Remote spray foam method
View Patent ↗A method for operating a remote spray foam system includes remotely spraying foam from a hand-held spray gun removably mountable to a remote manipulator, the remote manipulator mounted to a mobile platform; and periodically cleaning a nozzle of the hand-held spray gun at a cleaning station mounted to the mobile platform.
1. A method for operating a remote spray foam system, the remote spray foam system comprising:
a mobile platform with a mast;
a robot platform removably mounted to the mast; the mast extends to heights from the mobile platform to provide a controlled vertical component to the robot platform;
the remote manipulator mounted to the robot platform;
a spray gun;
wherein said spray gun is a hand-held spray gun operable to spray a foam, the spray gun removably mountable to the remote manipulator; the spray gun having a nozzle;
a control system in communication with the remote manipulator to position and operate the spray gun,
and
the remote manipulator includes a first effector;
the first effector positioned adjacent to a trigger of the spray gun to operate the spray gun to spray the foam,
a cleaning station mounted to the robot platform adjacent to the remote manipulator;
the cleaning station includes a brush system and an internal nozzle cleaner system;
the method comprising:
remotely spraying the foam from the spray gun of the remote spray foam system by actuating the trigger with the first effector; said spray gun removably mountable to the remote manipulator of the remote spray foam system to spray the foam on a structure; and
overriding current spraying operations and begin a cleaning process wherein a periodically cleaning occurs in response to the control system and in response to a thickness of the foam being applied or at a predetermined time interval;
positioning the nozzle of the spray gun with respect to a first position that locates the nozzle against the brush system of the cleaning station mounted to the mobile platform;
positioning the nozzle of the spray gun at a second position that locates the nozzle adjacent to the internal nozzle cleaner system of the cleaning station.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the foam being applied is determined by a measurement from the remote manipulator.
3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the measurement from the remote manipulator comprises a difference between a foam surface and a surface to which the foam is being applied as determined by a laser measurement.
4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the periodically cleaning occurs in response to a difference between the foam surface and the surface to which the foam is being applied, the difference being less than a predetermined value.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
positioning the nozzle at a third position adjacent to a solvent sprayer system of the cleaning station.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the remote manipulator is a robot.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first effector is a pneumatic rotary actuator, a stepper motor, a servo, a linear actuator, or a track roller.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first effector utilizes a track roller connected to a pneumatic rotary actuator.
9. A method for operating a remote spray foam system, the remote spray foam system comprising:
a mobile platform with a mast;
a robot platform removably mounted to the mast; the mast extends to heights from the mobile platform to provide a controlled vertical component to the robot platform;
the remote manipulator mounted to the robot platform;
a spray gun;
the spray gun having a nozzle;
a control system in communication with the remote manipulator to position and operate the spray gun,
a cleaning station mounted to the robot platform adjacent to the remote manipulator;
and
the cleaning station includes a brush system and an internal nozzle cleaner system;
the method comprising:
remotely spraying the foam from the spray gun of the remote spray foam system;
said spray gun removably mountable to the remote manipulator of the remote spray foam system to spray the foam on a structure; and
overriding current spraying operations and begin a cleaning process wherein a periodically cleaning occurs in response to the control system and in response to a thickness of the foam being applied or at a predetermined time interval;
positioning the nozzle of the spray gun with respect to a first position that locates the nozzle against the brush system of the cleaning station mounted to the mobile platform;
positioning the nozzle of the spray gun at a second position that locates the nozzle adjacent to the internal nozzle cleaner system of the cleaning station.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the foam being applied is determined by a measurement from the remote manipulator.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the measurement from the remote manipulator comprises a difference between a foam surface and a surface to which the foam is being applied as determined by a laser measurement.
12. The method as recited in claim 11 , wherein the periodically cleaning occurs in response to a difference between the foam surface and the surface to which the foam is being applied, the difference being less than a predetermined value.
13. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising:
positioning the nozzle at a third position adjacent to a solvent sprayer system of the cleaning station.
14. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the remote manipulator is a robot.
15. The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the remote manipulator includes a first effector;
the first effector is a pneumatic rotary actuator, a stepper motor, a servo, a linear actuator, or a track roller.
16. The method as recited in claim 9 , the remote manipulator includes a first effector;
wherein the first effector utilizes a track roller connected to a pneumatic rotary actuator.