Durr Industries, Inc.

Anthony R Gore

David John Cole

Gregory M Still

Phillip C Cameron

David W Crompton

An improved paint drying oven for vehicles includes a 'hold' zone with a radiant energy generating floor. The floor preferably is defined by an inner wall and an outer wall spaced beneath the inner wall. Heated air is passed into the space between the inner and outer walls, and heats the inner wall to a temperature such that it emits radiant energy into the oven. The other walls of the oven do not include any heat generating structure, and thus the vehicle is dried entirely by the radiant energy generating floor. This invention maintains a relatively constant temperature at the vehicle body, thus achieving the main goals of the hold zone.

Paint drying oven with radiant energy floor

An air supply plenum for a paint spray booth includes a housing with separating walls positioned between the ceiling and a filter support panel of the plenum housing. The air flow supplied to the paint spray booth area is divided by the walls into three distinct flows: (1) a central flow air, through which the article to be painted travels in the paint spray booth, (2) two outer greater flow areas where the operators and/or equipment for applying paint to the article to be painted are located. Filters are positioned in the supply plenum arrangement adjacent and above the filter support panel separating the plenum and paint spray booth. The filters run longitudinally along the length of the plenum and between the separating walls. The positioning of these filters in this manner minimizes the amount of turbulence of the flow provided to the spray paint booth.

Paint spray booth and supply plenum arrangement

An improved gas scrubber system is disclosed in which air from a paint spray booth is mixed with a liquid to remove paint particles and other contaminants in the air. A wall is positioned immediately downstream of an outlet of the gas scrubber and a jet of intermixed water, entrained contaminants and air impinges off of that wall, to separate the majority of water and contaminants. The gas scrubber member has a unique structure such that the air and water are directed through a first portion generally aligned with an inlet and into a second portion which extends at a 90.degree. angle with respect to the first portion. A restriction is formed on the first portion to provide a noise barrier. The gas scrubber member is formed by planar walls to ensure that the water continues to adhere to them under surface tension, and in essentially laminar flow, while in the first portion. A top wall is spaced from a base wall to define the second portion. The top and base wall are configured such that water will continue to adhere to them until reaching a position adjacent the outlet nozzle, ensuring that the turbulent mixing of water and air occurs at the outlet nozzle. Thus, noise from the mixing must travel through a 90.degree. bend and pass the noise barrier provided by the restriction before reaching the paint spray booth. Further, the unique structure ensures that the gas scrubber will be relatively simple to clean and maintain.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Anthony R Gore