Fluid spraying facility and method for moving an associated fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12157133-B2
Application number	US-201917285475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

A fluid spraying facility including a fluid circulation pipe and a scraper that can circulate in the pipe in order to push back the fluid present in the pipe as it moves forward, the pipe and the scraper each having a circular section, the pipe having an inner diameter, the scraper having an outer diameter, the outer diameter having a first value. A difference between the inner diameter of the pipe and the first outer diameter value of the scraper is greater than or equal to 100 micrometers, preferably greater than or equal to 200 micrometers.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid spraying facility comprising:
a fluid circulation pipe extending along a first axis and having a circular section and an inner diameter;
a scraper extending along a second axis and having a circular section and an outer diameter, wherein the scraper is configured to circulate in translation relative to said pipe along the first axis when the first axis and the second axis are merged, wherein the scraper is configured to push back fluid present in said pipe in front of the scraper when the scraper circulates in said pipe, and wherein a difference between the inner diameter of said pipe and the outer diameter of said scraper is greater than or equal to 100 micrometers; and
a holding system capable of preventing a relative translational movement of said scraper with respect to said pipe when said scraper is inserted in said pipe, configured to rotate said scraper around an axis perpendicular to the first axis such that an angle between the first axis and the second axis is strictly greater than zero, wherein said scraper comprises a magnet having a north pole and a south pole, the poles of the magnet being aligned along a third axis, an angle between the second axis and the third axis being strictly greater than zero, and wherein said holding system comprises a magnetic field generator capable of generating in at least a portion of said pipe a magnetic field intended to align the third axis and the first axis.

2. The fluid spraying facility according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field generator is in contact with an outer surface of said pipe.

3. The fluid spraying facility according to claim 1 , wherein said magnetic field generator is at least partially located between an inner surface and an outer surface of said pipe.

4. The fluid spraying facility of claim 1 wherein the difference between the inner diameter of said pipe and the outer diameter of said scraper is greater than or equal to 200 micrometers.

5. The fluid spraying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the angle between the first axis and the second axis is greater than or equal to 0.5 degrees.

6. The fluid spraying facility according to claim 1 , wherein the angle between the second axis and the third axis is greater than or equal to 5 degrees.

7. The fluid spraying facility according to claim 1 , wherein a said holding system is configured to rotate said scraper so that ends of said scraper are pressed against an inner surface of the fluid circulation pipe, which prevents, by friction, relative translational movement of said scraper with respect to said pipe.

8. A method for moving a fluid in a fluid spraying facility comprising a fluid circulation pipe, the method comprising:
circulating a scraper in the pipe, the scraper pushing back fluid present in the pipe in front of the scraper during the circulating, wherein the pipe and the scraper each has a cylindrical section, wherein the pipe has an inner diameter, wherein the scraper has an outer diameter, wherein the pipe extends along a first axis, wherein the scraper extends along a second axis and is configured to circulate in translation relative to the pipe along the first axis when the first axis and the second axis are merged, and wherein a difference between the inner diameter of the pipe and the outer diameter value of the scraper is greater than or equal to micrometers; and
pivoting, implemented by a holding system capable of preventing a relative translational movement of the scraper with respect to the pipe when the scraper is inserted in the pipe, the pivoting comprising rotating the scraper around an axis perpendicular to the first axis such that an angle between the first axis and the second axis is strictly greater than zero, wherein said scraper comprises a magnet having a north pole and a south pole, the poles of the magnet being aligned along a third axis, an angle between the second axis and the third axis being strictly greater than zero, and wherein said holding system comprises a magnetic field generator capable of generating in at least a portion of said pipe a magnetic field intended to align the third axis and the first axis.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the difference between the inner diameter of the pipe and the outer diameter value of the scraper is greater than or equal to 200 micrometers.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the angle between the first axis and the second axis is greater than or equal to 0.5 degrees.

11. The fluid spraying facility according to claim 8 , wherein said rotating rotates the scraper so that ends of the scraper are pressed against an inner surface of the fluid circulation pipe, which prevents, by friction, relative translational movement of the scraper with respect to the pipe.

Assignees

• Exel Ind

Inventors

• Vincent David
• Prus Eric
• Provenaz Philippe

Classifications

• B05B15/55 Primary

  using cleaning fluids · CPC title

• B08B9/049

  having self-contained propelling means for moving the cleaning devices along the pipes {, i.e. self-propelled} · CPC title

• B05B15/18

  for improving resistance to wear, e.g. inserts or coatings; for indicating wear; for handling or replacing worn parts · CPC title

• B05B12/1481 Primary

  comprising pigs, i.e. movable elements sealingly received in supply pipes, for separating different fluids, e.g. liquid coating materials from solvent or air (cleaning pipes with pigs B08B9/0557, pigs per se F16L55/26) · CPC title

• B05B15/50 Primary

  Arrangements for cleaning; Arrangements for preventing deposits, drying-out or blockage; Arrangements for detecting improper discharge caused by the presence of foreign matter · CPC title