초록 ▼

A paint manufacturing system includes a paint component storage system and a colorant storage system. A dispenser is in fluid communication with the paint component and colorant storage systems. A spectrophotometer is operatively coupled with a computer system. The computer system controls the flow

A paint manufacturing system includes a paint component storage system and a colorant storage system. A dispenser is in fluid communication with the paint component and colorant storage systems. A spectrophotometer is operatively coupled with a computer system. The computer system controls the flow of paint components from the paint component storage system and colorants from the colorant storage system.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A paint manufacturing system, comprising: a paint component storage system comprising a plurality of paint component containers which includes an elevated support structure which supports the paint component storage system and which is elevated by support legs, wherein

The invention claimed is: 1. A paint manufacturing system, comprising: a paint component storage system comprising a plurality of paint component containers which includes an elevated support structure which supports the paint component storage system and which is elevated by support legs, wherein the elevated support structure includes a floor and sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom and extend around outer periphery of the floor, the sidewalls and the floor bounding an inner volume with a liner capable of containing leakage from the paint component storage system; and a paint dispenser system which includes a dispenser in fluid communication with the paint component storage system, wherein a portable paint container is positioned to receive a desired combination of paint components; and a computer system which controls a flow of paint components from the paint component storage system, the paint component storage system flowing the desired combination of paint components in response to a paint type indication. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system controls the flow of paint components from the paint component storage system by controlling the operation of a mass flow controller system connected thereto. 3. The system of claim 2, further including a tote in fluid communication with the paint component storage system through a pumping system. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the pumping system flows the paint component contained by the tote into the paint component storage system. 5. The system of claim 1, further including a spectrophotometer which provides a colorant signal to the computer system, the colorant signal corresponding to a color of a color card. 6. The system of claim 5, further including a colorant storage system operatively coupled with the computer system, the colorant storage system dispensing a desired combination of colorants in response to the colorant signal. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the colorants dispensed drive a color of the dispensed paint components to match the color of the color card. 8. A paint manufacturing system, comprising: a paint component storage system comprising a plurality of paint component containers which includes an elevated support structure which supports the paint component storage system and which is elevated by support legs, wherein the elevated support structure includes a floor and sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom and extend around outer periphery of the floor, the sidewalls and the floor bounding an inner volume with a liner capable of containing leakage from the paint component storage system; and a paint dispenser system which includes a colorant storage system; a dispenser in fluid communication with the paint component and colorant storage systems, wherein a portable paint container is positioned to receive paint components and colorants; and a computer system which controls the flow of the paint components from the paint component storage system and the colorants from the colorant storage system according to the desired combination of paint components in response to a paint type indication and a desired combination of colorants in response to a paint color indication. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the dispenser dispenses a desired combination of paint components from the paint component storage system in response to the computer system receiving a paint type indication. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the dispenser dispenses a desired combination of colorants from the colorant storage system in response to the computer system receiving a paint color indication. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the paint color indication is provided by a spectrophotometer operatively coupled with the computer system. 12. The system of claim 8, further including at least one tote in fluid communication with the paint component storage system through a pumping system. 13. The system of claim 12 wherein the tote is carried by a forklift. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispenser includes a paint component nozzle. 15. The system of claim 14, further including a nozzle support structure which supports the paint component nozzle. 16. The system of claim 15, further including a colorant nozzle carried by the nozzle support structure. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable paint container is a paint bucket. 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable paint container is seated on a scale. 19. The system of claim 8, wherein the computer system separately controls the flow of paint components from the paint component storage system and colorants from the colorant storage system. 20. The system of claim 8, wherein the paint component storage system includes a plurality of paint component storage containers and the colorant storage system includes a plurality of colorant containers. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the dispenser includes a plurality of paint component nozzles, each paint component nozzle being in fluid communication with a corresponding paint component storage container. 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the paint components flow separately through the dispenser. 23. The system of claim 20, wherein the dispenser includes a plurality of colorant nozzles, each colorant nozzle being in fluid communication with a corresponding colorant container. 24. The system of claim 23, wherein the colorants flow separately through the dispenser. 25. A paint manufacturing system, comprising: a paint component storage system comprising a plurality of paint component containers carried by an elevated support structure which supports the paint component storage system and which is elevated by support legs, wherein the elevated support structure includes a floor and sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom and extend around outer periphery of the floor, the sidewalls and the floor bounding an inner volume with a liner capable of containing leakage from the paint component storage system; and a paint dispenser system which includes a colorant storage system; a dispenser having a paint component nozzle in fluid communication with the paint component storage system, and a colorant nozzle in fluid communication with the colorant storage system, wherein a portable paint container is positioned to receive a paint component and a colorant; and a computer system which controls the flow of the paint component through the paint component nozzle and the colorant through the colorant nozzle according to the desired combination of paint components in response to a paint type indication and a desired combination of colorants in response to a paint color indication.