# US 12,759,011 B2 · Apparatus for applying a liquid material and method for determining a function used to operate the apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,759,011 B2 - Document ID: US12759011B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/884,699 - Filed: 2024-09-13 - Published: 2025-01-02 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-15 - Assignees: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA - Applicants: Henkel AG & Co. KGaA - Inventors: Thibaut Lelandais; Michel Gambuto; Paul Baietto; Damien Fourcade; John J. Stankiewicz; Gerrit Jan Odink; Tomasz Gasior - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759011B2 ## CPC - B05C 11/1013: {responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material (B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00)} - B05C 5/02: {the liquid or other fluent material being discharged through an outlet orifice by pressure, e.g.} from an outlet device in contact or almost in contact, with the work - B05C 11/1042: {provided with means for heating or cooling the liquid or other fluent material in the supplying means upstream of the applying apparatus} - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) ## Abstract Provided is an apparatus for applying a liquid material to a plurality of parts, wherein the apparatus comprises at least a first gun through which the material can be applied to the parts; a reservoir for holding the material, the reservoir being fluidically connected to the first gun; a pressure system for providing a gas pressure acting on the material located in the reservoir, the pressure system having a pressure regulator, by which the gas pressure acting on the material can be adjusted, and a pressure sensor for detecting the gas pressure acting on the material; a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the material; and a control unit in which a material-specific function is stored which specifies a setpoint value for the gas pressure which depends on the detected temperature of the material. The invention also provides a method to determine the material-specific function. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for determining a material-specific function for a control unit of an apparatus for applying a liquid material to a plurality of parts, said apparatus comprising: at least one first gun through which the material can be applied to the parts; a reservoir for holding the material, the reservoir being fluidically connected to the at least one first gun; a pressure system for providing a gas pressure acting on the material located in the reservoir, the pressure system comprising a pressure regulator by means of which the gas pressure acting on the material can be adjusted, and a pressure sensor for detecting the gas pressure acting on the material; a temperature sensor for detecting temperature of the material; a control unit in which a material-specific function is stored which specifies a setpoint value for the gas pressure which depends on the detected temperature of the material; wherein the method comprises predetermining different temperatures of the material via a heat unit; setting the gas pressure, depending from the predetermined temperature, such that a film weight per part emitted by the at least one first gun is the same for the different temperatures in each case, wherein the material-specific function is determined on the basis of the set gas pressures and the predetermined temperatures. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the material-specific function outputs setpoint values which become smaller as the detected temperature of the material increases. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the function is a straight line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor is arranged in the reservoir and detects the temperature of the material located in the reservoir. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a signal from a difference between the setpoint value and the detected gas pressure, and with the signal the pressure regulator can be actuated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, comprising at least one second gun, wherein the reservoir for holding the material is fluidically connected to the at least one second gun. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one first gun and the at least one second gun are connected to a gun carrier which is rotatably mounted about a main axis of rotation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the reservoir or at least a part of the reservoir is fixed and rotatably connected to the gun carrier. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the gun carrier is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a rotary plate which comprises a first part carrier and a second part carrier, the first part carrier being assigned to the at least one first gun and the second part carrier being assigned to the at least one second gun, the first part carrier mounted rotatably about its own axis of rotation and the second part carrier mounted rotatably about its own axis of rotation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the heat unit comprises a double tube having an inner tube and an outer tube that encloses the inner tube; wherein the material is passed through the inner tube to the at least one first gun and wherein through the outer tube a heat medium is passed by which the material is heated or cooled. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the temperature between the double tube and the at least one first gun is detected.