Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Apparatus – With means to treat gas or vapor
Patent
1992-02-25
1993-09-21
Bennet, Henry A.
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Apparatus
With means to treat gas or vapor
34243C, 34 27, 34 74, 454141, 118326, 118 58, F26B 300
Patent
active
052457630
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for removing solvent vapors from a vehicle body.
Description of the Prior Art
When painting vehicle bodies, such as car bodies, with solvent-base paints in e.g. spray booths, solvent evaporates from the paint, both when the paint is applied and when it is drying. The resulting solvent vapours spread inside as well as outside the vehicle body. Usually, the solvent vapours outside the vehicle body are removed from the spray booth by ventilation air flowing continuously therethrough and entraining the vapours, optionally after they have been slightly concentrated, to e.g. an incinerator.
However, the solvent vapours inside the vehicle body are not removed by the ventilation air, but instead accompany the vehicle body when moved into the succeeding drying unit where they may condense on the walls. If condensate then drops on to the vehicle body, the surface layer thereof will be ruined.
In order to check the quality of the surface layer of the vehicle body, it is often desirable to manually inspect the vehicle body before it enters the drying unit. Owing to the high content of solvent vapours inside the vehicle body, such an inspection before the solvent vapours have been removed from the vehicle body however constitutes a health hazard.
In order to remove the solvent vapours inside the vehicle body before this enters the drying unit, robots provided with exhaust means adapted to be introduced into the vehicle body for sucking off the solvent vapours therefrom have been arranged between the spray booth and the drying unit. However, it has been found impossible to keep the robots clean enough so as not to deposit any particles of dust or dirt on the newly-painted and not yet dried surface layer when their suctions means are introduced into the vehicle body.
When the vehicle body is being painted, particles may collect on its bottom. These particles may come into contact with the surface layer of the vehicle body and ruin it if they are entrained by the solvent vapours when these are removed from the vehicle body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the Invention
Since the newly-painted surface layer is easily damaged, the removal of solvent vapours from inside the vehicle body, without causing any damage to the surface layer thereof, always involves problems.
One object of the present invention therefore is to provide a simple and efficient method for removing solvent vapours from a vehicle body without damaging the surface layer thereof.
Another object of the invention is to provide a simple apparatus for carrying out this method.
Technical Solution
According to the present invention, the solvent vapours are removed from the vehicle body in that air is supplied to said body through a first means provided at the outside thereof, at such a speed and such a temperature that it pushes aside the solvent vapours which are caused to flow towards a second means provided at the outside of said body for sucking off the solvent vapours from the interior of the vehicle body.
Depending on whether the solvent vapours collect in a cavity in the upper or lower portion of the vehicle body, the air is heated or cooled to such a temperature that its density, respectively, becomes lower or higher than that of the solvent vapours. Owing to this difference in density between the air and the solvent vapours, the air is able to push aside the solvent vapours from the cavity, whereupon the vapours are caused to flow towards the suction or exhaust means by the kinetic energy of the air and the suction effect of said exhaust means.
Preferably, the air is heated or cooled to a temperature which, respectively, is 2.degree.-20.degree. C. above or below the temperature of the solvent vapours. The range 6.degree.-10.degree. C. has been found particularly advantageous for obtaining a difference in density sufficient to produce a satisfactory pushing aside of the solvent vapours, while reducing the heating or cooling costs.
Preferably, the air is sup
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patent: 4769925 (1988-09-01), Matsubara
patent: 4771552 (1988-09-01), Morioka
ABB Flakt A.B.
Bennet Henry A.
Gromada Denise L.
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