Electrostatic spraying system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507477-B2
Application number	US-201515320427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A lubricant dispensing system having particular utility for applying a tightly controlled thin line of lubricant about the perimeter of cans as they are processed. The lubricant dispensing system includes an electrostatic spray head having a nozzle body that defines a lubricant receiving chamber for electrically charging lubricant therein and a capillary tube supported by the nozzle body having an inlet end communicating with the lubricant receiving chamber and an outlet that defines a discharge orifice of the electrostatic spray head. The capillary tube has a diameter between about 0.2 and 0.3 inches for directing electrostatically charged lubricant onto an item to be lubricated in a controlled thin line having a width no greater than 0.125 inches. The electrode is adjustably positionable relative to the capillary tube for selectively controlling the rate of discharging lubricant, and the electrode is configured for enhancing electrostatic charging of lubricant through the capillary tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lubricant dispensing system comprising:
a lubricant supply;
an electrostatic spray head for receiving lubricant from said lubricant supply;
said spray head including a nozzle body that defines a lubricant receiving chamber;
an electrode assembly including an electrode mounted in said nozzle body and connected to a high voltage source for electrostatically charging lubricant directed into said lubricant receiving chamber;
a capillary tube supported by said nozzle body;
said capillary tube having an inlet end communicating with said lubricant receiving chamber and an outlet end that defines a discharge orifice of said electrostatic spray head;
said capillary tube having an internal diameter between 0.020 and 0.032 inches for directing electrostatically charged lubricant from said spray head in the form of a single stream of electrostatically charged droplets in aligned relation for application onto an item to be lubricated in a controlled line having a width no greater than 0.125 inches;
said electrode being supported within said nozzle body for adjustable positioning relative to said nozzle body;
said capillary tube being supported within an upstanding support post of said nozzle body, said support post defining an entry passage communicating between said lubricant receiving chamber and said capillary tube; and
said electrode having terminal end including a conical downstream end selectively positionable relative to an upstream end of said support post for controlling the lubricant flow rate through said entry passage to said capillary tube in relation to the adjusted position of the electrode.

2. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 1 in which said lubricant supply includes a heated reservoir for heating the lubricant, a lubricant supply line communicating between said heated reservoir and said nozzle body for directing heated lubricant to said lubricant receiving chamber, and a lubricant return line for recirculating lubricant from said lubricant receiving chamber to said heated reservoir.

3. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 1 in which said capillary tube is supported within the support post of the nozzle body, said support post having a conically shaped entry section communicating with said inlet end of said capillary tube, and said electrode having the conical downstream end positioned in adjacent relation to the conically shaped entry section of said support post for precisely controlling the flow of lubricant to said capillary tube.

4. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 3 in which said terminal end of said electrode is pointed and positionable within the entry section of said support post.

5. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 1 in which said electrode is threadably supported within said nozzle body and is adjustably positionable in response to rotation of the electrode.

6. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 1 in which said capillary tube is mounted within said support post with an upstream end in recessed relation to the upstream end of said support post.

7. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 6 in which the upstream end of said support post defines a frustoconical lubricant inlet tapered complimentary to the conical downstream end of the electrode.

8. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 1 the conical downstream end of said electrode has a pointed end for enhancing electron transfer of lubricant entry to said entry passage.

9. A lubricant dispensing system comprising:
a lubricant supply;
an electrostatic spray head for receiving lubricant from said lubricant supply;
said spray head including a nozzle body that defines a lubricant receiving chamber;
an electrode assembly including an electrode mounted in said nozzle body and connected to a high voltage source for electrostatically charging lubricant directed into said lubricant receiving chamber;
a capillary tube supported by said nozzle body;
said capillary tube having an inlet end communicating with said lubricant receiving chamber and an outlet end that defines a discharge orifice of said electrostatic spray head;
said capillary tube being sized for directing electrostatically charged lubricant from said spray head in the form of electrostatically charged droplets for application onto an item to be lubricated in a controlled line;
said electrode being mounted in said nozzle body for adjustable positioning relative to said nozzle body;
said electrode having a terminal end that is positionable in predetermined spaced relation to the inlet end of said capillary tube for controlling the flow rate of lubricant through said capillary tube as an incident to the adjusted position of the electrode;
said capillary tube being supported within an upstanding support post of said nozzle body, said support post defining an entry passage communicating between said lubricant receiving chamber and said capillary tube; and
said electrode terminal end including a conical downstream end selectively positionable relative to an upstream end of said support post for controlling the lubricant flow rate through said entry passage to said capillary tube in relation to the adjusted position of the electrode.

10. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 9 in which the upstream end of said support post defines a frustoconical lubricant inlet tapered complimentary to the conical downstream end of the electrode.

11. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 10 in which the conical downstream end of said electrode has a pointed end for enhancing electron transfer of lubricant directed into said entry passage.

12. The lubricant dispensing system of claim 9 in which said capillary tube has an internal diameter between 0.020 and 0.032 inches for directing electrostatically charged lubricant from said spray head in the form of a single stream of electrostatically charged droplets in aligned relation for application onto the item to be lubricated in the controlled line having a width no greater than 0.125 inches.

13. A can processing system comprising:
a processing operation for conveying and rotating cans as they are processed;
a lubricant dispenser for directing a line of lubricant adjacent an end of the cans as they are processed;
said lubricant dispenser including a lubricant supply;
said lubricant dispenser including a nozzle body that defines a lubricant receiving chamber;
an electrode assembly including an electrode mounted in said nozzle body and connected to a high voltage source for electrostatically charging lubricant directed into said lubricant receiving chamber;
a capillary tube supported by said nozzle body;
said capillary tube having an inlet end communicating with said lubricant receiving chamber and an outlet end that defines a discharge orifice of said electrostatic lubricant dispenser; and
said capillary tube being sized for directing electrostatically charged droplets from said lubricant dispenser that form a controlled line about the cans of a width no greater than 0.125 inches;
said capillary tube being supported within an upstanding support post of said nozzle body, said support post defining an entry passage communicating between said lubricant receiving chamber and said capillary tube; and
said electrode having a terminal end including a conical downstream end selectively positionable relative to an upstream end of said support post for controlling the lubricant flow rate through said entry passage to said capillary tube in relation to the adjusted position of the electrode.

14. The can processing system of claim 13 in which said capillary tube has an internal diameter of between

Assignees

• Spraying Systems Co

Inventors

• Ackerman Thomas E
• Huffman David C
• St Peter Glenn R

Classifications

• B05B15/58

  preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage by recirculating the fluid to be sprayed from upstream of the discharge opening back to the supplying means {(B05B1/3093 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05B5/001

  incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed · CPC title

• B05B1/02

  designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, {or having an outlet of particular shape}(B05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B1/304

  the controlling element being a lift valve · CPC title

• F16N7/06 Primary

  Arrangements in which the droplets are visible · CPC title