US-12623237-B2 - Fluid reservoir for a spray gun with a ventilation device

US12623237B2US 12623237 B2US12623237 B2US 12623237B2US-12623237-B2

Abstract

A fluid reservoir for a spray gun, which fluid reservoir has a material outlet which is configured for the direct and/or indirect connection to a spray gun. The fluid reservoir has a ventilation device, via which air can flow into the fluid reservoir in order to ensure a pressure compensation when coating material flows out from the fluid reservoir via the material outlet. Advantageously, the ventilation device includes a device on the outside of the fluid reservoir and separately to a ventilation opening and a latching device, which device cooperates as a centering device, a retaining device and/or a guide device with the closure element.

Inventors

Peter Dettlaff

Assignees

SATA GMBH & CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20210729
Priority Date: 20200731

Claims (20)

1 . A flow cup for a spray gun, the flow cup comprising: a material outlet configured for at least one of direct and indirect connection to the spray gun, a ventilation device via which air can flow into the flow cup in order to enable pressure equalization when coating material flows out of the flow cup via the material outlet, wherein the ventilation device comprises a closure element which is movable between at least one open position, in which air can flow into the flow cup, and a closed position in which no air can flow through the ventilation device into the flow cup, the closure element having a closure plug which, in the closed position of the closure element, closes a ventilation opening in the flow cup, wherein the ventilation device further comprises a latching device provided separately from the ventilation opening by means of which the closure element can be held in a latching manner at least in the closed position, wherein provided separately on an outside of the flow cup at a spacing from the ventilation opening and from the latching device is a separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device which as a centering, retaining and/or guiding device interacts with the closure element, and wherein at least in the closed position a portion of the closure element contacts an inner peripheral surface of the latching device and an outer peripheral surface of the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device.
2 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the latching device comprises an outer hollow collar and the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device is comprises a central hollow collar.
3 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device is disposed radially between the latching device and the ventilation opening.
4 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure element has a separate component that is separate from the closure plug in the form of a closure element hollow collar which interacts with the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device, the closure element hollow collar being provided with latching means which interact with the latching device on the outside of the flow cup.
5 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the closure plug projects axially in relation to the closure element hollow collar by a distance which is equal to a wall thickness of the flow cup in a region of the ventilation device.
6 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure plug has a shoulder which, when interacting with a periphery of the ventilation opening, prevents an end face of the closure plug from protruding inwards in relation to a flow cup wall when the closure element is in the closed position.
7 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an inner hollow collar which forms an edge of the ventilation opening, is provided on the outside of the flow cup, the inner hollow collar configured for centering the closure plug when closing the ventilation opening.
8 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ventilation device is configured such that the closure element when moving between the open position and the closed position is guided by an interaction between the latching device on the outside of the flow cup and a closure element hollow collar which is disposed on the closure element, the closure element being able to be centered and/or guided near the closed position by the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device.
9 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device in the closed position of the closure element forms a sealing effect by way of a closure element hollow collar which is disposed on the closure element, bearing in a sealing manner on the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device.
10 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an end face of a closure element hollow collar which is disposed on the closure element, in the closed position of the closure element is disposed in an annular space between the latching device on the outside of the flow cup and the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device.
11 . The flow cup as claimed in in claim 1 , wherein the closure element is embodied in a shape of a cap with a cap plate from which the closure plug and a closure element hollow collar projects.
12 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the closure element is embodied in a shape of a cap with a cap plate which is provided with a number of cut-outs and/or which has a central hollow protuberance which forms the closure plug.
13 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a closure element hollow collar disposed on an external circumference of the closure element, the closure element hollow collar is provided with first latching lugs which interact with latching means on the latching device on the outside of the flow cup in order to hold the closure member in the closed position.
14 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the closure element hollow collar is further provided with second latching lugs on the external circumference that interact with the latching means on the latching device on the outside of the flow cup in order to keep the closure element captive in a maximum open position on the flow cup.
15 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the closure element hollow collar is provided with pocket-shaped recesses on the external circumference, which serve as ventilation channels when the closure element is disposed in a maximum open position on the flow cup.
16 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the closure element hollow collar is provided with pocket-shaped recesses on the external circumference, which serve as ventilation channels when the closure element is disposed in the maximum open position on the flow cup.
17 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the latching device comprises an outer hollow collar on the outside of the flow cup, and wherein the outer hollow collar includes a latching edge in a region of an end face of the outer hollow collar on an inner peripheral surface of the outer hollow collar.
18 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the flow cup has a material container and a cover which closes the material container in a fluid-tight and releasable manner, the material outlet being disposed on the material container.
19 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the closure element, the cover of the flow cup and/or the material container of the flow cup are integrally produced from plastics material by a plastics injection-molding method.
20 . The flow cup as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the latching device comprises an outer hollow collar and the separate centering, retaining and/or guiding device comprises a central hollow collar on the outside of the flow cup.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a flow cup for a spray gun, which has a material outlet which is designed for direct and/or indirect connection to a spray gun, the flow cup having a ventilation device through which air can flow into the flow cup in order to equalize the pressure when coating material flows out of the flow cup via the material outlet, the ventilation device comprising a closure element which can be moved between at least one open position, in which air can flow into the flow cup, and a closed position, in which no air can flow through the ventilation device into the flow cup, the closure element having a closure plug which, in the closed position of the closure element, closes a ventilation opening in the flow cup, and provided separately from the ventilation opening is a latching device, in particular a (first) hollow collar, by means of which the closure element can be held in a latching manner at least in the closed position. BACKGROUND A flow cup of this type is known, for example, from DE 10 2004 007 733 A1. The flow cup described therein comprises a cup-shaped container and a cover that can be screwed onto it via a thread. On its upper side, the cover has an outlet port with an outlet opening, which is designed for direct or indirect (by means of an adapter) connection to a spray gun. This is a so-called upside-down flow cup, which is mounted on a spray gun with the cover facing down. When coating a surface with the aid of the spray gun equipped with the flow cup, coating material, e.g. paint, by virtue of gravity and optionally of a suction effect generated at the nozzle head of the spray gun, flows via the outlet port from the flow cup into the spray gun. In order to ensure pressure equalization when coating material flows out of the flow cup via the outlet port, the bottom of the cup-shaped container is provided with a ventilation valve. The ventilation valve comprises a hollow collar, the wall of which projects perpendicularly outwards from the bottom of the container. A ventilation opening in the bottom of the container is placed so as to be centric in relation to the hollow collar. A plurality of latching ribs are provided on the external circumference of the hollow collar, which are used to hold a cap-shaped closure element in a closed position, in which a centric closure plug of the closure element closes the ventilation opening. The closure element is able to be moved back and forth between the closed position and at least one open position. In particular, this is a snap-in valve. Flow cups with ventilation devices in the form of snap-in valves of a similar construction have also become known from the documents DE 10 2006 029 802 A1, EP 2 277 628 B1 and EP 1 658 143 A2. In practice, flow cups with ventilation devices of this type have proven successful. However, the flow cup and in particular the associated ventilation device must meet enormous demands in terms of long-lasting functional reliability, even with repeated opening and closing under the intensive influence of solvents and after prolonged storage of various substances in the flow cup. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, one aspect of the invention relates to increasing the functional reliability of the ventilation devices of generic flow cups. Various embodiments of a flow cup are disclosed herein. The flow cup according to the invention is characterized in that provided separately on the outside of the flow cup, in particular at a spacing from the ventilation opening and separately, in particular spaced apart from the latching device, is a device which as a centering, retaining and/or guiding device interacts with the closure element. The latching device is preferably fastened to the outside of the flow cup and not to the closure element. The latching device is designed in particular as a hollow collar which preferably extends perpendicularly to the region of the outside of the flow cup on which it is disposed and/or which projects in relation to the outside of the flow cup. In particular, the hollow collar is embodied so as to be integral to the region of the outside of the flow cup on which it is disposed. In the case of a more general implementation of the inventive concept, instead of the latching device, a device for holding the closure element at least in the closed position is generally provided, the closure element being held at least in the closed position by means of the device, for example in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner. If the additional device according to the invention already fulfils one of the functions of centering, retaining or guiding, the functional reliability of the ventilation device is increased since any (possibly only temporary) impairment of the other components, in particular the latching device or the sealing plug with regard to one of the functions guiding, retaining or centering, can be compensated for. The additional device fulfils a guiding function