Optical spray coating monitoring system and method

A spray coating system comprising:

• a hand held spray gun having a nozzle from which a coating is sprayed onto a surface;
• a laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle from the surface, being coated and generates a displacement signal in response thereto, the laser displacement sensor also measuring an angle of orientation between an imaginary line projecting from the nozzle to the center of the spray pattern on the surface being coated and generating an orientation signal in response thereto, the laser displacement signal having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun;
• and
• a data acquisition system that inputs the displacement signal and the orientation signal;
• wherein the data acquisition system generates a spray gun deactivation signal to indicate when the spray gun has been operated out of compliance with industry standards for a pre-selected period of time, and wherein the spray gun deactivation signal is transmitted to the spray gun.

A spray coating system comprising:

• a hand held spray gun having a nozzle from which a coating is sprayed onto a surface;
• a laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle from the surface being coated and generates a displacement signal in response thereto, the laser displacement sensor having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun;
• and
• electronic memory that stores data representative of the displacement signal;
• wherein the laser displacement sensor measures an angle of orientation between an imaginary line projecting from the nozzle to the center location of the spray pattern on the surface being coated and generates an orientation signal in response thereto;
• and
• wherein the electronic memory also stores data representative of the orientation of the system.

A spray coating system comprising:

• a hand held spray gun having a nozzle from which a coating is sprayed onto a surface;
• a first laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle from the coated surface before the coating has been applied to the surface and generates a first displacement signal in response thereto, the first laser displacement sensor having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun;
• a second laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle from the surface being coated after the coating is applied to the surface and generates a second displacement signal in response thereto, the second laser displacement sensor having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun;
• electronic memory;
• wherein the sensor head for the first laser displacement sensor or the second laser displacement sensor includes at least two mirrors and the laser displacement sensor with two mirrors measures an angle of orientation between an imaginary line projecting from the nozzle to the center location of the spray pattern on the surface being coated and generates an orientation signal in response thereto:
• and wherein the electronic memory stores data representative of the orientation signal and data representative of the first and second displacement signals.

A spray coating system comprising:

• a hand held spray gun having a nozzle from which a coating is sprayed onto a surface;
• a laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle form the surface being coated and generates a displacement signal in response thereto, the laser displacement sensor having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun, the laser displacement sensor also measuring an angle of orientation between an imaginary line projecting from the nozzle to the center of the spray pattern on the surface being coated and generating an orientation signal in response thereto;
• and
• display means for displaying information that depends on the displacement signal.

A spray coating system comprising:

• a hand held spray gun having a nozzle from which a coating is sprayed onto a surface;
• a first laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle from the coated surface before the coating has been applied to the surface and generates a first displacement signal in response thereto, the first laser displacement sensor having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun;
• a second laser displacement sensor that measures the distance of the nozzle from the surface being coated after the coating is applied to the surface and generates a second displacement signal in a response thereto, the second laser displacement sensor having a sensor head that is attached to the hand held spray gun;
• and
• display means for displaying information that depends on both the first and second displacement signal;
• wherein the sensor head for the first laser displacement sensor measures an angle of orientation between an imaginary line projecting from the nozzle to the center location of the spray pattern on the surface being coated and generates an orientation signal in response thereto.