초록 ▼

A coating system comprises a source of electrically non-insulative coating material, a dispenser for dispensing the coating material toward an article to be coated thereby, an electrostatic high potential supply for supplying charge to the coating material, means for coupling the high potential supp

A coating system comprises a source of electrically non-insulative coating material, a dispenser for dispensing the coating material toward an article to be coated thereby, an electrostatic high potential supply for supplying charge to the coating material, means for coupling the high potential supply across the dispenser and the article, a first reservoir, and a first valve. The first valve has a first housing providing first, second, third, fourth and fifth ports, and a first component movable within the first housing and having a first passageway selectively to connect the first port to the second port to permit the flow of coating material from the first port to the second port. The first port is coupled to the coating material source, the second port to the first reservoir, and the third port to the dispenser. The second port is coupled to the third port to permit the flow of coating material from the first reservoir to the dispenser. A source is provided for an electrically non-conductive fluid. The first housing and the first movable component define between them a second passageway, and the source of electrically non-conductive fluid is coupled to the fourth port to provide a flow of the electrically non-conductive fluid from the source of electrically non-conductive fluid through the second passageway to flush coating material from surfaces of the first housing and first movable component adjacent the second passageway and exit from the fifth port.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A coating system comprising a source of electrically non-insulative coating material, a dispenser for dispensing the coating material toward an article to be coated thereby, an electrostatic high potential supply device for supplying charge to the coating material, first

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A coating system comprising a source of electrically non-insulative coating material, a dispenser for dispensing the coating material toward an article to be coated thereby, an electrostatic high potential supply device for supplying charge to the coating material, first means for coupling the high potential supply device to the dispenser and to the article, a first reservoir, a first valve having a first housing, the first housing providing first, second and third ports, a first component movable to a first orientation within the first housing, the first component having a first passageway selectively to connect the first port to the second port to permit coating material to flow between the first and second ports, second means for coupling the first port to the coating material source, third means for coupling the second port to the first reservoir, and fourth means for coupling the third port to the dispenser, the first component being movable to a second orientation within the housing selectively to connect the second port to the third port to permit coating material to flow between the first reservoir and the dispenser and prevent coating material from flowing from the coating material source to the first reservoir, the first housing further comprising a fourth port, the first component comprising a second passageway, the apparatus further comprising a second reservoir, and fifth means for coupling the fourth port to the second reservoir, movement of the first component in the first housing to connect the first port to the second port connecting the third port to the fourth port to permit coating material to flow between the second reservoir and the dispenser, and movement of the first component in the first housing to connect the second port to the third port to permit coating material to flow between the first reservoir and the dispenser also connecting the first port to the fourth port to permit coating material to flow between the coating material source and the second reservoir, the first and second reservoirs together comprising a first double-acting fluid piston and cylinder, the piston being reciprocable in the cylinder, the piston providing first and second opposed piston surfaces, the first reservoir being defined between the first piston surface and a first head of the first cylinder, the first cylinder having a second head at an end thereof opposite the first head, the second reservoir being defined between the second piston surface and the second head, the first head provided with a fifth port, the third means comprising the fifth port, the second head provided with a sixth port, the fifth means comprising the sixth port, and further comprising sixth means for moving the first valve alternately to the first orientation and the second orientation.