Surface spattering device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9844792-B2
Application number	US-201113823539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2011
Priority date	Sep 22, 2010
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

The invention concerns a handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device, comprising at least one nozzle means for an expelling of a spattering material onto a target surface and a nozzle control mechanism to control characteristics of the expelling of the nozzle means. Furthermore, it comprises a spattering material supply, a storage with desired spattering data, which is predefined and comprised in a digital image or CAD-model memorized on the storage, a spatial referencing unit, to reference the spattering device relative to the target surface and a computation means to automatically control the expelling by the nozzle control mechanism according to information gained by the spatial referencing unit and according to the desired spattering data is evaluated and adjusted by changing the characteristics of expelling of the nozzle means in such a way that the target surface is spattered according to the desired spattering data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device, comprising
a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles configured to expel spattering material onto a target surface;
a nozzle control mechanism configured to control characteristics of expelling the spattering material from the plurality of nozzles;
a plurality of spattering material supplies, each spattering material supply of the plurality of spattering material supplies corresponding with a respective nozzle of the plurality of nozzles and associated with a different color of spattering material;
a storage with a digital representation of a predefined artwork or image to be applied to the target surface, wherein the predefined artwork or image comprises a multicolor pattern;
a spatial referencing unit to spatially reference the spattering device in space; and
a computational unit to control the expelling by the nozzle control mechanism according to information gained by the spatial referencing unit and according to the digital representation of the predefined artwork or image spattering data, wherein:
wherein the computational unit is configured to cause the nozzle and/or the nozzle control mechanism to apply the predefined artwork or predefined image onto the target surface with the sputtering material;
the computational unit is configured to cause each of the plurality of nozzles to expel spattering material as a spattering spot to the target surface, wherein the spattering spot is dependent on
a spatial reference of the spattering device;
a set of characteristics of the expelling of the nozzle; and
a measured or calculated distance and inclination of the nozzle relative to the target surface;

wherein the computational unit is further configured to adjust the spattering spot by changing the characteristics of expelling of each of the plurality of nozzles in such a way that the target surface is spattered according to the predefined artwork or image in a multicolor pattern by a plurality of colors or materials, wherein the colors or materials are mixed by dithering a dot-matrix of spots of spattering material of a basic set of different colors or materials from the spattering material supply.

2. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the characteristics of the expelling of the nozzle comprises expelling direction, expelling speed, expelling divergence, expelling spreading, expelling shape and/or expelling material rate.

3. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the spatial referencing unit is to reference the spattering device relative to the target surface in at least five degrees of freedom by position and angle determination means.

4. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein the spatial referencing unit is to reference the surface spattering device in at least five degrees of freedom by position, angle and/or inertial determination including at least one of:
Inertial measurement unit (IMU);
Electronic distance meter (EDM);
Global positioning system (GPS);
Local positioning system (LPS);
Geodetic instrument;
Passive articulated arm;
Stereographic camera;
3D-Scanner; and
REM-camera
comprised in the spattering device and/or reference marks comprised in the spattering device and the spatial referencing unit placed externally of the spattering device.

5. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface spattering device comprises a second sensor configured to determine target surface properties.

6. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 5 , wherein
the surface spattering device comprises a third sensor configured to:
determine at least one of spattered and non-spattered areas, present spattering thickness, or
present surface colour and/or direction of gravity as target surface properties.

7. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
a direction of expelling of the nozzle is displaceable for fine adjusting targeting direction as an expelling characteristics, dependent on dynamic movement and the spatial reference of the handheld surface spattering device to compensate a tremor or an uncertainty of guidance of a hand holding the surface spattering device.

8. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the surface spattering device is to indicate a desired movement by one or more of:
an indication light;
a graphical display;
a projection of a direction of movement onto the target surface;
an augmented reality display or projection;
an acoustic guidance signal; or
haptic guidance signals;

to support a user to follow an optimized path to apply the spattering onto the target surface.

9. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , comprising
a sensor to sense at least one environmental condition where a drying condition of the spattering material is determined and incorporated in the control of the expelling characteristics.

10. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the handheld surface spattering device is attached to a support unit, which is configured to
guide and smooth movements, and/or
compensate device-weight.

11. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the computational unit is configured to use an information history of previously spattered areas on the target surface to spatter the target surface according to the predefined artwork or image.

12. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 11 , wherein
the computational unit is configured to use an information history of previously spattered areas on the target surface to spatter the target surface according to the predefined artwork or image in multiple spattering sessions.

13. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of nozzles arranged in one or more row or line arrangements.

14. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , wherein
the predefined artwork or image comprises three dimensional structures to be built up out of spattering material by a subsequent expelling of multiple layers of spattering material using previously applied spattering material as a target surface.

15. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 14 , wherein three dimensional structures of spattering material are built by layers of spattering material orientated in different directions and applied from different spatial directions.

16. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 15 , wherein
the spattering device is built and controlled in such a way to achieve a hand held 3D printing of a three dimensional structure.

17. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 further comprising a cure unit to cure the expelled spattering material.

18. A handheld, dynamically movable surface spattering device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a three dimensional scanner to track the target surface and an already built portion three dimensional structure to spatially reference the spattering device relative to a three dimensional structure.

Assignees

• Pettersson Bo
• Schneider Klaus
• Zebhauser Benedikt
• Siercks Knut
• Hexagon Technology Ct Gmbh

Inventors

• Pettersson Bo
• Schneider Klaus
• Zebhauser Benedikt
• Siercks Knut

Classifications

• B05B12/00

  Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area · CPC title

• G01B11/002

  for measuring two or more coordinates · CPC title

• 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

• G01S5/02

  using radio waves (using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00) · CPC title

• G01S19/38

  Determining a navigation solution using signals transmitted by a satellite radio beacon positioning system · CPC title