Radiant tube and convection oven

• US 20050087183A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Durr Systems Incorporated (Durr AG)
• Inventors: d' Altena, Adrien De Borchgrave, Klobucar, Joseph M., Pakkala, James L., Smith, Douglas G., Cole, David J., Roesler, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 7,063,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 126/21.A
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/10 Temperature; Pressure F26B23/026 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 2200/06 Grains, e.g. cereals, wheat, rice, corn
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 2210/12 Vehicle bodies, e.g. after being painted
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 23/02 using combustion heating F26B3/305, F26B13/186, F26B21/001, F26B23/10 take precedence

Abstract

An oven for heating a coating on a substrate, such as a painted vehicle body, including a first zone having radiant tubes and shields above the tubes and a second zone including side heat chambers having nozzles directing heated air onto a coated substrate and a hold zone. The radiant tubes may include a first linear portion extending through the oven and return loop beneath the substrate to conserve energy and sill ducts directing heated air against the underside of the vehicle body. The temperature is controlled by sensors contacting the radiant tubes and a proportional integral control system.

Claims

1. A radiant tube and convection oven for heating a coating on a substrate conveyed through said oven, comprising:

an oven wall enclosing a plurality of zones, including a radiant bring-up zone having a plurality of radiant tubes extending through said oven receiving heated air from a burner and shields located generally between said radiant tubes and said substrate, and a convection bring-up zone, including said radiant tubes and a plurality of nozzles directing heated air at said substrate.

2. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said radiant tubes each include a temperature sensor in contact with a surface of said radiant tubes, said sensors connected to a control and said control connected to a burner directing heated air into said radiant tubes, controlling a temperature of said oven.

3. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 2, wherein said oven further includes temperature sensors located within said oven spaced from said radiant tubes connected to said control further controlling a temperature of said oven.

4. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said radiant tube and convection oven includes ducts located beneath said substrate extending through said oven receiving heated air from a burner having a plurality of spaced openings directing heated air onto an underside of said substrate.

5. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said radiant tubes each include a return loop extending back through said oven receiving heated air from said radiant tubes.

6. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 5, wherein said return loops extend below said substrate.

7. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 5, wherein said return loops each include a U-shaped portion connected to said radiant tubes and a linear portion extending back through said oven.

8. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said radiant tubes are each located adjacent an outer corner of said outer wall of said oven and said shields are located above said radiant tubes.

9. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said shields are flat and located above said radiant tubes.

10. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said shields are arcuate and located above said radiant tubes.

11. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said radiant tube and convection oven includes a hold zone located downstream of convection bring-up zone including said radiant tubes.

12. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate is a vehicle body having open windows and said nozzles are located opposite said open windows directing heated air into said open windows of said vehicle body.

13. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 12, wherein said nozzles are located on inclined walls of said chambers receiving heated air.

14. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 1, wherein said convection bring-up zone includes heat chambers on opposed sides of said oven wall and said nozzles are located on a wall of said heat chambers opposite said substrate.

15. A radiant tube and convection oven for curing paint on a vehicle body, said oven comprising:

an oven wall including opposed side walls and a bottom wall enclosing a plurality of zones, a conveyor conveying painted vehicle bodies having open windows through said plurality of zones, said zones of said oven including

a radiant bring-up zone having radiant tubes on opposed sides of said conveyor adjacent an intersection of said side and bottom walls extending through said oven receiving heated air from a burner and radiant shields located above said radiant tubes, and

a convection bring-up zone including said radiant tubes and a plurality of nozzles directing heated air through said open windows into said vehicle body and against an exterior of said vehicle body.

16. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 15, wherein said radiant tubes each include a temperature sensor in contact with a surface of said radiant tubes, said temperature sensor connected to a control and said control connected to a burner directing heated air into said radiant tubes controlling a temperature of said oven.

17. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 16, wherein said oven includes temperature sensors located within said oven spaced from said radiant tubes connected to said controller further controlling a temperature within said oven.

18. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 15, wherein said radiant tube and convection oven includes sill ducts located beneath sills of said vehicle body receiving heated air from a burner having a plurality of spaced openings directing heated air onto said sills of said vehicle bodies.

19. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 15, wherein said radiant tubes each include a return loop extending back through said oven receiving heated air from said radiant tubes.

20. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 19, wherein said return loops extend below said vehicle bodies on opposed sides of said conveyor.

21. The radiant tube and convection oven as defined in claim 19, wherein said return loops each include a U-shaped portion connected to said radiant tubes and a linear portion extending back through said oven.

22. An oven for heating a coating on a substrate conveyed through said oven, comprising:

an oven wall enclosing a plurality of zones, including a radiant build-up zone having a plurality of radiant tubes extending through said oven receiving heated air from a burner, said radiant tubes including a first generally linear portion extending generally through said oven, a generally U-shaped portion receiving heated air from said first generally linear portion, and a second generally linear portion receiving heated air from said U-shaped portion extending back through said oven.

23. The oven as defined in claim 22, wherein said oven includes shields located generally between said first linear portions of said radiant tubes and said substrate.

24. The oven as defined in claim 22, wherein said radiant tubes each include a temperature sensor in contact with a surface of said radiant tubes, said temperature sensor connected to a control and said control connected to a burner directing heated air into said radiant tubes, controlling a temperature in said oven.

25. The oven as defined in claim 22, wherein said oven includes a convection bring-up zone following said radiant bring-up zone including a plurality of nozzles directing heated air at said substrate.