Paint mist removing apparatus and coating facility

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a paint mist removing apparatus that allows easy filter replacement, thereby having excellent maintainability and in which filter damage is less likely to occur. A filter housing 31 of a paint mist removing apparatus 30 has a lower housing part 32, an upper housing part 33, and an airflow swirl chamber 38 therein. The lower housing part 32 can house a primary filter 40 for taking in booth air A2 through a bottom surface 44 and discharging the booth air A2 through an upper surface 45. The upper housing part 33 is disposed adjacent to the upper side of the lower housing part 32, and can house a sheet-shaped secondary filter 60. The airflow swirl chamber 38 is disposed adjacent to the lower side of the lower housing part 32, and is a space that is in communication with an inlet port 35 and houses no filter. The airflow swirl chamber 38 causes the booth air A2 introduced through the inlet port 35 and flowing in the lateral direction to swirl upward to supply the booth air A2 to the bottom surface 44 of the primary filter 40. Selected drawing: FIG. 7

Description

Paint mist removal equipment, painting equipment

[0001] This invention relates to a paint mist removal device and painting equipment that removes paint mist contained in booth air discharged from a painting booth.

[0002] Conventionally, painting equipment that applies paint to objects to be painted, such as car bodies, inside a paint booth is well known. The booth air discharged from the paint booth contains paint mist, and a paint mist removal device is used to remove this paint mist.

[0003] Figure 9(a) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the use of a conventional paint mist removal device 130, and Figure 9(b) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the use of a filter replacement. This paint mist removal device 130 is installed offset in the width direction of the painting line to avoid the space under the booth floor. This paint mist removal device 130 includes a filter housing 131 having a lower housing section 132 capable of housing a primary filter 140 and an upper housing section 133 capable of housing a secondary filter 160. The primary filter 140 is an inertial filter formed in a box shape mainly of a flammable material, and has a structure that takes in booth air A2 from the side and discharges it from the top. The secondary filter 160 consists of a plurality of sheet-like filters arranged in a mountain shape, and has a structure that allows booth air A2 to pass from the bottom side to the top side. In addition, an inlet 135 is provided on the side of the filter housing 131 for taking in booth air A2 into the primary filter 140 in the lower housing section 132. An outlet 136 is provided on the upper surface of the filter housing 131 for discharging booth air A2 from the secondary filter 160 in the upper housing section 133. In the paint mist removal device 130 configured in this way, booth air A2 introduced from the inlet 135 on the side of the filter housing 131 passes sequentially through the primary filter 140 and the secondary filter 160, thereby removing and recovering the paint mist (see Figure 9(a)). After filter collection, the primary filter 140 is pulled forward and replaced with a new one (see Figure 9(b)). A conventional example of this type of paint mist removal device 130 is the technology described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2024-148604

[0005] However, the above-described conventional paint mist removing apparatus 130 has the following problems.

[0006] For example, since the primary filter 140 has a structure that takes in booth air A2 from the side surface and discharges it from the upper surface, it is required to change the direction of airflow from horizontal to upward inside the filter (see FIG. 9(a)). Therefore, in order to provide a space inside the filter for turning the airflow by 90 degrees, it is necessary to use a primary filter 140 that is large to a certain extent. In this case, the increased weight of the filter after collection makes transportation work during filter replacement difficult, and a large space is required for filter transportation. Therefore, there have been problems that it is difficult to easily perform filter replacement and maintainability is poor.

[0007] Furthermore, since the primary filter 140 is arranged near the apparatus installation surface F1 (for example, about 10 cm to 20 cm from the apparatus installation surface F1), an operator needs to bend over when replacing the filter, which imposes a large physical burden. Therefore, similar to the above, there have been problems that it is difficult to easily perform filter replacement and maintainability is poor.

[0008] In addition, since the structure is such that a large pressure is easily applied from the inside of the filter to the upper surface of the primary filter 140, the primary filter 140 is easily damaged. To prevent this, it has been necessary to reinforce the primary filter 140 itself, or to provide a damage prevention mechanism 150 for the primary filter 140 in the filter housing 131.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a paint mist removing apparatus and painting equipment which are excellent in maintainability due to easy filter replacement and less prone to filter damage.

[0010] To solve the above problems, the invention described in Means 1 is a paint mist removal device that removes paint mist contained in booth air by flowing booth air discharged from a paint booth through a plurality of filters, comprising a filter housing having an openable and closable door on its front side, an inlet for taking in the booth air at the lower part of the side other than the front side, and an outlet for discharging the booth air at its upper end, wherein the filter housing is formed in a box shape mainly of a flammable material and has a lower housing portion capable of housing a primary filter that takes in the booth air from the bottom surface which is the inlet surface and discharges it from the top surface which is the discharge surface, an upper housing portion arranged adjacent to the upper side of the lower housing portion and capable of housing a sheet-shaped secondary filter, and a space without a filter that is arranged adjacent to the lower side of the lower housing portion and communicates with the inlet, and has an airflow swirling chamber that swirls the sideways booth air flowing in from the inlet upward and supplies it to the bottom surface of the primary filter.

[0011] Therefore, according to the invention described in Means 1, the booth air flowing in from the inlet is changed from a horizontal to an upward airflow in the airflow swirling chamber before it flows into the primary filter. As a result, it is no longer necessary to change the airflow from horizontal to upward inside the primary filter, and space for airflow swirling inside the primary filter is not required. This makes it possible to avoid increasing the size of the primary filter. Moreover, by arranging the airflow swirling chamber below the lower housing, the primary filter is housed at a high position a certain distance away from the device installation surface. As a result, workers do not have to bend down when replacing the primary filter. As a result, the complexity of transportation work during filter replacement is reduced, making filter replacement easier and improving maintainability. In addition, since there is no unevenness in the airflow inside the primary filter, no large pressure is applied to the top surface of the primary filter from inside the filter, making damage to the primary filter less likely.

[0012] The gist of the invention described in means 2 is that, in means 1, the bottom surface and top surface of the primary filter and the secondary filter are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the device mounting surface, and are formed so that their projected areas are equal when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0013] The invention described in means 3 is characterized in that, in means 1, the lower housing can accommodate multiple primary filters arranged side by side.

[0014] Therefore, according to the invention described in means 3, unlike the case where only one large primary filter can be accommodated in the lower housing, the weight and size of each primary filter can be reduced. As a result, transportation work during filter replacement becomes easier, and maintainability can be further improved.

[0015] The invention described in means 4 is characterized in that, in means 1, the lower housing portion has a first partition member that blocks communication between the outer side region of the housed primary filter and the upper housing portion, and a second partition member that blocks communication between the outer side region of the housed primary filter and the airflow swirling chamber.

[0016] Therefore, according to the invention described in means 4, the first partition member and the second partition member prevent paint mist from flowing into the outer side region of the primary filter. As a result, paint mist is less likely to adhere to the sides of the primary filter, and the outside of the primary filter is less likely to get dirty, thus improving maintainability.

[0017] The invention described in means 5 is a painting facility comprising a painting booth having a pair of side walls and a floor, a booth space for housing a painting line partitioned above the floor, a space under the booth floor partitioned below the floor, and painting while transporting the object to be painted along the longitudinal direction of the painting line, wherein the paint mist removal device according to any one of means 1 to 4 is installed at a position offset in the width direction of the painting line, avoiding the space under the booth floor.

[0018] Therefore, according to the invention described in means 5, not only can the entire painting booth be made low-floor, but it also becomes possible to perform tasks such as replacing the filter of the paint mist removal device without having to crawl into the space under the booth floor.

[0019] As detailed above, the inventions described in claims 1 to 5 provide a paint mist removal device and painting equipment that offer excellent maintainability due to easy filter replacement and are less prone to filter damage.

[0020] A schematic cross-sectional view showing the painting equipment of this embodiment. A schematic front view showing the paint mist removal device of this embodiment. A schematic side cross-sectional view showing the paint mist removal device of this embodiment. A schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the primary filter used in the paint mist removal device. A schematic side cross-sectional view showing the filter lifting device provided in the paint mist removal device. (a) to (c) are schematic cross-sectional views along line A-A in Figure 5. (a) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the paint mist removal device of this embodiment in use, and (b) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the device when the filter is being replaced. A schematic cross-sectional view showing painting equipment of another embodiment. (a) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the conventional paint mist removal device in use, and (b) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the device when the filter is being replaced.

[0021] Hereinafter, a paint mist removal device 30 and painting equipment 10, which embody one embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 7.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the painting equipment 10 of this embodiment includes a painting booth 11 and a paint mist removal device 30. The painting booth 11 has a pair of side walls 12 and a floor 13. Above the floor 13 of the painting booth 11, a booth space S1 is partitioned, and below the floor 13 of the painting booth 11, a booth underfloor space S2 is partitioned. Within the booth space S1, a painting line 14 extending in the longitudinal direction (in Figure 1, the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper) and a plurality of painting robots 15 arranged on both sides of the painting line 14 are housed. In the painting booth 11, atomized paint (paint mist) is sprayed from the painting gun of the painting robot 15 onto the object to be painted W1 (in this embodiment, an automobile body) within the booth space S1, so that the object to be painted W1 is conveyed along the longitudinal direction of the painting line 14 and painted.

[0023] Furthermore, a ceiling wall 16 is provided above the booth space S1. The ceiling wall 16 has a mesh structure overall, and booth air A2 is supplied to the upper side of it. As a result, the booth air A2 flows down through the painting booth 11 after passing through the ceiling wall 16, so that paint mist that does not adhere to the object to be painted W1 is guided downwards. On the other hand, a mesh structure 18 (bamboo slat section) is provided on the upper side of the floor section 13, and this mesh structure 18 allows the booth air A2 containing paint mist to pass downwards.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, an air transfer channel 21 is formed in the booth floor space S2, connecting the booth space S1 and the paint mist removal device 30. The end of the air transfer channel 21 penetrates the side wall 12 and protrudes outside the painting booth 11 (outside the booth floor space S2), and is connected to the paint mist removal device 30 via a connecting duct 25. In other words, the paint mist removal device 30 is installed in a position offset in the width direction of the painting line 14, avoiding the booth floor space S2.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the paint mist removal device 30 includes a filter housing 31 capable of housing a plurality of primary filters 40 and six secondary filters 60. The paint mist removal device 30 is a device that removes paint mist contained in booth air A2 discharged from the booth space S1 by flowing the booth air A2 through the primary filters 40 and secondary filters 60. Specifically, the filter housing 31 is box-shaped with a front side 31a, a rear side 31b, a right side 31c, and a left side 31d, and is installed on the device installation surface F1. An openable and closable door 34 is attached to the front side 31a of the filter housing 31. When this door 34 is open, the primary filters 40 and secondary filters 60 can be replaced. A horizontally elongated rectangular inlet 35 for taking in booth air A2 is provided at the lower part of the rear side 31b of the filter housing 31, connecting the inside and outside of the filter housing 31. This inlet 35 is flow-flow connected to the end of the connecting duct 25. Furthermore, an outlet 36 for discharging booth air A2 is provided on the entire upper end surface of the filter housing 31, connecting the inside and outside of the filter housing 31. Booth air A2 that has passed through the secondary filter 60 in the upper housing 33 is discharged from this outlet 36. As shown in Figure 1, an exhaust duct 26 is flow-flow connected to the outlet 36 of the filter housing 31, and a blower (not shown) is provided downstream of the exhaust duct 26.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the filter housing 31 is provided with a lower housing section 32, an upper housing section 33, and an airflow swirling chamber 38 inside. The lower housing section 32 is a space for housing the primary filter 40 so that it can be inserted and removed. The primary filter 40 is formed in a box shape mainly from a flammable material such as cardboard, and has a structure that takes in booth air from the bottom surface 44, which is the inlet surface, and discharges it from the top surface 45, which is the discharge surface. The upper housing section 33 is located adjacent to the upper side of the lower housing section 32 and is a space for housing a sheet-shaped secondary filter 60 so that it can be inserted and removed. By housing the primary filter 40 in the lower housing section 32 and the secondary filter 60 in the upper housing section 33, the primary filter 40 and the secondary filter 60 are arranged adjacent to each other vertically within the filter housing 31. The lower housing section 32 can accommodate multiple primary filters 40 side by side, and in this embodiment, a total of four primary filters 40 (two front and two back x two left and right) are housed there. The bottom surfaces 44 and top surfaces 45 of the multiple primary filters 40, and the multiple secondary filters 60 are arranged perpendicular to the device mounting surface F1. Furthermore, the projected areas of the bottom surfaces 44 and top surfaces 45 of the multiple primary filters 40, and the multiple secondary filters 60 when viewed from the vertical are approximately equal.

[0027] Figure 4 shows an example of a primary filter 40 used in the paint mist removal device 30 of this embodiment. The primary filter 40 is a type of inertial filter, mainly made of a flammable material (specifically, corrugated cardboard) (a so-called corrugated cardboard filter). The primary filter 40 comprises an outer casing 41, an eliminator 50, and a diffusion structure 55. The outer casing 41 is rectangular parallelepiped (box-shaped) and has a bottom surface 44 which is an inlet surface into which booth air A2 flows, and an upper surface 45 which is an outlet surface for discharging booth air A2. A rectangular inlet 46 is formed on the bottom surface 44, and a rectangular outlet 47 is formed on the upper surface 45. The booth air A2 flows through the outer casing 41 from the inlet 46 to the outlet 47.

[0028] The eliminator 50 is housed in an outer casing 41. The eliminator 50 comprises a first eliminator section 51 and a second eliminator section 52 housed closer to the outlet 47 than the first eliminator section 51. The first eliminator section 51 consists of a plurality of plate-shaped first eliminator elements 53 arranged side by side and has the function of separating paint particles from the booth air A2. The second eliminator section 52 consists of a plurality of plate-shaped second eliminator elements 54 arranged side by side and has the function of separating paint particles from the booth air A2. Each first eliminator element 53 and each second eliminator element 54 is formed by bending in a zigzag shape. Therefore, meandering passages are formed between adjacent first eliminator elements 53 and between adjacent second eliminator elements 54. Furthermore, the pitch between adjacent first eliminator elements 53 is greater than the pitch between adjacent second eliminator elements 54.

[0029] A diffusion structure 55 is housed between the eliminator 50 and the inlet 46 within the outer casing 41. The diffusion structure 55 has the function of guiding the booth air A2 to the front end of the first eliminator section 51. The diffusion structure 55 also includes a diffusion plate 56 that diffuses the booth air A2 introduced from the inlet 46 from the center of the filter towards the outer periphery of the filter. The diffusion plate 56 has a double structure consisting of an inner circumferential inclined plate 57 and an outer circumferential inclined plate 58 that surrounds the inner circumferential inclined plate 57.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, the secondary filter 60 is formed as a sheet and arranged in an inverted V shape by using two sheets as a pair. The secondary filter 60 comprises a sheet-like filter element, a filter frame, and a pair of mesh-like members (none of which are shown). The sheet-like filter element is formed in a rectangular plate shape mainly from a flammable material (specifically, flame-retardant treated paper). The outer periphery of the sheet-like filter element and the mesh-like members are supported by the filter frame, respectively. These secondary filters 60 allow the booth air A2 discharged from the primary filter 40 to pass from its lower side to its upper side. At that time, paint mist is removed mainly by the sheet-like filter element.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the airflow swirling chamber 38 in the filter housing 31 is located adjacent to the lower side of the lower housing 32. Unlike the lower housing 32 and upper housing 33, which are filter housing spaces, the airflow swirling chamber 38 is a space that does not house a filter. In other words, the airflow swirling chamber 38 does not fundamentally function as a filter to remove paint mist, but has a different function (the airflow swirling function described later). Therefore, there are no structures that could become filter elements of an inertial filter inside this airflow swirling chamber 38 (more precisely, inside the cavity area R1). The airflow swirling chamber 38 is located at the same height as the inlet 35 in the filter housing 31 and is in communication with the inlet 35. This airflow swirling chamber 38 has the function of swirling the airflow (changing the direction of the airflow) inside it. Specifically, the airflow swirling chamber 38 of this embodiment is configured to swirl the sideways booth air A2 flowing in from the inlet 35 upwards and supply it to the bottom surface 44 of the primary filter 40. The internal height h1 of the airflow swirling chamber 38 is not particularly limited and can be set arbitrarily, but is set to, for example, about 30 cm to 100 cm, preferably about 35 cm to 80 cm, and more preferably about 40 cm to 60 cm. If this internal height h1 is too small, it becomes difficult to secure a space large enough to smoothly swirl the airflow. Also, if this dimension is too large, it will lead to an increase in the overall size of the filter housing 31. In addition, the installation positions of the lower housing section 32 and the upper housing section 33 will be higher, which may make it difficult to insert and remove the primary filter 40 and the secondary filter 60.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower housing section 32 has a first partition member 71 and a second partition member 72. A pair of first partition members 71 are attached to the uppermost part of the lower housing section 32. These first partition members 71 can be made to closely contact the outer periphery of the upper surface 45 of the four primary filters 40 by pressing down on both the left and right side edges of the upper surface 45 from above. These first partition members 71 are positioned to avoid each outlet 47 of the four primary filters 40. These first partition members 71 are designed to block communication between the outer side regions 73 of the four housed primary filters 40 and the upper housing section 33. The first partition members 71 may be provided to be vertically movable or detachable. In addition, an upper surface retaining member 71a is provided at the uppermost part of the lower housing section 32 to press down on the central part of the upper surface 45 of the four primary filters 40 from above. The upper surface retaining member 71a may be provided so as to be vertically movable or detachable.

[0033] The second partition member 72 is a flat plate-shaped member attached and fixed to the lowest part of the lower housing section 32, with both left and right edges supported and fixed to the upper surface of the partition wall 78, which will be described later. A filter support base 88 is installed on the upper surface of the second partition member 72, and four primary filters 40 can be placed side by side on the upper side of the filter support base 88. Rectangular openings (not shown) are formed in the second partition member 72 and the filter support base 88, corresponding to each inlet 46 of the four primary filters 40. In other words, the second partition member 72 is positioned so as to be in close contact with the outer circumference of the bottom surface 44 of the four primary filters 40 via the filter support base 88. The second partition member 72 is designed to block communication between the outer side regions 73 of the four housed primary filters 40 and the airflow swirling chamber 38.

[0034] The paint mist removal device 30 further includes a filter lifting device 81 that supports the primary filter 40 in the lower housing section 32 so that it can be raised and lowered. Figure 5 is a front view showing the filter lifting device 81, and Figures 6(a) to 6(c) are schematic cross-sectional views along line A-A in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 2, the filter lifting devices 81 are arranged in pairs on the left and right sides directly below the lower housing section 32 that houses the primary filter 40 within the filter housing 31. In addition, partition walls 78 with a roughly U-shaped cross-section are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper part of the airflow swirling chamber 38. These partition walls 78 divide the inside of the airflow swirling chamber 38 into a cavity area R1 (airflow direction changing area) and a lifting device installation area R2. In other words, booth air A2 containing paint mist is prevented from flowing into the lifting device installation area R2.

[0035] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the filter lifting device 81 of this embodiment is installed within the lifting device installation area R2. The filter lifting device 81 is equipped with a cam mechanism (up and down drive mechanism) consisting of a shaft 82, a plate cam 83, a cam follower section 84, etc. The shaft 82 extends along the front-rear direction of the filter housing 31, and a handle 90 for rotating the shaft 82 can be attached to its front end 82a. Plate cams 83 are fixed to multiple spaced locations on the shaft 82 so as to be able to rotate as a whole. Multiple cam follower sections 84 are provided immediately above the locations where the multiple plate cams 83 are located. The multiple cam follower sections 84 are supported and fixed to a single support plate 85 that can move up and down. The lower ends of the multiple cam follower sections 84 are positioned in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the plate cam 83 and function as contactors. The upper ends of the multiple cam follower sections 84 are positioned to protrude from the upper surface of the support plate 85 and have ball rollers 86 which are rolling elements. A support plate 87 is positioned above each ball roller 86. The support plate 87 is provided on both the left and right edges of the lower surface of the filter support base 88, and each ball roller 86 is in contact with its lower surface in a manner that allows it to roll.

[0036] The filter lifting device 81 is configured to perform a lifting operation by rotating the handle 90. Figure 6(a) shows the state before the handle 90 is attached to the shaft 82, and Figure 6(b) shows the state after the handle 90 has been attached to the shaft 82 but before rotation has been performed. In Figure 6(b), the plate cam 83 is not pressing the cam follower portion 84 upward, and the cam follower portion 84 is still in the lowered position overall. At this time, since each ball roller 86 is not protruding upward, the filter support base 88 is not lifted and is placed on the upper surface of the second partition member 72. Therefore, the filter support base 88 on which the primary filter 40 is mounted is immobile in the front-to-back direction of the housing.

[0037] Figure 6(c) shows the state in which the handle 90 is attached to the shaft 82 and rotation is performed. In Figure 6(c), the plate cam 83 is pressing the cam follower portion 84 upward, so the cam follower portion 84 moves to an elevated position overall. At this time, each ball roller 86 protrudes upward by several centimeters, and the filter support base 88 is lifted from the upper surface of the second partition member 72. Therefore, the filter support base 88 on which the primary filter 40 is mounted becomes movable in the front-rear direction of the housing.

[0038] Next, the method of using the paint mist removal device 30 of this embodiment will be described. Figure 7(a) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the paint mist removal device 30 in use.

[0039] When the painting robot 15 sprays paint from its paint gun to paint the object to be painted W1, the oversprayed paint mist, along with the booth air A2 in the booth space S1, passes through the floor 13 of the painting booth 11 and flows into the space S2 below the booth floor.

[0040] Subsequently, the booth air A2 containing paint mist moves laterally through the air transfer channel 21 in the space S2 beneath the booth floor and flows into the filter housing 31 (paint mist removal device 30) via the inlet 35. The booth air A2 first reaches the cavity area R1 of the airflow swirling chamber 38 located at the bottom of the filter housing 31, and as it passes through, it is swirled from sideways to upward (see Figure 7(a)). The booth air A2, which has been swirled upward, then flows into the inlet 46 on the bottom surface 44 of the primary filter 40. The booth air A2 passing through the cavity area R1 does not flow into the lifting device installation area R2, nor does it flow into the outer side region 73 of the primary filter 40 due to the action of the second partition member 72. The booth air A2 passes through the diffusion structure 55, the first eliminator section 51, and the second eliminator section 52 in order inside the primary filter 40, removing most of the paint mist in the process. The booth air A2 is then discharged from the outlet 47 on the upper surface 45 of the primary filter 40 and guided to the secondary filter 60. As the booth air A2 passes through the secondary filter 60 from the bottom to the top, the paint mist contained in the booth air A2 is almost completely removed. The booth air A2, from which the paint mist has been removed in this way, is discharged to the outside of the filter housing 31 from the outlet 36. The booth air A2 is then discharged to the outside of the painting equipment 10 through the exhaust duct 26.

[0041] Figure 7(b) is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the paint mist removal device 30 during filter replacement. Here, we will explain the replacement procedure performed when a predetermined amount or more of paint is collected in the primary filter 40. Note that the primary filter 40 replacement procedure is usually performed when the painting equipment 10 is stopped.

[0042] When replacing the primary filter 40, with the painting equipment 10 stopped, an empty trolley (not shown) is placed in front of the paint mist removal device 30 (on the right side in Figure 1). A trolley (not shown) carrying a new primary filter 40 is placed next to the empty trolley. The operator then opens the door 34 of the paint mist removal device 30, exposing the primary filter 40 and the airflow swirling chamber 38 inside the lower housing 32. At this time, the filter support base 88 on which the primary filter 40 is mounted is not yet lifted and is in the lowered position. Therefore, the filter support base 88 is immobile in the front-to-back direction of the housing. Next, the operator attaches the handle 90 to the shaft 82 and performs a rotational operation. As a result, the filter support base 88 on which the primary filter 40 is mounted is lifted up by several centimeters and separated from the upper surface of the second partition member 72. Therefore, the filter support base 88 becomes mobile in the front-to-back direction of the housing. Next, the worker pulls the filter support stand 88 forward and places the used primary filter 40 onto an empty trolley, then places a new primary filter 40 on the now-empty filter support stand 88. The primary filter 40 can be replaced all four at once, or they can be replaced one by one. The worker then moves the filter support stand 88 backward and rotates the handle 90 to move it from the raised position to the lowered position. This brings the filter support stand 88, with the primary filters 40 mounted on it, into contact with the upper surface of the second partition member 72. Finally, the handle 90 is removed and the door 34 of the paint mist removal device 30 is closed, completing the filter replacement process. As a result, the painting equipment 10 becomes operational again. The used primary filters 40 are disposed of by being transported to an incinerator, for example, and then incinerated.

[0043] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0044] (1) The coating mist removing device 30 of the present embodiment includes a filter container 31 having an inflow port 35 at a lower portion of a rear side surface 31b and an outflow port 36 at an upper end surface. Inside the filter container 31, a lower accommodation portion 32, an upper accommodation portion 33, and an airflow swirling chamber 38 are provided. A corrugated cardboard primary filter 40 that takes in booth air A2 from a bottom surface 44 and discharges the same from a top surface 45 can be accommodated in the lower accommodation portion 32. A sheet-shaped secondary filter 60 can be accommodated in the upper accommodation portion 33 disposed adjacent to an upper side of the lower accommodation portion 32. The airflow swirling chamber 38 disposed adjacent to a lower side of the lower accommodation portion 32 is a filter-free space that communicates with the inflow port 35. The airflow swirling chamber 38 swirls the lateral booth air A2 flowing in from the inflow port 35 upward and supplies the same to the bottom surface 44 of the primary filter 40.

[0045] Therefore, according to this configuration, before the booth air A2 flowing in from the inflow port 35 flows into the primary filter 40, the airflow is changed from lateral to upward in the airflow swirling chamber 38. Accordingly, it is not necessary to change the airflow from lateral to upward inside the primary filter 40 as in the conventional example shown in FIG. 9(a), and a space for airflow swirling inside the primary filter 40 becomes unnecessary. For this reason, an increase in size of the primary filter 40 can be avoided. Moreover, by disposing the airflow swirling chamber 38 below the lower accommodation portion 32, the primary filter 40 is accommodated at a high position spaced apart to some extent from the device installation surface F1 (in the present embodiment, near the chest of an operator). Accordingly, the operator does not need to bend over when replacing the primary filter 40, reducing the physical burden on the operator. As a result of these, complexity such as transporting work during filter replacement is reduced, filter replacement becomes easier, and maintainability is improved. In addition, since uneven airflow does not occur inside the primary filter 40, no large pressure is applied from the inside of the filter to the upper surface of the primary filter 40, and damage to the primary filter 40 is less likely to occur. As a result, the structure of the primary filter 40 can be simplified.

[0046] (2) In the present embodiment, the bottom surfaces 44 and top surfaces 45 of the plurality of primary filters 40 and the plurality of secondary filters 60 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the apparatus installation surface F1, and their projected areas when viewed from the perpendicular direction are substantially equal. Therefore, uneven airflow inside the filter housing 31 is easily eliminated, and the pressure loss is also relatively small.

[0047] (3) In the present embodiment, a plurality of primary filters 40 can be housed side by side in the lower housing portion 32. Therefore, unlike the case where only one large primary filter 40 can be housed in the lower housing portion 32, the weight and size of each individual primary filter 40 can be reduced. This further facilitates transportation work and the like during filter replacement, and can further improve maintainability. In addition, as described above, the elimination of the need for an airflow swirling space inside the filter reliably contributes to the downsizing of each individual primary filter 40.

[0048] (4) In the present embodiment, the lower housing portion 32 includes a first partition member 71 and a second partition member 72. The first partition member 71 blocks communication between the lateral outer region 73 of the housed primary filter 40 and the upper housing portion 33. The second partition member 72 blocks communication between the lateral outer region 73 of the housed primary filter 40 and the airflow swirling chamber 38. Therefore, according to this configuration, partition by the first partition member 71 and the second partition member 72 prevents paint mist from flowing into the lateral outer region 73 of the primary filter 40. Therefore, paint mist is less likely to adhere to the side surface of the primary filter 40, and the outer side of the primary filter 40 is less likely to become contaminated. As a result, paint mist does not adhere to the operator's hand when taking out the used primary filter 40, which improves maintainability. In addition, adhesion of paint mist to the inner wall surface of the filter housing 31 is also prevented, which also improves maintainability by relatively facilitating cleaning work of the inner wall surface.

[0049] (5) The paint mist removal device 30 of this embodiment further includes a filter lifting device 81 that supports the primary filter 40 in the lower housing section 32 so that it can move up and down between an elevated position and a lowered position. The filter lifting device 81 supports the primary filter 40 in the elevated position so that it can move in the front-rear direction of the housing. On the other hand, the filter lifting device 81 supports the primary filter 40 in the lowered position so that it cannot move in the front-rear direction of the housing. With this configuration, when replacing the filter, the used primary filter 40, which has become heavy, can be removed from the paint mist removal device 30 relatively easily by moving the primary filter 40 to the elevated position. Furthermore, the filter lifting device 81 is located directly below the lower housing section 32 that houses the primary filter 40 within the filter housing 31. Therefore, the filter lifting device 81 does not protrude outward from the filter housing 31, and the sides 31a to 31d of the filter housing 31 can be made into a neat shape. Furthermore, the filter lifting device 81 is located in the lifting device installation area R2, which is separated from the cavity area R1 in the airflow swirling chamber 38 by a partition wall 78. Therefore, booth air A2 containing paint mist does not flow into the lifting device installation area R2, preventing contamination and malfunction of the filter lifting device 81. In addition, since the filter lifting devices 80 are provided in pairs on the left and right, the filter support base 88 on which the primary filter 40 is mounted can be stably lifted from below. Moreover, this configuration in which the filter lifting devices 80 are arranged on the left and right has the advantage that the filter lifting devices 80 do not easily obstruct the flow of booth air A2.

[0050] (6) In the painting equipment 10 of this embodiment, the paint mist removal device 30 with the above configuration is installed at a position offset in the width direction of the painting line 14, avoiding the space under the booth floor S2. Therefore, with this configuration, not only can the entire painting booth 11 be made low-floor, but workers can also perform filter replacement work on the paint mist removal device 30 without having to crawl into the space under the booth floor S2. Thus, maintainability can be improved.

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention may be modified as follows.

[0052] In the above embodiment, a door portion 34 is provided on the front side surface 31a of the filter housing 31, and an inlet 35 for taking in booth air A2 is provided on the rear side surface 31b, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, the inlet 35 may be provided on the right side surface 31c or the left side surface 31d of the filter housing 31.

[0053] In the above embodiment, a primary filter 40 comprising an outer casing 41, an eliminator 50, and a diffusion structure 55 as illustrated in Figure 4 was used, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, in another embodiment, a primary filter 40 comprising an outer casing 41 and an eliminator 50, but without a diffusion structure 55, may be used. Also, in the above embodiment, a primary filter 40 made entirely of corrugated cardboard was used, but a primary filter 40 made part or all of a flammable material other than corrugated cardboard (such as synthetic resin) may also be used.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the sheet-like secondary filter 60 comprises a sheet-like filter element, a filter frame, and a pair of mesh-like members, but is not limited to this configuration. Also, in the above embodiment, two sheet-like secondary filters 60 were used as a pair and arranged in an inverted V shape, but is not limited to this arrangement.

[0055] In the above embodiment, a total of four primary filters 40 were arranged side-by-side in a configuration of two in the front-to-back direction and two in the left-to-right direction, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, they may be arranged side-by-side in a different configuration (e.g., two in the front-to-back direction and three on the left-to-right, one in the front-to-back direction and three on the left-to-right, etc.).

[0056] In the above embodiment, the filter lifting device 81 was equipped with a cam mechanism consisting of a shaft 82, a plate cam 83, a cam follower portion 84, a ball roller 86, etc., but is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, the cam mechanism may be configured using a different rolling element instead of the ball roller 86. Also, in the above embodiment, a filter lifting device 81 was used to support and lift the filter support base 88 on which the primary filter 40 is mounted from below, but is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, a filter lifting device 81 may be used to support and lift the filter support base 88 from the side or from above. In other words, the filter lifting device 81 does not have to be located directly below the lower housing portion 32. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the shaft 82 of the filter lifting device 81 was configured to be driven by manual rotation, but is not limited to this. For example, in another embodiment, the shaft 82 may of course be configured to be rotationally driven by a motor or the like. Note that the filter lifting device 81 may be omitted.

[0057] In the above embodiment, multiple paint mist removal devices 30 may be installed along the longitudinal direction of the painting line 14 (the direction in which the workpiece W1 is transported). This allows for the processing of a large amount of booth air A2.

[0058] ・In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a paint mist removal device 30 is installed in a painting facility 10 that has a painting booth 11 in which a booth space S1 is partitioned above the floor 13 and an under-booth space S2 is partitioned below the floor 13, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, as in another embodiment shown in Figure 8, the paint mist removal device 30 may also be installed in a painting facility 10A that has only a booth space S1 and no under-booth space S2. In other words, the paint mist may be removed by directly introducing booth air A2 from the booth space S1 to the paint mist removal device 30.

[0059] In the above embodiment, an automobile body W1 was used as an example of the workpiece W1 to be painted in the paint booth 11, but it is not limited to this. For example, the workpiece may be an interior part of an automobile such as an instrument panel, console box, or armrest, or an exterior part of an automobile such as a bumper or aerodynamic add-on (spoiler, etc.). Furthermore, the workpiece W1 does not necessarily have to be an automobile part.

[0060] Next, in addition to the technical ideas described in the claims, the technical ideas that can be grasped by each of the embodiments described above are listed below.

[0061] (1) Claims 1 to 4 further comprising a filter lifting device that supports the primary filter in the lower housing so that it can move up and down between an elevated position and a lowered position, wherein the filter lifting device supports the primary filter in a state that it can move in the front-rear direction of the housing when in the elevated position, and supports the primary filter in a state that it cannot move in the front-rear direction of the housing when in the lowered position. (2) In Concept 1, the filter lifting device is disposed within the filter housing directly below the lower housing that houses the primary filter. (3) In Concept 1, the filter lifting device is separated from the cavity area (airflow direction changing area) in the airflow swirling chamber by a partition wall. (4) In Concept 1, the filter lifting device is provided in a pair, left and right. (5) In Concept 1, the filter lifting device has a cam mechanism. (6) In Concept 1, the filter lifting device has a cam mechanism that is operated manually.

[0062] 10, 10A: Painting equipment 11: Painting booth 12: Side wall 13: Floor 14: Painting line 30: Paint mist removal device 31: Filter housing 31a: Front side 31b: Rear side 31c: Right side 31d: Left side 32: Lower housing 33: Upper housing 34: Door 35: Inlet 36: Outlet 38: Airflow swirling chamber 40: Primary filter 44: Bottom surface 45: Top surface 60: Secondary filter 71: First partition member 72: Second partition member 73: Side outer area A2: Booth air F1: Equipment installation surface S1: Booth space S2: Booth floor space

Claims

1. A paint mist removal device that removes paint mist contained in booth air discharged from a paint booth by flowing the booth air through a plurality of filters, comprising a filter housing having an openable and closable door on its front side, an inlet for taking in the booth air at the lower part of the side other than the front side, and an outlet for discharging the booth air at its upper end, wherein the filter housing is provided with: a lower housing portion formed in the shape of a box mainly of a flammable material and capable of housing a primary filter that takes in the booth air from the bottom surface which is the inlet surface and discharges it from the top surface which is the discharge surface; an upper housing portion arranged adjacent to the upper side of the lower housing portion and capable of housing a sheet-shaped secondary filter; and a space without a filter housing, arranged adjacent to the lower side of the lower housing portion and communicating with the inlet, which swirls the sideways booth air flowing in from the inlet upward and supplies it to the bottom surface of the primary filter.

2. The paint mist removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom surface and top surface of the primary filter and the secondary filter are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the device mounting surface and are formed such that their projected areas are equal when viewed from the vertical direction.

3. The paint mist removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower housing section can accommodate multiple primary filters arranged side by side.

4. The paint mist removal device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower housing portion includes a first partition member that blocks communication between the outer side region of the housed primary filter and the upper housing portion, and a second partition member that blocks communication between the outer side region of the housed primary filter and the airflow swirling chamber.

5. Painting equipment comprising a painting booth having a pair of side walls and a floor, wherein a booth space for housing a painting line is partitioned above the floor, and an under-floor space for the booth is partitioned below the floor, and the workpiece is painted while being transported along the longitudinal direction of the painting line, characterized in that the paint mist removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is installed at a position offset in the width direction of the painting line, avoiding the under-floor space of the booth.

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