Device and methods for modifying surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10518291-B2
Application number	US-201514968248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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 (“ΔL S value”) 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 ΔL 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.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bush Stephan Gary
• De Castro Ted
• Gruenbacher Dana Paul
• Morand Kenneth Lee
• Rabe Thomas Elliot
• Sherman Faiz Feisal
• Wernicke Todd Michael

Classifications

• B05B12/12

  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 title

• H04N1/628

  Memory colours, e.g. skin or sky · CPC title

• B05D5/005 Primary

  Repairing damaged coatings · CPC title

• B05B12/04

  for sequential operation or multiple outlets · CPC title