Controlling cyclone efficiency with a vacuum interface
First Claim
1. Powder recovery apparatus for a powder coating spray system, comprising:
- a powder spray booth;
a cyclone having an inlet thereto that receives powder entrained in air from said spray booth wherein said cyclone operates to separate powder from the air;
said cyclone having an outlet for recovering said separated powder and an exhaust for air; and
a negative pressure source coupled to said cyclone outlet;
said negative pressure source producing an induced air volume that causes a substantial flow of powder from said cyclone outlet to a container to reduce powder lost through said cyclone exhaust.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Powder overspray that is extracted from a spray booth is recovered back to a powder supply that is used to supply powder to the spray guns inside the spray booth. The powder overspray extracted from the booth is separated from the high flow air stream by a separator such as a cyclone separator. The powder falls into a transfer pan and a vacuum is used to convey the powder from the transfer pan to a vacuum receiver. The powder is then discharged to the feed hopper in the feed center. The use of a vacuum to convey powder from the cyclone to the feed center in effect permits substantially all of the powder overspray to be recovered from the spray booth directly to the feed hopper with minimal dwell or residence time within the cyclone or vacuum receiver subsystems during a spraying operation. The receiver can be rotated for easy cleaning, and the vacuum line cleaned by one or more cleaning elements drawn through the vacuum line.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. Powder recovery apparatus for a powder coating spray system, comprising:
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a powder spray booth;
a cyclone having an inlet thereto that receives powder entrained in air from said spray booth wherein said cyclone operates to separate powder from the air;
said cyclone having an outlet for recovering said separated powder and an exhaust for air; and
a negative pressure source coupled to said cyclone outlet;
said negative pressure source producing an induced air volume that causes a substantial flow of powder from said cyclone outlet to a container to reduce powder lost through said cyclone exhaust. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for influencing efficiency of a cyclonic separator of the type having an inlet that receives powder coating particles entrained in an air flow, an outlet for recovering powder separated from the air flow, and an exhaust coupled to a blower that produces the powder entrained air flow into the cyclone at the cyclone inlet;
- the method comprising;
applying negative pressure at the cyclone outlet to convey powder particles from the cyclone outlet to a container, said negative pressure being sufficient to yield powder particles in said container that would otherwise pass through the cyclone exhaust in the absence of said negative pressure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- the method comprising;
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16. Apparatus for increasing efficiency of a cyclone separator used to recover powder from a powder coating system, comprising:
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a cyclone having an inlet thereto that is adapted to receive powder entrained air wherein said cyclone operates to separate powder from the air;
said cyclone having an outlet for recovering said separated powder and an exhaust for air; and
a negative pressure source coupled to said cyclone outlet;
said negative pressure source producing an induced air volume that causes a substantial flow of powder from said cyclone outlet to a container to reduce powder lost through said cyclone exhaust. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Apparatus for increasing efficiency of a cyclone separator used to recover powder from a powder coating system, comprising:
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a cyclone having an inlet thereto that is adapted to receive powder entrained air wherein said cyclone operates to separate powder from the air;
said cyclone having an outlet area for recovering said separated powder and an exhaust for air;
said cyclone having a static pressure value associated therewith; and
a negative pressure source coupled to said cyclone outlet area;
said negative pressure source producing an induced air volume that causes a substantial flow of powder from said cyclone outlet area to a container to reduce powder lost through said cyclone exhaust;
said induced air flow having a predetermined relationship with respect to said static pressure.
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27. A method for increasing efficiency of a cyclonic separator of the type having an inlet that receives powder coating particles entrained in an air volume, an outlet area for recovering powder separated from the cyclone air, and an exhaust;
- the method comprising;
applying negative pressure at the cyclone outlet area to recover powder particles from the cyclone outlet area and to convey the recovered powder particles to a container, said negative pressure producing an induced air volume having a predetermined relationship with respect to a static pressure characteristic of the cyclone to yield powder particles that would otherwise pass through the cyclone exhaust in the absence of said negative pressure.
- the method comprising;
Specification