Replaceable breakaway link

Abstract

A coating head assembly incorporates a replaceable breakaway link into the coating head assembly. In the event of a collision, this link will break to reduce the likelihood of breakage of any other part of the coating head assembly. Repair then only requires that the link be replaced, rather than the coating head assembly be rebuilt. This invention reduces the coating head repair time from a fifteen-hour job of rebuilding the coating head assembly to a three-hour job of tooling a new link.

1 . An assembly comprising: 
 a first arm portion having first and second end segments, the first end segment being connected to an applicator;    a breakaway link having first and second end segments, the first end segment of the link being connected to the second end segment of the first portion;    a second blade portion having first and second end segments, the first end segment of the second portion being connected to the second end segment of the link and the second end segment of the second portion having a blade extending therefrom.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  where the assembly is a coating head assembly.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the breakaway link is made of a material that is more brittle than the material making up the first arm portion and the second blade portion.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the breakaway link has a weaker portion that is weaker than a remainder of the breakaway link, the weaker portion being defined by at least one sharp bend in the material.  
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4  wherein the breakaway link is made of a material that is more brittle than the material making up the first arm portion and the second blade portion.  
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 4  where the second end segment includes the weaker portion of the breakaway link.  
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the second end segment of the link is thinner than the first end segment.  
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the second end segment of the breakaway link is connected to the first end segment of the second portion by screws.  
     
     
         9 . A breakable link for connecting two portions of an assembly together, comprising: 
 a first segment having a length, a width, and a thickness;    a second segment having first and second ends, the first end of the second segment connected to an end of the first segment, the second segment extending at an approximately 90° angle to the length of the first segment from the end of the first segment, the second segment having a length, a width, and a thickness;    a third segment having a length, a width, and a thickness, an end of the third segment connected to the second end of the second segment and extending at an approximately 90° angle to the length of the second segment such that the length of the third segment is parallel to the length of the first segment.    
     
     
         10 . The breakaway link of  claim 9  wherein the thickness of the third segment is less than the thickness of the first segment and the thickness of the third segment is also less than the thickness of the second segment.  
     
     
         11 . An assembly for flow coating objects comprising the breakable link of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 9  wherein the breakaway link is made of a material that is more brittle than the material making up the assembly.  
     
     
         13 . The link of  claim 9  wherein the first segment and the third segment each have at least one hole.  
     
     
         14 . An assembly comprising: 
 a first portion;    a second portion;    a breakaway link having first and second ends, the first end of the link being connected to an end of the first portion and the second end of the link being connected to an end of the second portion, wherein the breakaway link has a structurally weak portion defined by at least one sharp bend in the material.    
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein the breakaway link is made of a material that is more brittle than the material making up the first arm portion and the second blade portion.  
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 14  wherein the breakaway link has a middle portion that is approximately orthogonal to the first end and is also approximately orthogonal to the second end.  
     
     
         17 . A coating head assembly comprising: 
 a breakaway link with first and second end segments, where the second end segment includes a portion that is weaker than the remainder of the breakaway link;    a first portion connected to the first end segment of the breakaway link;    a second portion connected to the second end segment of the breakaway link;    an applicator connected to the first portion;    a blade extending from the second portion; and    the weaker portion of the second end segment of the breakaway link being weak enough so that, in the event of a collision with the coating head assembly, the weaker portion breaks, thereby preventing breakage of other components of the coating head assembly.    
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the weaker portion of the breakaway link is defined by at least one sharp bend in the material.  
     
     
         19 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the breakaway link is made of a material that is more brittle than the material making up the first portion and the second portion.  
     
     
         20 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the weaker portion of the link is thinner than the first end segment.