Patent ID: 8367978

Claim:
An infrared convection paint baking oven, comprising; a top and a bottom substantially parallel to each other and sidewalls extending substantially parallel to each other and substantially unbroken therebetween to define a tunnel having length, width and height, an interior, an exterior, an entrance and exit; said tunnel adapted to bake at least one article moved along the length of the tunnel from the entrance to the exit; said top and side walls equipped with air ducts that communicate with at least one air pressure blower to form an air plenum in said interior of said tunnel; said paint baking oven further equipped with at least one exhaust to vent moisture, particulate and volatile laden air from said tunnel; said exhaust in air communication with said pressure blower and fresh air introduction; an air flow circulation at least partially divertible from an exhaust re-circulation to a rotary thermal oxidizer (RTO) for volatile organic compound (VOC) incineration; infrared light assemblies arranged in said tunnel interior such that air from said plenum is circulated around said light assemblies to form a convection air current; said light assemblies in close proximity to each other at said entrance and along a predetermined distance of said length of said tunnel to form a warm up zone; said light assemblies spaced further apart along the remainder of said tunnel length toward said exit to form a curing zone wherein said light assemblies raise the temperature of an article to about 265° C. for about 2 minutes in said warm up zone; said light assemblies spaced further apart along the remainder of said tunnel length toward said exit wherein the temperature of the substrate to be treated in the curing zone maintained at about 265° C. for an additional about 8 to 20 minutes in said cure zone to cure the coating applied to the article, wherein said side walls are comprised of an accordion construction comprising a series of angled surfaces that are flat and that intersect at an apex on each of said side walls, said infrared lights emitting light rays in a discrete direction arranged on each of said angled surfaces of said accordion construction side walls, the emitted light rays from adjacent light assemblies are diagonally opposed to one another and also diagonal with respect to an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the tunnel and an article moving through the tunnel during curing.