초록 ▼

An improved powder particle supply and transport apparatus and method include a hopper filled with powder particles, an ejection chamber spaced from the hopper and a movable conveying member with a plurality of cavities formed therein. During operation, the conveying member moves the cavities betwee

An improved powder particle supply and transport apparatus and method include a hopper filled with powder particles, an ejection chamber spaced from the hopper and a movable conveying member with a plurality of cavities formed therein. During operation, the conveying member moves the cavities between the hopper and the chamber, and the cavities are filled with powder particles at the hopper and emptied of powder particles at the chamber. An ejector nozzle sprays pressurized air into the chamber toward an aligned outlet, thereby to: 1) create negative pressure in the chamber to draw powder particles from the cavities as the cavities are moved therethrough; and 2) transport powder particles through the outlet to a spray gun. Additional structure may be used to assure complete powder filling of the cavities at the hopper and/or complete powder emptying of the cavities in the chamber. The invention achieves supply and transport of uniform and stable quantities of powder particles to a spray gun, even over very small units of time, regardless of powder particle size and/or cohesive properties.

대표청구항 ▼

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising: a powder holding station for holding powder particles; a powder ejection station spaced from the powder holding station; a conveyor transporting powder particles from the powder holding station to the powder election station during operation, the c

A powder supply and transport apparatus comprising: a powder holding station for holding powder particles; a powder ejection station spaced from the powder holding station; a conveyor transporting powder particles from the powder holding station to the powder election station during operation, the conveyor including a conveying member movable relative to the powder holding station and the powder ejection station; and the conveying member having a plurality of cavities formed therein, the conveying member adapted to be moved relatively, during operation, between the powder holding station, where the cavities are filled with powder particles, and the powder ejection station where the powder particles are emptied from the cavities, wherein each of the cavities comprises a continuous groove.