Filter module and painting system comprising same

Abstract

The present invention provides a painting system. The painting system comprises: a booth in which a painting robot is disposed; an air conditioning module for supplying clean air to the booth; an exhaust room disposed below the booth, through which contaminated air from the booth is exhausted; and a filter room installed adjacent to the exhaust room, and in which a filter module for purifying the contaminated air from the exhaust room is disposed. The contaminated air flows into the front surface of the filter module and is exhausted to the rear surface of the filter module, and the filter module may comprise: a housing including a filter accommodating space in which a filter is accommodated; and a door installed on the rear surface of the housing to fix the filter inserted into the filter accommodating space.

Description

Filter module and coating system including the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a filter module and a coating system including the same.

[0002] A painting system includes a painting booth that performs a painting process on workpieces such as vehicle parts, and an air conditioning module that supplies air to the painting booth. The painting system is a large-scale facility that forms an airflow to prevent sprayed paint from escaping the workspace while transporting parts such as car bodies, and collects, purifies, and discharges overspray. It maintains a uniform airflow through the intake section at the bottom of the booth and the supply and circulation pipes at the top, while maintaining air purity by filtering contaminants through filters. Conventionally, wet booths equipped with water barriers or water scrubbers were widely used; however, such wet systems had problems including a heavy maintenance burden involving the treatment and exchange of circulating water, sludge concentration and dehydration, and contamination and scaling inside pipes and scrubbers. Furthermore, the amount of sludge generated increased in proportion to production volume, and the accumulation of solids within the device caused airflow imbalances, which could impair quality stability. Accordingly, dry systems applying cartridge-type or movable replaceable filters are being used recently. The dry system has the advantage of reducing the amount of sludge and wastewater generated by not using water or chemicals, simplifying maintenance by simply replacing filters, and allowing for flexible adaptation to layout changes and expansion. In addition, operational flexibility can be secured through features such as compartment-by-compartment replacement based on contamination levels, separate placement of fire safety units, and bypass and differential pressure management, thereby simultaneously improving the operating rate and process quality of mass production lines.

[0003] However, in conventional dry systems, since the filter is inserted and removed in the front direction where contaminated air enters when replacing the filter, it was required to seal the area around the filter using a sealing material such as tape after insertion. Furthermore, because the conventionally attached sealing material had to be removed before the filter could be removed, there was a problem where worker safety was threatened due to contact with the contaminated sealing material and the contaminated filter during the replacement process.

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned problem and has one objective of providing a coating system including a filter module capable of safely performing filter replacement.

[0005] In addition, the present invention has one objective of providing a coating system including a filter module that can simplify the filter replacement process.

[0006] In addition, the present invention has one objective of providing a painting system including a filter module capable of improving painting work efficiency.

[0007] The problems that the present invention aims to solve are not limited to those described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0008] The present invention provides a painting system. The painting system comprises: a workroom in which a painting robot is placed; an air conditioning module that supplies clean air to the workroom; an exhaust room placed below the workroom to exhaust contaminated air from the workroom; and a filter room installed adjacent to the exhaust room and in which a filter module that purifies contaminated air from the exhaust room is placed, wherein the contaminated air is introduced into the front of the filter module and exhausted through the rear of the filter module, and the filter module may include a housing including a filter receiving space in which a filter is received; and a door installed at the rear of the housing to secure the filter inserted into the filter receiving space.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the air conditioning module may include: an air supply port positioned above the workroom to supply a downward airflow to the workroom; an exhaust port installed in the filter room to exhaust air flowing into the filter room; an exhaust damper to regulate the flow rate of air flowing through the exhaust port; and a circulation pipe connecting the exhaust port and the air supply port to circulate the air.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the filter module includes a sealing member installed on the front of the filter receiving space, and the sealing member is provided as an elastic body and can seal the space between the filter receiving space and the filter inserted into the filter receiving space.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the filter receiving space is provided in multiple numbers, and the door may be provided as an integrated structure that closes at least a portion of each of the multiple filter receiving spaces.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the filter room includes a first filter room disposed on one side of the exhaust room; and a second filter room disposed on the other side of the exhaust room, and the filter module may be disposed in each of the first filter room and the second filter room.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the coating system further includes a controller, and the controller can control each of the exhaust dampers installed in the first filter room and the second filter room to induce air flowing into the exhaust room to flow into either the first filter room or the second filter room.

[0014] According to one embodiment, a supply robot may be further included that is positioned inside the workroom and transports a painting object between the outside and inside of the workroom.

[0015] The present invention also provides a filter module. The filter module comprises a housing having a filter receiving space formed therein for accommodating a filter; and a door for fixing the filter inserted into the filter receiving space, wherein contaminated air is introduced into the front of the housing and exhausted through the rear of the housing, the door is installed on the rear of the housing, and a sealing member is installed on the inner front of the filter receiving space, and the sealing member may be an elastic body.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the filter receiving space is provided in multiple numbers, the multiple filter receiving spaces are partitioned from one another by a partition wall, and the door may be provided to open and close the multiple filter receiving spaces collectively.

[0017] The present invention also provides a painting system. It comprises a workroom in which a painting robot is placed; an air conditioning module that supplies clean air to the workroom; an exhaust room disposed at the bottom of the workroom for exhausting contaminated air from the workroom; and a filter room installed adjacent to the exhaust room and in which a filter module for purifying contaminated air from the exhaust room is disposed, wherein the contaminated air is introduced into the front of the filter module and exhausted through the rear of the filter module, the filter room comprises a first filter room disposed on one side of the exhaust room; and a second filter room disposed on the other side of the exhaust room, wherein the filter module is disposed in each of the first filter room and the second filter room, and the air conditioning module comprises an air supply port disposed at the top of the workroom for supplying a downward airflow to the workroom; an exhaust port installed in the filter room for exhausting air flowing into the filter room; and an exhaust damper for controlling the flow rate of air flowing through the exhaust port. The filter module includes a circulation pipe that circulates air by connecting the exhaust port and the air supply port, and the filter module includes a housing including a filter receiving space in which a filter is received; a door installed on the rear of the housing to secure the filter inserted into the filter receiving space; and a sealing member installed on the inner front of the filter receiving space, wherein the sealing member is provided as an elastic body and can seal the space between the filter receiving space and the filter inserted into the filter receiving space.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, filter replacement can be performed safely.

[0019] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the filter replacement process can be simplified.

[0020] In addition, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the efficiency of the painting process can be improved.

[0021] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the attached drawings.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a coating system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 is a top view of the exhaust room and filter room of Figure 1.

[0024] Figure 3 is a side view illustrating the exhaust room and filter room of Figure 1.

[0025] Figure 4 schematically illustrates the filter module of Figure 1.

[0026] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the filter module of Figure 4 viewed from above.

[0027] Figure 6 is an enlarged view showing area A, which is the front part of the filter receiving space of the filter module of Figure 5.

[0028] Figure 7 shows a filter module without a sealing member.

[0029] FIG. 8 shows an example of the door of the filter module of FIG. 4.

[0030] FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate the exhaust flow when replacing a filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The various features and benefits of the non-limiting embodiments of this specification may become more apparent from a review of the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the accompanying drawings are not to be drawn to scale. For clarity, various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated.

[0032] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments are provided to ensure that the present disclosure is thorough and will fully convey its scope to those skilled in the art. To provide a complete understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, many specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, are presented. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not necessary, that exemplary embodiments may be implemented in many different forms, and that neither should be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, known processes, known device structures, and known technologies are not described in detail.

[0033] The terms used herein are merely for describing specific exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments. Singular expressions or expressions where singularity is not specified, as used herein, are intended to include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprising,” “comprising,” “having,” and “having” are open-ended and thus specify the presence of the mentioned features, components, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, components, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Method steps, processes, and operations in this specification are not to be interpreted as necessarily being performed in the specific order discussed or described unless the order of performance is specified. Additionally, additional or alternative steps may be selected.

[0034] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "connected," "combined," "attached," "adjacent," or "covering" another element or layer, it may be directly on, connected to, combined with, attached to, adjacent to, or covering said other element or layer, or intermediate elements or layers may exist. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly connected to," or "directly combined" with another element or layer, it should be understood that intermediate elements or layers do not exist. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements. The term "and / or" as used in the present invention includes all combinations and non-combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0035] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, regions, layers, and / or sections in the present invention, it should be understood that these elements, regions, layers, and / or sections are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element, region, layer, or section from another element, region, layer, or section. Accordingly, the first element, first region, first layer, or first section discussed below may be referred to as the second element, second region, second layer, or second section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0036] Spatially relative terms (e.g., "below," "under," "lower," "above," "top," etc.) may be used for convenience of explanation to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include not only the orientations illustrated in the drawings but also other orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the drawings is inverted, elements described as "below" or "under" other elements or features will be oriented "above" other elements or features. Thus, the term "below" may include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be oriented differently (rotated 90 degrees or in a different orientation), and the spatially relative descriptive terms used in the present invention may be interpreted accordingly.

[0037] It should be understood that there may be some inaccuracy when the terms "identical" or "same" are used in the description of the embodiments. Therefore, if one element or value is referred to as identical to another element or value, it should be understood that said element or value is identical to another element or value within a manufacturing or operating tolerance (e.g., ±10%).

[0038] Where the words “approximately” or “substantially” are used in this specification with respect to figures, it should be understood that such figures include a manufacturing or operational tolerance (e.g., ±10%) of the figures mentioned. Additionally, where the words “generally” and “substantially” are used with respect to geometric forms, it should be understood that while geometric accuracy is not required, freedom of form (latitude) is within the scope of disclosure.

[0039] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used in the present invention (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. Furthermore, terms, including those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with that meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a coating system according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a top view of the exhaust room and filter room of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the exhaust room and filter room of FIG. 1.

[0041] Hereinafter, a coating system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0042] The painting system (10) performs a process of coating a painting object (20) placed in a workroom (110) with paint made of liquid or powder, etc., and the painting object (20) may be a car body or a part of a vehicle.

[0043] The painting system (10) includes a painting booth (100), an air conditioning module (200), and a filter module (300).

[0044] The painting booth (100) includes a workroom (110) where a painting process is performed on a painting object (20), an exhaust space (120) and an exhaust room (130) located below the workroom (110), and a filter room (140).

[0045] A workroom (110), an exhaust space (120), an exhaust room (130), and a filter room (140) are placed inside the paint booth (100).

[0046] In the following, a direction that is horizontal to the ground and parallel to the length direction of each of the exhaust room (130) and filter room (140) is defined as the first direction (X), a direction perpendicular to the first direction (X) when viewed from above is defined as the second direction (Y), and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction (X) and the second direction (Y) is defined as the third direction (Z). In the workroom (110), painting work is performed on the object to be painted (20).

[0047] A painting robot (112) that performs painting work and a supply robot (114) that transports a painting object (20) between the outside and inside of the work room (110) may be installed inside the work room (110). Additionally, a downward airflow flows through the work room (110) by means of an air conditioning module (200) described later, and the floor surface of the work room (110) is connected to an exhaust space (120) so that the downward airflow can flow into an exhaust space (120) located at the bottom of the work room (110).

[0048] The painting robot (112) sprays paint onto the object to be painted (20) supported by the supply robot (114) to perform a painting process on the object to be painted (20). The painting robot (112) is installed inside the workroom (110) and applies the painting paint to the surface of the object to be painted (20). The painting paint may be, for example, a primer paint, a base paint, a clear paint, etc. The painting robot (112) may be placed on a rail installed on the wall of the workroom (110) or on the floor of the workroom (110). The number of painting robots (112) is not particularly limited. For example, only one painting robot (112) may be installed inside the workroom (110), multiple robots may be arranged side by side along the first direction (X) or the second direction (Y), and may be arranged to surround the object to be painted (20). The painting robot (112) may be configured to include a multi-joint arm with six or more axes, and a spray gun for spraying paint may be installed at the end of the arm.

[0049] The supply robot (114) can be called a parts feeder.

[0050] The supply robot (114) may include two arms that are horizontally extended and positioned opposite each other based on a central axis perpendicular to the ground. The central axis may be parallel to the third direction (Z). The end of each arm may be formed in a structure capable of supporting a painting object (20) to fix and support the painting object (20). The end of the arm may include a clamp or chuck structure capable of supporting the painting object (20) when the arm rotates around the central axis. For example, when the painting object (20) is transported while mounted on a stand, the end of the arm of the supply robot (114) may be formed in a structure capable of supporting the stand on which the painting object (20) is mounted. Each end of the arm may rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the ground to rotate the painting object (20) supported by the end of the arm. For example, the painting object (20) supported by the end of the arm may rotate with the third direction (Z) as the rotation axis. According to one embodiment, the end of the arm may be composed of a multi-joint arm with three or more axes, and the object to be painted (20) supported at the end of the arm may be freely rotated.

[0051] The supply robot (114) can be installed at the entrance of the workroom (110). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the supply robot (114) can be positioned such that the end of one of the two arms of the supply robot (114) is located outside the workroom (110).

[0052] The exhaust space (120) is located at the bottom of the workroom (110). The exhaust space (120) serves as an intermediate buffer to collect contaminated air exhausted from the workroom (110) and transfer it to the exhaust room (130).

[0053] The exhaust room (130) is positioned at the bottom of the exhaust space (120). The exhaust room (130) is configured to communicate with the exhaust space (120). The exhaust room (130) may be positioned at the center of the bottom of the exhaust space (120). For example, as shown in FIG. 2, which is the II' plan view of FIG. 1, the exhaust room (130) may be positioned at the center with respect to the second direction (Y) of the paint booth (100). At the bottom of the exhaust space (120), filter rooms (140) may be positioned on both sides adjacent to the second direction (Y) of the exhaust room (130). Two filter rooms (140) may be positioned opposite each other with respect to the exhaust room (130). The exhaust room (130) and the filter rooms (140) may be arranged along the second direction (Y).

[0054] A filter module (300) is installed in the filter room (140). The filter room (140) includes an opening (not shown) communicating with the exhaust room (130), and the filter module (300) may be installed to seal the opening (not shown). The filter module (300) includes a filter (320) and can filter contaminated air flowing from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140). When contaminated air flows from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140), contaminants in the air can be captured by the filter (320) placed inside the filter module (300).

[0055] The installation height of the exhaust room (130) and the filter room (140) is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust room (130) and the filter room (140) may be installed above ground. However, alternatively, the exhaust room (130) and the filter room (140) may be installed underground. According to one embodiment, the workroom (110) may be installed at ground level, and the exhaust space (120), the exhaust room (130), and the filter room (140) may be installed underground.

[0056] Hereinafter, the filter room (140) adjacent to one side of the exhaust room (130) along the second direction (Y) will be referred to as the first filter room (140a), and the filter room (140) adjacent to the other side of the exhaust room (130) along the second direction (Y) will be referred to as the second filter room (140b). The configuration of the first filter room (140a) and the second filter room (140b) is substantially identical and can be configured to be symmetrical with respect to the exhaust room (130). For convenience of explanation, the exhaust port (224) installed in the first filter room (140a) is referred to as the first exhaust port (224a) and the exhaust port (224) installed in the second filter room (140b) is referred to as the second exhaust port (224b). Additionally, the filter module (300) installed in the first filter room (140a) is referred to as the first filter module (300a), and the filter module (300) installed in the second filter room (140b) is referred to as the second filter module (300b).

[0057] An exhaust port (224) is installed inside the filter room (140). The exhaust port (224) discharges air that has entered the filter room (140) to the outside of the filter room (140). The exhaust port (224) may be installed on the floor of the filter room (140).

[0058] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, doors (132, 142) may be installed in the exhaust room (130) and the filter room (140). The door (132) installed on one side of the exhaust room (130) and the door (142) installed on one side of the filter room (140) function as entrances to the exhaust room (130) and the filter room (140). In particular, a worker can enter the filter room (140) through the door (142) of the filter room (140) and replace the filter (320) of the filter module (300) placed in the filter room (140).

[0059] The air conditioning module (200) performs the supply and exhaust of air within the painting system (10). The air conditioning module (200) supplies purified air to the workroom (110) through an air supply port (212, 232) located above the workroom (110), and forms a flow of air that passes through the workroom (110), guides contaminated air to a filter room (140) to filter it, and then exhausts it through an exhaust port (224) located inside the filter room (140).

[0060] The air conditioning module (200) includes an air conditioner (210), a circulation line (220), and an external air supply unit (230). The air conditioner (210) receives and processes purified air from the circulation line (220).

[0061] The air conditioner (210) is connected to a circulation line (220) and can supply clean air to the workroom (110) through an air supply port (212). The air conditioner (210) can control the temperature and humidity of the air circulated through the circulation pipe (226) and supply it to the workroom (110) while pressurizing it.

[0062] The external air supply unit (230) can supply clean air from the outside to the workroom (110).

[0063] The external air supply unit (230) can supply clean air to the workroom (110) through the air supply port (232).

[0064] The circulation line (220) can recirculate air supplied to the workroom (110), exhaust space (120), exhaust room (130), and filter room (140) of the paint booth (100). The circulation line (220) includes an air supply port (212) positioned above the workroom (110), an exhaust port (224) positioned in the filter room (140), and a circulation pipe (226) connecting the exhaust port (224) and the air supply port (212).

[0065] The air supply ports (212, 232) are connected to the air conditioner (210) and the external air supply unit (230) to supply air to the workroom (110). The air supply ports (212, 232) are positioned at the top of the workroom (110). The air supply ports (212, 232) are evenly distributed on the upper surface of the workroom (110) so that the air supplied from the air conditioning module (200) can be designed to be evenly distributed throughout the entire workroom (110).

[0066] The exhaust port (224) is installed in the filter room (140) to exhaust air flowing into the filter room (140). An exhaust damper (225) for controlling the exhaust flow rate may be installed in the exhaust port (224). The exhaust damper (225) can open and close the exhaust port (224).

[0067] The circulation pipe (226) is connected to the air supply port (212) and the exhaust port (224), so that the air exhausted through the exhaust port (224) can be circulated back to the air supply port (212).

[0068] A recirculation air unit (RAU; 228) is installed in the circulation pipe (226) to blow and filter air flowing through the circulation pipe (226) for recirculation. Air exhausted through the exhaust port (224) can be supplied back to the workroom (110) from the supply port (212) through the circulation pipe (226).

[0069] The circulation pipe (226) is equipped with a discharge pipe (226a) for discharging a portion of the air flowing through the circulation pipe (226) and a discharge valve (226b) for opening and closing the discharge pipe (226a), so that a portion of the circulating air can be discharged to the outside. An amount of clean air corresponding to the amount of air discharged from the circulation pipe (226) can be supplied to the workroom (110) by an external air supply unit (230).

[0070] Below, the flow of air supplied into the paint booth (100) by the air conditioning module (200) is described.

[0071] Purified air is supplied through air supply ports (212, 232) located at the top of the workroom (110). The purified air may be supplied by an external air supply unit (230) or recirculated through a circulation pipe (226). The air supplied through the air supply ports (212, 232) creates positive pressure inside the workroom (110) to prevent contaminated air from entering from the outside and maintains a clean environment necessary for painting work.

[0072] Purified air supplied to the workroom (110) forms a vertical downward airflow within the workroom (110). A downward airflow (f) flows from the air supply port (212, 232) installed at the top of the workroom (110), through the workroom (110), and into the exhaust space (120). Paint dust and harmful gases generated during the painting process of the work object (20) are quickly guided into the lower exhaust space (120) of the workroom (110) by the vertical downward airflow.

[0073] Air containing paint dust and harmful gases from the workroom (110) is directed to the exhaust space (120) located at the bottom of the workroom (110). The exhaust space (120) serves as an intermediate buffer to collect the contaminated air exhausted from the workroom (110) and transfer it to the exhaust room (130).

[0074] Air introduced into the exhaust space (120) is guided into the exhaust room (130), and air passing through the exhaust room (130) flows into the filter room (140) which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the exhaust room (130). A filter module (300), which will be described later, is installed in the filter room (140). When air flows from the exhaust room (130) to the filter room (140), contaminants in the air can be captured by the filter (320) placed inside the filter module (300). Air purified by removing paint dust and harmful gases from the air by the filter (320) is exhausted through the exhaust port (224) of the filter room (140) and can be supplied back to the workroom (110) through the circulation pipe (226).

[0075] The filter module (300) is installed in the filter room (140) to remove contaminants such as paint dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the contaminated air flowing into the filter room (140).

[0076] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the filter module of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the filter module of FIG. 4 viewed from above. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing area A, which is the front part of the filter receiving space of the filter module of FIG. 5.

[0077] Hereinafter, a filter module (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with further reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 in addition to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0078] The filter module (300) is placed in the filter room (140). The filter module (300) is placed within the filter room (140) at a point adjacent to the exhaust room (130).

[0079] The filter module (300) includes a housing (310) and a door (330).

[0080] The housing (310) of the filter module (300) is a rectangular or cylindrical sealed case structure having a plurality of receiving spaces (312) that accommodate a plurality of filters (320) inside. The housing (310) receives contaminated air flowing in from the exhaust room (130), purifies the air through a plurality of filters (320) placed inside, and then discharges the purified air to the exhaust port (224).

[0081] The housing (310) has a filter receiving space (312) capable of accommodating a plurality of filters (320). The filter receiving space (312) can be partitioned from one another by partitions (314).

[0082] The filter receiving space (312) is formed in a matrix shape inside the housing (310) and can guide each filter (320) to perform an air purification function at an accurate location.

[0083] Filter receiving spaces (312) may be formed in a horizontal direction in multiple parallel and may be provided stacked in multiple layers. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the housing (310) includes filter receiving spaces (312) having a 5 x 3 arrangement along the first direction (X) and the third direction (Z), and may accommodate 15 filters (320). Each filter (320) may be inserted into a filter receiving space (312) set within the housing (310). Alternatively, the number or arrangement of filter receiving spaces (312) included in the housing (310) may be freely modified.

[0084] In the following, based on the direction of flow of contaminated air entering from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140), the direction in which the contaminated air enters the filter (320) is defined as the front, and the direction in which the air passing through the filter (320) exits is defined as the rear.

[0085] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a sealing member (312a) is installed between the filter (320) and the filter receiving space (312). The sealing member (312a) may be installed on the front of the filter receiving space (312). The sealing member (312a) may be installed on the inner front of the filter receiving space (312). The sealing member (312a) may be an elastic body. The sealing member (312a) may be a structure having elasticity. The sealing member (312a) may be, for example, a rubber gasket or a seal. The sealing member (312a) seals the space between the filter receiving space (312) and the filter (320) inserted into the filter receiving space (312), thereby sealing the area so that contaminated air introduced from the exhaust room (130) to the front of the filter (320) does not leak out around the filter (320). Accordingly, all air flowing from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140) is forced to pass through the filter (320).

[0086] Figure 7 shows a filter module without a sealing member.

[0087] Referring to FIG. 7, unlike FIG. 6, if the sealing member (312a) is not installed on the front of the filter receiving space (312), contaminated air may flow through the gap spaced apart between the filter receiving space (312) and the filter (320) inserted into the filter receiving space (312), even if the filter (320) is inserted into the filter receiving space (312). Accordingly, contaminated air that is not filtered by the filter (320) may flow into the filter room (140).

[0088] In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, a sealing member (312a) is installed on the front of the filter receiving space (312) to seal the space between the filter receiving space (312) and the filter (320) inserted into the filter receiving space (312), thereby forcing all air flowing from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140) to pass through the filter (320).

[0089] Referring again to FIGS. 4 to 6, a door (330), which will be described later, may be installed at the rear of the filter receiving space (312). The door (330) is configured to allow air to pass through, so that air passing through the filter (320) installed in the filter receiving space (312) can flow into the filter room (140).

[0090] Contaminated air introduced into the front of the housing (310) of the filter module (300) passes through the filter (320) and flows to the rear of the filter (320).

[0091] The filter (320) filters the air flowing from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140). Multiple filters (320) are arranged so that a large amount of contaminated air, which is difficult to process with a single filter (320), can be processed simultaneously by multiple filters (320), thereby efficiently purifying the contaminated air generated by the painting operation.

[0092] The filter (320) can filter air in multiple stages. For example, the filter (320) includes multiple filter layers such as a paper filter, a fiber filter, or an activated carbon filter, and air introduced to the front of the filter (320) can be filtered in multiple stages by sequentially passing through the multiple filter layers. Contaminated air introduced to the front of the filter (320) from the exhaust room (130) can be filtered sequentially, starting with contaminants with larger particle sizes, as it passes through the filter (320).

[0093] The door (330) opens and closes the filter receiving space (312). The door (330) is installed on the rear of the housing (310). For example, the door (330) can be connected to one side of the rear of the housing (310) via a hinge.

[0094] The door (330) can pressurize the filter (320) so that the filter (320) inserted into the filter receiving space (312) can be in close contact with the front of the filter receiving space (312). The door (330) has a through hole so that air passing through the filter (320) can flow to the rear of the filter (320) and enter into the filter room (140). For example, the door (330) may be formed in the shape of a rectangular frame with a hollow interior and provided as a structure capable of supporting the outer corners of the filter (320). Alternatively, the door (330) may be provided in the shape of a U-shaped bar capable of supporting and fixing the outer corners of the filter (320).

[0095] FIG. 8 shows an example of the door of the filter module of FIG. 4.

[0096] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the door (330) will be described with further reference to FIG. 8.

[0097] A plurality of doors (330) may be provided to open and close each of the filter receiving spaces (312). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7, the doors (330) may be provided as an integrated structure in which members for opening and closing each of the filter receiving spaces (312) are combined so as to open and close the plurality of filter receiving spaces (312) collectively. The doors (330) may be provided as an integrated structure that closes at least a portion of each of the plurality of filter receiving spaces (312). The doors (330) are positioned on the left and right rear sides of the filter receiving spaces (312), respectively, so that the left and right rear sides of the filter receiving spaces (312) can be switched to an open or closed state. The doors (330) can simultaneously open and close the filter receiving spaces (312) configured in multiple layers, thereby securing the filters (320) contained in the filter receiving spaces (312).

[0098] When the doors (330) installed on the rear left and right sides of the filter receiving space (312) are both opened and the rear of the filter receiving space (312) is opened, the filter (320) can be inserted into the filter receiving space (312) or the filter (320) inserted into the filter receiving space (312) can be removed.

[0099] The door (330) includes an opening / closing member (332).

[0100] As illustrated in area B of FIG. 5, the opening / closing member (332) can fix the door (330) to the housing (310) by rotating or pressing a handle formed on one side of the door (330) to a locked position. The opening / closing member (332) can switch the door (330) to a locked state to simultaneously fix the filters (320) inserted into the plurality of filter receiving spaces (312). Alternatively, the opening / closing member (332) can switch the door (330) to an open state so that the inserted filters (320) can be removed by opening the plurality of filter receiving spaces (312).

[0101] A door sealing member (not shown) may be installed on the edge of the door (330). When the door (340) is completely closed, the door sealing member (not shown) comes into close contact with the frame of the housing (310), thereby perfectly sealing the door (330) and the housing (310) so that no air leaks out between them. When the door (330) is locked, the space between the door (330) and the housing (310) is completely sealed, and the space between each filter (320) inserted inside the housing (310) and the filter receiving space (312) is also sealed by the sealing member (312a) of the filter (320). This forces all air entering from the exhaust room (130) to pass through the filter (320), preventing any air flow (bypass) that bypasses or leaks from the filter (320).

[0102] A filter module (300) with the door (330) fixed in a locked state receives contaminated air from the exhaust room (130), purifies it in multiple stages through a plurality of filters (320), and then discharges the purified air through the exhaust port (224) of the filter room (140). The airtight environment inside the filter module (300) maximizes purification efficiency and extends the filter life.

[0103] As painting work is performed on a workpiece (20) in the workroom (110), contaminated air is introduced into the exhaust room (130) through the exhaust space (120) and filtered through the filter (320). Each filter (320) installed in the filter module (300) continuously collects paint dust and harmful substances during the process of treating contaminated air flowing from the exhaust room (130) into the filter room (140). As painting work is repeated, the following contaminants gradually accumulate on the surface and inside of the filter (320).

[0104] When contaminants accumulate in the filter (320), the filter layer becomes clogged, requiring a greater pressure drop for the contaminated air in the exhaust room (130) to pass through the filter (320), thereby increasing exhaust resistance. As exhaust resistance increases, the flow rate of air passing through the filter module (300) decreases, and the contaminated air in the exhaust room (130) cannot be effectively discharged and may become stagnant within the filter room (140) or bypass air flow may occur. Additionally, as the purification capacity of the filter (320) becomes saturated and the overall purification efficiency decreases, there is a problem that contaminated air with unfiltered harmful gases may be discharged through the exhaust port (224).

[0105] To prevent the above problems and maintain the paint booth system's optimal performance, periodic replacement of the filter (320) is essential. The replacement cycle of the filter (320) may vary depending on the amount of paint work, such as the amount of paint consumed during the work.

[0106] According to one embodiment, a pressure sensor (not shown) is installed in the filter room (140) and the exhaust room (130) to detect the pressure difference between the filter room (140) and the exhaust room (130), and then the filter (320) can be replaced if a pressure difference exceeding a certain level occurs. If a pressure difference exceeding a preset value occurs due to the pressure sensor (not shown), an alarm can be generated to notify the operator of the time to replace the filter (320).

[0107] FIGS. 9 to 11 illustrate the exhaust flow when replacing a filter according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0108] Hereinafter, a filter replacement method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with further reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

[0109] When replacement of the filter (320) installed in the first filter module (300a) of the first filter room (140a) is required, the exhaust damper (225a) of the first exhaust port (224a) is closed to prevent a pressure difference from occurring between the first filter room (140a) and the exhaust room (130). Additionally, when the exhaust damper (225a) of the first exhaust port (224a) is closed, the exhaust damper (225b) of the second exhaust port (224b) installed in the second filter room (140b) is opened to create a pressure difference between the second filter room (140b) and the exhaust room (130), thereby inducing the contaminated air flowing into the exhaust room (130) to be exhausted through the second filter room (140b).

[0110] At this time, the closing of the exhaust damper (225a) of the first exhaust port (224a) and the opening of the exhaust damper (225b) of the second exhaust port (224b) can occur simultaneously. Alternatively, the exhaust damper (225b) of the second exhaust port (224b) can be opened before the exhaust damper (225a) of the first exhaust port (224a) is closed, thereby inducing the contaminated air flowing into the exhaust room (130) to be exhausted through the second filter room (140b).

[0111] As the exhaust damper (225a) of the first exhaust port (224a) is closed and the exhaust damper (225b) of the second exhaust port (224b) is opened, contaminated air flowing into the exhaust room (130) is exhausted through the second filter room (140b), and contaminated air does not flow into the first filter room (140a). A worker can enter the first filter room (140a) through the door (142) of the first filter room (140a). The worker can open the door (330) installed on the rear of the first filter module (300a) to remove the contaminated filter (320) from the filter receiving space (312) of the first filter module (300a). The worker can replace the filter (320) installed in the first filter module (300a).

[0112] As illustrated in FIG. 11, when the filter (320) installed in the second filter module (300b) of the second filter room (140b) needs to be replaced, the exhaust damper (225b) of the second exhaust port (224b) is closed so that no pressure difference occurs between the second filter room (140b) and the exhaust room (130). Additionally, when the exhaust damper (225b) of the second exhaust port (224b) is closed, the exhaust damper (225a) of the first exhaust port (224a) installed in the first filter room (140a) is opened so that a pressure difference occurs between the first filter room (140a) and the exhaust room (130), and contaminated air flowing into the exhaust room (130) can be induced to be exhausted through the first filter room (140a).

[0113] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a filter room (140) is installed on each side of an exhaust room (130), and contaminated air can be purified through a second filter module (300b) installed in a second filter room (140b) during the process of replacing the filter (320) of a first filter module (300a) installed in a first filter room (140a). Since the purification of contaminated air is continuously carried out when replacing the filter (320) in one filter room (140), there is no need to stop the painting work when replacing the filter (320), and since the painting work can be carried out continuously, the efficiency of the painting work can be improved.

[0114] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the filter module (300) has a door (330) installed on the rear of the housing (310). As described above, the rear of the filter receiving space (312) can be opened to insert a filter (320) into the filter receiving space (312) or to remove the filter (320) inserted into the filter receiving space (312). That is, the filter (320) can be replaced through the rear of the filter receiving space (312). According to an embodiment of the present invention, since the filter replacement is performed in the filter room (140), the worker can replace the filter without coming into contact with contaminated air, thereby protecting the worker's safety.

[0115] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the filter (320) can be replaced through the rear of the filter receiving space (312), the filter (320) can be safely replaced at the rear of the filter module (300) rather than the front of the filter module (300) through which contaminated air passes, and the filter replacement process can be simplified as there is no need for the filter module (300) to be moved or rotated separately.

[0116] According to the prior art, filter replacement was performed through the front of the filter module (300). Accordingly, after replacing the filter, it was required to seal the area around the filter using a sealing member, such as tape, so that contaminated air could pass through the filter. Furthermore, when replacing the filter, the conventionally attached sealing member had to be removed before the filter could be removed, which posed a problem where worker safety was threatened by contact with the contaminated sealing member and the contaminated filter during the filter replacement process. However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the filter (320) can be inserted or removed through the rear of the filter receiving space (312), the worker does not need to come into contact with the front of the filter module (300) during the filter replacement process, and since no separate sealing work is required, the filter replacement can be performed safely.

[0117] Although not specifically described, the painting system (10) may further include a controller (not shown). The controller (not shown) can control each component of the painting system (10), such as a painting robot (112), a supply robot (114), an air conditioning module (200), etc. The controller (not shown) can control the air conditioning module (200) to control the pressure of the circulating airflow circulating through the painting booth (100). The controller (not shown) can control the exhaust damper (225). For example, the controller (not shown) can control each of the exhaust dampers (225) installed in the first filter room (140a) and the second filter room (140b) to induce the contaminated air flowing into the exhaust room (130) to flow into either the first filter room (140a) or the second filter room (140b).

[0118] It should be understood that exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein and that other variations may be possible. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but may be interchangeable and used in selected embodiments where applicable, even if not specifically illustrated or described. Such variations should not be construed as departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, and all such variations that are obvious to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A workshop equipped with a painting robot and; An air conditioning module that supplies clean air to the above workroom; An exhaust room positioned below the above-mentioned workroom for exhausting contaminated air from the above-mentioned workroom; It includes a filter room installed adjacent to the exhaust room and having a filter module disposed therein for purifying contaminated air from the exhaust room, and The contaminated air is introduced into the front of the filter module and exhausted through the rear of the filter module, The above filter module is, A housing including a filter receiving space in which a filter is received; A door installed on the rear of the above housing to secure the filter inserted into the filter receiving space, Painting system.

2. In Paragraph 1, The above air conditioning module is, An air supply port positioned above the above workroom to supply a downward airflow to the above workroom; An exhaust port installed in the filter room to exhaust air flowing into the filter room; An exhaust damper that regulates the flow rate of air flowing through the above exhaust port; A circulation pipe including a connection between the exhaust port and the supply port to circulate the air, Painting system.

3. In Paragraph 1, The above filter module is, It includes a sealing member installed on the front of the filter receiving space, and The above sealing member is, A coating system provided as an elastic body and sealing the space between the filter receiving space and the filter inserted into the filter receiving space.

4. In Paragraph 1, The above filter receiving space is provided in multiple numbers, and The above door is provided as an integral structure that closes at least a portion of each of the plurality of filter receiving spaces, Painting system.

5. In Paragraph 1, The filter room mentioned above is, A first filter room positioned on one side of the exhaust room; It includes a second filter room positioned on the other side of the exhaust room, and The filter module is disposed in each of the first filter room and the second filter room, Painting system.

6. In Paragraph 5, The above painting system further includes a controller, and The above controller is, Controlling each of the exhaust dampers installed in the first filter room and the second filter room to induce air flowing into the exhaust room to flow into either the first filter room or the second filter room, Painting system.

7. In Paragraph 1, A supply robot further comprising a structure positioned inside the above-mentioned workroom to transport a painting object between the outside and inside of the above-mentioned workroom. Painting system.

8. A housing having a filter receiving space formed therein for accommodating a filter; It includes a door for fixing the filter inserted into the filter receiving space, Contaminated air is introduced into the front of the housing and exhausted through the rear of the housing, The above door is installed on the rear of the housing, and A sealing member is installed on the inner front surface of the filter receiving space above, and The above sealing member is an elastic body, Filter module.

9. In Paragraph 8, Multiple filter receiving spaces are provided, A plurality of the above filter receiving spaces are partitioned from one another by partitions, and The above door is, Provided to collectively open and close a plurality of the above-mentioned filter receiving spaces, Filter module.

10. A workshop equipped with a painting robot and; An air conditioning module that supplies clean air to the above workroom; An exhaust room positioned below the above-mentioned workroom for exhausting contaminated air from the above-mentioned workroom; It includes a filter room installed adjacent to the exhaust room and having a filter module disposed therein for purifying contaminated air from the exhaust room, and The contaminated air is introduced into the front of the filter module and exhausted through the rear of the filter module, The filter room mentioned above is, A first filter room positioned on one side of the exhaust room; It includes a second filter room positioned on the other side of the exhaust room, and The filter module is placed in each of the first filter room and the second filter room, and The above air conditioning module is, An air supply port positioned above the above workroom to supply a downward airflow to the above workroom; An exhaust port installed in the filter room to exhaust air flowing into the filter room; An exhaust damper that regulates the flow rate of air flowing through the above exhaust port; It includes a circulation pipe that connects the exhaust port and the supply port to circulate the air, and The above filter module is, A housing including a filter receiving space in which a filter is received; A door installed on the rear of the above housing to secure the filter inserted into the filter receiving space; It includes a sealing member installed on the inner front surface of the filter receiving space, and The above sealing member is, Provided as an elastic body, sealing the space between the filter receiving space and the filter inserted into the filter receiving space, Painting system.

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