Patent ID: 7166164
Filing Date: 2007-01-23
Classification: B05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto objects, comprising: a spray booth having a ceiling, floor, and opposed side walls defining an interior which provides a controlled area for the application of powder coating material onto objects moving through said booth; a powder collector located immediately adjacent said spray booth for collecting oversprayed powder from said interior of said booth, said powder collector including: two or more exhaust units, each of said exhaust units connected to at least two powder collection units, for creating a negative pressure within said powder collection chambers of said powder collection units to draw air entrained powder coating material from said spray booth into said powder collection units, wherein each of said exhaust units includes an exhaust plenum and an exhaust fan, said exhaust plenum being connected by a separate duct to each of said clean air chambers of each of said at least two powder collection units, said exhaust fan being operative to create a negative pressure within each of said at least two powder collection units through said exhaust plenum and said separate duct that is connected to each clean air chamber, wherein each of said powder collection units is connected by a connector line to a common header pipe, each of said connector lines being connected to a valve movable between an open position which allows powder flow through said connector line from said powder collection unit connected to said connector line and a closed position which blocks powder flow through said connector line from said powder collection unit connected to said connector line; and a negative pressure generating device connected to said common header pipe for applying a negative pressure within said common header pipe, and a controller which is operative to selectively open and close said valves.