Spray booth for electrostatic powder coating

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to a spray booth for electrostatic power coating processes, including a hopper section, and a removably secured housing section. The housing portion consists of a basic skeleton of structural supporting members, to which are removably attached a plurality of standard size panel modules. The panel modules may, for example, be closed wall panels, may include an access door, may provide a sealed access slot for a reciprocating coating applicator, may have louvered air controlled panels, etc. The modular panels may be assembled in various combinations, so that an essentially standard spray booth structure may be easily customized to the specific needs of the user. The spray booth is also constructed and arranged to provide an inwardly shingled relationship of wall forming elements, such that powder overspray tends to fall by gravity into the hopper section of the booth, without contacting any upwardly facing horizontal or near horizontal surfaces. The new spray booth structure is constructed in a unique manner to provide for relatively higher velocity of downward air flow along the outer walls of the housing and relatively lower velocity of air flow in the central portions, through which the work is being transported. The thus controlled air velocity gradients within the spray booth housing serve to improve coating transfer efficiencies, while at the same time promoting selfcleaning of the booth walls. The construction and arrangement of the spray booth housing is such as to enable it to be quickly and easily dismantled for clean out purposes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.