GB2515380A

GB2515380A - Spray booth

Info

Publication number: GB2515380A
Application number: GB1406471.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven John Barrett
Original assignee: XPRESS REFINISH SOLUTION Ltd
Current assignee: XPRESS REFINISH SOLUTION Ltd
Priority date: 2013-04-10
Filing date: 2014-04-10
Publication date: 2014-12-24
Also published as: GB201306563D0; GB201406471D0

Abstract

A retractable spray booth 1 has back panel 3, from which projects a pair of top beams 4 having back members 14 attached to back panel 3 and front members 15 slidable on back members 14. Back members 14 and front members 15 respectively carry back and front portions 23, 24 of an extensible top panel. A front frame 5 is attached to front portion 24, comprising a pair of front uprights 6 joined by a front, top member 7, and is retractable towards back panel 3. Booth 1 also comprises openable front and side closures 31, 37, 38, which may be roll-up curtains or hinged doors. Back panel 3 may accommodate a high-level extraction inlet 9, an extraction fan 10 and an outlet 11, and may have cupboards 12 for tools and consumables used while spraying. Castors may be provided at the feet of uprights 6 and at back panel 3 to aid retraction, extension and movement of booth 1.

Description

SPRAY BOOTH

The present invention relates to a spray booth.

Regulations concerning spray booths are becoming more strict, in order to avoid inhalation of noxious fumes and dust. It is not easy for a small workshop to be equipped for a spray booth complying with the regulations. Nevertheless there is an increasing demand for cars to be kept in as good a condition for as long as possible, including minor spray work.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved spray booth.

According to the invention there is provided a retractable spray booth comprising: * abackpanel, a pair of extensible, top beams projecting forwards from opposite sides of the top of the back panel, the beams each having: * a back member attached to the back panel and * a front member slidable with respect to the back member for extending the top beam beyond the length of the back member * an extensible, top panel projecting forwards from the top of the back panel, the top panel having: * a back portion secured to the back panel and to the back beam members and * a front portion secured to the front, slidable beam members for extending the top panel forwards beyond the back portion, * a front frame having: * a pair of front uprights and * front, top member attaching the pair of front uprights together, the slidable beam members being attached to the attachment of the front, top member and the respective front uprights and the slidable top panel portion being secured to the front, top member, * an openable front closure for closing the booth below the front, top and between the pair of front uprights and * openable side closures for closing the booth below respective ones of the top beams and between the respective side edges of the back panel and the front uprights, the arrangement being such that the front of the booth, including the front frame, can be retracted towards the back panel, with top beams and the top panel being shortened, preferably when the side closures are open.

to Normally the feet of the front uprights will be supported on castor wheel wheels for ease of retraction and subsequent extension. The back panel also can be provided with castor wheel wheels. Preferably, where the back panel has thickness towards the front such as to allow for more than one castor wheel wheel at each side of the panel, front ones of the castor wheel wheels arranged to allow weight of the is back panel to at least partially counterbalance weight of the top beams.

Conveniently, the top beams are arranged for telescopic retraction of the front member into the back member; and the front portion of the top panel is arranged to refract below the back portion.

Whilst the closures could be side or top rolled curtains, preferably they are comprised of hinged door panels. Conveniently the closure at the front is divided into two sets of hinged panels, one set hinged to one front upright and the other to the other. Further, the side closures are preferably divided into two sets, one hinged to the back panel and the other to the respective front upright.

Normally the back panel will be provided with means for air and over-spray extraction and means for storing supplies to be used in the spray booth.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 a perspective view of a spray booth in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is an inside end view of a back panel of the spray booth of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a scrap cross-sectional view of a top beam and top panel of the spray booth of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a scrap cross-sectional plan view of hinges and seals of a door of the spray booth of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, a retractable spray booth 1 has a retractable/extensible framework 2 of steel tube including: * a back panel 3, * a pair of retractable/extensible, top beams 4 projecting forwards from opposite sides of the top of the back panel, * a front frame 5 having: * a pair of front uprights 6 and * front, top member 7 attaching the pair of front uprights together.

The back panel is rectangular, being 3.5m wide, from side to side, and 2.8m high. It is Im thick in the front to back direction. It has its own welded box section frame 8, shown in outline only, which accommodates an extraction inlet 9 from the interior of the booth at a high level, an extraction fan 10 and an outlet 11. It also has cupboards 12 for tools and consumables to be used in the use of the booth for spraying. A back panel as a whole is air tight, that is to say tight against air flow through it.

The beams 4 each have: * a back member 14 welded to the back panel frame 8 at its top and a respective side, i.e. one beam on one side that the other on the other. The back member is a rectangular section steel tube, with its inner side open, giving it a generally C-shape. With the beam extending forwards from the back panel, at least part of the forwards tipping moment of the back member of the beam is counterbalanced by the weight of the back panel including the extraction fan being set back in the back panel; * a front member 15 slidable within the back member for extending the top beam beyond the length of the back member, the front member also is a rectangular steel tube, sized to telescope with the back member. The front member is welded to the front upright 6 and the front top member 7; bearings 16,17 for facilitating the sliding. One set of bearings is at the front end of the back member and bears on the outside of the front member s and the other is at the back of the front member, bearing on the inside of the back member; an internal hydraulic actuator 18 for telescoping the beam in and out. The back panel has an oil reservoir 19 and an hydraulic pump 20 for driving the actuator. I0

This framework 2 of the beams, the front frame and the back panel enables the front panel to be extended away from back panel to provide 6 metres of internal length or retracted back to 3 metres internal length. The bottoms of the front uprights are provided with castor wheels 21 to facilitate the extension and retraction movement. With the 1 metre thickness of the back panel, the front and back members are 4.5 metres long and have a 1 metre overlap when the fully extended. This provides sufficient stability back panel and the front frame to be held upright.

The booth has an extensible, top panel 22 projecting forwards from the top of the back panel 3 to the front frame 5. The top panel has a back portion 23 air tightly secured to the back panel and to the back beam members 14. A front portion 24 of the top panel is similarly secured to the front, top member 7 and the front beam members IS to extend the top panel forwards beyond the back portion. The front portion 24 is set below the back portion 23 to pass underneath it when the booth is retracted. For this it is secured to the front beam members 15 at a level to be able to reach the latter though the longitudinal orifice 25 in the back beam members provided by their C-section. A seal 26 is provided at the front of the back portion of the top panel and wipes on the top of the front portion.

Across the front of the booth, i.e. between the front uprights 6, is provided an openable front closure 31 for closing the front of the booth. The closure consists of four hinged doors 32, glazed with poly(methyl methacrylate) transparent panels 33 as sold under the Plexiglas and Perspex trade marks. Two of these doors 321,322 are hinged to the uprights 6 and two 323,324 are hinged to the opposite edges of the doors 321,322. They are provided with seals 34 around their top and side edges and sealing curtains 35 along their bottom edges. Outer bottom corners of the doors are provided with castor wheels 36, to carry the weight of the doors as they are opened and closed.

Similar doors 37, 38 are provided at the sides of the booth respectively hinged to the front of the back panel and the front upright. Each side has a total of 6 doors.

They are provided with seals 39, hinges 40, sealing curtains 41 and castor wheels 42.

to For extension or refraction of the booth, the doors can be left in their closed positions. However they are preferably swung to a trailing position. The back panel also can be provided with castor wheels 43, where the entire booth can be moved.

For use the booth is extended, that is the front moved away from the back, is with the beams being extended. The doors are closed and the extractor switched on.

Spray work, such as on a car, can now be carried out. If heat is required for curing of sprayed paint, this can be applied radiantly through the doors.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, intermediate legs can be provided at the front of the back members to provide additional support to the top beams.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A retractable spray booth comprising: * a back panel, * a pair of extensible, top beams projecting forwards from opposite sides of the top of the back panel, the beams each having: * a back member attached to the back panel and * a front member slidable with respect to the back member for extending the top beam beyond the length of the back member * an extensible, top panel projecting forwards from the top of the back panel, the to top panel having: * a back portion secured to the back panel and to the back beam members and * a front portion secured to the front, slidable beam members for extending the top panel forwards beyond the back portion, * a front frame having: * a pair of front uprights and * front, top member attaching the pair of front uprights together, the slidable beam members being attached to the attachment of the front, top member and the respective front uprights and the slidable top panel portion being secured to the front, top member, * an openable front closure for closing the booth below the front, top and between the pair of front uprights and * openable side closures for closing the booth below respective ones of the top beams and between the respective side edges of the back panel and the front uprights, the arrangement being such that the front of the booth, including the front frame can be retracted towards the back panel, with top beams and the top panel being shortened.
2. A retractable spray booth as claimed in claim 1, with the arrangement being such that, with the side closures open, the front of the booth, including the front frame can be retracted towards the back panel, with top beams and the top panel being shortened.
3. A retractable spray booth as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the feet of the front uprights are supported on castor wheel wheels for ease of retraction and subsequent extension.
4. A retractable spray booth as claimed in claim 1, claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the S back panel is also provided with castor wheel wheels
5. A retractable spray booth as claimed in claim 4, wherein the back panel is also provided with castor wheel wheels preferably wherein the back panel has thickness towards the front such as to allow for more than one castor wheel wheel at each side of the panel, the front castor wheels being arranged to allow weight of the back panel to at least partially counterbalance weight of the top beams.
6. A retractable spray booth as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the top beams are arranged for telescopic retraction of the front member into the back member
7. A retractable spray booth as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the front portion of the top panel is arranged to retract below the back portion.
8. A retractable spray booth as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the closures are side or top rolled curtains
9. A retractable spray booth as claimed in claim 8 wherein the closures are side or top rolled curtains, preferably comprised of hinged door panels.
10. A retractable spray booth as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the closure at the front is divided into two sets of hinged panels, one set hinged to one front upright and the other to the other.
11. A retractable spray booth as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the side closures are preferably divided into two sets, one hinged to the back panel and the other to the respective front upright.
12. A retractable spray booth as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the back panel will be provided with means for air and over-spray extraction and means for storing supplies to be used in the spray booth.
13. A retractable spray booth substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.