Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B14/00—Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material
  • B05B14/40—Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material for use in spray booths
  • B05B14/43—Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material for use in spray booths by filtering the air charged with excess material
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D46/00—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours
  • B01D46/0002—Casings; Housings; Frame constructions
  • B01D46/0005—Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames
  • B01D46/0006—Filter elements or cartridges installed in a drawer-like manner
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B16/00—Spray booths
  • B05B16/60—Ventilation arrangements specially adapted therefor
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D46/00—Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours
  • B01D46/0002—Casings; Housings; Frame constructions
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
  • B05B16/00—Spray booths
  • B05B16/90—Spray booths comprising conveying means for moving objects or other work to be sprayed in and out of the booth, e.g. through the booth
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/10—Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a paint-spraying booth provided with an automated system for changing the filters for eliminating the overspray.
• the paint-spraying booths are provided with an air flow which passes through the working zone so as to convey the overspray, namely the nebulized excess paint, outside of the booth.
• the air drawn in with the overspray must be necessarily purified of the paint before it can be released into the environment or reintroduced into the booth and for this reason the air flow is made to pass through suitable filtering systems.
• the general object of the present invention is to provide a booth with a filtering system having means for automated replacement of the overspray elimination filters.
• a paint-spraying booth comprising a paint-spraying chamber in which the paint is sprayed and which is provided with an air flow for evacuation of the overspray which is conveyed to at least one filter unit of the booth for filtering and separation of the paint overspray from the air flow
• the filter unit comprising a plurality of replaceable filter modules, each filter module being removably contained inside a housing in the filter unit, characterized in that it comprises an automated system for removing and transporting each filter module of the plurality between its housing and a zone for entry/exit of the filter modules into/from the booth.
• FIG. 1 shows a partially sectioned schematic elevation view of a booth according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the booth sectioned along the line II-II of Figure 1 ;
• FIG. 3 shows an enlarged, partial, schematic view of an automated system for transporting the filters into the booth according to the invention
• - Figure 4 shows a schematic view similar to that of Figure 1 and showing a possible variation of embodiment of a booth according to the invention.
• Figure 1 shows a paint-spraying booth according to the invention, denoted generally by 10.
• the booth comprises a chamber 11 for spraying objects 12 (for example motor vehicle bodies).
• objects 12 for example motor vehicle bodies.
• the objects to be sprayed are advantageously transported into the chamber 1 1 by means of a known sequential conveyor system 13.
• the chamber 1 1 is provided with known paint-spraying devices (not shown) which are operated so as to spray the paint onto the surfaces of the object to be painted.
• the paint-spraying devices may be realized in the form of known robot arms provided with spray guns.
• Air for removal of the overspray from the chamber 11 is circulated inside the booth.
• suitable air circulation fans (not shown) are advantageously provided according to a technique known per se for producing a continuous flow of air through the chamber.
• the floor 14 of the chamber 1 1 is composed of grilles through which the chamber air is drawn.
• the ceiling of the chamber is therefore provided with corresponding air inlets 15 so as to have a continuous air flow which passes vertically through the chamber from the top downwards during the paint-spraying operations.
• the air flow leaving the chamber 11 is conveyed to at least one filter unit 16 which retains the overspray.
• the filter unit comprises advantageously a plurality of replaceable filter modules 17, each accommodated inside an associated housing 18 which forms a seat for the filter module and which connects it between the inlet for the air from the chamber and the outlet for discharging the air after filtering.
• a first passage 21 for entry of the air into the filters and a second passage 24 where the air exits from the filters are provided, with the filter modules of the filter unit being connected in parallel between the entry and exit passages.
• the filter units are advantageously two in number, being arranged facing each other in a mirror-image layout relative to a vertical mid-plane of the booth.
• this plane is parallel to the direction of movement of the transportation system 13 which defines the direction of longitudinal extension of the booth.
• the filter unit or units 16 are preferably arranged directly underneath the floor 14.
• a chamber 19 having a cross-section generally in the form of a T for defining an upper header 20 extending horizontally underneath the floor 14 for receiving air therefrom and with the vertical part of the T which forms the passage 21 extending along the filter modules for allowing entry of the air into the filters.
• the inlets 22 of the filter modules present in the respective housings 18 are arranged alongside each other.
• the outlets 23 of the filter modules in the respective housings 18 communicate in turn with the passage 24 for evacuation of the filtered air flow.
• the filter modules have advantageously a parallelepiped form with inlet and outlet arranged on opposite sides and connected in parallel between the inlet passage 21 and the outlet passage 24.
• the filters may be of various suitable types, for example also of the disposable type made of cardboard.
• the passage 24 is advantageously connected (preferably via one or more further filters 26, for example of the "pocket” type) to a duct 27 for evacuating the air from the booth.
• the duct 27 may definitively evacuate the air externally and/or convey it back into the chamber 1 1 for recycling of purified air.
• controlled gates 28 may be provided for throttling and/or closing the air flow leaving the filter modules. These gates (as well as the optional further filters 26) may be provided one for each filter module 17 or may be provided for several filter modules 17.
• the air flow into the booth is indicated schematically by means of the arrows.
• the booth according to the invention comprises at least one automated system 30 for removing and transporting each filter module 17 of the plurality between its housing 18 and a zone 31 for entry/exit of the filter modules into/from the booth, for removing a filter module from its housing and transporting it into the entry/exit zone and for removing a filter module from the entry/exit zone and transporting it into an empty housing 18.
• the automated system comprises advantageously means which are movable sequentially between the plurality of housings 18 of the filter modules 17 and the zone 31 for entry/exit of the filter modules into/from the booth.
• these means may comprise a shuttle 32 which travels hung from the rails 33 which extend along the corridor 24 so as to pass sequentially in front of the housings 18 of the filter modules.
• the shuttle may be moved by means of a motorized-chain system 41.
• Further transfer means 34 may be provided for transferring each module between its housing and the shuttle.
• these means 34 may comprise for each module a carriage 43 from which the module is hung and which may be transferred on the shuttle 32 by means of a suitable actuator or transfer device 35, thus extracting the filter module from its housing and transferring it inside the passage 24.
• the shuttle Once the shuttle has loaded the filter module it may be displaced towards the entry/exit zone 31 where the used filter is unloaded from the shuttle and removed from the booth. Similarly, a new filter may be loaded onto the shuttle in the entry/exit zone 31 and transported and inserted into an empty housing 18, with a procedure which is the reverse of that described above for extraction.
• the modules may also be moved from and to the entry/exit zone for example by means of a suitable known elevator 42 which picks them up from a store or from a manual loading/unloading zone.
• a suitable known elevator 42 which picks them up from a store or from a manual loading/unloading zone.
• the entry/exit zone may also comprise a suitable compactor device, of the type known per se.
• the filter modules have advantageously the inlet side which sealingly adheres with its edge against a circumferential edge 36 of the communication opening 25 between housing 18 and entry passage 21. In this way, it is sufficient to rest the filter against the edge 36 in order to ensure the air tightness and the circulation through the filter of the air flow from the paint- spraying chamber.
• the sealing contact may be for example ensured by the actuator or transfer device 35 which pushes the filter module inside its housing. Further known automated constraining means may be provided for keeping the module in the operative position.
• Means are also provided for closing the opening 25 for entry of the air into the filter modules.
• the entry passage 21 is provided with a movable partition 37 which is motorized (using means known per se and therefore not shown, for example a chain drive system) so as to travel along the passage and close in sequence one of the openings for entry into the filter modules.
• the partition 37 is displaced so as to close the entrance to this module and the module is then extracted from the housing and transferred onto the shuttle which transports it to the exit zone.
• the partition 37 may return into the rest position (shown in Figure 2c for the left-hand unit).
• a transfer chamber 38 provided with a first door 39 communicating with the passage 24 and a second door 40 communicating with the outside, and in particular the entry/exit zone 31, are provided.
• the transfer chamber 38 may also be used to house the shuttle 32 when not in use, closing both the doors 39 and 40 so as to keep it isolated from the air flow present inside the passage 24.
• Figure 3 shows in greater detail a possible advantageous embodiment of the system 30 for transportation and replacement of the filters.
• each filter module 17 is hung from an associated carriage 43 which is displaceable along rails 44 arranged on the ceiling of each housing 18 and extending in the direction of extraction/insertion of the module from/into the housing.
• this direction is transverse to the direction of displacement of the shuttle 32 on its rails 33.
• the shuttle 32 comprises in turn rail sections 45 which are aligned with the rails 44 of a housing when the shuttle is transported into the vicinity of this housing.
• the actuator 35 may displace the filter unit with the carriage 43 from the rails 43 to the rails 45 and vice versa.
• the actuator 35 may be a known linear actuator provided with a motorized slider 46 which engages a suitable operating end 47 of the carriage 43 so as to controllably displace it between housing 18 and shuttle 32.
• Other transfer devices may be imagined by the persons skilled in the art.
• Each filter unit comprises advantageously an associated movement system in a mirror-image arrangement relative to the other one.
• the entry/exit zone may be divided into an entry zone where the new filters arrive and an exit zone where the used filters are transferred.
• Changing of the filters may be performed by means of a manual change command entered by the operator or by means of a cyclical procedure whereby a filter is changed after a certain operating time. Suitable sensors may be provided, these requesting automatic changing of a filter when it is detected that it is clogged up by more than a certain amount.
• the filter modules may also be sequentially replaced one at a time (or in pairs, in the case of two filter units with associated independent automated systems), until all the filter modules have been completely replaced, without stopping the plant.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Details Or Accessories Of Spraying Plant Or Apparatus (AREA)
• Filtering Of Dispersed Particles In Gases (AREA)

Priority Applications (10)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Related Child Applications (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=54601935

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (13)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2015
  • 2015-09-01 IT ITUB2015A003323A patent/ITUB20153323A1/it unknown
• 2016
  • 2016-09-01 BR BR112018003964A patent/BR112018003964A2/pt active Search and Examination
  • 2016-09-01 ES ES16779182T patent/ES2879660T3/es active Active
  • 2016-09-01 CN CN201680046519.0A patent/CN107949431B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2016-09-01 WO PCT/IB2016/055225 patent/WO2017037643A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2016-09-01 KR KR1020187003385A patent/KR20180048599A/ko not_active Abandoned
  • 2016-09-01 MX MX2018002571A patent/MX2018002571A/es unknown
  • 2016-09-01 US US15/754,007 patent/US10350626B2/en active Active
  • 2016-09-01 CA CA2996442A patent/CA2996442A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2016-09-01 JP JP2018510400A patent/JP6816115B2/ja active Active
  • 2016-09-01 EP EP16779182.1A patent/EP3344363B1/en active Active
  • 2016-09-01 SI SI201631176T patent/SI3344363T1/sl unknown
  • 2016-09-01 MA MA047246A patent/MA47246A/fr unknown

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