SUGIMURA, Keigo (1500, Mishuku, Susono-shi, Shizuoka, 410-1194, JP)
KAMATA, Takeshi (1500, Mishuku, Susono-shi, Shizuoka, 410-1194, JP)
SUGIMURA, Keigo (1500, Mishuku, Susono-shi, Shizuoka, 410-1194, JP)
CLAIMS
1. A coloring nozzle for coloring an article, a predetermined amount of a coloring agent per ejection being ejected from the coloring nozzle toward an outer surface of the article so as to allow the ejected coloring agent to adhere to the outer surface of the article, the coloring nozzle comprising: a nozzle part which is formed in a cylindrical shape and allows the coloring agent to flow therein; a nozzle cover which covers at least an end part of the nozzle part and allows the coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part to adhere to the article; a first pipe which connects a pressurized gas supplying source for supplying a pressurized gas with a space between the end part of the nozzle part and the nozzle cover; and a second pipe which is connected with the first pipe through a selector valve and connects the first pipe with a cleaning liquid-receiving part containing a. nozzle-cleaning liquid, wherein the selector valve is controlled in such a way that only the pressurized gas is allowed to pass to the nozzle part when the coloring agent is ejected from the nozzle part, while only the nozzle-cleaning liquid is allowed to pass to the nozzle part when the coloring agent is not ejected from the nozzle part.
2. The coloring nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas or the nozzle-cleaning liquid allowed to pass through the first pipe is ejected into the space between the end part of the nozzle part and the nozzle cover along a direction crossing at right angles a direction in which the coloring agent flows in the nozzle part.
3. A coloring unit comprising a plurality of the coloring nozzles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the coloring nozzles are arranged in two lines putting an electric wire as the article therebetween, and the coloring nozzle situated in one line of the two lines is arranged at a position displaced from a position of the coloring nozzle situated in an opposite line of the two lines along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire. |
DESCRIPTION
COLORING NOZZLE AND COLORING UNIT INCLUDING THE SAME
[TECHNICAL FIELD]
The present invention relates to a coloring nozzle which is used to color an article such an electric wire including an electrically conductive core wire and an electrically insulating coating which coats the core wire. [BACKGROUND ART]
Various electronic instruments are mounted on a motor vehicle as a mobile unit. Therefore, the motor vehicle is provided with a wiring harness for transmitting power from a power source and control signals from a computer to the electronic instruments. The wiring harness includes a plurality of electric wires and connectors attached to ends of the electric wires.
The electric wire (i.e. wire) includes an electrically conductive core wire and a coating made of electrically insulating synthetic resin, which coats the core wire. The wire is a so-called coated wire. The connector includes a terminal fitting and connector housing which receives the terminal fitting. When the connector housing is connected to the electronic instruments, the wires are electrically connected to the electronic instruments through the terminal fittings, so that the wiring harness transmits the desired power and signals to the electronic instruments.
The wire of the wiring harness must be distinguished in terms of the
size of the core wire, the material of the coating (concerning with alteration of the materials depending upon heat-resisting property), and a purpose of use. The purpose of use means, for example, an air bag, antilock brake system (ABS), control signal such as speed information, and system in a motor vehicle in which the wire is used, such as a power transmission system.
In order to distinguish the wires, it has been proposed that a monochrome wire is manufactured, an outer surface of the wire is colored in a desired color according to a need, and a wiring harness is assembled (see Patent Publication 1). It has been also proposed a coloring apparatus for coloring a wire characterized in that when a monochrome wire is being colored, a predetermined amount of a liquid coloring agent per ejection is ejected toward the outer surface of the wire so as to allow a drop (or drops) of the liquid coloring agent to adhere to the outer surface of the wire, so that the wire is colored in a desired color (see Patent Publication 2).
In the coloring apparatus described above, a wire passes right below an ejection outlet of a nozzle. When a diameter of the wire is very small or when a passing speed of the wire is very high, since the wire shakes along its diameter direction, there has been a problem that the coloring agent ejected from the ejection outlet of the nozzle fails to adhere to the wire or improperly adheres to the wire causing a poor quality in design. Further, when a passing speed of the wire is very high, it is necessary to use a quick-drying coloring agent. However, when such a quick-drying coloring agent is used, there has been a problem that the nozzle tends to be blocked.
As a solution to solve the above problems, proposed is a nozzle apparatus (see Figs. 3 and 4) in which an atomized coloring agent is sprayed in a wide angle. The nozzle apparatus 115 shown in Fig. 3 pushes out the coloring agent contained within a nozzle 100 with high pressure to atomize the coloring agent. Also, in the nozzle apparatus 215 shown in Fig. 4, a cylinder-shaped member 101 is provided at the outside of a nozzle 100 which contains the coloring agent, pressurized gas is fed into between the cylinder-shaped member 101 and the nozzle 100, and the coloring agent is sucked to the outside of the nozzle 100 by the flow speed of the pressurized gas so as to mix the coloring agent with the pressurized gas, so that the coloring agent is atomized. By atomizing the coloring agent by using such nozzle apparatuses 1 15, 215, even when a slow-drying coloring agent is used, the coloring agent can be dried quickly, and also by spraying the coloring agent in a wide angle, the wire can be securely colored.
However, the nozzle apparatus 1 15 shown in Fig. 3 has a problem that the coloring agent is hardly atomized at a start of the spraying and spraying a small amount of the coloring agent is difficult. The nozzle apparatus 215 shown in Fig. 4 also has the same problem that spraying a small amount of the coloring agent is difficult. That is, these nozzle apparatuses 115 and 215 are not suitable for intermittent ejection of a predetermined amount of the coloring agent per ejection.
[Patent Publication 1] International Publication No. 03/019580 Brochure [Patent Publication 2] Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-
019081
[DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION]
[PROBLEMS THAT THE INVENTION IS TO SOLVE]
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a coloring nozzle, by which a predetermined amount of the coloring agent per ejection can be securely ejected toward an article, the ejected coloring agent can be quickly dried, and the nozzle is prevented from being blocked, and to provide a coloring unit including such a coloring nozzle.
[MEANS OF SOLVING THE PROBLEMS]
In order to attain the above objective, the invention defined in claim 1 is a coloring nozzle for coloring an article, a predetermined amount of a coloring agent per ejection being ejected from the coloring nozzle toward an outer surface of the article so as to allow the ejected coloring agent to adhere to the outer surface of the article, the coloring nozzle including: a nozzle part which is formed in a cylindrical shape and allows the coloring agent to flow therein; a nozzle cover which covers at least an end part of the nozzle part and allows the coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part to adhere to the article; a first pipe which connects a pressurized gas supplying source for supplying a pressurized gas with a space between the end part of the nozzle part and the nozzle cover; and a second pipe which is connected with the first pipe through a
selector valve and connects the first pipe with a cleaning liquid-receiving part containing a nozzle-cleaning liquid, wherein the selector valve is controlled in such a way that only the pressurized gas is allowed to pass to the nozzle part when the coloring agent is ejected from the nozzle part, while only the nozzle-cleaning liquid is allowed to pass to the nozzle part when the coloring agent is not ejected from the nozzle part.
The invention defined in claim 2 is the invention defined in claim 1 further characterized in that the pressurized gas or the nozzle-cleaning liquid allowed to pass through the first pipe is ejected into the space between the end part of the nozzle part and the nozzle cover along a direction crossing at right angles a direction in which the coloring agent flows in the nozzle part.
The invention defined in claim 3 is a coloring unit including a plurality of the coloring nozzles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the coloring nozzles are arranged in two lines putting an electric wire as the article therebetween, and the coloring nozzle situated in one line of the two lines is arranged at a position displaced from a position of the coloring nozzle situated in an opposite line of the two lines along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire.
[EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION]
According to the invention defined in claim 1, since the coloring nozzle includes: a nozzle part which is formed in a cylindrical shape and allows the coloring agent to flow therein; a nozzle cover which covers at least an end part of the nozzle part and allows the coloring agent ejected
from the nozzle part to adhere to the article; a first pipe which connects a pressurized gas supplying source for supplying a pressurized gas with a space between the end part of the nozzle part and the nozzle cover; and a second pipe which is connected with the first pipe through a selector valve and connects the first pipe with a cleaning liquid-receiving part containing a nozzle-cleaning liquid, wherein the selector valve is controlled in such a way that only the pressurized gas is allowed to pass to the nozzle part when the coloring agent is ejected from the nozzle part, while only the nozzle-cleaning liquid is allowed to pass to the nozzle part when the coloring agent is not ejected from the nozzle part, therefore the coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part is stirred with the pressurized gas within the nozzle cover, atomized and ejected in a wide angle. Therefore, a predetermined amount of the coloring agent per ejection can be securely ejected toward the article and the ejected coloring agent can be quickly dried. Accordingly, it becomes possible to use a slow-drying coloring agent such as a water-based coloring agent and an alcohol-based coloring agent taking the protection of the environment into consideration. Further, since the nozzle part is cleaned with the nozzle-cleaning liquid, therefore the nozzle can be prevented from being blocked. Furthermore, since the nozzle-cleaning liquid is allowed to pass through the first pipe which is common with respect to the pressurized gas, therefore the structure of the coloring nozzle can be simplified.
According to the invention defined in claim 2, since the nozzle- cleaning liquid allowed to pass through the first pipe is ejected into the space between the end part of the nozzle part and the nozzle cover along
a direction crossing at right angles a direction in which the coloring agent flows inside the nozzle part, therefore the nozzle-cleaning liquid can easily reach the inside of the nozzle part, so that the nozzle part can be efficiently cleaned. Therefore, the nozzle can be more securely prevented from being blocked.
According to the invention defined in claim 3, since a plurality of the coloring nozzles are arranged in two lines putting an electric wire as the article therebetween, and the coloring nozzle situated in one line of the two lines is arranged at a position displaced from a position of the coloring nozzle situated in an opposite line of the two lines along a longitudinal direction of the electric wire, therefore the electric wire can be colored throughout the entire periphery and the coloring agent ejected from the coloring nozzle situated in one line of the two lines never makes the coloring nozzle situated in an opposite line of the two lines dirty.
[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS]
[FIG. I] A schematic view illustrating a construction of an electric wire coloring apparatus including coloring unit having coloring nozzles according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention [FIG. 2] A cross sectional view illustrating the coloring unit shown in Fig. 1
[FIG. 3] A view for explaining a conventional nozzle apparatus [FIG. 4] A view for explaining another conventional nozzle apparatus
[ABBREVIATION NUMERALS] 2: coloring unit
3 : electric wire (article)
3 a: outer surface
6: selector valve
7: first pipe 8: second pipe
15: coloring nozzle
16: pressurized gas supplying source
18: cleaning liquid-receiving part
20: nozzle part 20b: opposite end part (end part)
21 : nozzle cover
S: space
[BEST MODE FOR CARRING OUT THE INVENTION] In the following, an electric wire coloring apparatus (hereinafter, coloring apparatus) including coloring unit having coloring nozzles according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The coloring apparatus 1 cuts an electric wire 3 as the article into a predetermined length and colors an outer surface 3a of the wire 3 throughout the entire periphery. That is, the coloring apparatus 1 colors or marks the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3.
The wires 3 constitute a wiring harness to be mounted in a motor vehicle as a mobile unit. As shown in Fig. 2, each wire 3 includes an electrically conductive core wire 4 and an electrically insulating coating
5. A plurality of element wires are twisted together so as to form the core
wire 4. Each element wire is made of an electrically conductive metal. Instead, the core wire may be formed with only one element wire. The coating 5 is made of synthetic resin, for example, polyolefin. The polyolefin is a material which is hardly adherent. The coating 5 coats the core wire 4. That is, the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3 is an outer surface of the coating 5. The coating 5 is monochrome.
A ring-shaped mark is formed on the outer surface 3a of the wire 3 throughout the entire periphery of the wire 3 with a coloring agent having a color different from that of the coating 5. A plurality of the wires 3, on which the marks are formed, are bundled up together and connectors are attached to ends of the wires 3 so as to construct the wiring harness. Then, the connectors are coupled with corresponding connectors of various electronic instruments mounted on the motor vehicle, so that the wiring harness, i.e. the wires 3 transmit various signals and electric power to the electronic instruments.
The wires 3 can be distinguished from each other by changing the colors of the ring-shaped marks to various colors. That is, the ring- shaped marks described above are used in order to distinguish types of the wires 3 of the wiring harness, the system in the motor vehicle and so on.
The coloring agent means a liquid substance, in which a coloring material (organic substance for use in industry) is dissolved and dispersed in a solvent such as water and alcohol. The organic substance described above is a dye or a pigment (most of them being organic substances and synthetic substances). Sometimes, a dye is used as a pigment and a pigment is used as a dye. As an example, the coloring
agent may be a coloring liquid or coating material. The coloring liquid is a liquid, in which a dye is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent. The coating material is a material, in which a pigment is dispersed in a liquid dispersion. When the coloring liquid adheres to the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3, the dye permeates into the coating 5. When the coating material adheres to the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3, the pigment adheres to the outer surface 3 a without permeating into the coating 5. That is, to color the outer surface 3a of the electric wire 3 means to dye a part of the outer surface 3a of the wire 3 with a dye or to coat a part of the outer surface 3a of the wire 3 with a pigment. Preferably, the solvent and liquid dispersion have an affinity to the synthetic resin that constitutes the coating 5 in order to securely permeate the dye into the coating 5 or to allow the pigment to securely adhere to the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3. In the preferred embodiment, as the coloring agent, used is a water- based coloring agent or an ethanol-based coloring agent that has the ethanol concentration equal to or higher than 90%, having the viscosity equal to or lower than 1 — 2 mPa-s taking the protection of the environment into consideration. The coloring apparatus 1 includes: a frame which is placed on a floor of a plant and extends in the horizontal direction; guide roll 1 1 which is rotatably attached to one end of the frame and around which a long wire 3 before being colored is rolled up; conveying mechanism 12 arranged at the one end-side of the frame; measuring mechanism 13 arranged at an opposite end-side of the frame; cutting mechanism 14 arranged at the opposite end of the frame; coloring unit 2 arranged
between the conveying mechanism 12 and the measuring mechanism 13; and control device 17 for controlling the whole of the coloring apparatus 1. The control device 17 includes a control unit having a known RAM 5 ROM and CPU and various drivers for driving a selector valve 6 (explained later) and so on.
In the conveying mechanism 12, the wire 3 is nipped between pairs of rollers driven by a motor or the like connected to the control device 17, the wire 3 is pulled from the guide roll 11 along the longitudinal direction of the wire 3, and the wire 3 is forwarded with a high speed toward the measuring mechanism 13 along a direction indicated by an arrow K in Fig. 1. That is, the arrow K indicates the moving direction of the wire 3. Thus, the conveying mechanism 12 moves the wire 3 with a high speed along the longitudinal direction of the wire 3, so that the conveying mechanism 12 moves coloring nozzles 15 and the wire 3 relatively to each other with a high speed along the longitudinal direction of the wire 3, that is, along the moving direction K of the wire 3. In the preferred embodiment, the wire 3 is moved with a speed of 5 meters per second, for example.
In the measuring mechanism 13, the wire 3, which is sent from the conveying mechanism 12, is nipped between pairs of rollers driven by a motor or the like so as to forward the wire 3 toward the cutting mechanism 14, and data according to an amount of the movement of the wire 3 along the direction of the arrow K is outputted to the control device 17. When the rollers rotate with a predetermined angle per rotation, the measuring mechanism 13 measures data according to an amount of the movement of the wire 3 with friction between the rollers
and the wire 3, and outputs a pulse-shaped signal to the control device 17.
The cutting mechanism 14 is arranged on the downstream side of the measuring mechanism 13 in the direction K. The cutting mechanism
14 includes a pair of cutting blades. The cutting blades approach and leave each other in response to a command from the control device 17. When the cutting blades approach each other, the cutting blades nip the wire 4 forwarded from the measuring mechanism 13 and cut the wire 4. When the cutting blades leave each other, the cutting blades also leave the wire 3. The command from the control device 17 is outputted on the basis of the data according to the amount of the movement of the wire 3. That is, in response to the data according to the amount of the movement of the wire 3 measured by the measuring mechanism 13, the conveying mechanism 12 is halted and the cutting mechanism 14 is driven so as to cut the long wire 3 per predetermined length. The coloring unit 2 includes: a coloring agent- supplying source which contains the coloring agent; four coloring nozzles 15; and pressurized gas-supplying source 16 and cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 which are connected to the coloring nozzles 15. The four coloring nozzles 15 are arranged in two lines putting the wire 3 therebetween. The coloring nozzles 15 in each line are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the wire 3, that is, along the moving direction K of the wire 3. In an example shown in Fig. 1, two coloring nozzles 15 is arranged in one line. The coloring nozzle 15 situated in one line of the two lines is arranged at a position displaced from a position of the coloring nozzle 15 situated in an opposite line of the two lines along the longitudinal direction of the wire 3, that is, along the moving direction K of the wire
3. That is, the four coloring nozzles 15 are arranged in a zigzag shape.
Since the four coloring nozzles 15 described above have the same construction, a construction of one coloring nozzle 15 will be explained in the following with reference to Fig. 2. The coloring nozzle 15 is supported by a unit body fixed on the frame described above. The coloring nozzles 15 includes: a cylindrical nozzle body 19 which communicates with the coloring agent- supplying source through a pipe (not shown in the figure); insert member 25 received inside the nozzle body 19; nozzle part 20; valve element 23, nozzle cover 21; first pipe 7; second pipe 8; and selector valve 6.
The insert member 25 is formed in a cylindrical shape and provided with a flow channel 22 which allows the coloring agent to pass inside the channel 22. The channel 22 is filled with the pressurized coloring agent which is supplied from the coloring agent-supplying source. The nozzle part 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape. One end part
20a situated upward in Fig. 2 continues to the insert member 25. The nozzle part 20 communicates with the channel 22 so as to guide the coloring agent existing in the channel 22 toward an opposite end part 20b situated downward in Fig. 2 along a direction indicated by an arrow M. The wire 3 is disposed at a position facing the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20. That is, the coloring nozzle 15 is supported by the unit body on a condition that the uppermost part 3b of the wire 3 is positioned on an extension of an axis Q of the nozzle part 20. A direction of the axis Q is the same as that of the arrow M. The valve element 23 is received in the channel 22 and placed so as to be capable of approaching and leaving the one end part 20a of the
nozzle part 20. When the valve element 23 leaves the one end part 20a of the nozzle part 20, the coloring agent is allowed to pass into the nozzle part 20 so as to be ejected toward the wire 3, while when the valve element 23 comes in contact with the one end part 20a of the nozzle part 20, the coloring agent is prevented from passing into the nozzle part 20 so as to be ejected toward the wire 3. Thus, when the valve element 23 approaches and leaves the one end part 20a of the nozzle part 20, the valve element 23 allows a predetermined amount of the coloring agent to be elected intermittently from the nozzle part 20. In the preferred embodiment, an amount of the coloring agent to be ejected per ejection of the nozzle part 20 is set to be about 10 - 100 milliliter.
The nozzle cover 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape and receives the nozzle body 19 and the nozzle part 20 therein. The opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20 situated on the wire 3 -side is located above an end part of the nozzle cover 21 situated on the wire 3-side. A packing 24 is provided between an inner surface of the nozzle cover 21 and the nozzle body 19 so as to maintain the portion therebetween watertight. The nozzle cover 21 and the nozzle part 20 are disposed spaced from each other. A lower portion of the nozzle cover 21, that is, a lower portion of the nozzle cover 21 situated on the wire 3-side is opened. Therefore, the nozzle cover 21 does not prohibit the coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part 20 from adhering to the wire 3. Since the upper side of the nozzle cover 21 is sealed by the packing 34 as described above, pressurized gas and nozzle-cleaning liquid (explained later) to be spouted (ejected) from a first pipe 7 (explained later) toward a space S between the nozzle cover 21 and the opposite end part 20b of
the nozzle part 20 is discharged from the lower part of the nozzle cover 21 to the outside of the nozzle cover 21.
The first pipe 7 connects the pressurized gas supplying source 16 with the space S between the nozzle cover 21 and the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20. A connecting portion 7a of the first pipe 7 connecting to the nozzle cover 21 is arranged in a direction crossing at right angles the direction indicated by the arrow M, which is the moving direction of the coloring agent that flows in the nozzle part 20. Therefore, the pressurized gas and nozzle-cleaning liquid passed through the first pipe 7 are injected (or spouted) into the space S along the direction crossing at right angles the direction indicated by the arrow M.
According to the present invention, the nozzle-cleaning liquid is ejected toward the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20 in the direction crossing at right angles the direction in which the coloring agent flows in the nozzle part 20. Therefore, the nozzle-cleaning liquid can easily reach the inside of the nozzle part 20, so that the nozzle part 20 can be efficiently cleaned. That is, the coloring agent can be prevented from adhering on the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20, so that the nozzle can be prevented from being blocked. One end of the second pipe 8 is connected with the center part of the first pipe 7 through the selector valve 6, while an opposite end of the second pipe 8 is connected with the cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 (explained later). That is, the second pipe 8 connects the first pipe 7 with the cleaning liquid-receiving part 18. The selector valve 6 allows the pressurized gas and the nozzle- cleaning liquid to flow only in a direction from the pressurized gas
supplying source 16 to the nozzle part 20 and a direction from the second pipe 8 to the first pipe 7 (i.e. to the nozzle part 20), and does not allow them to flow in the reverse direction. The selector valve 6 is controlled by the control device 17 in such a way that the selector valve 6 allows only the pressurized gas from the pressurized gas supplying source 16 to pass to the nozzle part 20-side when the coloring agent is ejected from the nozzle part 20, while the selector valve 6 allows only the nozzle- cleaning liquid to pass to the nozzle part 20-side when the coloring agent is not ejected from the nozzle part 20. Thus, in the present invention, the selector valve 6 is provided so that the pressurized gas or the nozzle-cleaning liquid is selectively allowed to pass to the first pipe 7. Therefore, the structure of the coloring nozzle 15 can be simple.
The pressurized gas supplying source 16 supplies the pressurized gas to both the first pipe 7 and the cleaning liquid-receiving part 18. The cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 is connected to the pressurized gas supplying source 16 by a pipe 9. The pressurized gas supplying source 16 supplies the pressurized gas into the first pipe 7, that is, into the nozzle cover 21 , thereby atomizing (i.e. finely dividing) the coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part 20 within the nozzle cover 21. Also, the pressurized gas supplying source 16 supplies the pressurized gas into the cleaning liquid-receiving part 18, thereby pressurizing the nozzle- cleaning liquid existing in the cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 and feeding the nozzle-cleaning liquid into the second pipe 8 and the first pipe 7, that is, into the nozzle cover 21.
Thus, in the present invention, since the coloring agent ejected from
the nozzle part 20 is atomized in the nozzle cover 21 and then, the atomized coloring agent is ejected toward the wire 3, therefore the atomized coloring agent can be ejected in a wide angle. Accordingly, even when the wire 3 shakes along its diameter direction, the coloring agent can securely adhere to the wire 3. Further, even when a slow- drying coloring agent is used, the coloring agent can be dried quickly due to the atomization described above after the coloring agent adheres to the wire 3.
The cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 receives the nozzle-cleaning liquid which washes away the coloring agent adhering to the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20. The nozzle-cleaning liquid received in the cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 is pressurized by the pressurized gas supplied from the pressurized gas supplying source 16 and supplied into the space S between the nozzle cover 21 and the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20, that is, into the nozzle cover 21. One cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 may be provided corresponding to each coloring nozzle 15. Alternatively, one cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 may be provided corresponding to all of the coloring nozzles 15. Further, alternatively, one cleaning liquid-receiving part 18 may be provided corresponding to a plurality of the coloring nozzles 15.
The nozzle-cleaning liquid is a liquid such as a solvent or liquid dispersion, into which the organic substance for use in industry described above as the coloring material that constitutes the coloring agent can be dissolved and dispersed. Preferably, the nozzle-cleaning liquid is a liquid which hardly volatilizes particularly at ordinary temperature.
In the coloring unit 2 having the structure described above, each
coloring nozzle 15 atomizes the liquid coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part 20 and ejects a predetermined amount of the atomized coloring agent per ejection toward the outer surface 3a of the wire 3 so as to color (i.e. mark) the outer surface 3a of the wire 3. Further, since the coloring nozzles 15 are arranged in two lines putting the wire 3 between the two lines, therefore the wire 3 moving between the coloring nozzles 15 arranged in the two lines is subjected to coloring from two directions of 0° and 180° around an axis of the wire 3. The coloring agent ejected from the two directions is supplied to the outer surface 3a of the wire 3 along the periphery of the wire 3 so that the ring-shaped mark described above is formed on the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3.
When the ring-shaped mark is to be formed on the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3 , that is, when the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3 is to be colored by using the coloring apparatus 1 having the structure described above, first, the guide roll 11 is attached to the frame. Then, the pair of the cutting blades of the cutting mechanism 14 is separated from each other, the wire 3 wound up around the guide roll 1 1 is put between the rollers of the conveying mechanism 12 and is put between the rollers of the measuring mechanism 13. Then, when the coloring apparatus 1 is started to operate, the conveying mechanism 12 drives the wire 3 to be pulled from the guide roll 1 1 and conveys the wire 3 toward the measuring mechanism 13. Then, when a pulse signal is inputted from the measuring mechanism 13 to the control device 17, the control device 17 allows the coloring agent to be ejected from the nozzle part 20 according to pre-stored coloring command data, allows the selector valve 6 to supply the pressurized gas,
and allows the coloring nozzles 15 to eject a predetermined amount of the atomized coloring agent per ejection toward the outer surface 3a of the wire 3.
Then, the solvent or the liquid dispersion vaporizes from the coloring agent which adheres on the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3, so that the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3 is dyed with a dye or coated with a pigment. Thus, the ring-shaped mark described above is formed on the outer surface 3 a of the wire 3.
When the control device 17 judges that a predetermined length of the wire 3 is fed on the basis of the data forwarded from the measuring mechanism 13, the control device 17 halts the operation of the conveying mechanism 12 and forwards a command to the cutting mechanism 14. Then, the pair of the cutting blades of the cutting mechanism 14 approaches each other so as to nip the wire 3 therebetween and then, cuts the wire 3. Thus, the wire 3 cut into a desired length is obtained.
When the ejection of the coloring agent from the nozzle part 20 is halted, in response to a command from the control device 17, the selector valve 6 supplies the nozzle-cleaning liquid into the nozzle cover 21 for a predetermined time period, for example, for 10 - 20 seconds, which is pre-stored in the control device 17. The nozzle-cleaning liquid, which has washed away the opposite end part 20b of the nozzle part 20, is discharged from the lower part of the nozzle cover 21 to the outside of the nozzle cover 21.
According to the preferred embodiment, since the coloring agent ejected from the nozzle part 20 is stirred with the pressurized gas within the nozzle cover 21, atomized and ejected in a wide angle. Therefore, a
predetermined amount of the coloring agent per ejection can be securely ejected toward the wire 3 and the ejected coloring agent can be quickly dried. Accordingly, it becomes possible to use a slow-drying coloring agent such as a water-based coloring agent and an alcohol-based coloring agent taking the protection of the environment into consideration. That is, the nozzle can be prevented from being blocked by using a slow-drying coloring agent. Further, since the nozzle part 20 is cleaned with the nozzle-cleaning liquid, therefore the nozzle can be prevented from being blocked. Furthermore, since the nozzle-cleaning liquid is allowed to pass through the first pipe 7 which is common with respect to the pressurized gas, therefore the structure of the coloring nozzle 15 can be simplified.
The nozzle-cleaning liquid passed through the first pipe 7 is ejected into the space S along a direction crossing at right angles the flowing direction of the coloring agent flowing in the nozzle part 20, therefore the nozzle-cleaning liquid can easily reach the inside of the nozzle part 20 and the nozzle part 20 can be efficiently cleaned. Therefore, the nozzle can be further prevented from being blocked.
Since a plurality of the coloring nozzles 15 are arranged in two lines putting the wire 3 therebetween, and the coloring nozzle 15 situated in one line of the two lines is arranged at a position displaced from a position of the coloring nozzle 15 situated in an opposite line of the two lines along the longitudinal direction of the wire 3, therefore the wire 3 can be colored throughout the entire periphery and the coloring agent ejected from the coloring nozzle 15 situated in one line of the two lines never makes the coloring nozzle 15 situated in an opposite line of the two lines dirty.
In the preferred embodiment described above, the electric wire 3 which constitutes a wiring harness to be mounted on a motor vehicle is explained. However, instead, the wire 3 may be used in various electronic instruments such as a portable computer and various electric machines.
The aforementioned preferred embodiments are described to aid in understanding the present invention and variations may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.