Print head with a displacing mechanism for a nozzle row

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12186763-B2
Application number	US-201716468699-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2017
Priority date	Dec 14, 2016
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an application device for the application of an application medium onto a component, preferably for application of a paint onto a motor vehicle body component, comprising: at least one print head for application of the application medium preferably in series and for mounting on an application robot, and at least two nozzle rows which can be moved by the application robot, wherein the at least two nozzle rows comprise a first nozzle row with several nozzles for the output of application medium jets and at least one further nozzle row with several nozzles for the output of application medium jets. The application device is characterised in particular in that at least one nozzle row of the at least two nozzle rows is movable for the purpose of position adjustment of the nozzles of the first nozzle row and the nozzles of the at least one further nozzle row.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Application device for the application of an application medium onto a component, comprising:
at least one print head for application of the application medium and for mounting on an application robot, the print head movable in a direction of movement,
at least three nozzle rows which can be moved by the application robot, wherein the at least three nozzle rows comprise a first nozzle row with several nozzles spaced along a longitudinal direction and for the output of application medium jets, a second nozzle row with several nozzles spaced along the longitudinal direction and for the output of application medium jets, and a third nozzle row with several nozzles spaced along the longitudinal direction and for the output of application medium jets, and
a first nozzle plate having the first nozzle row and no additional nozzle rows, a second nozzle plate having the second nozzle row and no additional nozzle rows, and a third nozzle plate having the third nozzle row and no additional nozzle rows, characterised in that
the nozzles of the second nozzle row are offset from the nozzles of the first nozzle row along the longitudinal direction, and the nozzles of the third nozzle row are offset from the nozzles of the second nozzle row along the longitudinal direction and are offset from the nozzles of the first nozzle row along the longitudinal direction,
the first nozzle plate, the second nozzle plate, and the third nozzle plate are of identical design and are offset with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction such that individual uneven offsets are present for each nozzle plate and to provide the offset of the nozzles of the second nozzle row and the third nozzle row,
the first nozzle row, the second nozzle row, and the third nozzle row are rotatable from a first position with the longitudinal direction extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of the print head to a second position with the longitudinal direction extending oblique to the direction of movement of the at least one print head, and
a first motor serves to rotate the first nozzle row.

2. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first nozzle row is movable in addition to the movement by means of the application robot.

3. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first nozzle row is rotatably supported at an axis of rotation.

4. Application device according to claim 3 , characterised in that the axis of rotation is positioned eccentrically with respect to the first nozzle row.

5. Application device according to claim 3 , characterised in that
a) the axis of rotation
a1) is positioned on the longitudinal axis of the first nozzle row, and/or
a2) is positioned outside or inside the first nozzle row, and/or
b) that all the pivot points lie on one line or in the case of doubled pivot points for each nozzle row two lines, and/or
c) that the two lines are parallel, and/or
d) that the line of the pivot points lies in the direction of travel, and/or
e) that the robot ensures that the axes of rotation are moved in the painting direction.

6. Application device according to claim 3 , characterised in that several nozzle rows are rotatable and have in each case their own axis of rotation, wherein the individual axes of rotation are evenly spaced apart from one another and/or are arranged in a row.

7. Application device according to claim 3 , characterised in that the axis of rotation is positioned centrally with respect to the first nozzle row.

8. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first nozzle row is longitudinally displaceable.

9. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the application device comprises a displacing and/or rotating mechanism for movement of the first nozzle row.

10. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the application device comprises, for the purpose of position adjustment, at least one motor for movement of the first nozzle row.

11. Application device according to claim 10 , characterised in that the at least one motor comprises a sliding or rotational motor and/or servo motor.

12. Application device according to claim 10 , characterised in that one motor serves the purpose of joint movement of the first nozzle row and the at least one of the second nozzle row or the third nozzle row so that, for the purpose of position adjustment, the first nozzle row and the at least one of the second nozzle row or the third nozzle row are movable.

13. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that
the first nozzle row and the at least one of the second nozzle row or the third nozzle row are actuated individually for the purpose of position adjustment.

14. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the application device has, for the purpose of position adjustment, at least one of the following:
at least one cam disc,
at least one involute toothing.

15. Application device according to claim 1 , characterised in that the application device comprises at least one control apparatus for calculating adjustment values for the position adjustment and for control of the first nozzle row and/or the application robot.

16. Application device according to claim 1 characterised in that the first nozzle row of the at least three nozzle rows is fitted on a second print head and
for the purpose of position adjustment, at least one nozzle row of the at least three nozzle rows is movable relative to the second print head, or
for the purpose of position adjustment, the at least one nozzle row of the at least three nozzle rows is movable jointly with the second print head so that the at least one nozzle row of the at least three nozzle rows is arranged in a stationary manner relative to the second print head and/or the movement of the first nozzle row of the at least three nozzle rows is caused by a movement of the second print head.

17. Application device according to claim 1 characterised in that the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row are arranged on one head and are movable relative to the one print head.

18. Application device according to claim 1 characterised in that the application device has a first print head and at least one further print head.

19. Application device according to claim 18 , characterised in that the first print head comprises the first nozzle row and the at least one further print head comprises the second nozzle row.

20. Application device according to claim 18 , characterised in that, for the purpose of position adjustment, the first nozzle row
is movable relative to the first print head, or
is jointly movable with the first print head so that the first nozzle row is arranged in a stationary manner relative to the first print head and/or the movement of the first nozzle row is caused by a movement of the first print head.

21. Application device according to claim 18 , characterised in that, for the purpose of position adjustment, the second nozzle row
is movable relative to the at least one further print head, or
is jointly movable with the at least one further print head so that the second nozzle row is arranged in a stationary manner relative to the at least one further print head and/or the movement of the second nozzle row is caused by a movement of the at least one further nozzle print head.

22. Application device according to claim 18 , characterised in th

Assignees

• Duerr Systems Ag

Inventors

• Fritz Hans-Georg
• Wöhr Benjamin
• Kleiner Marcus
• Bubek Moritz
• Beyl Timo
• Herre Frank
• Sotzny Steffen

Classifications

• B41J3/4073

  Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects (B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112) · CPC title

• B41J25/001

  Mechanisms for bodily moving print heads or carriages parallel to the paper surface · CPC title

• B05B13/0452

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

• B41J25/003

  for changing the angle between a print element array axis and the printing line, e.g. for dot density changes · CPC title

• B41J3/543

  with multiple inkjet print heads (B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence) · CPC title