Atomizer, installation including such an atomizer and related method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904336-B2
Application number	US-202117194304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2021
Priority date	Mar 11, 2020
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

An atomizer having an atomizer head configured to atomize a first fluid. The atomizer includes, in addition, a measurement module including at least one sensor configured to measure the values of at least one parameter of the atomizer, an electronic control module configured to receive the measured values, and a power supply configured to electrically supply the control module with a power supply voltage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An atomizer comprising:
an atomizer head configured:
to atomize a first fluid, and
to be brought to a first electrical potential value when the atomizer is at rest and to a second electrical potential value when the atomizer head atomizes the first fluid, the second value being strictly higher than the first value;

a base for attachment to a robot configured to move the atomizer, the base comprising:
at least one duct for supplying said atomizer head with the first fluid or with a second fluid; and
a connecting face to which said atomizer head is attached, the base and said atomizer head being aligned along an axis, the at least one supply duct opening onto the connecting face, and the connecting face comprising at least one valve configured to close the at least one supply duct;

a measurement module comprising:
a ring surrounding the connecting face in a plane perpendicular to the axis;
at least one sensor configured to measure the values of at least one parameter of the atomizer;
an electronic control module configured to receive the measured values;
a power supply configured to electrically supply said control module with a power supply voltage; and
a common reference point of electrical potentials of the measurement module, the reference point being a point from which an electrical potential of each of said at least one sensor, said power supply and said electronic control module are defined, the reference point being electrically connected to said atomizer head, the reference point of the measurement module having the same electrical potential as said atomizer head, the reference point having the second electrical potential value when said atomizer head atomizes the first fluid.

2. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein said atomizer head comprises:
a turbine;
a bowl able to be rotated by the turbine to atomize the first fluid when the first fluid is injected into the bowl; and
a skirt for generating shaping air flows of the atomized first fluid, wherein the reference point of the electrical potentials is electrically connected to said skirt.

3. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between the first and second values is greater than or equal to 10 kilovolts.

4. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein said ring is configured to associate with said atomizer head and/or said base, to prevent splashing fluid from reaching said at least one sensor, said at least one supply duct, and/or said control module from outside said measurement module.

5. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein said atomizer head comprises:
a turbine;
a bowl able to be rotated by said turbine to atomize the first fluid when the first fluid is injected into the bowl; and
a skirt for generating shaping air flows of the atomized first fluid, in which said ring rests against the skirt.

6. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein said atomizer head comprises:
a turbine;
a bowl able to be rotated by said turbine to atomize the first fluid when the first fluid is injected into the bowl; and
a skirt for generating shaping air flows of the atomized first fluid.

7. The atomizer according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of said at least one sensor is an accelerometer, said control module being configured to control a measurement, by the accelerometer, of an acceleration of the atomizer during a rotation of said bowl.

8. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said at least one sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the atomizer.

9. The atomizer according to claim 6 , wherein said at least one sensor is configured to measure a temperature of said skirt of said atomizer head.

10. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said at least one sensor is an accelerometer, said control module being configured to control a measurement, by the accelerometer, of an acceleration of the atomizer during a movement of the atomizer.

11. The atomizer according to the claim 10 , wherein said control module is configured to compare at least one acceleration value measured during a movement of the atomizer with a predetermined threshold, and to detect a shock to the atomizer based on the comparison.

12. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of said at least one sensor is a microphone.

13. The atomizer according to claim 1 , wherein said power supply comprises an electrical energy storage device.

14. An installation comprising:
the robot equipped with the atomizer according to claim 1 ; and
an electronic evaluation device,

wherein the control module of said atomizer is configured to generate a diagnostic message from the measured values and to transmit the diagnostic message to said evaluation device.

15. The installation according to claim 14 , in which said evaluation device is remote from said robot, said evaluation device being fixed in a reference frame of the installation.

16. The installation according to claim 15 , further comprising a station fixed in the reference frame of the installation, wherein said robot is configured to move said atomizer between an operating position and a data transfer position, wherein the control module of said atomizer is configured to transmit the diagnostic message to said evaluation device by radiofrequency communication when said atomizer is in the data transfer position, said station comprising a module for receiving the diagnostic message and configured to transfer the received diagnostic message to said evaluation device.

17. The installation according to claim 16 , wherein said station is configured to clean the atomizer head when said atomizer is in the data transfer position, the atomizer head being housed within said station when the atomizer is in the data transfer position.

18. The installation according to claim 16 , wherein said station comprises at least one first electrical contact, and wherein said atomizer comprises at least one second electrical contact configured to be connected to said first contact when said atomizer is in the data transfer position, the control module of said atomizer being configured to transmit the diagnostic message to the receiver module of said atomizer via the first and second electrical contacts.

19. The installation according to claim 16 wherein the power supply of said atomizer comprises an electrical energy storage device, and wherein said station comprises a charging module configured to electrically charge the electrical energy storage device when said atomizer is in the data transfer position.

Assignees

• Exel Ind

Inventors

• Beaudoin Camilien
• Colrat Michel
• Faure Didier
• Foubert Guillaume
• Provenaz Philippe

Classifications

• B05B13/0452

  the objects being vehicle components, e.g. vehicle bodies · CPC title

• B05B12/126 Primary

  responsive to target velocity, e.g. to relative velocity between spray apparatus and target (B05B9/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B5/043

  using induction-charging · CPC title

• B05B5/0407 Primary

  with a spraying edge, e.g. like a cup or a bell · CPC title

• B05B5/0415

  Driving means; Parts thereof, e.g. turbine, shaft, bearings · CPC title