Spray manifold with individual liquid feed spray guns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815073-B2
Application number	US-201414786195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2014
Priority date	Apr 23, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A modular spray gun manifold having a plurality of spray gun modules arranged in a lateral array each separated by an adjacent support assembly. Each spray gun module has a central liquid passage communicating with a spray nozzle and a transversely oriented liquid inlet port communicating through an outer side of the spray gun module for connection with an independently controllable liquid supply. The spray gun modules further include a recirculation port communicating between the central passageway and a recirculation conduit in an adjacent support assembly. A control valve of each module is operable when in open spraying position for blocking communication of liquid from the central passageway to the circulation port and when in a valve closing position blocking the liquid flow to the spray nozzle while redirecting liquid from the liquid inlet to the recirculation port for recirculation through the manifold array.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular spray gun manifold comprising:
a plurality of spray gun modules arranged in a lateral array, a plurality of support assemblies, said each spray gun module being arranged between pairs of individual support assemblies of said plurality of support assemblies for supporting the plurality of spray gun modules in laterally spaced relation to each other;
said plurality of spray gun modules each including a nozzle body and a spray nozzle having a liquid discharge orifice;
said plurality of spray gun modules each defining a central liquid passageway communicating with the discharge orifice of the respective spray nozzle;
said nozzle body having lateral sides disposed in abutting side by side relation to lateral sides of the adjacent pairs of the individual support assemblies;
said nozzle body each having outer exposed sides between the lateral sides;
a valve needle disposed within said central liquid passageway of the nozzle body for reciprocating movement between a valve closing position for preventing discharge of liquid from said spray nozzle discharge orifice and a valve open position for enabling liquid passage through said central liquid passageway and liquid discharge orifice;
said plurality of support assemblies each having a respective fluid conduit for communicating pressurized air from a pressurized air source successively through said plurality of support assemblies and plurality of spray gun modules for atomizing, shaping, or controlling liquid discharge from the plurality of spray gun modules;
said plurality of spray gun modules each having a respective liquid inlet in one of the outer exposed sides of the nozzle body of the respective spray gun module communicating with the central liquid passageway of the spray gun module for directing liquid from a liquid supply remote from the spray gun module to the central liquid passageway thereof;
said plurality of support assemblies each having a liquid recirculation conduit for communicating liquid successively through said plurality of support assemblies and plurality of spray gun modules for return to a liquid supply, said plurality of spray gun modules each having a liquid recirculation port communicating between the central liquid passageway of the spray gun module and the recirculation conduit of an adjacent support assembly; and
said valve needle being operable when in the open position for enabling communication of liquid from the respective liquid inlet through the central liquid passageway for discharge from the spray nozzle discharge orifice while blocking the communication of liquid from the central liquid passage to the recirculation port, and said valve needle being operable when in the valve closing position for blocking the flow of liquid from the central liquid passage to the spray nozzle discharge orifice and redirecting liquid from the liquid inlet to the recirculation port for communication to the recirculation conduit of the adjacent support assembly for recirculation to the liquid supply.

2. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 , in which the plurality of spray gun module each have an independently controllable liquid supply to the liquid inlet.

3. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 , in which the liquid inlet communicates with said central liquid passageway at a first location, said liquid recirculation port communicates with said central liquid passage at a second location spaced from the first location, said valve needle having a spool disposed at a location intermediate said liquid inlet port and said liquid recirculation port when said valve needle is in said valve open position for enabling the flow of liquid through said central liquid passage and liquid discharge orifice while blocking the flow of liquid from said liquid inlet to said recirculation port.

4. The spray gun manifold of claim 3 , in which each of the valve needle are independently controllable so that when the valve needle is in said valve closing position liquid communicates from the liquid inlet to the recirculation port and the recirculation conduit of said adjacent support assembly.

5. The spray gun manifold of claim 3 , in which said spool of the valve needle when the valve needle is in said valve closing position being disposed at a location for permitting communication of liquid from said liquid inlet port to said central liquid passage and said recirculation port to the recirculation conduit of the adjacent support assembly.

6. The spray gun manifold of claim 3 , in which the liquid inlet communicates with the central liquid passageway at a location along the central liquid passageway intermediate the spray nozzle discharge orifice and the recirculation port.

7. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 , in which said each spray gun module of said plurality of spray gun modules has a respective liquid supply line externally of said spray gun module coupled to the liquid inlet of the spray gun module.

8. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 , including an actuator for selectively moving the valve needle of said each spray gun module of said plurality of spray gun modules between said open and closing positions.

9. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 , in which the spray nozzle of said each spray gun module of said plurality of spray gun modules includes an air cap and one of the fluid conduits in each of the plurality of support assemblies communicates pressurized air to the respective air caps of the plurality of spray gun modules.

10. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 in which said spray nozzle is disposed in a forward exposed side of the nozzle body thereof, and said liquid inlet is in an upper exposed side of the nozzle body.

11. The spray gun manifold of claim 1 in which said spray nozzle is disposed in a forward exposed side of the nozzle body thereof, and said liquid inlet is in a lower exposed side of the nozzle body.

12. A modular spray gun manifold comprising:
a plurality of spray gun modules arranged in a lateral array, a plurality of support assemblies, each spray gun module being arranged between pairs of individual support assemblies of said plurality of said plurality of support assemblies for supporting the plurality of spray gun modules in laterally spaced relation to each other;
said plurality of spray gun modules each including a nozzle body and a spray nozzle having a liquid discharge orifice;
said nozzle body of said plurality of spray gun modules each defining a central liquid passageway communicating with said spray nozzle discharge orifice of the respective spray nozzle;
said nozzle body having lateral sides disposed in abutting side by side relation to lateral sides of the adjacent pairs of the individual support assemblies;
said nozzle body each having outer exposed sides between the lateral sides;
a valve disposed within said central liquid passageway of the nozzle body for reciprocating movement between a valve closing position for preventing discharge of liquid from said spray nozzle discharge orifice and a valve open position for enabling liquid passage through said central liquid passageway and liquid discharge orifice;
said plurality of spray gun modules each having a respective liquid inlet in one of the outer exposed sides of the nozzle body of the respective spray gun module communicating with the central liquid passageway of the nozzle body of the spray gun module for directing liquid from a liquid supply remote from the spray gun module to the central liquid passageway of the nozzle body;
said plurality of spray gun modules each having an independently controllable liquid supply communicating with the liquid inlet thereof;
said plurality of support assemblies each

Assignees

• Spraying Systems Co

Inventors

• Huffman David C
• Frechette Russell R
• Szczap Joseph P
• Buhl Bo R

Classifications

• B05B15/069

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B05B1/3093

  Recirculation valves, i.e. the valve element opens a passage to the nozzle and simultaneously closes at least partially a return passage the feeding means · CPC title

• B05B7/0081

  Apparatus supplied with low pressure gas, e.g. "hvlp"-guns; air supplied by a fan · CPC title

• B05B13/0278

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

• B05B15/0406

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic