Compact fluid delivery system for automation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9339833-B2
Application number	US-201414272693-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2014
Priority date	May 8, 2014
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a paint applicator robot is provided. The robot may include a robotic arm including a hollow joint and a paint applicator, a color tree disposed between the hollow joint and the paint applicator, and a dual-lumen line extending through the hollow joint to the color tree. The dual-lumen line may include a paint supply path to the color tree and a paint return path from the color tree. The robot may include a plurality of the dual-lumen lines, for example, up to 48 dual-lumen lines, each providing a paint color to the color tree. The robot may be included in a robotic paint station and may be configured to receive paint from and return paint to a drop box connected to a paint recirculation system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A paint applicator robot comprising:
a robotic arm including a hollow joint and a paint applicator;
a color tree disposed between the hollow joint and the paint applicator; and
a plurality of dual-lumen lines extending through the hollow joint to the color tree, each dual-lumen line including a paint supply path to the color tree and a paint return path from the color tree;
wherein the plurality of dual-lumen lines includes 35-48 dual-lumen lines each having a single end-fitting and the color tree is configured to receive and distribute 35-48 paint colors, each paint color having only a single connection on the color tree connected to the single end-fitting of one of the 35-48 dual-lumen lines.

2. The robot of claim 1 , wherein each of the dual-lumen lines includes a first line having a first outer diameter and a second line having a second outer diameter that is larger than the first diameter, the second line surrounding the first line.

3. The robot of claim 2 , wherein the first line and the second line form concentric circles in transverse cross-section.

4. The robot of claim 2 , wherein the first line has an inner diameter defining a first lumen and the second line has a second lumen defined between an inner diameter of the second line and the outer diameter of the first line, the first lumen defining a first flow path and the second lumen defining a second flow path.

5. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the first flow path is configured to be the paint return path and the second flow path is configured to be the paint supply path.

6. The robot of claim 4 , wherein the first flow path is configured to be the paint supply path and the second flow path is configured to be the paint return path.

7. The robot of claim 1 , wherein each of the dual-lumen lines are configured to extend from the color tree, through the hollow joint, and couple to a drop box of a paint recirculation system.

8. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the robot is a stationary robot.

9. The robot of claim 1 , wherein the robot is a rail-mounted robot.

10. A paint applicator robot comprising:
a robotic arm including a hollow joint, a paint applicator, and a color tree having 30-48 paint color connections, one per paint color, disposed between the hollow joint and the paint applicator; and
30-48 dual-lumen lines extending through the hollow joint to the color tree, each dual-lumen line including concentric paint supply and paint return paths and a single end-fitting connected to one of the 30-48 paint color connections.

11. The robot of claim 10 , wherein each dual-lumen line includes a first line having a first outer diameter and a second line having a second outer diameter that is larger than the first diameter, the second line surrounding the first line.

12. The robot of claim 11 , wherein the first line has an inner diameter defining a first lumen and the second line has a second lumen defined between an inner diameter of the second line and the outer diameter of the first line, the first lumen defining a first flow path and the second lumen defining a second flow path.

13. The robot of claim 10 , wherein each dual-lumen line is configured to extend from the color tree, through the hollow joint, and couple to a drop box of a paint recirculation system.

14. A robotic paint station comprising:
a drop box configured to receive paint from and return paint to a paint recirculation system;
a paint applicator robot including a hollow joint and a color tree having 30-48 paint color connections, one per paint color, the robot configured to receive paint from and return paint to the drop box; and
30-48 dual-lumen lines extending through the hollow joint to the color tree, each dual-lumen line including concentric paint supply and paint return paths and a single end-fitting connected to one of the 30-48 paint color connections of the color tree.

15. The robot of claim 14 , wherein each dual-lumen line includes a first line having a first outer diameter and a second line having a second outer diameter that is larger than the first diameter, the second line surrounding the first line.

16. The robot of claim 15 , wherein the first line has an inner diameter defining a first lumen and the second line has a second lumen defined between an inner diameter of the second line and the outer diameter of the first line, the first lumen defining a first flow path and the second lumen defining a second flow path.

17. The robot of claim 14 , wherein each of the dual-lumen lines extends from the drop box to the color tree.

18. The robot of claim 14 , wherein each of the dual-lumen lines couples to a paint supply line and a paint return line and the paint supply line and the paint return line couple to the drop box.

Assignees

• Ford Motor Co

Inventors

• Fiala Aaron
• Adams Scott

Classifications

• B05B12/14 Primary

  for supplying a selected one of a plurality of liquids or other fluent materials {or several in selected proportions} to a {spray apparatus, e.g. to a} single spray outlet · CPC title

• B25J11/0075

  Manipulators for painting or coating · CPC title

• Y10S901/01

  Mobile robot · CPC title

• B05B12/149

  characterised by colour change manifolds or valves therefor (B05B12/1409 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B15/0406 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic