Equipment and method to withdraw in metered manner coating powder from a powder bag

Equipment as claimed in at least one of the above claims, characterized in that it includes components (10, 12,14;

• 10, 14, 212, 6-2;
• 10, 14, 212, 6-3, 6-5;
• 232,10, 14, 62;
• 232, 10, 14, 6-3, 6-5) bracing the powder bag (2) on the reversing unit (6) at least opposite its direction of tipping.

Equipment as claimed in at least one of the above claims, characterized in that the reversing unit (6) includes a deposition surface (8) for the powder bag (2) and a retaining fixture (10), in that it further includes a funnel (12) which may be reversibly mounted on the bag end zone (18) constituting the bag aperture (16) of powder bag (2) placed on the deposition surface (8) or on the opening's rim (20) of a container (4) holding the powder bag (2), said funnel in its mounted state being affixed or affixable by means of the retaining fixture (10) to the reversing unit (6) and exhibiting an opening cross-section increasing like a funnel in the downward direction toward the deposition surface (8) while being fitted with an annular first flange surface (24) at the narrower, upper funnel end (28), where the cross-sectional opening of the other, lower funnel end (26) is at least as large the aperture cross-section of the powder bag and where the opening cross-section of the narrower, upper funnel end (28) and its first flange surface (24) are smaller than the aperture cross-section of the powder bag (2), and where the funnel (12) is positioned or positionable at that elevation from the deposition surface (8) on the reversing unit (6) at which the bag end zone (18) projects through the funnel (12) upward as far as above the funnel end (28) and then can be folded outward over the first flange surface (14), in that a head part (32;

• 32-2) is included which is designed to seal off the narrower, upper funnel end and which is fitted with a second flange surface (34) that can be configured on the first flange surface (24) in order to clamp the folded part (30) of the bag end zone (18) between the two flange surfaces (24, 34), in that it includes a powder feed device (40;
• 40-2, 40-3, 40-4, 40-5, 40-6;
• 40, 42, 44) mounted or mountable on the head part (32;
• 32-2) to feed powder in metered manner from the powder bag, in that it includes moreover a bearing (49) supporting the reversing unit (6) in rotatable manner and, together with the powder bag (2)—which is clamped between the two flange surfaces (24, 34) and trapped between the funnel (12) and the deposition surface (8)—that is rotatable between the upright position wherein the deposition surface (8) points upward and an upside-down position wherein the deposition surface (8) points downward and the powder bag (2) is upside-down in the funnel (12) and the powder feed device (40;
• 40-2;
• 40-3,.40-4, 40-5, 40-6;
• 40, 42, 44) is situated underneath the bag aperture, said aperture being kept open by means of clamping the bag end zone between the two flange surfaces (24, 34).

Equipment as claimed in at least one of the above claims, characterized in that the bag covering assembly (12, 32;

• 12, 32-2;
• 212, 232) is fitted with at least one powder feed tube (93, 95) running from the head part (32-2) toward the funnel (12) and through the funnel (12) into the powder bag (2), in that the minimum of one powder feed tube (93, 95) comprises, at its end away from the bag covering assembly, a bent-back end zone (94, 96) having an open tube end (98, 100) whereby—in the upright position of the reversing unit (6) and of the powder bag (2)—when the bag covering assembly (12,32;
• 12, 32-2;
• 212, 232) is placed on the powder bag (2), the end zone of the minimum of one powder feed tube (93, 95) may be dipped into the coating powder in the powder bag (2) without the powder being forced into the open tube end (98, 100) and whereby, when in the upside-down position of the reversing unit (6) and of the powder bag (2), no powder can drop out of the powder bag (2) into the open tube end (98, 100), and in that a connector (102, 104) to connect at least one powder feed tube (93, 95) with a powder feed line (106,108) is included.

A method to remove in metered manner coating powder from a powder bag,

• characterized in that
• a cover assembly (12, 32;
• 12, 32-2;
• 212, 232) is affixed to the bag aperture of a powder bag (2), and thereupon the powder bag (2) is rotated by a reversing unit (6) bearing the powder bag into an upside-down position and then coating powder is supplied from the upside-down powder bag (2) by means of a powder feed device (40;
• 40, 42, 44;
• 40-2;
• 40-3;
• 40-4;
• 40-5;
• 40-6) configured at the cover assembly.