Mobile automotive spray enclosure

A mobile automotive spray booth comprising:

• a collapsible enclosure for receiving a vehicle to be spray painted, the collapsible enclosure having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration;
• and
• a fire suppression system comprising:
• a control unit;
• a fire detection assembly in communication with the control unit;
• and
• a fire extinguisher assembly in communication with the control unit;
• wherein the fire detection assembly extends across at least a portion of the collapsible enclosure, and is configured to detect a fire within the collapsible enclosure;
• wherein the control unit is configured to activate the fire extinguisher assembly to extinguish the fire upon detection of the fire by the fire detection assembly;
• wherein the fire detection assembly is configured to bend to allow the collapsible enclosure to collapse from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration without removal or disassembly of the fire detection assembly;
• wherein the fire extinguisher assembly comprises:
• an agent cylinder containing a fire extinguishing agent;
• and
• an electronic actuator that is operatively connected to the agent cylinder;
• wherein the fire suppression system further comprises an electronic actuator cable that extends from the control unit to the electronic actuator:
• wherein the control unit is configured to send an electronic activation signal to the electronic actuator via the electronic actuator cable upon detection of the fire by the fire detection assembly:
• wherein the electronic actuator is configured to activate the agent cylinder to expel the fire extinguishing agent upon receipt of the electronic activation signal from the control unit;
• wherein the electronic actuator cable extends across at least part of the collapsible enclosure, and is configured to bend to allow the collapsible enclosure to collapse from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration without removal or disassembly of the electronic actuator cable;
• wherein the mobile automotive spray booth has a first end and a second end;
• wherein the fire extinguisher assembly is located at the first end and the control unit is located at the second end;
• wherein the first end is closer to the second end when the collapsible enclosure is in the collapsed configuration than when the collapsible enclosure is in the expanded configuration;
• wherein the collapsible enclosure comprises a flexible cover that is supported by a collapsible frame;
• wherein the collapsible frame has an extended length in a longitudinal direction when the collapsible enclosure is in the expanded configuration;
• wherein the collapsible frame has a reduced length in the longitudinal direction when the collapsible enclosure is in the collapsed configuration, the extended length being greater than the reduced length;
• wherein the collapsible frame has a terminal frame member located at the first end of the mobile automotive spray booth;
• wherein the fire extinguisher assembly is mounted to the terminal frame member;
• wherein the terminal frame member has a width in the longitudinal direction that remains unchanged when the collapsible enclosure moves between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration, so as to allow the collapsible enclosure to collapse from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration without removal or disassembly of the fire extinguisher assembly;
• wherein the terminal frame member comprises:
• a first archway defining body;
• a second archway defining body;
• and
• at least one metallic sheet or panel;
• wherein the second archway defining body is spaced from the first archway defining body in the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the at least one metallic sheet or panel extends between the first archway defining body and the second archway defining body in the longitudinal direction;
• wherein the fire extinguisher assembly is mounted to the at least one metallic sheet or panel, without piercing the flexible cover;
• wherein the terminal frame member has a right side portion, a top portion, and a left side portion;
• wherein the fire extinguisher assembly further comprises at least one nozzle that is operatively connected to the agent cylinder for discharge of the fire extinguishing agent into an internal compartment of the collapsible enclosure upon activation of the agent cylinder;
• wherein the at least one nozzle is mounted to the top portion of the terminal frame member;
• wherein the at least one nozzle is configured to discharge the fire extinguishing agent in a multidirectional spray that encompasses at least half of an internal volume of the internal compartment and extends in the longitudinal direction towards the second end of the mobile automotive spray booth for at least half of the extended length of the collapsible frame:
• the mobile automotive spray booth further comprising an air filtration and ventilation system for directing air through the collapsible enclosure and filtering air expelled from the collapsible enclosure;
• wherein the fire extinguisher assembly is a first fire extinguisher assembly, the fire suppression system further comprising a second fire extinguisher assembly;
• wherein the agent cylinder is a first agent cylinder, the electronic actuator is a first electronic actuator, and the at least one nozzle is a first nozzle or set of nozzles;
• wherein the first fire extinguisher assembly further comprises a first nitrogen actuation cylinder and a first actuation hose;
• wherein the first electronic actuator is operatively connected to the first nitrogen actuation cylinder, the first electronic actuator being configured to activate the first nitrogen actuation cylinder upon receipt of the electronic activation signal from the control unit;
• wherein the first nitrogen actuation cylinder is configured to, upon activation of the first nitrogen actuation cylinder, deliver pressurized nitrogen to the first agent cylinder via the first actuation hose to thereby activate the first agent cylinder;
• wherein the second fire extinguisher assembly comprises:
• a second agent cylinder containing the fire extinguishing agent;
• a second nozzle or set of nozzles that is operatively connected to the second agent cylinder for discharge of the fire extinguishing agent into the internal compartment of the collapsible enclosure upon activation of the second agent cylinder;
• a second nitrogen actuation cylinder;
• a second actuation hose;
• and
• a second electronic actuator in communication with the control unit;
• wherein the second electronic actuator is configured to activate the second nitrogen actuation cylinder upon receipt of activation instructions from the control unit;
• wherein the second nitrogen actuation cylinder is configured to, upon activation of the second nitrogen actuation cylinder, deliver pressurized nitrogen to the second agent cylinder via the second actuation hose to thereby activate the second agent cylinder;
• wherein the air filtration and ventilation system comprises a filter unit that carries one or more filters for filtering the air expelled from the collapsible enclosure, the filter unit being located at the second end of the mobile automotive spray booth;
• wherein the collapsible enclosure has a filter unit attachment end and a vehicle entrance end, the vehicle entrance end being located at the first end of the mobile automotive spray booth and the filter unit attachment end being located at the second end of the mobile automotive spray booth;
• wherein the terminal frame member is a first terminal frame member, the collapsible frame further comprising a second terminal frame member located at the filter unit attachment end of the collapsible enclosure;
• wherein the second terminal frame member has a right side portion, a top portion, and a left side portion;
• wherein the second nozzle or set of nozzles is mounted to the top portion of the second terminal frame member without piercing the flexible cover;
• wherein the second nozzle or set of nozzles is configured to discharge the fire extinguishing agent in a multidirectional spray that encompasses at least half of the internal volume of the internal compartment and extends in the longitudinal direction towards the vehicle entrance end of the collapsible enclosure for at least half of the extended length of the collapsible frame;
• and
• wherein the second terminal frame member has a width in the longitudinal direction that remains unchanged when the collapsible enclosure moves between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration, so as to allow the collapsible enclosure to collapse from the expanded configuration to the collapsed configuration without removal or disassembly of the second nozzle or set of nozzles.