Patent Application
20180078977
This application relates generally to air delivery devices such as air knives and nozzle manifolds used in blow off applications and, more specifically, to an air blow off system that provides for adjustment of air delivery device position.
Air blow off systems have been used in various line applications for the purpose of blowing off parts or components as part of the production process. Exemplary line applications utilizing such systems include paint lines (e.g., powder coat lines), food and beverage lines (e.g., bottling or other container fill) and automotive lines (e.g., where parts or components are worked). Any time a line is shut down for the purpose of maintenance or adjustment, productivity is impacted.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an air blow off system that is more readily adjustable so as to reduce line down time.
In one aspect, an air blow off system for use in a line application includes an air delivery device. The air delivery device is positioned at a first side of a component travel zone and oriented to blow air toward the component travel zone. A powered actuation assembly connected for moving the air delivery device to adjust a spacing of the first air deliver device from the component travel zone.
In another aspect, an air blow off system for use in a line application includes a first air delivery device and a second air delivery device. The first air delivery device is positioned at a first side of a component travel zone and oriented to blow air toward the component travel zone. The second air delivery is positioned at a second side of the component travel zone and oriented to blow air toward the component travel zone. At least one powered actuator is operatively connected to move the first air delivery device and the second air delivery device to adjust a spacing between the first air delivery device and the component travel zone and a spacing between the second air delivery device and the component travel zone.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Referring to
Each air delivery device is fed by one or more respective tubes or hoses 18 and 20 connected to a common overhead pipe or tube 24, which in turn is connected to a blower unit 26. By way of example, the blower unit may incorporate a high speed centrifugal blower capable of delivering air volumes on the order of 100 CFM to 1500 CFM along the main feed tube 24, but variations on the nature of the blower unit or other source of air, as well as air volume delivery are possible. The air could be any of normal ambient, filtered air, ionized air, or some other gaseous fluid (or mixtures of the same) suitable to the particular blow off application for which the system 10 is to be used, and the term “air” as used herein encompasses all of the foregoing.
A powered actuation assembly 30 is connected for moving the air delivery device 12 closer to or further from the component travel zone 14 (e.g., per travel path 32), and a powered actuation assembly 34 is connected for moving the air delivery device 16 closer to or further from the component travel zone 14 (e.g., per travel path 36). Here, air delivery device 12 is shown in a position at an inward end of its travel path 32 closest to the component travel zone 14, and air delivery device 16 is shown in a position at an outward end of its travel path 36 furthest from the component travel zone 14. In this regard, the two powered actuation assemblies may be linked and operated simultaneously for a common adjustment on both sides of the component travel zone 14 or may not be linked in which case independent adjustment of the two sides would be provided. In either case, in certain embodiments the adjustment may require some user input or action to initiate adjustment while in other embodiments initiation of the adjustment may be fully automated.
With respect to the component travel zone 14, an upper rail member 40, only a portion of which is shown, includes downward hanging component support hooks 42. This rail system is representative of a line conveyor used for moving components through the blow off system, but other types of line conveyors could also be used. As seen in the schematic top plan depiction of
The illustrated blow off system 10 includes a frame 50 with an overhead frame beam 52 and side support beams 54 and 56. In a typical installation the side support beams may be bolted to the floor. Cables 58 run from the beam 52 to each tube 18 and 20 to support the tubes while permitting movement of the tubes as necessary for adjustment of the position of the air delivery devices 12 and 16.
Air delivery device 12 is mounted on and supported by a frame component 60 (by frame segment 60a), and air delivery device 16 is mounted on and supported by a frame component 62 (by frame segment 62a). In this regard, reference is made to
Referring again to
The frame components 60 and 62 are mounted for sliding movement relative to stationary frame parts in the form of side beams 54 and 56 and lateral frame extensions 100 and 102. In the illustrated embodiment, lateral tube members 60c of frame component 60 slidingly engage with the frame extensions 100 via vertically spaced apart sliding tube assemblies 110 (where one tube slides within another tube). As seen in
Referring again to
From an operational standpoint, a variety of possibilities exist. For example, each powered actuation assembly 30 and 34 may be operable independently of the other to permit for position adjustment of just one air delivery device, or position adjustment of both air delivery devices. Operation of each powered actuation assembly may be triggerable in various ways, including manually by a mechanical user input device (e.g., a button or switch) or manually by an electronic user interface (e.g., a touch screen display). In addition, operation of each powered actuation assembly may be triggered automatically by a controller based upon one or more parameters or conditions, such as a controller based upon component identity (e.g., a controller in control box 130, that is connected to the computerized system operating the line and receives component identity information from the line computer) or a controller based upon feedback from a component sensing system (e.g., a controller in control box 130 in combination with a vision system or other sensor or set of sensors 131 used to detect the identity and/or position of components being moved along the line). In the automated embodiment, the system could provide for real time adjustment of air delivery device position during line operation. As used herein, the term controller is intended to broadly encompass any circuit (e.g., solid state, application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a combinational logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), processor(s) (e.g., shared, dedicated, or group—including hardware or software that executes code), software, firmware and/or other components, or a combination of some or all of the above, that carries out the control and/or processing functions of the blow off system or the control and/or processing functions of any component thereof.
Each powered actuation assembly may also include one or more interlocks (e.g., a mechanically, electrically and/or electronically implemented safety or lockout preventing operation of the powered actuators 90, 92 under one or more specific conditions). For example, a controller associated with the powered actuation assemblies may incorporate the interlock feature. By way of example, the specific condition may be one or more of (i) operation of a line conveyor (e.g., to prevent position adjustment of the air delivery devices while the line is running), (ii) operation of a specific line device, (iii) feedback from a sensor, (iv) a user access requirement not being met (e.g., where position adjustment of the air delivery devices is restricted to service personnel or other personnel with secure access) or (v) an actuation limit being reached (e.g., where the controller incorporates an actuation limit that may be tied to the component being carried on the line and/or where limit switches are positioned at desired locations to act as triggers that prevent further movement).
Other variations and configurations are also possible.
Referring now to
Still other variations are possible. Embodiments in which only a single air delivery device is used are contemplated, as well as embodiments using three or four or more air delivery devices. For example, in a four air delivery device embodiment the devices may be positioned at left, right, top and bottom sides of the component travel zone or conveyance path.
It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 62/397,403, filed Sep. 21, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62397403 | Sep 2016 | US |
