Air scrubbing system

In an apparatus for removing particulate matter from contaminated air, said contaminated air flowing from a chamber through a perforate floor of said chamber, the improvement comprising:

• a sub-floor beneath at least a portion of said perforate floor, means for flooding said sub-floor with a flowing fluid to a depth sufficient to substantially prevent the accumulation of said particulate matter on said sub-floor as said contaminated air flows through said perforate floor, a flow opening in said sub-floor for receiving said contaminated air flowing therethrough;
• means for producing a fluid spray;
• means for merging said flowing sub-floor fluid with said fluid spray to form a combined fluid spray;
• conduit means communicating with said flow opening for passing said contaminated air through said combined fluid spray in order to remove said particulate matter from said contaminated air, said conduit means including
• baffle means in said conduit means for directing said combined fluid spray along a generally serpentine fluid flow path and for directing said contaminated air along a generally serpentine air flow path so that said contaminated air passes through said combined fluid spray at least twice as it flows through said conduit means;
• and
• fluid collection means for collecting said combined fluid spray after said contaminated air has passed therethrough and for draining said combined fluid spray from said conduit means;
• said fluid spray means, said conduit means and said fluid collection means all being located beneath the elevation of said sub-floor, and said sub-floor including an apron member extending therefrom in a generally downward direction into said flow opening in order to flowingly direct said sub-floor fluid along said apron member and then into said flow opening, said fluid spray means being located beneath said sub-floor and beneath
• said apron portion in order to be out of the flow of said contaminated air, and said means for producing said fluid spray and said apron member both being oriented generally in said downward direction in order to direct said combined spray flow into said flow opening to impinge upon said baffle means.

In a paint spray booth having side walls, a perforate floor and means for supplying air to the interior of said booth and for exhausting said air through said perforate floor, the improvement comprising an apparatus for removing paint particles from said air, said apparatus including:

• a sub-floor beneath said perforate floor, said sub-floor having an opening therein or receiving paint-laden air flowing therethrough, means for flowingly flooding the upper surface of said sub-floor with a fluid to a depth sufficient to substantially prevent accumulation of paint particles on said sub-floor, said sub-floor fluid also flowing into and through said flow opening;
• means for producing a fluid spray, said fluid spray means being located below the elevation of said sub-floor and substantially out of said air flow;
• means for inspirating at least a portion of said sub-floor fluid and for merging said flowing sub-floor fluid with said fluid spray to form a combined fluid spray as said sub-floor fluid flows into said flow opening;
• conduit means located below the elevation of said sub-floor and communicating with said opening in said sub-floor for passing said paint-laden air through said combined fluid spray in order to remove said paint particles from said paint-laden air, said conduit means including
• a number of baffle members in said conduit means against which said fluid spray impacts, said baffle members being configured to direct said combined fluid spray along a generally serpentine fluid flow path and to direct said paint-laden air along a generally serpentine air flow path so that said paint-laden air passes through said combined fluid spray at least twice as it flows through said conduit means;
• and
• fluid collection means for collecting said combined fluid spray after said paint-laden air has passed therethrough and for draining said combined fluid spray from said conduit means.

In a paint spray booth having side walls, a perforate floor and means for supplying air to the interior of said booth and for exhausting said air through said perforate floor, the improvement comprising an apparatus for removing paint particles from said air, said apparatus including:

• a sub-floor beneath said perforate floor, said sub-floor having an opening therein for receiving paint-laden air flowing therethrough, means for flowingly flooding the upper surface of said sub-floor with a fluid to a depth sufficient to substantially prevent accumulation of paint particles on said sub-floor;
• means for producing a fluid spray, said fluid spray means being located below the elevation of said sub-floor;
• means for merging said flowing sub-floor fluid with said fluid spray to form a combined fluid spray;
• conduit means located below the elevation of said sub-floor and communicating with said opening in said sub-floor for passing said paint-laden air through said combined fluid spray in order to remove said paint particles from said paint-laden air, said conduit means including
• a number of baffle members in said conduit means against which said fluid spray impacts, said baffle members being configured to direct said combined fluid spray along a generally serpentine fluid flow path and to direct said paint-laden air along a generally serpentine air flow path so that said paint-laden air passes through said combined fluid spray at least twice as it flows through said conduit means;
• said sub-floor including an apron member extending therefrom in a generally downward direction into said flow opening in order to flowingly direct said sub-floor fluid along said apron member and then into said flow opening, said fluid spray means being located beneath said sub-floor and beneath said apron portion in order to be out of the flow of said contaminated air, and said means for producing said fluid spray and said apron member being oriented generally in said downward direction in order to direct said combined spray flow into said flow opening to impinge upon said baffle means, and
• fluid collection means for collecting said combined fluid spray after said paint-laden air has passed therethrough and for draining said combined fluid spray from said conduit means.

In an apparatus for removing particulate matter from contaminated air, said contaminated air flowing from a chamber through a perforate floor of said chamber, the improvement comprising:

• a sub-floor beneath at least a portion of said perforate floor, means for flooding said sub-floor with a flowing fluid to a depth sufficient to substantially prevent the accumulation of said particulate matter on said sub-floor as said contaminated air flows through said perforate floor, a flow opening in said sub-floor for receiving both said contaminated air and said sub-floor fluid flowing therethrough;
• means located out of said air flow for producing a fluid spray;
• means associated with said sub-floor for directing said sub-floor fluid into said fluid spray, at least a portion of said sub-floor fluid being inspirated by said fluid spray in order to form a combined fluid spray as said sub-floor fluid flows into said flow opening;
• conduit means communicating with said flow opening for passing said contaminated air through said fluid spray flow in order to remove said particulate matter from said contaminated air, said conduit means including
• baffle means in said conduit means for directing said fluid spray flow along a generally serpentine fluid flow path and for directing said contaminated air along a generally serpentine air flow path so that said contaminated air passes through said fluid spray at least twice as it flows through said conduit means;
• and
• fluid collection means for collecting said fluid spray flow after said contaminated air has passed therethrough and for draining said fluid spray flow from said conduit means.