Patents Assigned to Behr Systems, Inc.
  • Patent number: 7322793
    Abstract: A turbine, e.g., with a blade arrangement, which receives an air flow in the radial direction and which is located on a carrier surface of the turbine wheel, is used as a drive motor for a rotary atomizer. The drive channel, which contains the turbine blades and which is limited by the carrier surface, is also closed on its other side by a cover element, which is attached to the turbine wheel and which rotates with the wheel for increasing efficiency. For an additional increase in efficiency, the inlet for the drive air of the turbine is configured as an ultrasonic nozzle with a cross section that expands continuously up to the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Baumann, Frank Herre, Hans J. Nolte, Harry Krumma, Stefano Giuliano, Björn Lind
  • Patent number: 7140559
    Abstract: A spraying device such as an atomizer mounted to a painting robot of an installation for the serial spraying of work pieces contains both the color change valve arrangement and a metering pump located between the color changer and the spray head. The metering pump is preferably a valveless rotary piston pump, and for the color changer a suitably miniaturized arrangement and construction for the valve assemblies is preferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Stefano Giulano
  • Patent number: 7097121
    Abstract: Valve assemblies for the color change valve arrangement of a coating plant, for example for the production coating of vehicle bodies, wherein various measures are proposed to miniaturize the needle valves forming the valve body of the color changer based on the principle of optimizing the drive device acting on the valve needles to open the valve against the force of a pressure spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Stefano Giulano
  • Patent number: 6972052
    Abstract: In a coating device with a rotary atomizer, for preventing the condensation of spray cabin air on components cooled by the lower-pressure exhaust air of the drive turbine of the atomizer, a heating device is provided, which can heat air flowing through the atomizer or components in heat-conductive contact with the outlet path of the turbine exhaust air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry Krumma, Frank Herre, Michael Baumann, Rainer Melcher, Stefano Giuliano, Marcus Kleiner
  • Publication number: 20050178325
    Abstract: An operating system for a power feed pump and a power feed pump having a transfer chamber with an inlet and an outlet. The outlet of the transfer chamber is closed, the inlet of the transfer chamber is opened, and a negative pressure is generated in the transfer chamber to suck a powder in through the inlet to the transfer chamber. The inlet of the transfer chamber is closed, the outlet of the transfer chamber is opened, and the powder in the transfer chamber is delivered through the outlet. The negative pressure in the transfer chamber is built up at least partially before the inlet of the transfer chamber is opened.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Applicant: Behr Systems, Inc
    Inventors: Frank Herre, Hans-Georg Fritz, Thomas Durr
  • Patent number: 6913214
    Abstract: In a powder atomizer for series coating of workpieces, additional air is led from a separate channel into the path of the powder-air mixture which exits from the powder channel of the atomizer, air which can be used during the coating to influence and change the mixture and, during pauses in the coating, as rinsing air for cleaning, for example, the powder path leading through an atomization bell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Duerr
  • Patent number: 6896735
    Abstract: For improving external charging in electrostatic atomizers for conductive coating material and for reducing the structural size of the atomizer, particularly for robot applications, the charging electrodes are embedded in a ring part made of insulating material, which is set directly on the outside of the outer housing or forms a part of the outer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefano Giuliano, Peter Marquardt
  • Publication number: 20050029370
    Abstract: Valve assemblies for the color change valve arrangement of a coating plant, for example for the production coating of vehicle bodies, wherein various measures are proposed to miniaturize the needle valves forming the valve body of the color changer based on the principle of optimizing the drive device acting on the valve needles to open the valve against the force of a pressure spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Publication date: February 10, 2005
    Applicant: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Stefano Giulano
  • Patent number: 6835248
    Abstract: A robotic paint applicator having a plurality of relatively movable housing enclosures each including an explosion proof motor including a housing having a gas inlet and outlet, and a source of non-combustible gas under pressure connected to each motor housing inlet circulating non-combustible gas through the motor housing and directing non-combustible gas into the robot housing enclosures. The robot housing enclosures are substantially air-tight and interconnected with a control unit operating an inlet valve to maintain a predetermined pressure of non-combustible gas within each robot housing enclosure. The method of this invention includes purging the motor housings and robot enclosures at a first pressure and maintaining a lesser pressure of non-combustible gas following purging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Jürgen Haas, Thomas Hezel, Marcus Frey
  • Patent number: 6708908
    Abstract: An ionizing device generates ionizing lines to shape solvent borne coating material being dispersed from an electrostatic rotary atomizer. A band having a clamping element affixes the device to the electrostatic rotary atomizer. A halo is affixed to the band by at least one support arm. The halo includes a plurality of generally conical members spaced therearound, each generating ionic lines to shape the atomized coating material being dispersed from the rotary atomizer. A shroud is positioned around each of the generally conical members to shape the ionizing lines being generated to form an ionic field to improve the transfer efficiency of the electrostatic rotary atomizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert F. Heldt, Thomas Loch, Jacob J. Braslaw, Michael P. Gibbons, Charles K. Altermatt
  • Patent number: 6627266
    Abstract: A method of painting a product in a production painting facility includes the steps of selecting a hue and a chroma corresponding to the hue. The production painting facility utilizes a plurality of base paints that are mixable to constitute the hue and chroma selected. The base paints are pumped to a blending device in a ratio determined to be necessary to formulate the hue and chroma selected. The base paints are blended in the blending device according to the predetermined ratio forming a secondary paint having the hue and chroma previously selected. The secondary paint is delivered to a paint applicator such as an atomizer bell or an equivalent and is applied to the product being painted. The base paints are mixed at the production facility to create a virtually limitless number of secondary paint colors with only a limited number of base paints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark E. Dion
  • Patent number: 6623561
    Abstract: A rotary atomizer applies particulate paints with good color matching by reducing paint droplet size deviation and then optimizing the other paint spraying parameters. Paint droplet size parameters are reduced by using a bell cup having reduced flow deviations, including an overflow surface having a generally constant angle between a deflector and an atomizing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Vetter, Rolf Schneider, Andreas Fischer, Robert F. Heldt
  • Patent number: 6578779
    Abstract: A rotary atomizer including a bell element having a paint tube, a deflector having a conical distribution surface opposite the paint tube outlet, including a tip portion within the paint tube, directing paint to a paint overflow surface through an annular conical channel adjacent the outer edge of a nonconductive end face, an annular electrostatically charged surface surrounding the outer edge of the end face generating an annular electrostatic field and an axial electrode having a sharp distal end in the plane of the annular electrostatically charged surface generating a second axial electrostatic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark E. Dion
  • Publication number: 20020043576
    Abstract: A rotary atomizer including a bell element having a paint tube, a deflector having a conical distribution surface opposite the paint tube outlet, including a tip portion within the paint tube, directing paint to a paint overflow surface through an annular conical channel adjacent the outer edge of a nonconductive end face, an annular electrostatically charged surface surrounding the outer edge of the end face generating an annular electrostatic field and an axial electrode having a sharp distal end in the plane of the annular electrostatically charged surface generating a second axial electrostatic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Applicant: Behr Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Mark E. Dion
  • Patent number: 6360962
    Abstract: A rotary bell cup for atomizing particulate material such as paint includes a generally conical overflow surface having a generally constant flow angle defining a radially inward central axial opening and a radially outward atomizing edge with a bevel. A central flat portion is disposed between the conical overflow surface and the radially inward central axial opening. A deflector having a deflection surface of generally rotational symmetry is disposed in front of the central opening having a rear flat surface generally parallel to the central portion and a rear conical surface generally parallel to the conical overflow surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Vetter, Rolf Schneider, Andreas Fischer, Robert F. Heldt
  • Patent number: 6189804
    Abstract: A rotary atomizer applies particulate paints with good color matching by reducing paint droplet size deviation and then optimizing the other paint spraying parameters. Paint droplet size parameters are reduced by using a bell cup having reduced flow deviations, including an overflow surface having a generally constant angle between a deflector and an atomizing edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt Vetter, Rolf Schneider, Andreas Fischer, Robert F. Heldt
  • Patent number: 5727735
    Abstract: The rotary atomizer described has a multiple-piece channel body, which is arranged coaxial to the rotational axis, for supplying coating material and flushing fluid to the bell plate and has three axial holes uniformly distributed eccentrically about the rotational axis. The first hole leads to a central nozzle and is connected to the second hole in the channel body, while the third hole is part of a channel that leads to an eccentric outlet flowing in the vicinity of the nozzle opening. A separate control valve is provided for each of the three channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Baumann, Harry Krumma, Frank Rupertus, Rolf Schneider, Kurt Vetter
  • Patent number: 5709749
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus (10) for removing residual paint from flow passages in a spray painting system comprises a flow passage (12) for conveying paint to a spraying device (14) and a manifold (16) defining a plurality of individual inlets (17) into the flow passage. At least two different paints are supplied to the manifold through the inlets. A solvent supplier (20) supplies a variable pressure and variable volume flow of solvent to the manifold (16) during a cleaning cycle to remove residual paint from the manifold and the flow passage (12) after a completed painting cycle to prepare for a new cycle. The assembly is characterized by including a constant volume flow controller (22) for maintaining a constant volume flow of solvent upstream of the manifold (16) independent of solvent pressure fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Dion, Bernard J. McCabe
  • Patent number: 5707009
    Abstract: A rotary atomizer with a bell element (1) mountable on the rotating shaft of a drive motor comprises an outer overflow surface (2), a spray edge (3) at a front side of the bell element (1), a lateral outer surface (5) at the perimeter of the bell element extending from the spray edge (3), and a hose line (9) in fluid communication with a source of cleaning fluid. Rinsing the outer surface (5) at the perimeter of the bell element (1) of a rotary atomizer is facilitated. The rinsing agent is directed without spattering, through centrifugal force, from the interior to the outer surface (5) and is distributed uniformly across the perimeter. The rinsing agent can branch off centrally from a fast-rinsing valve and move to a collection space (29, 15) located radially within the outer surface (5), from where it flows via the rear, preferably rounded bell dome edge (6). Alternatively, the rinsing agent can be supplied separately via a separate valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Rolf Schneider
  • Patent number: 5704977
    Abstract: For a rapid and simple assembly, the rotary atomizer of the coating arrangement described has a fastening pin (34) arranged on a valve unit (12). The fastening pin is inserted into a matching opening of a mounting flange (70) and is retained therein by a clamping device that exerts a force pressing the valve unit (12) against the flange (70). The atomizer is composed of individual modules (2,4,6,10,12) connected by screw connections and additionally comprises a rigid light guide rod for the transmission of optical rpm measuring signals, which remains in the valve unit (12) during disassembly of the atomizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Behr Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Baumann, Harry Krumma, Frank Rupertus, Rolf Schneider, Kurt Vetter