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US 12,458,994 B2Granted
Wear resistant distributor post
AssigneeFanuc America Corporation
InventorAndrew Woodcox
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wear resistant mounting post for a distributor cap in a rotary bell cup atomizer. The mounting post includes a flange separating a thin barbed end from a larger diameter central portion. The flange fits into a countersunk depression in the distributor cap to provide a flange surface which is flush with the distributor cap surface. Paint flowing radially outward across the distributor cap follows the flange surface to the central portion of the post. This design prevents the paint from undercutting the surface of the distributor cap, and ensures that any abrasive wear of the post is limited to the larger diameter central portion.
Claims17
A mounting post for attaching a distributor cap to a rotary bell cup in a spray painting atomizer system, said mounting post comprising:
- a first end configured for being fixedly embedded into an interior of a base portion of the rotary bell cup;
- a second end opposite the first end and configured for being fixedly embedded into the distributor cap;
- a cylindrical central portion located between the first end and the second end, the central portion having a minimum outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the first end and an outer diameter of the second end, where the central portion is positioned in a stand-off space where coating fluid flows between the distributor cap and the rotary bell cup during operation of the atomizer system;
- and
- a disc-shaped flange located between the second end and the central portion, the flange having parallel front and rear faces and an outer diameter which is larger than the minimum outer diameter of the central portion, and when the second end of the mounting post is embedded into the distributor cap, the front face of the flange exposed to flow of the coating fluid is parallel to and flush with or recessed below a surrounding front surface of the distributor cap.
2 more elements
A distributor cap assembly for use in a bell cup in a spray painting rotary atomizer, said distributor cap assembly comprising:
- a plurality of mounting posts, each mounting post including a first end configured for being fixedly embedded into an interior of a base portion of the bell cup, a second end opposite the first end and having a barbed shape, a cylindrical central portion located between the first end and the second end, the central portion having a minimum outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the first end and an outer diameter of the second end, and a disc-shaped flange located between the second end and the central portion, the flange having parallel front and rear faces and an outer diameter which is larger than the minimum outer diameter of the central portion;
- and
- a distributor cap having a pre-formed hole for receiving the second end of each of the mounting posts, thereby fixing the distributor cap in a position in the interior of the bell cup to deflect a flow of coating fluid radially outward, where the central portion of the mounting posts is positioned in a stand-off space where the coating fluid flows between the distributor cap and the bell cup during operation of the atomizer system, and where the distributor cap further includes a countersunk recess surrounding each of the pre-formed holes, said recess having a size and shape configured to receive the flange such that, when the second end of the mounting post is embedded into the distributor cap, the front face of the flange exposed to flow of the coating fluid is parallel to and flush with or recessed below a surrounding front surface of the distributor cap.
A rotary atomizer for use on a spray painting robot, said rotary atomizer comprising:
- a bell cup, said bell cup mounted to a spray atomizer device on an outer arm or wrist of the spray painting robot, said bell cup configured to spin on its mounting about a central axis;
- a plurality of mounting posts, each mounting post including a first end configured for being fixedly embedded into an interior of a base portion of the bell cup, a second end opposite the first end and having a barbed shape, a cylindrical central portion located between the first end and the second end, the central portion having a minimum outer diameter which is larger than an outer diameter of the first end and an outer diameter of the second end, and a disc-shaped flange located between the second end and the central portion, the flange having parallel front and rear faces and an outer diameter which is larger than the minimum outer diameter of the central portion;
- and
- a distributor cap having a plurality of pre-formed holes, one hole for receiving the second end of each of the mounting posts, thereby fixing the distributor cap in a position in the interior of the bell cup to deflect a flow of coating fluid radially outward, where the central portion of the mounting posts is positioned in a stand-off space where the coating fluid flows between the distributor cap and the bell cup during operation of the rotary atomizer, and where the distributor cap further includes a countersunk recess surrounding each of the pre-formed holes, said recess having a size and shape configured to receive the flange such that, when the second end of the mounting post is embedded into the distributor cap, the front face of the flange exposed to flow of the coating fluid is parallel to and flush with or recessed below a surrounding front surface of the distributor cap.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.