Abstract: A polishing device includes shape following sections opposing a workpiece with a polishing body interposed between the shape following sections and the workpiece, and each including a displaceable shaft section. At least two of the shaft sections adjacent to each other are coupled via a link member. For example, when one of the shaft sections of the shape following sections coupled via the link member retracts by receiving a reaction force from the workpiece, the other of the shaft sections advances.

Abstract: A method of applying a coating material to a vehicle that includes defining a plurality of application zones on the vehicle. The application zones include a low visibility zone, a medium visibility zone, and a high visibility zone. The method further includes applying the coating material to the application zones in a predetermined sequence such that a first portion of the coating material is applied to the low visibility zone, then a second portion is applied to the medium visibility zone, and then a third portion is applied to the high visibility zone. A first overlap region is defined between the low visibility zone and the high visibility zone and a second overlap region is defined between the medium visibility zone and the high visibility zone. The third portion of the coating material is applied before the coating material previously applied in the first and second overlap regions has set for a predefined duration.

Abstract: A polishing device is provided with an expandable or contractible polishing body. The polishing device is further provided with a polishing mechanism that includes: a pressing force applying mechanism that applies a pressing force to the polishing body; and a supporting body that supports the pressing force applying mechanism. Moreover, the pressing force applying mechanism is configured to include an advancing or retracting section capable of advancing or retracting, and a swinging section provided in a swingable manner to a tip of the advancing or retracting section, the tip facing the polishing body.

Abstract: A method of applying a coating material to a vehicle that includes defining a plurality of application zones on the vehicle. The application zones include a low visibility zone, a medium visibility zone, and a high visibility zone. The method further includes applying the coating material to the application zones in a predetermined sequence such that a first portion of the coating material is applied to the low visibility zone, then a second portion is applied to the medium visibility zone, and then a third portion is applied to the high visibility zone. A first overlap region is defined between the low visibility zone and the high visibility zone and a second overlap region is defined between the medium visibility zone and the high visibility zone. The third portion of the coating material is applied before the coating material previously applied in the first and second overlap regions has set for a predefined duration.

Abstract: In an electrostatic coating apparatus, an electrically conductive coating material is supplied through a coating material supplying path to a coating gun to which a high voltage is applied. The electrostatic coating apparatus is provided with an insulating and separating valve capable of electrically insulating and separating the coating material supplying path into an application side in which the high voltage is applied and a non-application side. The insulating and separating valve is provided with a female coupling member having a first connecting portion and a male coupling member having a second connecting portion. A supplying hole for supplying a cleaning fluid to the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion and a discharging hole for discharging the cleaning fluid supplied to the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are provided on one of the female coupling member disposed on the non-application side and the male coupling member.

Abstract: A rotary atomization coating device is provided with a rotary atomizing head including a paint storage and adapted to atomize paint supplied to the paint storage and to discharge the paint onto a work, and a paint supplying nozzle adapted to supply the paint to the paint storage. The rotary atomizing head includes a plurality of bell cups. Each of the bell cups includes, at a front face thereof, a paint discharging face adapted to thin the paint by a centrifugal force. The rotary atomizing head includes a plurality of paint supplying holes corresponding to the respective bell cups. The paint supplying holes are adapted to supply the paint from the paint storage to the respective paint discharging faces. A plurality of grooves extending along a radial direction of the rotary atomizing head are formed at circumferential portions of the respective paint discharging faces.

Abstract: In an electrostatic coating apparatus, an electrically conductive coating material is supplied through a coating material supplying path to a coating gun to which a high voltage is applied. The electrostatic coating apparatus is provided with an insulating and separating valve capable of electrically insulating and separating the coating material supplying path into an application side in which the high voltage is applied and a non-application side. The insulating and separating valve is provided with a female coupling member having a first connecting portion and a male coupling member having a second connecting portion. A supplying hole for supplying a cleaning fluid to the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion and a discharging hole for discharging the cleaning fluid supplied to the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are provided on one of the female coupling member disposed on the non-application side and the male coupling member.

Abstract: An intermediate reserve tank for temporarily storing a conductive coating medium is provided in a coating medium supply passage for supplying the conductive coating medium from a color switch valve mechanism to a spray gun. A block valve mechanism for electrically insulating the color switch valve mechanism and the intermediate reserve tank is provided. A coating medium extrusion portion for supplying water or a cleaning solution is connected to a transmission passage between the intermediate reserve tank and the spray gun via a switch valve. When an amount of the coating medium necessary until an end of a coating operation becomes a predetermined amount, the conductive coating medium is extruded by the water or the cleaning solution by switching the switch valve.

Abstract: A rotary atomization coating device is provided with a rotary atomizing head including a paint storage and adapted to atomize paint supplied to the paint storage and to discharge the paint onto a work, and a paint supplying nozzle adapted to supply the paint to the paint storage. The rotary atomizing head includes a plurality of bell cups. Each of the bell cups includes, at a front face thereof, a paint discharging face adapted to thin the paint by a centrifugal force. The rotary atomizing head includes a plurality of paint supplying holes corresponding to the respective bell cups. The paint supplying holes are adapted to supply the paint from the paint storage to the respective paint discharging faces. A plurality of grooves extending along a radial direction of the rotary atomizing head are formed at circumferential portions of the respective paint discharging faces.

Abstract: In an electrostatic coating apparatus (1), an electrically conductive coating material is supplied through a coating material supplying path (11) to a coating gun (13) to which a high voltage is applied. The electrostatic coating apparatus (1) is provided with an insulating and separating valve (32) capable of electrically insulating and separating the coating material supplying path (11) into an application side in which the high voltage is applied and a non-application side. The insulating and separating valve (32) is provided with a female coupling member (32U) having a first connecting portion (54) and a male coupling member (32D) having a second connecting portion (64).

Abstract: An electrostatic painting method is disclosed in which air inside a paint feed channel is expelled when a color for painting is changed. An electrically conductive paint is channeled into a discharge channel of a fluid pathway, and the flow rate of the paint is measured. The fluid pathway is provided, via a paint valve, to a color changing valve mechanism, and communicates with a paint cartridge. The changing valve mechanism is provided in a distant position relative to a painting gun. Electrically conductive paint is channeled through a paint feed channel, which extends from the color changing valve mechanism to the painting gun, and air inside the paint feed channel is expelled. The paint feed channel is then filled with the electrically conductive paint according to the value measured for the flow rate.

Abstract: An electrostatic coating method in which a coating material cartridge is used. When a coating material feeding path (68, 88) is cleaned by a liquid fed from a coating material feeding unit (20), the liquid is fed from the coating material feeding unit to a storage part (13) and stored. The liquid in the storage part is then fed to a fluid chamber (83) inside a coating material cartridge (19) via a fluid circuit (10A). The liquid in the fluid chamber pushes out the electrically conductive coating material inside a coating material chamber (84) via a free piston (82), and the electrically conductive coating material is fed to a coating gun (14).

Abstract: A three-coat one-bake type coating process for forming a multilayer coating film which attains high efficiency and brings about an excellent finished appearance. A three-coat one-bake type coating process includes applying an intermediate coating material, applying a finish base coating material, applying a clear topcoating material, and drying, wherein a two-package type coating material containing an isocyanate compound as the crosslinking agent is used as the intermediate coating material, whereby the surface fluidity of the intermediate coating is improved to make the coating surface smooth and the mixing of the intermediate coating with an upper layer and/or the volume shrinkage of the intermediate coating due to the component eliminated by curing are inhibited to give coated members having an excellent finished appearance.

Abstract: An electrostatic coating method in which a coating material cartridge is used. When a coating material feeding path (68, 88) is cleaned by a liquid fed from a coating material feeding unit (20), the liquid is fed from the coating material feeding unit to a storage part (13) and stored. The liquid in the storage part is then fed to a fluid chamber (83) inside a coating material cartridge (19) via a fluid circuit (10A). The liquid in the fluid chamber pushes out the electrically conductive coating material inside a coating material chamber (84) via a free piston (82), and the electrically conductive coating material is fed to a coating gun (14).

Abstract: An electrostatic painting method is disclosed in which air inside a paint feed channel is expelled when a color for painting is changed. An electrically conductive paint is channeled into a discharge channel of a fluid pathway, and the flow rate of the paint is measured. The fluid pathway is provided, via a paint valve, to a color changing valve mechanism, and communicates with a paint cartridge. The changing valve mechanism is provided in a distant position relative to a painting gun. Electrically conductive paint is channeled through a paint feed channel, which extends from the color changing valve mechanism to the painting gun, and air inside the paint feed channel is expelled. The paint feed channel is then filled with the electrically conductive paint according to the value measured for the flow rate.

Abstract: An intermediate reserve tank for temporarily storing a conductive coating medium is provided in a coating medium supply passage for supplying the conductive coating medium from a color switch valve mechanism to a spray gun. A block valve mechanism for electrically insulating the color switch valve mechanism and the intermediate reserve tank is provided. A coating medium extrusion portion for supplying water or a cleaning solution is connected to a transmission passage between the intermediate reserve tank and the spray gun via a switch valve. When an amount of the coating medium necessary until an end of a coating operation becomes a predetermined amount, the conductive coating medium is extruded by the water or the cleaning solution by switching the switch valve.

Abstract: A coating system includes an intermediate coat applying process, an overcoat applying process, and a clear coat applying process, which are disposed successively along a coating flow direction. The intermediate coat applying process includes first through fourth intermediate coat applying stations through, which are disposed in parallel to each other across a coating line. The overcoat applying process includes first through sixth overcoat applying stations through, which are disposed in parallel to each other across the coating line. At least each of the first through third overcoat applying stations through has a plurality of coating robots for applying coats having different colors.

Abstract: A multiple color painting apparatus has dedicated passages for carrying paints from a plurality of paint tanks each filled with paint of a different color. A single pump is disposed at the outlets of the dedicated passages. The delivery passage of the pump is used as a single common passage. A paint gun is connected to this common passage. As a result, when the paint color being used is changed it is not necessary for the dedicated passages to be washed with washing liquid and only the common passage from the pump to the paint gun need be washed.

Abstract: A rotary atomizing type of painting apparatus is made up of a rotary atomizing head and a shaping air ring disposed to enclose a base portion of the rotary atomizing head such that shaping air is blown out of a jet nozzle formed in the shaping air ring toward a front end outer periphery of the rotary atomizing head. The shaping air ring is provided with a cylindrical member which partitions an air-flowing space in which the shaping air blown out of the jet nozzle flows and an outer space which is outside in the centrifugal direction of the rotary atomizing head relative to the air-flowing space.

Abstract: A workpiece is electrostatically coated by an internal-voltage-application-type rotary atomizing electrostatic coating apparatus. An electrically conductive paint is supplied to the internal-voltage-application-type rotary atomizing electrostatic coating apparatus, and a voltage applied to the internal-voltage-application-type rotary atomizing electrostatic coating apparatus is controlled depending on an area of the workpiece which is to be coated, for thereby varying a coated pattern width on the workpiece.