Method of and system for delivering conductive coating material to electrostatic spraying apparatus

A system for delivering selected colors of electrically conductive coating materials from a color changer to high voltage electrostatic coating apparatus, said system comprising a fluid path for coupling an outlet from said color changer to the coating apparatus;

• a reservoir;
• means for coupling said reservoir to said fluid path at a connection point intermediate said color changer outlet and the coating apparatus;
• means for flowing a selected color of coating material from said color changer outlet first into and through said fluid path past said connection point to the coating apparatus and then from said connection point into said reservoir;
• means, operative after operation of said flowing means, for cleaning coating material from at least a portion of said fluid path between said color changer outlet and said connection point to electrically isolate said color changer from the coating apparatus and from said reservoir;
• means, operative after operation of said cleaning means, for delivering the selected color of coating material in said reservoir through said fluid path from said connection point to the coating apparatus for being electrostatically charged and emitted by the coating apparatus;
• and means, operative upon completion of delivery of the selected color of coating material in said reservoir to the coating apparatus, for cleaning said reservoir, said fluid path and the coating apparatus of the selected color of coating material in preparation for flowing the next selected color of coating material from said color changer outlet into said fluid path and then into said reservoir.

A method of supplying electrically conductive coating material from a coating material supply to high voltage electrostatic coating apparatus, while maintaining electrical isolation between a high voltage at the coating apparatus and the coating material supply, said method comprising the steps of coupling the coating material supply to the coating apparatus through a fluid path;

• coupling a reservoir to the fluid path at a connection point intermediate the coating material supply and the coating apparatus;
• flowing coating material from the coating material supply first into and through the fluid path past the connection point to the coating apparatus to fill the fluid path with coating material, and then from the connection point into the reservoir;
• after completion of said flowing step, cleaning coating material from at least a portion of the fluid path between the coating material supply and the connection point to electrically isolate the coating material supply from the coating apparatus and from the reservoir;
• and, after performance of said cleaning step, delivering coating material in the reservoir through the fluid path from the connection point to the coating apparatus for being electrostatically charged and emitted by the coating apparatus.

A method of supplying selected colors of electrically conductive coating materials from a color changer to high voltage electrostatic coating apparatus, while maintaining electrical isolation between a high voltage at the coating apparatus and the color changer, said method comprising the steps of coupling an outlet from the color changer to the coating apparatus through a fluid path;

• coupling a reservoir to the fluid path at a connection point intermediate the color changer and the coating apparatus;
• flowing a selected color of coating material from the color changer outlet first into and through the fluid path past the connection point to the coating apparatus, and then from the connection point into the reservoir;
• after completion of said flowing step, cleaning coating material from at least a portion of the fluid path between the color changer outlet and the connection point to electrically isolate the color changer from both the coating apparatus and the reservoir;
• after completion of said cleaning step, delivering the selected color of coating material in the reservoir through the fluid path from the connection point to the coating apparatus for being electrostatically charged and emitted by the coating apparatus;
• and, after completion of said delivering step, cleaning the reservoir, the fluid path and the coating apparatus in preparation for flowing the next selected color of coating material from the color changer outlet into the fluid path and into the reservoir.