U.S. patent application number 17/020381 was filed with the patent office on 2020-12-31 for ultrasonic applicators with uv light sources and methods of use thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Ford Motor Company. The applicant listed for this patent is Ford Motor Company. Invention is credited to Kevin Ellwood, Wanjiao Liu, Mark Nichols, Christopher Seubert.
Application Number | 20200406286 17/020381 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005086943 |
Filed Date | 2020-12-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200406286 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Seubert; Christopher ; et
al. |
December 31, 2020 |
ULTRASONIC APPLICATORS WITH UV LIGHT SOURCES AND METHODS OF USE
THEREOF
Abstract
A material applicator includes an array plate and at least one
ultrasonic transducer mechanically coupled to the array plate. The
array plate includes a plurality of micro-applicators and each of
the micro-applicators has a material inlet, a reservoir, and a
micro-applicator plate in mechanical communication with the at
least one ultrasonic transducer. Each of the plurality of
micro-applicator plates has a plurality of apertures and the at
least one ultrasonic transducer is configured to vibrate each of
the plurality of micro-applicator plates such that at least one
material is ejected through the plurality of apertures as atomized
droplets. At least one ultraviolet light source is positioned
adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators and the at least one
UV light source is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets
ejected through the plurality of apertures.
Inventors: |
Seubert; Christopher; (New
Hudson, MI) ; Nichols; Mark; (Saline, MI) ;
Ellwood; Kevin; (Ann Arbor, MI) ; Liu; Wanjiao;
(Ann Arbor, MI) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Motor Company |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Motor Company
Dearborn
MI
|
Family ID: |
1000005086943 |
Appl. No.: |
17/020381 |
Filed: |
September 14, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16211547 |
Dec 6, 2018 |
10792693 |
|
|
17020381 |
|
|
|
|
62624013 |
Jan 30, 2018 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05B 7/1481 20130101;
B05D 1/02 20130101; B05B 15/628 20180201; B05B 15/625 20180201;
B05B 17/0646 20130101; B05B 1/262 20130101; B05B 17/0669 20130101;
B05B 12/16 20180201; B25J 11/0075 20130101; B05B 13/0431 20130101;
B05B 17/0653 20130101; B05B 12/00 20130101; B05B 3/14 20130101;
B05B 15/00 20130101; B05B 17/063 20130101; B05B 12/36 20180201;
B05D 1/12 20130101; B05D 3/067 20130101; B05B 3/02 20130101; B05B
15/68 20180201; B05B 13/0452 20130101; B05B 17/06 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B05B 17/00 20060101
B05B017/00; B05B 13/04 20060101 B05B013/04; B05B 17/06 20060101
B05B017/06; B05B 3/14 20060101 B05B003/14; B05B 3/02 20060101
B05B003/02; B05B 15/628 20060101 B05B015/628; B05B 12/36 20060101
B05B012/36; B05B 15/625 20060101 B05B015/625; B05B 12/16 20060101
B05B012/16; B05B 7/14 20060101 B05B007/14; B25J 11/00 20060101
B25J011/00; B05B 12/00 20060101 B05B012/00; B05B 15/68 20060101
B05B015/68; B05B 1/26 20060101 B05B001/26; B05D 1/02 20060101
B05D001/02; B05B 15/00 20060101 B05B015/00; B05D 1/12 20060101
B05D001/12; B05D 3/06 20060101 B05D003/06 |
Claims
1. A material applicator comprising: an array plate and at least
one ultrasonic transducer mechanically coupled to the array plate,
the array plate comprising a plurality of micro-applicators,
wherein: each of the plurality of micro-applicators has a material
inlet, a reservoir, and a micro-applicator plate in mechanical
communication with the at least one ultrasonic transducer; each of
the plurality of micro-applicator plates has a plurality of
apertures; and the at least one ultrasonic transducer is configured
to vibrate each of the micro-applicator plates such that at least
one material is ejected through the plurality of apertures as
atomized droplets; and at least one ultraviolet (UV) light source
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators, wherein
the at least one UV light source is configured to irradiate the
atomized droplets ejected through the plurality of apertures.
2. The material applicator according to claim 1, wherein the at
least one ultrasonic transducer is a plurality of ultrasonic
transducers and each of the micro-applicators has one of the
plurality of ultrasonic transducers directly coupled to the
micro-applicator plate.
3. The material applicator according to claim 1, wherein the at
least one UV light source is a UV light ring.
4. The material applicator according to claim 1, wherein the at
least one UV light source is a UV light emitting diode (LED).
5. The material applicator according to claim 1, wherein the at
least one UV light source comprises a plurality of UV light rings
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators such that
each UV light ring is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of
the micro-applicators.
6. The material applicator according to claim 5, wherein each UV
light ring is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected
through the plurality of apertures of the corresponding one of the
micro-applicators.
7. The material applicator according to claim 1, wherein the at
least one UV light source comprises a plurality of UV LEDs
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators such that
each UV LED is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the
micro-applicators.
8. The material applicator according to claim 7, wherein each UV
LED is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected
through the plurality of apertures of the corresponding one of the
micro-applicators.
9. The material applicator according to claim 1, wherein each of
the plurality of micro-applicators comprises a frame with a back
wall and at least one sidewall, wherein the reservoir is between
the back wall and the micro-applicator plate.
10. The material applicator according to claim 9, wherein the
reservoir is in fluid communication with the material inlet and a
material source.
11. The material applicator according to claim 9, wherein the at
least one ultrasonic transducer is a plurality of ultrasonic
transducers with each ultrasonic transducer being positioned
between the micro-applicator plate and the frame of a given
micro-applicator of the plurality of micro-applicators.
12. A material applicator comprising: an array plate and at least
one ultrasonic transducer mechanically coupled to the array plate,
the array plate comprising a plurality of micro-applicators,
wherein: each of the plurality of micro-applicators has a frame
with a material inlet, a backwall, at least one sidewall, a
micro-applicator plate in mechanical communication with the at
least one ultrasonic transducer, and a reservoir between the
backwall and the micro-applicator plate; each of the plurality of
micro-applicator plates has a plurality of apertures; and the at
least one ultrasonic transducer is configured to vibrate each of
the micro-applicator plates such that at least one material is
ejected through the plurality of apertures as atomized droplets;
and at least one ultraviolet (UV) light source positioned adjacent
to the plurality of micro-applicators, wherein the at least one UV
light source is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets
ejected through the plurality of apertures.
13. The material applicator according to claim 12, wherein the at
least one ultrasonic transducer is a plurality of ultrasonic
transducers and each of the micro-applicators has one of the
plurality of ultrasonic transducers directly coupled to the
micro-applicator plate.
14. The material applicator according to claim 13, wherein each of
the plurality of ultrasonic applicators is positioned between the
micro-applicator plate and the at least one sidewall of a given
micro-applicator.
15. The material applicator according to claim 12, wherein the at
least one UV light source is a UV light ring.
16. The material applicator according to claim 12, wherein the at
least one UV light source is a UV light emitting diode (LED).
17. The material applicator according to claim 12, wherein the at
least one UV light source comprises a plurality of UV light rings
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators such that
each UV light ring is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of
the micro-applicators.
18. The material applicator according to claim 17, wherein each UV
light ring is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected
through the plurality of apertures of the corresponding one of the
micro-applicators.
19. The material applicator according to claim 12, wherein the at
least one UV light source comprises a plurality of UV LEDs
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators such that
each UV LED is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the
micro-applicators.
20. The material applicator according to claim 19, wherein each UV
LED is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected
through the plurality of apertures of the corresponding one of the
micro-applicators.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 16/211,547 filed on Dec. 6, 2018, which claims
priority to provisional application 62/624,013 filed on Jan. 30,
2018. The disclosures of the above applications are incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to the painting of vehicles,
and more particularly to methods and equipment used in high volume
production to paint the vehicles and components thereof.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The statements in this section merely provide background
information related to the present disclosure and may not
constitute prior art.
[0004] Painting automotive vehicles in a high volume production
environment involves substantial capital cost, not only for
application and control of the paint, but also for equipment to
capture overspray. The overspray can be up to 40% of the paint that
exits an applicator, or in other words, to 40% of the paint that is
purchased and applied is wasted (i.e. the transfer efficiency is
.about.60%). Equipment that captures overspray involves significant
capital expenses when a paint shop is constructed, including large
air handling systems to carry overspray down through a paint booth,
construction of a continuous stream of water that flows under a
floor of the paint booth to capture the overspray, filtration
systems, and abatement, among others. In addition, costs to operate
the equipment is high because air (flowing at greater than 200K
CFM) that flows through the paint booths must be conditioned, the
flow of water must be maintained, compressed air must be supplied,
and complex electrostatics are employed to improve transfer
efficiency.
[0005] Moreover, ultraviolet (UV) curable coatings are ubiquitously
used in various industries. Applications of UV curable coatings
range from flooring to fiber optic cables and beyond. UV curable
coatings are currently used in the vehicle industry on
polycarbonate headlamps. However, UV curable coatings have the
potential to be used on the vehicle exterior if a durable and
robust material system can be formulated. An additional challenge
to using UV curable coatings on the exterior of vehicles is the
difficulty of delivering sufficient UV light to cure the coating to
all regions, particularly regions that are "shadowed" from that
light.
[0006] This issue of UV curable coatings, among other issues
related to the painting of automotive vehicles or other objects in
a high volume production environment, are addressed by the present
disclosure.
SUMMARY
[0007] In one form of the present disclosure, a material applicator
includes an array plate and at least one ultrasonic transducer
mechanically coupled to the array plate. The array plate includes a
plurality of micro-applicators and each of the micro-applicators
has a material inlet, a reservoir, and a micro-applicator plate in
mechanical communication with the at least one ultrasonic
transducer. Also, each of the plurality of micro-applicator plates
has a plurality of apertures and the at least one ultrasonic
transducer is configured to vibrate each of the plurality of
micro-applicator plates such that at least one material is ejected
through the plurality of apertures as atomized droplets. At least
one ultraviolet (UV) light source positioned adjacent to the
plurality of micro-applicators is included and the at least one UV
light source is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets
ejected through the plurality of apertures.
[0008] In some variations, the at least one ultrasonic transducer
is a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and each of the
micro-applicators has one of the plurality of ultrasonic
transducers directly coupled to the micro-applicator plate.
[0009] In at least one variation, the at least one UV light source
is a UV light ring. In another variation, the at least one UV light
source is a UV light emitting diode (LED). In some variations, the
at least one UV light source is a plurality of UV light rings
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators such that
each UV light ring is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of
the micro-applicators. In such variations each UV light ring can be
configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected through the
plurality of apertures of an adjacent micro-applicator. In other
variations, the at least one UV light source is a plurality of UV
LEDs positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators such
that each UV LED is positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of
the micro-applicators. And in such variations, each UV LED can be
configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected through the
plurality of apertures of an adjacent micro-applicator.
[0010] In some variations, each of the plurality of
micro-applicators has a frame with a back wall and at least one
sidewall, wherein the reservoir is between the back wall and the
micro-applicator plate. In at least one variation, the reservoir is
in fluid communication with the material inlet and a material
source. In some variations, the at least one ultrasonic transducer
is a plurality of ultrasonic transducers with an ultrasonic
transducer positioned between a micro-applicator plate and a frame
of a given micro-applicator of the plurality of
micro-applicators.
[0011] In another form of the present disclosure, a material
applicator includes an array plate and at least one ultrasonic
transducer mechanically coupled to the array plate, and the array
plate has a plurality of micro-applicators. Each of the plurality
of micro-applicators has a frame with a material inlet, a backwall,
at least one sidewall, a micro-applicator plate in mechanical
communication with the at least one ultrasonic transducer, and a
reservoir between the backwall and the micro-applicator plate.
Also, each of the micro-applicator plates has a plurality of
apertures and the at least one ultrasonic transducer is configured
to vibrate each of the micro-applicator plates such that at least
one material is ejected through the plurality of apertures as
atomized droplets. At least one UV light source is positioned
adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators, and the at least
one UV light source is configured to irradiate the atomized
droplets ejected through the plurality of apertures.
[0012] In some variations, the at least one ultrasonic transducer
is a plurality of ultrasonic transducers and each of the plurality
of micro-applicators has one of the plurality of ultrasonic
transducers directly coupled to the micro-applicator plate. In at
least one variation, each of the ultrasonic applicators is
positioned between the micro-applicator plate and the at least one
sidewall of a given micro-applicator.
[0013] In some variations, the at least one UV light source is a UV
light ring. In at least one variation, the at least one UV light
source can be a plurality of UV light rings positioned adjacent to
the plurality of micro-applicators such that each UV light ring is
positioned adjacent to a micro-applicator. And in such a variation
each UV light ring is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets
ejected through the plurality of apertures of an adjacent
micro-applicator.
[0014] In some variations the at least one UV light source is a UV
LED. In at least one variation, the at least one UV light source
comprises a plurality of UV LEDs positioned adjacent to the
plurality of micro-applicators such that each UV LED is positioned
adjacent to a micro-applicator. And in such a variation, each UV
LED is configured to irradiate the atomized droplets ejected
through the plurality of apertures of an adjacent
micro-applicator.
[0015] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the
description provided herein. It should be understood that the
description and specific examples are intended for purposes of
illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the
present disclosure.
DRAWINGS
[0016] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there
will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of
example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a planar view of an exemplary paint spray system
according to the teachings of the present disclosure;
[0018] FIG. 2A schematically depicts a planar view of an exemplary
array of micro-applicators according to the teachings of the
present disclosure;
[0019] FIG. 2B schematically depicts a side cross-sectional view of
section 2B-2B in FIG. 2A;
[0020] FIG. 2C is a magnified view of section 2C in FIG. 2B;
[0021] FIG. 3 a flow diagram illustrating a method of controlling
application of material onto a substrate according to the teachings
of the present disclosure; and
[0022] FIG. 4 is another flow diagram illustrating a method of
controlling application of material onto a substrate according to
the teachings of the present disclosure
[0023] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes
only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present
disclosure in any way.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and
is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or
uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings,
corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding
parts and features. Examples are provided to fully convey the scope
of the disclosure to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous
specific details are set forth such as types of specific
components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough
understanding of variations of the present disclosure. It will be
apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not
be employed and that the examples provided herein, may include
alternative embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of
the disclosure. In some examples, well-known processes, well-known
device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in
detail.
[0025] The present disclosure provides a variety of devices,
methods, and systems for controlling the application of paint to
automotive vehicles in a high production environment, which reduce
overspray and increase transfer efficiency of the paint. It should
be understood that the reference to automotive vehicles is merely
exemplary and that other objects that are painted, such as
industrial equipment and appliances, among others, may also be
painted in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure.
Further, the use of "paint" or "painting" should not be construed
as limiting the present disclosure, and thus other materials such
as coatings, primers, sealants, cleaning solvents, among others,
are to be understood as falling within the scope of the present
disclosure.
[0026] Generally, the teachings of the present disclosure are based
on a droplet spray generation device in which a perforate membrane
is driven by a piezoelectric transducer. This device and variations
thereof are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,394,363, 7,550,897,
7,977,849, 8,317,299, 8,191,982, 9,156,049, 7,976,135, 9,452,442,
and U.S. Published Application Nos. 2014/0110500, 2016/0228902, and
2016/0158789, which are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 1, a paint spray system 2 for painting
a part P using a robotic arm 4 is schematically depicted. The
robotic arm 4 is coupled to at least one material applicator 10 and
a rack 5. A material source 8 (e.g., a paint source) is included
and includes at least one material M (materials M.sub.1, M.sub.2,
M.sub.3, . . . M.sub.n shown in FIG. 1; referred to herein simply
as "material M" and "material(s)"). In some aspects of the present
disclosure the material M includes paint materials, adhesive
materials, sealant materials, and the like. The arm 4 moves
according to xyz coordinates with respect to rack 5 such that the
material applicator 10 moves across a surface (not labeled) of the
part P. Also, a power source 6 is configured to supply power to arm
4 and rack 5. The arm 4, rack 5, and the power source 6 are
configured to supply material M from the material source 8 to the
material applicator 10 such that a coating is produced on the
surface of the part P. While FIG. 1 schematically depicts a paint
system 2 with one robotic arm 4, it should be understood that paint
spray systems 2 with more than one robotic arm 4 are included in
the teachings of the present disclosure.
[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 2A through 2C, the material
applicator 10 according to the teachings of the present disclosure
is schematically shown. In one form of the present disclosure, the
material applicator 10 includes an array plate 100 with an
applicator array 102 comprising a plurality of micro-applicators
110. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the array plate 100
with the applicator array 102 is positioned within a housing 140.
Each of the micro-applicators 110 comprises a plurality of
apertures 112 through which a material M is ejected such that
atomized droplets 3 are formed and propagate generally normal to
the array plate 100 as schematically depicted in FIG. 2B.
Particularly, each of the micro-applicators 110 has a
micro-applicator plate 114 and the plurality of apertures 112
extend through the micro-applicator plate 114. Also, each of the
micro-applicators 110 may include a transducer 120, a frame 130 and
a material inlet 138. The transducer 120 is in mechanical
communication with the micro-applicator plate 114 such that
activation of the transducer 120 ultrasonically vibrates the
micro-applicator plate 114 as schematically depicted by the
horizontal (z-direction) double-headed arrows in FIG. 2B. The frame
130 includes a back wall 134 and at least one sidewall 132 and a
reservoir 136 for containing the material M is provided between the
back wall 134 and the micro-applicator plate 114. The inlet 138 is
in fluid communication with the reservoir 136 and the material
source 8 (FIG. 1) such that the material M flows from the material
source 8, through inlet 138 and into reservoir 136. The material
applicator 10 also includes a UV light source 142 positioned
adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators 110.
[0029] In some aspects of the present disclosure, the UV light
source 142 is a UV light ring as schematically depicted in FIGS. 2A
and 2B. In other aspects of the present disclosure the UV light
source 142 is not a UV light ring. For example, the plurality of UV
light sources 142 in FIG. 2A can be a plurality of LED UV light
sources positioned on the array plate 100 between the plurality of
micro-applicators 110, a plurality of LED UV light sources
positioned on the micro-applicator plates 114 between the plurality
of apertures 112, a UV light ring positioned on the housing 140 or
on a perimeter of the array plate 100, and the like.
[0030] In operation, material M flows through the inlet 138 into
the reservoir 136. Surface tension of material M results in the
material M not flowing through the apertures 112 of the
micro-applicator plate 114 unless the transducer 120 is activated
and vibrates as schematically depicted in FIG. 2B. That is, when
transducer 120 is activated and vibrates, material M is ejected
through and/or from the plurality of apertures 112 as atomized
droplets 3. Also, UV irradiated atomized droplets 3' are formed as
the atomized droplets 3 propagate generally normal to the
micro-applicator plate 114 and are irradiated with UV light from
the UV light source 142. In some aspects of the present disclosure
the atomized droplets 3 and UV irradiated droplets 3' have an
average droplet diameter between 5 micrometers (.mu.m) and 100
.mu.m, for example between 10 .mu.m and 75 .mu.m, between 10 .mu.m
and 50 .mu.m, or between 20 .mu.m and 40 .mu.m.
[0031] The material M is a UV curable material and irradiation of
the atomized droplets 3 with UV light initiates curing of the
material M. For example, the material M may include a UV-activated
catalyst (e.g. a photolatent base catalyst) such that UV irradiated
atomized droplets 3' deposited onto a surface s' of a substrate S
form a UV-cured coating. Non-limiting examples of UV curable
materials and UV-activated catalysts include acrylates and epoxies
that are initiated by anionic, cationic, photolatent base, and
oftentimes, free radical photoinitiators. Urethanes can also be
used to create "dual cure" formulations that utilize both a UV and
thermal curing step.
[0032] In some aspects of the present disclosure, a controller 122
is included (FIG. 2A) and configured to switch the UV light source
142 on and off at desired times. The controller 122 may also be in
communication with the material source 8 such that one or more
materials M.sub.n is ejected through the plurality of
micro-applicators 110. In some aspects of the present disclosure, a
cleaning material M is ejected through the plurality of
micro-applicators 110 such that material M (e.g., paint material,
sealant material, adhesive material, etc.) attached or deposited
onto the UV light source 142 is removed.
[0033] As schematically depicted in FIG. 2B, the atomized droplets
3 and UV irradiated atomized droplets 3' travel in a direction
generally normal to the micro-applicator plate 114 and generally
parallel to an axis 1 of the micro-applicator 110. However, it
should be understood that the atomized droplets 3 may be diffracted
from the plurality of apertures 112 and the stream 7 may be angled
relative to the axis 1. It should also be understood that while
FIG. 2B schematically depicts material M entering reservoir 136
through inlet 138 and exiting reservoir 136 through apertures 112,
other flow configurations of the material M into and out of the
reservoir 136 are included in the teachings of the present
disclosure.
[0034] Referring now to FIG. 3, a method 200 of controlling
application of material onto a substrate is illustrated. The method
200 includes flowing a material into an ultrasonic spray nozzle
comprising a plurality of micro-applicators at step 202 and
ejecting the material from the plurality of micro-applicators at
step 204. The ejected material is irradiated with a UV light source
positioned adjacent to the plurality of micro-applicators at step
206 such that a plurality of UV irradiated atomized droplets are
provided. It should be understood that the plurality of UV
irradiated atomized droplets can be deposited onto a surface of a
substrate to form a UV cured coating on the substrate.
[0035] Referring now to FIG. 4, another method 220 of controlling
application of material onto a substrate is illustrated. The method
220 includes ejecting a coating material from an ultrasonic spray
nozzle comprising a plurality of micro-applicators at step 222. At
step 224, the ejected coating material is irradiated with a
plurality of UV light sources positioned adjacent to the plurality
of micro-applicators such that curing of the coating material is
initiated. A substrate is coated with the irradiated coating
material at step 226 and allowed to cure at step 228. In some
aspects of the present disclosure, the irradiated coating material
is allowed to cure without application of heat 230.
[0036] The material applicator 10 may be formed from known
materials used in the application of materials onto a surface of an
object. For example, the array plate 100, the micro-applicator
plate 114, the frame 130 and the housing 140 may be formed from
metallic materials, polymer materials, ceramic materials, and/or
composites materials. Non-limiting examples of metallic materials
include steels, stainless steels, nickel-base alloys, cobalt-base
alloys, and the like. Non-limiting examples of polymer materials
include \nylon, low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density
polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
and the like. Non-limiting examples of ceramic materials include
alumina (Al2O3), silica (SiO2), mullite (e.g.,
3Al.sub.2O.sub.3.2SiO.sub.2), titanium nitride (TiN), and the like.
Non-limiting examples of composite materials include fiber
reinforced polymers, ceramic matrix composites, metal matrix
composites, and the like. The transducer 120 may be formed from
piezoelectric materials such as barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3), lead
zirconate titanate (PZT), potassium niobite (KNbO.sub.3), sodium
tungsate (Na.sub.2WO.sub.3) and the like. The UV light source may
be formed from fluorescent UV light sources, LED UV light sources,
and the like. The material M may be a material(s) used to form a
coating or layer on a surface of a substrate.
[0037] It should be understood from the teachings of the present
disclosure that a UV light source is coupled to a micro-applicator
for in-situ catalyzing of atomized droplets containing a UV
catalyst material (e.g., a photolatent base catalyst). For example,
some clearcoats can be cured using a process where a catalyst is
activated via UV light. Unlike free radical curing, such UV curable
coatings continue to cure after the UV light is removed. In some
aspects of the present disclosure, curing of the atomized droplets
is delayed and the atomized droplets impact the body surface
(substrate) and then start to crosslink and cure without additional
UV exposure or heating. In other aspects of the present disclosure,
curing of the atomized droplets is not delayed. However, in such
aspects the positioning of the micro-applicators relative to the
surface of the substrate results in curing of the atomized droplets
after being deposited onto the surface without additional UV
exposure or heating.
[0038] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C
should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a
non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean "at
least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.
[0039] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," or
"coupled to," another element or layer, it may be directly on,
connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening
elements or layers may be present. As used herein, the term
"and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the
associated listed items.
[0040] Unless otherwise expressly indicated, all numerical values
indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional
percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics
are to be understood as modified by the word "about" or
"approximately" in describing the scope of the present disclosure.
This modification is desired for various reasons including
industrial practice, manufacturing technology, and testing
capability.
[0041] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular example forms only and is not intended to be limiting.
The singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may be intended to include
the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise. The terms "including," and "having," are inclusive and
therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,
operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the
presence or addition of one or more other features, integers,
steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The
method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to
be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the
particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically
identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood
that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
[0042] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in
nature and, thus, examples that do not depart from the substance of
the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the
disclosure. Such examples are not to be regarded as a departure
from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. The broad teachings of
the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore,
while this disclosure includes particular examples, the true scope
of the disclosure should not be so limited since other
modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings,
the specification, and the following claims.
* * * * *