EQUIPMENT JACKET AND METHOD OF PROTECTING EQUIPMENT

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket comprises at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of equipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edge(s) thereof, and (c) the equipment jacket has less than 500,000 readily releasable particles per square meter of material. The present invention is also directed at a method of using such an equipment jacket.

Description: EQUIPMENT JACKET AND METHOD OF PROTECTING EQUIPMENT CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Applications Serial No. 60/140,253 filed June 18, 1999 and Serial No. 60/200,787 filed April 28, 2000, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes. BACKGROUND The present invention relates generally to an equipment jacket and a method of protecting equipment. For example, the present invention relates to an equipment jacket and equipment protection method useful to protect equipment from paint overspray in a paint spray booth. Paint finish is one of the most noticeable features of a new vehicle. Defects in the paint finish that are attributed to paint contamination result in an uneven and dull surface. Paint contamination can be caused by particles: solid or liquid objects generally between 0.001 μm and 1000 μm in size, most commonly lint. New vehicle purchasers often attribute defective surface finishes to the overall quality of the vehicle. As a result, vehicle manufacturers have taken great care to create the best painted surface finish by minimizing paint contamination. New vehicle painting is ordinarily performed in paint spray booths. The items to be painted generally pass through the paint spray booths on a conveyor belt. In a paint spray booth, the paint may be applied by robots or it may be applied manually. With either method of application, some of the paint does not contact the item to be painted, thereby creating paint overspray. Paint overspray indiscriminately contacts equipment located on the sides and overhead in paint spray booths. The equipment located in paint spray booths is typically automated painting equipment that contains intricate mechanical and electrical parts. The contact of paint overspray causes aesthetic, mechanical and electrical problems to such equipment located inside of paint spray booths. These problems can be overcome by protecting the equipment from paint overspray with a device that blocks the paint from contacting the equipment but which allows the equipment to function as it was designed. Equipment jackets are commonly used to protect equipment from paint overspray in paint spray booths. Equipment jackets are also useful in other applications such as controlled environments for aerospace, printing, appliance, biological, pharmaceutical and electronics production. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among other aspects, the present invention is based on the ability to provide equipment jackets that sustain a low release of particles. One aspect of the invention relates to an equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket comprises at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of equipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edge(s) thereof, and (c) the equipment jacket has less than 500,000 readily releasable particles per square meter of material. Another aspect of the invention relates to an equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket is comprised of at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of equipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edges thereof, and (c) the equipment jacket is at least substantially devoid of particles that are readily visible to the naked eye. Additionally, an aspect of the invention relates to an equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket is comprised of at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of equipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edges thereof, and (c) the equipment jacket has less than 2.4 million particles per square meter of jacket as measured with the bi-directional shake test. The invention further relates at a method of protecting equipment comprising: (a) providing an equipment jacket comprised of at least one thermoplastic polymer by forming a thermoplastic polymer panel from the at least one thermoplastic polymer wherein the panel has a circumference that comprises a plurality of discrete edges and the equipment jacket sustains a low release of particles; and (b) laying the equipment jacket on or around the equipment. Advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention. Before the present compounds, compositions, articles, devices and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to specific film or fabric manufacturing methods, as such may, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. In this specification and in the claims that follow, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings: It must be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "an anti-static agent" includes mixtures of anti-static agents and the like. Ranges may be expressed herein as from "about" one particular value, and/or to "about" another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent about, it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. "Bi-directional Shake Test" means a test that measures the number of particles generated and released by a stressed equipment jacket. This test is based on American Standard Test Method F51. "Edge" means the amount of material for sufficient overlag and/or seam strength. "Fused" means adherence through methods other than stitching. "NDP" means novel degradable polymer and when used in this specification refers to an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer. "Ethylene- (meth)acrylic acid copolymer," in turn, means a copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid, a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid, a mixture of copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic acids or terpolymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and ethylene. The ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer preferably comprises 10-30 wt.% acid residues, more preferably 15-25 wt.%. The NDP may be present as an ionomer. As used herein, the term "ionomer" means a copolymer of ethylene and (meth)acrylic acid, wherein the copolymer has been neutralized with a metal cation. Ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid ionomers are typically obtained by partially reacting an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer with a metallic salt to form ionic crosslinks between the (meth)acrylic acid moiety residues within a copolymer chain or between neighboring chains. The cationic charge of the metallic salt partially neutralizes the acid residues of the copolymer. Preferably, about 50 to 60% of the residues of acidic moieties are neutralized; more preferably, about 55% of the acidic moiety residues are neutralized. Suitable cations for neutralizing the acidic moieties are Na + , K + , Li + , Cs + , Rb + , Hg + , Cu + , Be 2+ , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ , Cu 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ , Sn 2+ , Pb 2+ , Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , Al 3+ , Sc 3+ , Fe 3+ and Y 3+ . Preferred cations include sodium, lithium and potassium ions. The NDP may also be present as a blend of ionomer and ethylene- (meth)acrylic acid copolymer. The blend of ionomer and ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer can be present at various ratios, including less than or greater than 9:1, 8:1, 7:1, 6:1, 5:1, 4:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8, and 1:9. "Particle" means a solid or liquid object generally between 0.001 and 1000 μm in size. The most common particle is lint. "Readily Releasable Particles" means particles that exist on the surface of the equipment jacket and can be removed without the application of mechanical energy. This test is based on American Standard Test Method F51. "Surface Resistivity" means resistance measured in ohms/square at 73°F and 50% relative humidity. "Thermoplastic polymer materials" means thermoplastic polymers, thermoset polymers, solvent castable polymers, natural polymers, and derivatives and copolymers of these polymers. These materials may be manufactured into panels of knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, films, and molded panels using any available manufacturing method including, but not limited to: single knit, double knit, interlock knit, warped knit, crocheted knit, air laid, dry laid, wet laid, hydroentangled, thermo bonded, chemical bonded, blown extrusion, cast extrusion, hot melt processing, blow molding or injection molding. These thermoplastic polymer materials may be composites or a single layer. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises providing an equipment jacket made from at least one thermoplastic polymer materials selected from the group consisting of: starch, polylactic acid, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polybutylene, polyolefin, polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, cellophane, polyvinyl alcohol, NDP, and composites of these thermoplastic polymer materials. In one preferred embodiment, the thermoplastic polymer materials are comprised of polyvinyl alcohol, on NDP, or composites with polyester and polyurethane. The equipment jacket of the present invention sustains a low release of particles. By "low release" it is meant that the jacket is functional as an equipment jacket in a desired low particle environment. This can be measured in a variety of manners. For example, one preferred embodiment of the invention relates to an equipment jacket with less than 500,000 readily releasable particles per square meter of equipment jacket, more preferably less than 100,000 readily releasable particles per square meter. Another preferred embodiment provides an equipment jacket with less than 2.5 million particles per square meter of equipment jacket as measured with the bi-directional shake test, more preferably less than 200,000 particles per square meter. A further embodiment provides an equipment jacket that is devoid of particles that are readily visible to the naked eye. Preferably, the equipment jacket is devoid of particles greater than 50 μm, more preferably greater than 20 μm. The low release of particles may result with or without anti-particle treatment. Suitable anti-particle treatments include laundering and application of surface coating agents. The equipment that is protected by the equipment jacket may contain delicate electronic parts that are susceptible to damage from static electricity. Therefore, a preferred embodiment of the invention provides an equipment jacket that has anti-static properties and/or comprises an anti-static agent. Example antistatic agents include amines, glycerol esters, quaternary ammonium compounds, anionics, alkane sulfonates, and the like as disclosed in Modern Plastics, Mid-November 1998 issue, pages C47-C51, which is incorporated in this application in its entirety. In an alternative embodiment, the equipment jacket has anti-static properties. One indication of anti-static properties is surface resistivity. A suitable surface resistivity is based on the particular industrial application in which the jacket is employed. For example, the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) standard for surface resistivity is 1 x 10 11 ohms/square. Where antistatic properties are an issue, it can often be desirable to meet this standard. In the context of the present invention, a preferred embodiment typically has a surface resistivity less than 1.0 x 10 14 ohms/square, more preferably, less than 5.0 x 10 12 ohms/square, even more preferably less than 1.0 x 10 11 ohms/square. The equipment jacket may also be dispersible or dissolvable in aqueous solutions. Using certain thermoplastic polymer materials, such as polyvinyl alcohol or NDP allows the equipment jacket to be dispersible or dissolvable in aqueous solutions at temperatures above about 37°C, preferably above about 50°C, more preferably above about 70°C, and most preferably above about 90°C. Furthermore, the equipment jacket may be dispersible or dissolvable in aqueous solutions with pH greater than 8.0, greater than 9.0, or greater than 10.0. The thermoplastic polymer panel(s) may be comprised of a monolithic film of thermoplastic polymer material. Alternatively, the panel(s) may be comprised of additional layers, such as a reinforcing layer. One example of a reinforcing layer is a composite of polyester and polyurethane. The polyester is preferably knitted or woven fabric from 40 to 110 deniers, more preferably 65 to 75 deniers. This preferred embodiment may comprise one or two layers of polyurethane, which when present with two layers, sandwiches the polyester. The thermoplastic polymer panel(s) may have any thickness such that it has sufficient strength to withstand the required use. One preferred embodiment has a thermoplastic polymer panel(s) thickness of about 0.01 mm to about 0.6 mm. More preferably, the thickness is about 0.02 mm to about 0.2 mm, with the range of about 0.03 mm to about 0.6 mm as the most desirable thickness, most preferably 0.06 mm. The panel(s) have a shape that is suitable for use as an equipment cover either alone, i.e. one panel cover, or when attached with one or more panels(s) at the edges thereof. The exact shape of the panel(s) could be dependent upon the piece of equipment in question as well as the method of attachment. For example, it is desired that the shape of the panel(s) be selected such that stress on the seams is minimized during use. The thermoplastic polymer panel(s) have a circumference with one or more discrete edges. When more than one panel is employed, the panels are attached at the discrete edges to form a jacket. When one panel is employed, the equipment jacket can be laid over the equipment. As such, the equipment jacket may be conformable to equipment and/or fitted around equipment. The thermoplastic polymer panel(s) may be attached at the discrete edges by any suitable means including fusing, stitching, or a combination thereof. Examples of fusing include adhesive bonding, electromagnetic bonding, hot plate welding, induction bonding, insert bonding, radio frequency sealing, spin welding, thermostacking, chemical bonding, thermo bonding, vibration welding, and ultrasonic welding. The discrete edges of the thermoplastic panel(s) can be stitched using spun-yarn or non-spun yarn thread. The yarn may be coated with a wax or like substance to limit or prevent linting. Moreover, the thread may be comprised of any material that is suitable for particle reduction. Example materials include: starch, polylactic acid, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polybutylene, polyolefin, polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, cellophane, polyvinyl alcohol, NDP, and composites of these thermoplastic polymer materials. In a preferred embodiment, the thread material is comprised of PVA and/or NDP. The thread may be manufactured using any appropriate technique including spinning, monofilament and multifilament processes. It would be advantageous to detect contamination on the equipment jacket for maintenance and disposal purposes. Such contaminants include matter which creates visible defects as well as matter which is not readily visible to the naked eye. Consequently, another preferred embodiment is comprised of an equipment jacket that may be further comprised of a coloring agent. A further preferred embodiment of the invention is comprised of an equipment jacket that does not substantially cause depressions, discoloration or marring of the paint finish. The equipment jacket of the present invention may be conformable to stationary or moving equipment, such as equipment in a paint spray booth. The equipment jacket may be fitted around the equipment or laid on or around the equipment. This invention can be further illustrated by the following examples of preferred embodiments, although it should be understood that these examples are included merely for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention unless otherwise specifically indicated. The starting materials are commercially available unless otherwise described. All percentages are by weight unless otherwise described. Examples The following examples are put forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how the compounds, compositions, articles, devices and/or methods claimed herein are made and evaluated, and are intended to be purely exemplary of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers (e.g., amounts, temperature, etc.), but some errors and deviations should be accounted for. Unless indicated otherwise, parts are parts by weight, temperature is in °C or is at ambient temperature, and pressure is at or near atmospheric. Example 1 NDP film, used to construct an equipment jacket of the present invention, was tested for surface resistivity and meaured resistance and compared with a known laminate material for equipment covers. The test was run at 72°F and 50% relative humidity. Three samples of the NDP film were tested and twelve samples of the laminate material were tested. The results for the NDP film are shown in Table 1. Table 1 The NDP film had an average surface resistivity of 2.90 x 10 12 ohms/square. The laminate material had an average surface resistivity of 5.05 x 10 12 ohms/square. Example 2 NDP film was tested three times for particles using the readily releasable test and one time using the bi-directional shake test. The tests showed an average result of 94,000 particles/m 2 using the readily releasable test and 1,911,000 particles/m 2 using the bi-directional shake test. The three trials of readily releasable test are shown in Table 2 to demonstrate the particle size distribution for NDP film. Table 2 Throughout this application, various publications are referenced. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims: What we claim is: 1. An equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket comprises at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of equipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edge(s) thereof, and (c) the equipment jacket has less than 500,000 readily releasable particles per square meter of material. 2. The equipment jacket of claim 1 , wherein the equipment jacket is conformable to equipment in a paint spray booth. 3. The equipment jacket of claim 1 , wherein the equipment jacket is dispersible or dissolvable in aqueous solutions at temperatures greater than 37°C. 4. The equipment jacket of claim 1 , wherein the equipment jacket is dispersible or dissolvable in aqueous solutions at pH greater than 9.0. 5. The equipment jacket of claim 1 , wherein the equipment jacket has a surface resistivity less than 1.0 x 10 14 ohms/square. 6. The equipment jacket of claim 1, wherein the equipment jacket has a surface resistivity less than 5.0 x 10 12 ohms/square. 7. The equipment jacket of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer panels further comprise a reinforcing layer. 8. The equipment jacket of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermoplastic polymer is selected from starch, polylactic acid, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polybutylene, polyolefin, polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, cellophane, polyvinyl alcohol, NDP, and composites thereof. 9. The equipment jacket of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer panels are attached by fusing, stitching, or a combination thereof. 10. The equipment jacket of claim 9, wherein the stitching is performed with spun yarn thread, non-spun yarn thread, or a combination thereof. 11. The equipment jacket of claim 10, wherein the spun yarn thread or non- spun yarn thread is comprised of polylactic acid, polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, polybutylene, polyolefin, polyester, polyurethane, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, cellophane, polyvinyl alcohol, NDP, and composites of these thermoplastic polymer materials. 12. The equipment jacket of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer panels are comprised of monolithic film. 13. The equipment jacket of claim 1, further comprising an antistatic agent. 14. An equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket is comprised of at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of quipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edges thereof, and (c) the equipment jacket is at least substantially devoid of particles that are readily visible to the naked eye. 15. The equipment jacket of claim 14, wherein the equipment jacket is substantially devoid of particles greater than 50 μm. 16. The equipment jacket of claim 14, wherein the equipment jacket has a surface resistivity less than 1.0 x 10 11 ohms/square. 17. An equipment jacket formed from at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the jacket is comprised of at least two panels, each panel having a circumference that comprises one or more discrete edges, wherein: (a) the panels have a shape suitable to provide a jacket for a piece of quipment, (b) the at least two panels are attached together at the discrete edges thereof, and (d) the equipment jacket has less than 2.4 million particles per square meter of jacket as measured with the bi-directional shake test. 18. The equipment jacket of claim 17, wherein the equipment jacket has a surface resistivity less than 1.0 x 10 11 ohms/square. 19. A method of protecting equipment comprising: (a) providing an equipment jacket comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the at least one thermoplastic polymer is formed into a thermoplastic polymer panel and the equipment jacket sustains a low release of particles; and (b) laying the equipment jacket on or around the equipment. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the equipment jacket is dispersible or dissolvable in aqueous solutions at temperatures greater than 37°C.

Inventors: FLYNN NIGEL J, HANLON ROBERT J, LEE BAOSHENG, FLYNN, NIGEL, J., HANLON, ROBERT, J., LEE, BAOSHENG
Applicants: ISOLYSER CO, ISOLYSER COMPANY, INC.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B08B17
IPC codes: B05B15, B08B17, B23Q11