Thermal spray cabin with suction system

Abstract

A thermal spray cabin comprising a table to hold a part to be coated and a robot with a robot body and an arm, a spray gun mounted on the arm of the robot, a ventilation system comprising an air inlet and a suction hood designed to create a gas flow with a main stream from the air inlet to the suction hood thereby passing the table in an operating state of the thermal spray cabin. The air inlet, the table, the robot and the suction hood are arranged in such a way, that the robot body is positioned outside the main stream of the gas flow in the operating state.

Claims

1. A thermal spray cabin comprising: a table to hold a part to be coated; a robot with a robot body and an a robot arm; a spray gun mounted on the robot arm; and a ventilation system comprising an air inlet and a suction hood designed to create a gas flow with a main stream from the air inlet to the suction hood thereby passing the table in an operating state of the thermal spray cabin, wherein the air inlet, the table, the robot and the suction hood are arranged in such a way, that the robot body is positioned outside the main stream of the gas flow in the operating state, wherein the robot arm and the spray gun are positioned inside the main stream of the gas flow in the operating state, wherein the suction hood comprises a cylindrical shaped vortex system, the vortex system being connected to a suction pipe for producing a circular and/or a spiral motion of an air outlet flow in the operating state, and wherein the suction hood further comprises a curved shaped collecting sheet for providing a homogeneous flow of collected air containing dust and/or particles in the operating state.

2. The thermal spray cabin according to claim 1, wherein the suction hood is designed to allow the gas flow to flow between 5000 and 15000 m3/h.

3. The thermal spray cabin according to claim 1, wherein the suction hood is designed to allow the gas flow to flow at a velocity over 4 m/s.

4. The thermal spray cabin according to claim 1, wherein the curved shaped collecting sheet is an extension of the cylindrical shaped vortex system.

5. The thermal spray cabin according to claim 1, wherein the curved shaped collecting sheet is a curved shaped collecting metal sheet.

6. The thermal spray cabin according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical shaped vortex system comprises opening slits to allow an additional air outlet flow penetrating directly into the cylindrical shaped vortex system in the operating state.

7. The thermal spray cabin according to claim 1, wherein the main stream of the gas flow extends along a straight line drawn from at least one part of the air inlet to the table and further to at least one part of the suction hood with the line not crossing and/or touching the robot body.

8. A method to thermal spray coat a part comprising: positioning the part to be coated on the table of the thermal spray cabin according to claim 1; creating the gas flow with the main stream from the air inlet to the suction hood, the main stream of the gas flow passing the table, wherein the robot body of the robot is positioned outside in-the main stream, while the robot arm and the spray gun are positioned inside the main stream in the operating state; and using the spray gun attached to the robot arm of the robot to coat the part.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gas flow has a velocity over 4 m/s.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gas flow has a flow between 5000 and 15000 m3/h.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises operating the curved shaped collection sheet by penetrating deeper and closer towards the part to be coated in order to collect more effectively the dust and/or particles contained in air at a proximity of the part to be coated.

Description

(1) The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings. There are shown in a schematic representation:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a cabin according to prior art;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the global view of the thermal spray cabin;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the suction hood, comprising the vortex system, the collection metal sheet and opening slits;

(5) FIG. 4 Top view of the suction hood of FIG. 3.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a cabin according to prior art. The booth 101 of the prior art comprises a suction hood 111, a table 113 with a part to be coated 115 deposited thereon. Furthermore, the booth 101 comprises a robot 103 with a spray gun 107 attached to a robot arm 105 for coating the part 115, an air inlet 117 and a door 109.

(7) The part to be coated 115 can be inserted into the booth 101 via the door 109. In the operating state a gas flow is generated through ventilation of the suction hood 111. Thereby, an air inlet flow is entering the air inlet 117, producing a gas flow towards the suction hood 111.

(8) In the cabin according to the prior art the robot 103 with a robot body and the robot arm 105 is positioned inside the gas flow from the air inlet 117 towards the suction hood 111. As a result, strong turbulences are generated around the robot and on the bottom-back side of the chamber no air is directly flowing in the operating state, thereby causing all the disadvantages described above.

(9) FIG. 2 shows the global view of the thermal spray cabin 201, comprising a table 219 to hold a part to be coated 221 and a robot 203 with a robot body 206 and an arm 205, a spray gun mounted on the arm 205 of the robot, a ventilation system comprising an air inlet 213 and a suction hood 215.

(10) In the operating state the suction hood 215 is creating a gas flow with a main stream M from the air inlet to the suction hood 215. This main stream M is passing the table of the thermal spray cabin. The air inlet 213, the table 219, the robot 203 and the suction hood 215 are arranged in such a way, that the robot body 206 is positioned outside the main stream M of the gas flow. As a result, the robot body 206 is not in the main stream M of the gas flow, thereby avoiding turbulences around the robot body 206.

(11) In the thermal spray cabin 201 shown in FIG. 2 the robot body is arranged on the right side of the cabin 201, i.e. on the right side of the main stream M. Of course the robot body 206 can also be arranged on the left side of the main stream M, above the main stream M or under the main stream M, as long as the robot body 206 is arranged outside the main stream M.

(12) In such an arrangement the disadvantages, especially the strong turbulences, known from the prior art can be avoided.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the suction hood 301, comprising the vortex system 303, the collection metal sheet 307 and opening slits 305. The vortex system 303 is directly connected to the curved shaped collecting metal sheet 307 for providing a homogeneous flow of collected air containing the dust and/or particles in the operating state. Therefore, the collecting sheet 307 is an extension of the vortex system 303.

(14) The opening slits 305 are arranged at the cylindrical shaped body of the vortex system 303 to allow an additional air outlet flow (additional to the sheet 307) penetrating directly into the vortex system 303 in the operating state.

(15) The vortex system 303 can furthermore be connected to a suction pipe for producing a circular and/or a spiral motion of an air outlet flow in the operating state.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a top view of the suction hood 401 of FIG. 3 with the vortex system 403 and the collecting metal sheet 405.

(17) Further, at least because the invention is disclosed herein in a manner that enables one to make and use it, by virtue of the disclosure of particular exemplary embodiments, such as for simplicity or efficiency, for example, the invention can be practiced in the absence of any additional element or additional structure that is not specifically disclosed herein.

(18) It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.

REFERENCE LIST

(19) 101 booth 103 robot 105 robot arm 107 gun 109 door 111 suction hood 113 table 115 part to be coated 117 air inlet 201 thermal spray cabin 203 robot 205 robot arm 206 robot body 207 gun 209 door 211 air inlet 213 air inlet opening, preferably grid 215 suction hood 217 flow direction to fan, filter and/or collecting container 219 table 221 part to be coated 301 suction hood 303 vortex system 305 secondary air inlet slits 307 collecting metal sheet 401 suction hood 403 vortex system 405 collecting metal sheet