Thermo spray gun with removable nozzle tip and method making and using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11014112-B2
Application number	US-201214361958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2012
Priority date	Jan 27, 2012
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A thermo spray gun (10) includes at least one of; at least one removable nozzle tip (20) for spraying a coating material, at least one replaceable nozzle tip (20) for spraying a coating material, and at least one interchangeable nozzle tip (20) for spraying a coating material. A thermo spray gun system (1000) includes a thermal spray gun (10) and at least one mechanism (30/40) at least one of; storing at least one nozzle tip installable on the thermal spray gun and being structured and arranged to install at least one nozzle tip on the thermal spray gun. A method of coating a substrate (S) using a thermo spray gun (10) includes mounting at least one nozzle tip (20) on the thermo spray gun (10) and spraying a coating material with the at least one nozzle tip (20).

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A thermal spray gun comprising an internal cathode section, an internal anode section, an internal arc attachment zone, and an internal cooling channel, and at least one interchangeable nozzle tip for spraying a coating material and that is removable while the internal anode section remains in place inside the thermal spray gun,
wherein said nozzle tip has a connecting interface that extends inside the thermal spray gun and is installable via rotation in one direction and removable via rotation in an opposite direction, and
wherein said nozzle tip is spaced from the cooling channel so that said nozzle tip does not come into contact with coolant from the cooling channel,
wherein the nozzle tip comprises an engageable portion configured to be externally gripped while the cathode section and the anode section remain disposed inside the thermal spray gun and that, when installed, at least one of:
extends outside the thermal spray gun and is directly accessible from outside the thermal spray gun for removing, replacing and/or interchanging said nozzle tip by rotation of said nozzle tip and without manual disassembly of at least part of the thermal spray gun; and/or
is directly grippable from outside the thermal spray gun for removing, replacing and/or interchanging said nozzle tip by rotation of said nozzle tip and without manual disassembly of at least part of the thermal spray gun.

2. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle tip is mechanically coupled to the anode section of the thermal spray gun.

3. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle tip is electrically coupled to the anode section of the thermal spray gun.

4. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle tip is removable from the thermal spray gun by unthreading while the anode section remains coupled to the thermal spray gun.

5. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , wherein said nozzle tip includes the anode section of the thermal spray gun.

6. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , wherein the thermal spray gun is one of a plasma spray gun and an HVOF spray gun.

7. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , further comprising at least one feedstock supply line coupled to a portion of the thermal spray gun.

8. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , further comprising a robot, wherein the thermal spray gun is mounted to an arm of the robot.

9. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , in combination with a station or location storing a plurality of nozzle tips.

10. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , in combination with a station or location storing a plurality of different nozzle tips.

11. The thermal spray gun of claim 1 , in combination with a station or location storing a plurality of nozzle tips arranged at a predetermined location that is different from a location containing a substrate being sprayed with the coating material.

12. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
mounting at least one interchangeable nozzle tip on the thermal spray gun; and
spraying a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip.

13. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
removably mounting at least one interchangeable nozzle tip on the thermal spray gun; and
spraying a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip.

14. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
mounting at least one interchangeable nozzle tip on the thermal spray gun;
spraying a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip;
removing the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip from the thermal spray gun; and
mounting another at least one interchangeable nozzle tip on the thermal spray gun.

15. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
moving the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location; and
mounting at least one interchangeable nozzle tip on the thermal spray gun.

16. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
spraying a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip;
moving the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location; and
removing the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip from the thermal spray gun.

17. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
automatically moving the thermal spray gun of to a predetermined location; and
automatically removing the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip from the thermal spray gun.

18. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
automatically moving the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location; and
automatically installing at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun.

19. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
automatically moving the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location;
automatically removing the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun; and
automatically installing another at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun.

20. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
spraying a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip;
moving the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location;
removing the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun;
installing an other at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun; and
spraying a coating material with the other at least one interchangeable nozzle tip.

21. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
spraying in a controlled manner a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip;
moving in a controlled manner the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location;
removing in a controlled manner the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun;
installing in a controlled manner an other at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun; and
spraying in a controlled manner a coating material with the other at least one interchangeable nozzle tip.

22. A method of coating a substrate using the thermal spray gun of claim 1 , comprising:
spraying a coating material with the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip;
automatically moving the thermal spray gun to a predetermined location;
automatically removing the at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun;
automatically installing an other at least one interchangeable nozzle tip onto the thermal spray gun; and
spraying a coating material with the other at least one interchangeable nozzle tip.

23. A thermal spray gun comprising:
an internal cathode section;
an internal anode section having at least one cooling channel;
at least one interchangeable nozzle tip for spraying a coating material spaced from the at least one cooling channel so that said nozzle tip does not come into contact with coolant from the cooling channel;
said nozzle tip being axially movable relative to the internal anode section during removal of said nozzle tip;
said nozzle tip, when installed on the thermal spray gun, comprising:
a rear portion that is surrounded by a portion of the at least one cooling channel; and
a front por

Assignees

• Molz Ronald J
• Hawley Dave
• Mccullough Richard
• Oerlikon Metco Us Inc

Inventors

• Molz Ronald J
• Hawley Dave
• Mccullough Richard

Classifications

• H05H1/34

  Details, e.g. electrodes, nozzles · CPC title

• B05B7/222

  using an arc · CPC title

• B05B13/0278 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of spray heads (B05B13/0207 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C4/134

  Plasma spraying · CPC title

• B05B1/1654

  about an axis parallel to the liquid passage in the stationary valve element · CPC title