there may be a plurality of paint connectors for connection to paint supplies of different colours; these supplies may be selectable by means of a control positioned on the device or in another part of the painting system connected for operation to the painting device.

A screw adjustment device 29 is also positioned on the spray head 20 to control the amount of paint supplied. This control may take the form of coarse adjustment, associated with a fine adjustment system, particularly a potentiometer adjustment system, provided on the control unit of the painting system.

The lines for supplying the compressed air, the paint and the cleaning fluid to the spray head 20 are guided through the casing 11 of the grip part 10, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The spray head 20 is mounted on the grip part 10 so as to be exposed; this positioning facilitates the maintenance and cleaning of the spray head 20, and in particular the spray nozzle 21. In the illustrated example, the two half-shells 11a, l ib of the casing 11 have upper ends 11c, l id coupled to the spray head 20 to retain it on opposite sides, in the form of a fork, leaving a front part and an upper part of the spray head 20 exposed.

On the spray head 20, on the side of the spray nozzle 21, there is mounted a retaining member 30 adapted to retain an object to be painted and/or a mask (see Figures 4 and 5). In the illustrated example, the retaining member 30 is fixed to the upper ends l id, l id of the casing 11 of the grip part 10.

In particular, the retaining member 30 comprises a pair of clamp-like retaining elements 31a, 31b projecting forwards from the spray head 20 and positioned in front of the spray nozzle 21. These clamp-like retaining elements 31a, 31b are formed by respective strips elastically biased towards one another. In Figures 1 to 4, these strips are shown in a rest position.

Preferably, the retaining member 30 is provided with a positioning slider 40 adapted to receive the object to be painted and/or the mask, and positioned so as to be adjustable in respect of its distance from the spray nozzle. In the illustrated example, the positioning slider 40 comprises a pair of stops 41a, 41b, each of which is inserted into a guide slot 43a, 43b formed on the respective clamp-like retaining element 31a, 31b. In particular, each stop 41a, 41b is formed by a screw inserted so as to pass through the respective slot 43a, 43b, and having a head, in particular a head with a slotted recess, for receiving the object to be painted and/or the mask, and by a bolt designed to interact with the head of the screw to hold the stop 41a, 41b releasably on the respective clamp-like retaining element 31a, 31b.

Figures 5 and 6 also show an accessory which can be used with the painting device according to the invention. This accessory comprises a support plate 60 retained by the retaining member 30. In particular, opposite lateral edges of the support plate 60 are inserted, respectively, into the slotted recesses of the heads of the screws of the two stops 41a, 41b. The support plate 60 is inserted between the clamp-like retaining elements 31a, 31b which are then spread apart elastically from their rest position shown in Figures 1 to 4. The elastic force exerted by the retaining elements 31a, 31b therefore stably retains the support plate 60.

The support plate 60 has a seat 61 adapted to receive the object to be painted OP, and a pattern of through holes 63 (visible in Figure 5) which define a mask for the application of the paint to the object OP.

Claims

1. Spray painting device, comprising a grip part (10) and a spray head (20) mounted on the grip part (10), in which the spray head (20) comprises, on one side, a spray nozzle (21), and, on other sides, an air connector (23) for connection to a compressed air supply (AS) and at least one paint connector (25) for connection to a paint supply (PS), characterized in that the spray head (20) is exposedly positioned on the grip part (10), and in that a retaining member (30), for retaining an object to be painted (OP) and/or a mask (60), is mounted on the spray head (20), on the same side as the spray nozzle (21).

2. Device according to Claim 1, wherein the spray head (20) further comprises a cleaning connector (27) for connection to a supply of cleaning fluid (CL).

3. Device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the retaining member (30) comprises a pair of clamp-like retaining elements (31a, 31b) projecting forwards from the spray head (20) and positioned in front of the spray nozzle (21).

4. Device according to Claim 3, wherein said clamp-like retaining elements are elasti- cally biased towards one another.

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the retaining member (30) is provided with a positioning slider (40) adapted to receive the object to be painted (OP) and/or the mask (60), and positioned so as to be adjustable in respect of its distance from the spray nozzle (21).

6. Device according to Claims 3 and 5, wherein the positioning slider (40) comprises a pair of stops (41a, 41b), each of which is inserted into a guide slot (43a, 43b) formed on the respective clamp-like retaining element (31a, 31b).

7. Device according to Claim 6, wherein each stop (41a, 41b) is formed by a screw inserted so as to pass through the respective guide slot (43a, 43b), and having a head adapted to receive the object to be painted (OP) and/or the mask (60), and by a bolt designed to in- teract with the head of the screw to hold the stop (41a, 41 b) releasably on the respective clamp-like retaining element (31a, 3.1 b).

8. Device according to Claim 7, wherein the screw of each stop (41a, 41b) has a head with a slotted recess.

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a support plate (60) retained by the retaining member (30), said support plate having a seat (61) adapted to receive the object to be painted (OP), and a pattern of through holes (63) which define the mask.

1 1. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the grip part (10) comprises a casing (1 1) of plastic material, formed by two half-shells (1. la, 11 b) assembled together, and wherein said half- shells have upper ends (11c, l id) coupled, to the spray head (20) to retain it on opposite sides, in the form of a fork, leaving a front part and an upper pail of the spray head (20) exposed .