Abstract:
Provided is a booth that includes a booth housing that defines an area for locating or positioning a vehicle to undergo a filling, priming, and/or painting operation as part of an overall vehicle collision damage repair process. The booth includes a first air handling system and a second air handling system that is in fluid communication with an air extraction tool. The first handling system includes an air intake, a pressurized plenum, a filter to filter air from the air plenum before that enters into the interior of the housing, and an air exhaust. The second air handling system includes flexible and static conduits that are in communication with each other and in communication with an air exhaust outlet for removing debris and particulate from a sealed application area located adjacent the vehicle being repaired. The air extraction tool is carried by a carriage and support that permits movement of the tooling throughout the paint spray booth and is in fluid communication with the second air handling system.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from U.S. Provisional Application For Patent Ser. No. 61/154,939, filed Feb. 24, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The disclosed subject matter relates to a booth for performing one or more vehicle collision repair operations on a vehicle. The disclosed subject matter more particularly relates to a booth for filling, priming, and/or spray painting a vehicle during the vehicle collision repair process and for removing particulates from the application area and other areas within the booth. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Painting in production environments, whether for manufacture of original equipment or output of remediated equipment, is commonly performed within a paint spray booth. In a paint spray booth, the target object to be painted is sprayed with paint by spray painting equipment. 
         [0004]    During operation of a paint spray booth, it is common to provide air handling to the booth. The circulating air aids in the removal of paint overspray and volatile gases from the booth. Air handling is commonly performed using fans or blowers. Fans can be used to create air handling by input of air or by extraction of exhaust. 
         [0005]    Exhaust from the paint booth is normally treated to remove particulate contaminants. Treatment to remove contaminants may comprise filtration. The exhaust air from the paint spray booth may be passed through a filter to capture some of the particulate material which the handling air removed from the paint spray booth. 
         [0006]    It is common in certain remedial work environments to mask surfaces or regions of the object to be painted to prevent paint from covering the masked surfaces or regions. It is also common in certain remedial work environments to apply primers or fillers to the object prior to painting. Often primers and fillers applied to work object require operations subsequent to their application which generate dust, particles, or other debris. Subsequent debris generating operations may include, but are not limited to, sanding, polishing, grinding, or other mechanical finishing operations. 
         [0007]    During the repair of vehicles having body collision damage, it is often required to perform tilling, priming and painting operations on the body of the damaged vehicle. The debris and particulate from the filling, priming, and painting operations of a vehicle collision repair process must be removed from the booth in an efficient and environmentally compliant manner. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing, a first air handling system for removing debris and particulate from the housing, and second air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a scaled application area located adjacent the object. 
         [0009]    According to certain illustrative embodiments, the booth comprises a housing comprising a ceiling and at least one wall defining an area for filling, priming, and/or spraying an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, a first air handling system for removing debris and particulate from the housing, and second air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a sealed application area located adjacent the object. 
         [0010]    Also provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing, air handling system, and a movable carriage carrying a tool in fluid communication with said air handling system. 
         [0011]    According to certain illustrative embodiments, provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing, an air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a sealed application area located adjacent the object, and a movable carriage carrying a tool in fluid communication with said air handling system. 
         [0012]    According to certain illustrative embodiments, provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing, a first air handling system for removing debris and particulate from the housing, second air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a sealed application area located adjacent the object, and a movable carriage carrying a tool in fluid communication with said second air handling system. 
         [0013]    According to certain illustrative embodiments, provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing comprising a ceiling and at least one wall defining an area for filling, priming, and/or spraying an object, an air handling system, and a movable carriage carrying a tool in fluid communication with said air handling system. 
         [0014]    According to certain illustrative embodiments, provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing comprising a ceiling and at least one wall defining an area for filling, priming, and/or spraying an object, an air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a sealed application area located the object, and a movable carriage carrying a tool in fluid communication with said air handling system. 
         [0015]    According to certain illustrative embodiments, provided is a booth for performing a filling, priming, or spraying operation on an object, such as a vehicle undergoing collision damage repair, the booth comprising a housing comprising a ceiling and at least one wall defining an area for filling, priming, and/or spraying an object, a first air handling system for removing debris and particulate from the housing, second air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a sealed application area located the object, and a movable carriage carrying a tool in fluid communication with said second air handling system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an elevation view of an illustrative embodiment of the vehicle collision repair booth. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of an illustrative embodiment of the vehicle collision repair booth. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    Provided is a booth for performing at least one operation, such as performing a filling, priming, and/or painting operation on a damaged vehicle undergoing an overall vehicle collision repair process. 
         [0019]    The paint booth provides a generally contained area in which to conduct such operations on a damaged vehicle. The housing effectively contains the particulate generated by the one or more operations conducted within the housing, and simplifies its capture, removal, and/or elimination. Painting or preparation operations may include, but are not limited to, painting, priming, or filling operations. The debris generated by such operations may include, but is not limited to, paint overspray, paint drippings, paint chips, paint dust, primer overspray, primer drippings, primer chips, primer dust, and filler dust. The booth is capable of treating air entering the booth and treating air exiting the booth, thereby providing air suitable for use in the spraying processes and removing debris from the booth attributable to primer, filler compositions, and/or paint. 
         [0020]    The booth comprises a housing, a first air handling system, a tool for use in extracting debris or particulate generated by a filling, priming, or spraying process, and a second air handling system. The housing may comprise a closed ceiling and at least one side wall defining an area for locating a vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation. According to other embodiments, the housing may comprise an open top and at least one side wall defining an area for locating a vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation. 
         [0021]    According to certain embodiments, the walls of the booth may comprise distinct rigid wall panels that are joined in some manner to define the area for locating the vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation, such as a spray painting operation. The bottoms of the walls may include seals to affect a positive seal between the walls of the housing of the booth and the upper surfaces of the floor that come into contact with the bottoms of the walls of the booth. Alternatively, the side walls of the housing may comprise one or more curtains that are hung from the ceiling of the housing to define an area for performing the vehicle collision repair operation. 
         [0022]    The first air handling system is in fluid communication with the ambient environment outside of the housing and the interior of the housing. The first air handling system is capable of circulating air from the ambient environment into the interior volume of the housing, drawing that air across and past the vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation, and circulating or otherwise exhausting the air from the interior volume back to the ambient environment outside of the housing. The circulating air is capable of conveying particulate material generated during the painting process, or any process is preparation for the painting process, from the interior volume of the booth housing. 
         [0023]    The first air handling system comprises a device to create air flow and a device to remove particulate material from the intake air. According to certain embodiments, the first air handling system includes comprises air intake duct for receiving air from the outside ambient environment. The intake air is drawn into the air handling system by the device to create air flow, such a fan or blower, which is in fluid communication with the air intake duct. The fan may be at least partially located within a plenum that is in fluid communication with the air intake duct. Once the intake air enters the first air handling system through the air intake duct and passes through the plenum, it further passes through a filter medium that is in communication with the plenum to filter out particulate from the intake air. 
         [0024]    The first air handling system also includes an air extraction duct that is located near the opposite side of the spray booth housing from the air intake. An air extraction means, such as fan or blower, is at least partially located within the air extraction duct to draw exhaust air into the extraction duct. A filter medium is located in fluid communication with the extraction duct to filter out particulate generated in the spray booth housing from the spraying process. 
         [0025]    The booth also includes a tool in fluid communication with a second air handling system for removing debris and particulate from a scaled application area located adjacent the vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation. The tool may be used during a spraying process or a process that precedes a spraying process. The tool in fluid communication with a second air handling system is capable of drawing air from end tool and exhausting the air drawn from the tool to the outside ambient environment. According to certain embodiments, the second air handling system may comprise a movable air intake conduit that is engaged with and is in fluid communication with the end tool, a static air conduit, a device to create air flow, and an exhaust duct. According to certain embodiments, the movable air intake of the second air handling system includes flexible conduit, such as a flexible hose or tubing, that is in communication with the end tool and a static duct that is in communication with the flexible hose. 
         [0026]    A portion of the tool and second air handling system are carried by a sledge. The tool and flexible tubing are movably engaged with the sledge by a mounting that is engaged with the sledge. In turn, the sledge may be engaged with a movable carriage. The carriage is movably engaged with an elongated rail system. The sledge permits the tool and portions of the second air handling system to move from the front to the rear of the booth. The elongated rail permits the carriage to move side to side within the housing. Additionally, the end tool and flexible conduit portion of the second air handling system are movable up and down along the elongated mounting and capable of rotating 360 degrees about the mounting. 
         [0027]    Illustrative embodiments of the booth will now be described in greater detail with reference to the FIGURES, which illustrate a vehicle collision repair booth. It should be noted that the vehicle collision repair booth and methods of using the vehicle collision repair are not intended to be limited to the illustrative embodiments shown in the FIGURES. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , provided is a booth or cabin  30 . The booth  30  comprises a housing  32 , a first air handling system  34 , a tool  19 , and a second air handling system  36 . 
         [0029]    The housing  32  generally includes a ceiling  38  and at least one wall  40  (the front and rear walls of booth  32  are both designated by reference numeral  40 ) for providing an area to locate the vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation and to contain overspray and other debris from repair operations, such as spraying processes. Housing  32  can be of any size and shape suitable to contain the desired portion of the vehicle to be sprayed. In certain embodiments the housing  32  will be capable of containing the entire vehicle to be sprayed. The housing  32  structure may be rigid or flexible. The housing  32  may comprise one or more openings  42  to permit fluid or other communication between the ambient environment and the interior volume of the housing  32 . Opening  42  in the housing  32  may comprise doors, gates, louvers, air flow devices, or other devices to control fluid or other communication between the ambient environment and the interior volume. Opening  42  in the housing  32  may be used to insert a vehicle into the interior volume, to remove a vehicle from the interior volume, to permit air flow from the ambient environment to the interior volume, to permit air flow from the interior volume to the ambient environment, to permit other communication, or some combination thereof. 
         [0030]    A first air handling system  34  is in fluid communication with the ambient environment and the interior volume of the housing  32 . The first air handling system  34  includes means for drawing air into the housing  32  and means for exhausting air from the housing  32 . The first air handling system  34  is thus capable of drawing air from the ambient environment into the interior volume of the housing  32  and exhausting air from the interior volume to the ambient environment. The first air handling system  34  may comprise a fan, blower, compressor, or other similar device to create circulating air flow. According to certain embodiments, the first air handling system  34  comprises a fan  18  that is in fluid connection with an air intake duct or opening  1  in the housing  32  which permits fluid communication between the ambient environment and the interior volume of the housing  32 . According to such embodiments, the fan  18  can promote how of fluids, such as air, through the opening  1 . Without limitation, the fan  18  may be directly connected to the opening  1  or it may be connected to the opening  1  by means of a duct, tube, hose, pipe, or other fluid conduit. 
         [0031]    According to certain embodiments; a fluid connection between the fan  18  and the opening  1  with which it is connected comprises a flow modifier such as, without limitation, a plenum chamber. Other components which can affect the temperature, speed, pressure, humidity, or other property of the air flow, such as a venturi, a heater, a cooler, a humidifier, a de-humidifier, may be included in the first air handling systems  34 . In the illustrative embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first air handling system  34  includes a heater  2  to heat the air and a plenum  3  to modify flow of air to the housing  32 . 
         [0032]    The first air handling system  34  may also comprise a filter  4  for filtering debris from the intake air. The filter  4  may comprise a dry filter, wet filter, precipitator, catalyst, or other device to remove debris from the intake air. In certain embodiments, the first air handling system  34  comprises a filter  4  that is in fluid connection to the air intake duct or opening  1  in the housing  32  which permits fluid communication between the ambient environment and the interior volume of the housing  32  but resists the passage of debris. The manner in which the filter  4  will remove debris from the circulating air depends upon the type of filter  4 . Without limitation, in certain embodiments, the filter  4  is a dry filter which allows passage of circulating air but which captures debris consisting of particles larger than the dry filter pass size. Handling of air through the booth  32  creates an air flow which picks up debris and conveys the debris along with the air flow. By transporting the circulating air flow through a filter  4 , the transported debris is handled by the filter  4 . According to the illustrative embodiment shown, filter  4  is in fluid communication with the opening  1  via plenum  3 . 
         [0033]    The first air handling system  34  includes means  36  for exhausting circulating air from the interior housing  32  of the booth. The air circulating within the interior volume of the housing  32  passes through filter  14  in order to filter out particulate debris generated from the filling, priming, and/or painting process, and then passes into exhaust or extract duct  15 . The air is drawn through filter  14  and into duct  15  by means of a fan that is positioned with at least a portion of duct  15 . The air that is drawn in duct  15  exits the booth  32  through exhaust opening  16 . 
         [0034]    The booth  32  further includes an end tool  19  for use in a painting operation or a preparation operation prior to painting. In certain embodiments, the end tool  19  comprises a shroud or hood or similar barrier to isolate or mask a desired region or area adjacent the surface of the vehicle undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation. In certain embodiments in which the end tool  19  comprises a hood, the hood will comprise an enclosure with an open face. In embodiments in which the end tool  19  comprises a hood with an open face, the open face of the hood may be placed into contact with a surface on the vehicle such that the surface of the vehicle acts to close the hood and define a closed work space within the hood. In certain embodiments in which the end tool  19  comprises a hood % with an open lace, the hood will be connected to a second air handling system  44 . 
         [0035]    The second air handling system  44  is capable of drawing air from the end tool  19  and exhausting the air from the housing  32  of the booth. The second air handling system  44  comprises an air intake  9  engaged with the end tool  19 , static ducts  10 ,  11 , means to create the flow of air  13 , and an air output or exhaust duct  12 . The means  13  to create air flow may be a fan, blower, or any type of device usable to create air flow. The air intake  9  is in fluid communication with the tool  19 , fan  13  and exhaust duct  12 . The air intake  9  may be directly connected to the fan  13  or the air, intake  9  may be connected to the fan  13  by way of a duet, tube, hose, pipe, or other fluid conduit  10 ,  11 . The air output  12  is in fluid communication with the fan  13 . The air output  12  may be directly connected to the fan  13  or the air output  12  may be connected to the fan  13  by way of a duct, tube, hose, pipe, or other fluid conduit. In certain embodiments the secondary air handling system  44  comprises a dry filter, wet filter, precipitator, catalyst or other device to remove debris from the air therein. 
         [0036]    In certain embodiments, the air output  12  is fixed with respect to the housing  32 . In such embodiments, the air intake  9  will be movable with respect to the fixed air output  12 . In embodiments in which the air intake  9  will be movable with respect to the fixed air output  12 , fluid conduits having end portions movable with respect to one another while still maintaining integrity may be used to provide fluid communication between the air intake  9  and the air output  12 . Fluid conduits having end portions movable with respect to one another while still maintaining integrity include, without limitation, hoses. In certain embodiments, the air output  12  is in fluid communication with the ambient environment. 
         [0037]    By connecting the second air handling system  44  to the tool  19  in such a manner as to permit the second air handling system  44  to withdraw draw air from the tool  19 , the tool  19  may be made into a region of lower pressure. By connecting the second air handling system  44  to the hood of the tool  19  in such a manner as to permit the second air handling system  44  to withdraw draw air from the hood of the tool  19 , air flow is established within the hood. 
         [0038]    In embodiments in which the hood comprises an open face and in which an open face of the hood is placed across a surface on a vehicle such that the surface of the vehicle acts to close the hood and define a closed work space within the hood, making the hood into a region of lower pressure promotes a seal between the hood of the tool  19  and the vehicle. This seal aids in isolation of the hooded surface and confinement of debris resulting from work performed within the hood. In certain embodiments a hood of the tool  19  will comprise isolation gloves or other manipulators that allow a user to work upon a hooded region of a vehicle through the hood  19  while still maintaining a seal. 
         [0039]    In certain embodiments, the tool  19  may be engaged to the vertically positioned mounting  20  or retaining element  21  which allows rotation of the end tool  19  about one or more of the three spatial dimensions. The tool  19  may translate up and down along the length of the mounting  20 . Additionally, the tool  19  may rotate 360° about mounting  20 . In certain embodiments, the mounting  20  and the element  21  allow placement of the end tool  19  at a desired position and orientation. 
         [0040]    In certain embodiments, the end tool  19  comprises a drying unit  22 . A drying unit  22  may comprise a fan, or blower, or compressor, or other device to create air flow. A drying unit  22  may comprise a heater or a dc-humidifier, or both. In certain embodiments, the end tool  19  will comprise a drying unit  22  within the hood. 
         [0041]    Debris generated within the hood may be picked up by air flow within the tool  19  created by the secondary air handling system  44 . This air flow can conveys the debris along with the air flow through the secondary air handling system  44 . The debris travels through flexible and movable intake conduit  9 , through static conduits or ducts  10 ,  11  and is exhausted to the environment through duct  12 . In certain embodiments, debris transported by the secondary air handling system  44  may be processed by filters (a dry filter, wet filter, precipitator, or catalyst) within the secondary air handling system  44  or the debris can be injected into the primary air handling system  34  for removal. 
         [0042]    Tool  19  is movably mounted within housing  32  of the booth to enable efficiently prepping and painting of a vehicle. The tool  19  is engaged with sledge  8  by the mounting  20 . Tool  19  is therefore carried or otherwise supported by the mounting  20  and sledge  8 . Retaining member  21 , such as a retaining bracket, is used to affix flexible air intake hose  9  to mounting element  20 . The sledge  8  is engaged with a movable carriage system  7 . The carriage  7  is movably engaged with a set of spaced apart elongated rails  6 . The rails  6  are spaced apart from one another and between them define a first guideway, a surface in space, along which a component movably engaged to the rails  6  may travel. In certain embodiments, there are two rails  6  which are substantially straight elongated members mounted in parallel to one another which define a planar surface between them and along which movably engaged components may travel. In other embodiments, there may be more than two rails, the rails may be non-linear, or non-parallel, or both, such that the first guideway is a complex surface. The carriage  7  is movably engaged to at least two rails  6  and is free to move along the first guideway defined by the rails. In certain embodiments, the carriage  7  is engaged with the rails  6  by means of wheels or rollers or bearings or the like. In certain embodiments the carriage is engaged to the rails  6  by slider bearings or linear bearings or the like. The carriage  7  defines a second guideway between the rails  6  along which a component movably engaged to the carriage  7  may travel. Thus, the elongated rail set  6  permits the carriage  7  to move side to side within the housing  32 . The extraction conduit  11  is affixed to the carriage  7  via duct  10  so when the carriage system  7  moves the entire second air handling system  44  moves and stays together. 
         [0043]    Sledge  8  may be movably engaged to the carriage  7 . The sledge  8  can move along the second guideway defined by the carriage  7 . Because the carriage  7  can, in turn, move along the first guideway defined by the rails  6 , by moving the carriage  7  along the rails  6  and the sledge  8  along the carriage  7 , it is possible to place the sledge  8  at a desired position along the surface in space defined by the rails  6 . The sledge  8  permits the tool  19  to move from front to rear within the housing  32 . The sledge also conveys a vertical retaining element  20 . The vertical retaining element  20  may be any element that can engage tool  19  in the vertical direction. Tool  19  is movable up and down along the entire length of the mounting element  20  and is capable of rotating 360 degrees about mounting element  20 . The vertical mounting element  20  also provides a third degree of freedom. Collectively, the rails  6 , carriage  7 , sledge  8 , and vertical retaining element  20  allow the desired placement of tool  19  near a vehicle positioned in housing  32  undergoing a vehicle collision repair operation. 
         [0044]    The degrees of freedom provided by the rails  6 , carriage  7 , sledge  8 , and mounting element  20  may include all three position dimensions, all three rotational dimensions, or any subset of these dimensions. In certain embodiments, all of these degrees of freedom are provided and the tool  19  can be located at any position and at any orientation within the housing  32 . 
         [0045]    While the vehicle collision repair booth has been described in connection with various embodiments, as shown in the various figures, it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiments for performing the same function without deviating therefrom. Furthermore, the various illustrative embodiments may be combined to produce the desired results. Therefore, the spray booth should not be limited to any single embodiment, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims.