DK2305888T3 - Method and apparatus for making marking lines consisting of a base and raised elements - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves delivering a marking material (2) for a base layer (31) as a marking material flow (21) from an outlet (16.1). The material for embossed elements (32) is partitioned into small portions from another marking material flow (22) and delivered from another outlet (16.2). Each material flow is conveyed independent of the other material flow at the outlets. Quantities of the material flows are controlled independent of each other. The material flows are individually pumped with a variable pump power for conveying. An independent claim is also included for a device for producing marking lines from pumpable marking material.

Description

Description:

Method and Device for Producing Marking Lines Consisting of a Base Layer and Raised Elements

The present invention relates to a method for producing marking lines consisting of a smooth, uniform base layer and raised elements placed thereupon, made of pumpable marking material, whereby the marking material for the base layer is applied as a first, continuous marking material stream from a first outlet, whereby the marking material for the thereon raised elements from a second marking material stream is split into small portions and applied from a second outlet, whereby each marking material stream is conveyed independently of the other marking material stream to its outlet and whereby the quantities of the individual marking material streams are controlled independently of each other. The invention also relates to a device for producing marking lines consisting of a smooth, uniform base layer and raised elements placed thereupon, whereby each marking material stream is conveyable independently of the other marking material stream to its outlet and whereby the quantities of the individual marking material streams are controllable independently of each other. A device for producing marking lines of the type described above is known from the document WO 03/006744 A1. Figure 5 of this document shows an embodiment of a marking device having a rotor with an outer diameter that is smaller than the inner diameter of a sleeve that accommodates and surrounds it. This creates an annular gap between the rotor and the sleeve, which gap is always open for the marking material to pass through. Recesses distributed in its circumferential direction are provided in the outer periphery of the rotor. When the rotor is turned and the device is moved forward, a steady stream of marking material flows through the annular gap and marking material applied in portions from the recesses is superimposed thereupon. By this means a uniformly thick base layer with superimposed raised elements is delivered and applied to a surface to be marked, such as a road. The marking material here is delivered through a single material outlet. Therefore, the thickness of the base layer and the height of the raised elements cannot be influenced independently of each other, for which reason the possibilities for the formation of the finished marking lines are limited. A marking machine that produces marking lines from a continuous material strip with material points placed upon it is known from the Japanese utility model JP H04 1212 U. The marking materials come from two containers connected to each other by a line with a valve. The material for the continuous strip reaches the road surface by gravity from the funnel through a valve and a rotating roller. The material for the superimposed points is applied under pressure from the container through two valves actuated depending on the distance covered.

In a method known to the inventor from relevant practical experience and in a device for performing the method, the marking material is delivered from two outlets arranged one behind the other in the direction of motion of the marking device, with a marking material strip of uniform thickness that corresponds to the width of the marking line being delivered from the first outlet in the direction of travel, and with individual, small marking material portions being delivered from the second outlet. The second outlet is provided for this purpose with a unit for splitting the material stream into the small material portions that form the raised elements on the smooth base layer of the marking line produced beforehand. A disadvantage of the known method and device is that the marking material is conveyed through only one common pump for both outlets. The makes it more difficult to accurately produce precisely defined and reproducible marking lines, since adjusting the quantity conveyed, for instance by adjusting the rotational speed of the pump, always affects the material streams from both outlets in a manner that alters the flow rate.

It is indeed possible to control the flow of material through the outlets without changing the pump capacity, namely by changing the cross-section of the outlet port. However, this is only possible with the first outlet, the one that creates the smooth base layer of the marking line, by changing the width of the slot of the outlet. On the other hand, changing the width of the slot also alters the resistance exerted by this outlet on the material stream, thereby also altering the material pressure upstream of this outlet. A pressure increase in turn causes an often unwanted increase in the material flow through the second outlet, with the result that the size of the material portions to be delivered to form the raised elements frequently changes in an unacceptable way.

During operation of a marking device there are often changes in the resistance ratios at and before the outlets; such changes generally affect the outlets differently or only one of the two outlets is affected. These changes in resistance ratios occur especially in the case of hot thermoplastic marking materials, for instance as a result of changes in viscosity due to unevenly heating the device or as a result of deposits of separating solid matter contained in the marking material. Changing the ratios for the one outlet always has adverse effects on the material stream from the other outlet. All of this together renders it all but impossible in practice to make the settings relating to a desired appearance of the marking line and to keep it once the desired appearance has been achieved.

It is the object of the invention to eliminate deficiencies in the known methods and devices, and to create a method and a device with which it becomes easier or is made possible in the first place, to set a desired appearance of the marking line and to keep it once it has been achieved.

The solution of the portion of the task relating to the method is accomplished according to the invention by a method of the type described above, with the characterising features of Claim 1.

The invention provides that for their conveyance the marking material streams are pumped individually at a respective modifiable pump delivery rate.

In this way, the size of the marking material streams can be set to a desired measure and easily adjusted as needed with little technical effort.

The solution of the second part of the task, which relates to the device, succeeds in accordance with the invention in a device for producing marking lines consisting of a smooth, uniform base layer and raised elements placed thereupon, made of pumpable marking material, whereby the marking material for the base layer can be applied as a first, continuous marking material stream from a first appropriately formed outlet of the device, whereby the marking material for the thereon raised elements can be applied from a second marking material stream in small portions by means of a splitting device combined with the second outlet of the device, whereby each marking material stream can be conveyed independently of the other marking material stream to its outlet and whereby the quantities of the individual marking material streams can be controlled independently of each other, characterised in that the device for conveying each marking material stream has respectively at least one pump of its own and that each pump has a pump drive whose pump output can be controlled separately.

With this device the method according to the invention can be carried out with little technical effort, and marking lines of the type given above can be produced with high, consistent quality and with good reproducibility.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the device can be taken from Claims 3 to 5.

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of a drawing. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a vertical section through a device for producing marking lines having raised elements; and

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a marking line produced using the device according to Figure 1.

Figure 1 of the drawing shows a device 1 for producing marking lines 3 consisting of a uniformly thick base layer 31 with raised elements 32 distributed thereupon. The device 1 is mounted in or on a vehicle, allowing it to be moved in a direction R relative to a surface 30 to be marked, such as a road. The device 1 is shown in a schematic vertical section, wherein the related vehicle is not shown. A supply of marking material 2 such as a thermoplastic marking material is situated in a marking material container 10. A pump feed line 11 leads from the supply container 10 to the inlets of two pumps 12.1 and 12.2. The two pumps 12.1 and 12.2 are designed here as spiral pumps, but they may also be designed in any other appropriate way. Each pump 12.1 and 12.2 has its own pump drive 13.1 and 13.2. Each pump drive 13.1 and 13.2 consists of a motor that can be controlled independently, with the result that the pump power of each pump 12.1 and 12.2 can be individually set and changed as needed. On the output side a conveyor line 14.1, 14.2 leads from each pump 12.1 and 12.2 to two material chambers 15.1 and 15.2.

The first material chamber 15.1 lies in front in the direction of movement R and serves to produce the base layer 31 of the marking line 3. For this purpose the first material chamber 15.1 has a first slot-shaped outlet 16.1 at the front edge of its bottom. The length of the slot here corresponds to the width of the marking line 3 to be produced. The width of the slot corresponds to the thickness of the base layer 31. The width of the slot forming the first outlet 16.1 and hence the thickness of the base layer 31 can be corrected to fit the need by means of a slot closure device 17. For this purpose, the slot closure device 17 includes a movable slot limitation that can be adjusted via a lever by a piston-cylinder unit 17.1. A maximum slot width can be determined by means of a stop 17.2 that limits the range of motion of the piston in the cylinder. In the opposite direction the first outlet 16.1 can be completely closed by the slot closure device17. A second outlet 16.2 through which the raised elements 32 of the marking line 3 are applied is situated centrically in the bottom of the second material chamber 15.2 located behind the first material chamber 15.1. A drum 18' is arranged in the interior of the material chamber 15.2 for rotation in a horizontal axis running transversely to the direction of movement R, as indicated by the arrow in the drum 18'. The drum 18' has areas in the circumferential and/or longitudinal direction that are alternately permeable or impermeable for the marking material 2. The outer periphery of the drum 18' in the lower drum circumference area interacts sealingly with two edges 19.1 and 19.2 forming between them the second outlet 16.2, likewise in the shape of a slot. In doing so, the edges 19.1 form a portion of an Open/Closed slide valve 19 with which the second outlet 16.2 can be optionally opened and closed.

In operation the device 1 is moved in the direction of the motion arrow R relative to the surface 30 to be marked. Marking material 2 is conveyed by the two pumps 12.1 and 12.2 from the marking material supply container 10 into the conveyor lines 14.1 and 14.2. The conveyance in this case is carried out by the two pumps 12.1 and 12.2 independently of one another. The marking material 2 arrives in the two material chambers 15.1 and 15.2 through the two associated conveyor lines 14.1 and 14.2.

The marking material 2 is delivered from the first material chamber 15.1 in the shape of a first continuous marking material stream 21 and forms the uniform, smooth base layer 31 on the surface 30 to be marked.

As a result of the rotation of the drum 18' the marking material 2 is delivered from the second material chamber 15.2 in the shape of a second marking material stream 23 forming individual small material portions, whereby the raised elements 32 are applied onto the base layer 31.

If a smooth marking line is to be produced without raised elements the open/closed slide valve 19 is brought into its closed position and marking material is then delivered only through the first outlet 16.1. If a marking line is to be produced that consists only of raised elements the slot closure device 17 is brought into its closed position and marking material is then delivered only by portions through the second outlet 16.2.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a section of the marking line 3 produced by the device 1 in accordance with Figure 1. In the front area, meaning on the right in Figure 2, only the uniformly thick, smooth base layer 31 is initially applied. In the part that is further to the rear, meaning on the left in Figure 2, the raised elements 32 are also placed onto the base layer 31, thereby forming the marking line 3 on the surface 30 to be marked.

List of Reference Numbers:

Number designation 1 device 10 marking material supply container 11 pump feed line 12.1.12.2 pumps 13.1.13.2 pump drives 14.1, 14.2 conveying lines 15.1, 15.2 material chambers 16.1, 16.2 first, second outlet 17 slot closure device 17.1 piston-cylinder unit 17.2 stop 18 splitting device 18' drum in 18 19 open/closed slide valve 19.1.19.2 edges 2 marking material 21 first marking material stream 22 second marking material stream 3 marking line 30 surface to be marked 31 base layer 32 raised elements R direction of movement of 1

Claims (5)

A method of producing marking lines (3) consisting of a smooth, uniform base (31) and of raised elements (32) mounted thereon, of marking material (2) which can be pumped, the marking material (2) for the base (31). ) is discharged as first, constant marking material stream (21) from a first outlet (16.1), wherein the marking material (2) for the mounted raised elements (32) of a second marking material stream (22) is divided into small portions and is derived from a second outlet (16.2) ), wherein each marking material stream (21; 22) is independently transported to each outlet (16; 16.2) for each marking material stream (16; 16.2) and where each marking material stream (21; 22) is independently controlled characterized in that the marking material streams (21; 22) for their transport are individually pumped with in each case a changeable pumping effect. 2. Apparatus (1) for producing marking lines (3) consisting of a smooth, uniform base (31) and of raised elements (32) mounted thereon, of marking material (2) which can be pumped, wherein the marking material (2) for the base (31) can be discharged as the first, constant marking material stream (21) from a first correspondingly shaped outlet (16.1) of the device (1), where the marking material (2) for the mounted raised elements (32) can be derived from a second outlet (16.2 ) of the device (1) combined with a splitting device (18) which divides a second marking material stream (22) into small portions where each marking material stream (21; 22) can be transported to its outlet (16.1; 16.2) independently of it. in each case, different marking material streams (22; 21) and wherein the individual marking material streams (21; 22) can be controlled independently of each other in terms of their size, characterized in that the means (1) for transporting each marking material ial flow (21; 22) in each case comprises at least one pump (12.1, 12.2) and each pump (12.1; 12.2) comprises a pump drive (13.1; 13.2) which can be controlled separately for its transport power. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first outlet (16.1) is formed slit-shaped with an adjustable slit width. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the dividing device (18) comprises a drum (18 ') which can be rotated about a horizontal axis and has alternately permeable and impermeable regions in the circumferential direction and / or longitudinally. the marking material (2) and the outer circumference of the lower drum circumference region sealingly cooperates with two edges (19.1, 19.2) which restrict the second outlet (16.2) formed as a gap. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that at least one of the edges (19.1, 19.2) restricting the second outlet (16.2), which is configured as a slot, is formed as part of an open / close slider (19). ).