Powder coating cabin

• US 6,187,098 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Krämer, Erich, Krämer, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LORENGO, JERRY A
• Application Number:
  US09/179,724
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 118/326, 118/50, 118/58, 118/628, 118/715, 118/308, 118/309, 118/314, 454/50, 427/472, 427/474, 427/479, 427/301, 427/319, 427/328
• US Class Current: 118/326
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 14/41 by cleaning the walls of the booth
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 14/45 using cyclone separators
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 14/48 specially adapted for particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/25 for both automatic and manual spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 16/405 Partly or totally cylindrical walls; Round floors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/10 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

Abstract

A powder coating cabin includes a column-like housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, with the bottom being substantially of flat configuration, and a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object. The powder coating unit is further provided with a cleaning unit which is so received in the housing as to be movable between a stand-by position in which the cleaning unit is arranged at least partially underneath the bottom and an operative phase for automatically cleaning at least the inner wall surfaces of the housing, whereby the bottom is suitably so designed as to clear a passage for the cleaning unit.

Claims

1. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing, wherein the cleaning unit is so received in the housing as to be movable between a stand-by position and an operative phase, said cleaning unit being arranged at least partially underneath the bottom in the stand-by position.

2. The powder coating cabin of claim 1 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

9. The powder coating cabin of claim 1 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

23. The powder coating cabin of claim 1, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

24. The powder coating cabin of claim 23 wherein the ceiling is formed with a slotted opening for allowing entry into and continuous advance of an overhead transported object through the housing, said ceiling being formed with an annular gap for fluidly connecting the interior space with the exhaust system when the slotted opening is closed.

25. The powder coating cabin of claim 23 wherein the ceiling is formed with a slotted opening for allowing entry into and continuous advance of an overhead transported object through the housing, said exhaust system being fluidly connected to the interior space via the slotted opening.

3. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing,

wherein the bottom is so designed as to clear a passage for the cleaning unit.

33. The powder coating cabin of claim 3 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

34. The powder coating cabin of claim 3 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

40. The powder coating cabin of claim 3 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

41. The powder coating cabin of claim 3 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

42. The powder coating cabin of claim 3, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

43. The powder coating cabin of claim 3 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

44. The powder coating cabin of claim 3 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

4. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing, wherein the cleaning unit is so designed as to be adjustable in a vertical direction of the housing for automatically cleaning at least the inside wall surfaces of the housing, said coating unit including a spray coating device projecting into the interior space through at least one slot in the housing, a pre-coating site secured to the housing and having a gate mechanism movable between a first position in which access to the interior space is closed and a second position in which access to the interior space is open to allow pre-coating of the object, and a final coating site secured to the housing and having a gate mechanism movable between a first position in which access to the interior space is closed and a second position in which access to the interior space is open to allow final coating of the object.

5. The powder coating cabin of claim 4 wherein the slot is closeable.

13. The powder coating cabin of claim 4 wherein the housing has two slits extending longitudinally along a vertical extension of the housing between the ceiling and the bottom in diametrically opposite disposition, and further comprising two exhaust ducts in diametrically opposite disposition adjacent the pre-coating and final coating sites, one of the exhaust ducts being connected to the interior space of the housing via one of the slits, and the other one of the exhaust ducts being connected to the interior space of the housing via the other one of the slits.

31. The powder coating cabin of claim 4, and further comprising a displacement device for vertically adjusting the cleaning unit between the bottom and the ceiling, said displacement device being mounted externally onto the housing and operatively connected to the cleaning unit via the slot for passage of the spray coating device.

32. The powder coating cabin of claim 4, and further comprising a displacement device for vertically adjusting the cleaning unit between the bottom and the ceiling, said displacement device being mounted externally onto one of the gate mechanisms and operatively connected to the cleaning unit via a slot formed in said one gate mechanism.

45. The powder coating cabin of claim 4 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

46. The powder coating cabin of claim 4 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

47. The powder coating cabin of claim 4, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

48. The powder coating cabin of claim 4 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

49. The powder coating cabin of claim 4 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

6. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing, wherein the cleaning unit has a scavenger arm adapted to sweep over the bottom during operation of the coating unit, and a cleaning member adapted for cleaning the inside wall surfaces of the interior space.

7. The powder coating cabin of claim 6 wherein the scavenger arm is provided with at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper, scraping lip and arrays of blow nozzles.

8. The powder coating cabin of claim 7 wherein one of the arrays of blow nozzles is provided for realizing a cleaning of the ceiling in the operative phase of the cleaning unit.

50. The powder coating cabin of claim 6 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

51. The powder coating cabin of claim 6 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

52. The powder coating cabin of claim 6, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

53. The powder coating cabin of claim 6 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

54. The powder coating cabin of claim 6 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

10. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration; and

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object,

wherein the housing has at least one slit extending longitudinally along a vertical extension of the housing between the ceiling and the bottom, and further comprising at least one exhaust duct connected to the interior space of the housing via the slit.

11. The powder coating cabin of claim 10, and further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the interior space of the housing.

12. The powder coating cabin of claim 10 wherein the housing has two such slits extending longitudinally along a vertical extension of the housing in diametrically opposite disposition, and further comprising two such exhaust ducts in diametrically opposite disposition, one of the exhaust ducts being connected to the interior space of the housing via one of the slits, and the other one of the exhaust ducts being connected to the interior space of the housing via the other one of the slits.

14. The powder coating cabin of claim 10 wherein the slit has a width which decreases from the bottom in direction to the ceiling.

15. The powder coating cabin of claim 10 wherein the cleaning unit has an auxiliary device for automatically cleaning the exhaust duct.

16. The powder coating cabin of claim 12, and further comprising a cyclone having an inlet port, and a duct system connected to the cyclone and uniting the exhaust ducts to one another downstream of the inlet port of the cyclone.

17. The powder coating cabin of claim 16 wherein the duct system forms an acceleration path.

55. The powder coating cabin of claim 11 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

56. The powder coating cabin of claim 11 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

57. The powder coating cabin of claim 11, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

58. The powder coating cabin of claim 11 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

59. The powder coating cabin of claim 11 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

18. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing, wherein the housing has a cleansing compartment underneath the bottom for accommodating the cleaning unit in the stand-by position and allowing a purifying of the cleaning unit.

19. The powder coating cabin of claim 18, and further comprising at least one first conduit connected to the cleansing compartment for supply of air and at least one second conduit connected to the cleansing compartment for exhaust of air.

20. The powder coating cabin of claim 19, and further comprising a fan for feeding a large amount of air through the first conduit into the cleansing compartment.

21. The powder coating cabin of claim 20, and further comprising a cyclone having an outlet for discharge of exhaust air into the first conduit;

and a filter positioned downstream of the cyclone outlet.

22. The powder coating of claim 18 wherein the cleaning unit has a scavenger arm adapted to sweep over the bottom during operation of the coating unit, said cleaning unit together with the scavenger arm being arranged in its entirety within the cleansing compartment.

60. The powder coating cabin of claim 18 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

61. The powder coating cabin of claim 18 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

62. The powder coating cabin of claim 18, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

63. The powder coating cabin of claim 18 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

64. The powder coating cabin of claim 18 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

26. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing, wherein the bottom is of split configuration and formed by two bottom portions which are capable of traveling apart from one another to open the bottom and to allow passage of the cleaning unit for carrying out a cleaning of the inside wall surfaces of the housing.

65. The powder coating cabin of claim 26 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

66. The powder coating cabin of claim 26 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

67. The powder coating cabin of claim 26, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

68. The powder coating cabin of claim 26 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

69. The powder coating cabin of claim 26 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

27. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration;

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, and

a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing, wherein the bottom is of single-piece configuration and adapted for withdrawal in its entirety to allow passage of the cleaning unit for carrying out cleaning of the inside wall surfaces of the interior space.

70. The powder coating cabin of claim 27 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

71. The powder coating cabin of claim 27 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

72. The powder coating cabin of claim 27, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

73. The powder coating cabin of claim 27 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

74. The powder coating cabin of claim 27 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

28. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration; and

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object,

wherein the bottom is formed as rotary bottom.

30. The powder coating cabin of claim 28 wherein the bottom is formed as rotary bottom, said cleaning unit and said rotary bottom being so designed as to be adjustable in a vertical direction independently from one another.

75. The powder coating cabin of claim 28, and further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the interior space of the housing.

76. The powder coating cabin of claim 75 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

77. The powder coating cabin of claim 75 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

78. The powder coating cabin of claim 75, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

79. The powder coating cabin of claim 75 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

80. The powder coating cabin of claim 75 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

29. A powder coating cabin, comprising:

a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration; and

a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object,

wherein the bottom is formed as rotary bottom, said cleaning unit being mounted to the rotary bottom, said rotary bottom being so designed as to be adjustable in a vertical direction of the housing for automatically cleaning the inside wall surfaces of the housing.

81. The powder coating cabin of claim 29 wherein the cleaning unit is received in the housing for inside cleaning the interior space of the housing.

82. The powder coating cabin of claim 29 wherein the cleaning unit is so adapted as to spin about a substantially vertical axis.

83. The powder coating cabin of claim 29, and further comprising an exhaust system positioned in the area of the ceiling.

84. The powder coating cabin of claim 29 wherein the cleaning unit is of ring-shaped configuration.

85. The powder coating cabin of claim 29 wherein the cleaning unit includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of scraper members, blow nozzles, brushes, sponge and wet cleaning units.

35. In combination:

a first powder coating cabin, comprising a housing defining an interior space between a ceiling and a bottom, said bottom being substantially of flat configuration, a coating unit arranged on the housing for spraying powder onto an object, a cleaning unit for cleaning inner wall surfaces of the housing,

a second said powder coating cabin destined for connection in succession to the first powder coating cabin; and

a common displacement device for vertically adjusting the cleaning unit of each of said first and second powder coating cabins.

36. The combination of claim 35 wherein both powder coating cabins have different dimensions.

37. The combination of claim 35 wherein both powder coating cabins have same internal dimensions, with the cleaning unit of one powder coating cabin and the cleaning unit of the other powder coating cabin being securely attached to one another in a transition zone between both powder coating cabins.

38. The combination of claim 35 wherein the displacement device interacts with the cleaning unit of each powder coating cabin.

39. The combination of claim 35 wherein the displacement device is a mechanism selected from the group consisting of rope drive, spindle drive and chain drive.