Vehicle powder coating system

Abstract

An apparatus for applying powder coating material onto large objects such as automotive, truck or other vehicle bodies includes a powder spray booth defining a controlled area within which to apply powder coating material onto the vehicle bodies, a powder kitchen located at a remote position from the powder spray booth, and, a number of feed hoppers located proximate the booth which receive powder coating material from the powder kitchen and supply it to automatically or manually manipulated powder spray guns associated with the booth. Oversprayed powder coating material is removed from the booth interior by a powder collection and recovery system which transmits the oversprayed powder back to the powder kitchen for recirculation to the powder spray guns.

1 - 110 . (canceled)  
   
   
       111 . A method of collecting and recovering oversprayed powder coating material from the interior of a powder spray booth, comprising: 
 creating a negative pressure within the interior of the powder spray booth;    drawing air entrained powder coating material from the booth interior into a number of individual powder collection units located beneath the floor of the powder spray booth;    sequentially transferring the oversprayed powder coating material, under the application of negative pressure, from the powder collection units into a common header pipe;    transferring the oversprayed powder coating material, under the application of negative pressure, from the common header pipe to a hopper.    
   
   
       112 . The method of  claim 111  in which said step of creating a negative pressure within the interior of the powder spray booth comprises activating a number of individual blower units each associated with at least one powder collection unit, each blower unit being effective to create a negative pressure within its associated powder collection unit and within the booth interior.  
   
   
       113 . The method of  claim 111  in which said step of sequentially transferring the collected, oversprayed powder coating material from the powder collection units comprises selectively opening valves, each of said valves controlling the flow through a connector line extending between one of the powder collection units and the common header pipe.  
   
   
       114 . A method of collecting and recovering oversprayed powder coating material from the interior of a powder spray booth, comprising: 
 creating a negative pressure within the interior of the powder spray booth;    drawing air entrained powder coating material from the booth interior into a number of individual powder collection units located beneath the floor of the powder spray booth;    selectively transferring the oversprayed powder coating material, under the application of negative pressure, from the powder collection units into a reclaim hopper.    
   
   
       115 . The method of  claim 114  in which said step of creating a negative pressure within the interior of the powder spray booth comprises activating a number of individual blower units each associated with at least one powder collection unit, each blower unit being effective to create a negative pressure within its associated powder collection unit and within the booth interior.  
   
   
       116 . The method of  claim 115  in which the step of selectively transferring the collected, oversprayed coating material from the powder collection units comprises selectively opening valves associated with each powder collection unit, said valves being located between said powder collection units and said reclaim hopper.  
   
   
       117 . The method of  claim 114  further comprising the step of using one or more inclined fluidizing plates to move powder collected within said powder collection units to a low point in said powder collection units.  
   
   
       118 . The method of  claim 117  further comprising the step of transferring powder out of said powder collection units from said low point in said powder collection units.