Coating Machine Fluidic Barrier to Reduce Polluted Air Escape

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing coating machines for tannery and textile articles suffer from air pollution issues due to the escape of polluted air through inlet and outlet openings, leading to environmental and health concerns, while attempts to mitigate this often result in energy inefficiency, air quality degradation, and increased maintenance costs.

Innovation Solution

A coating machine with an air flow emission system forming a fluidic barrier at access openings to separate the interior and exterior, using an air supply circuit within the outer casing to prevent polluted air from escaping, while allowing articles to be introduced and removed without interrupting the coating process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If inlet and outlet openings are made large to allow passage of conveying surface and articles, then ease of operation is improved, but polluted air escapes more readily to the outside

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess for conveying surface and articlesVSAvoidpolluted air escape
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A fluid barrier acts as an intermediary substance between the interior and exterior of the coating chamber at the access openings. This barrier allows the openings to remain large for easy passage of articles while preventing polluted air from escaping, as the fluid barrier blocks the harmful factors without restricting the physical passage needed for operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a fluid (liquid or gas) barrier to control air flow at the access openings. By introducing a controlled fluid barrier, the system prevents polluted air escape while maintaining large openings for article passage, leveraging fluid dynamics to resolve the contradiction between opening size and pollution control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

2Object-generated harmful factors

If removable shutters are used to occlude openings during coating, then polluted air escape is reduced, but coating rate decreases due to shutter operation time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolluted air containmentVSAvoidcoating rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The fluid barrier operates continuously without interruption, maintaining polluted air containment throughout the coating process. Unlike removable shutters that require opening and closing operations, the fluid barrier remains in place, allowing the coating process to proceed without interruption and maintaining high productivity while effectively containing polluted air.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The fluid barrier serves as a continuous intermediary that maintains separation between interior and exterior air without requiring mechanical intervention. This eliminates the need to stop or slow down the coating process for shutter operations, thus maintaining coating rate while preventing polluted air escape.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-generated harmful factors

If polluted air extraction device is used to suck polluted air through side wall, then polluted air discharge is reduced, but unpolluted outside air is admitted and wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolluted air dischargeVSAvoidunpolluted air waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the harmful element (polluted air) through localized extraction points while maintaining the fluid barrier to prevent outside air admission. By using the fluid barrier to seal the access openings, the system eliminates the need to admit large quantities of unpolluted outside air, thus preventing energy waste while still managing polluted air discharge.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The fluid barrier provides localized sealing at the access openings where pollution escape occurs, rather than requiring global air extraction. This localized approach prevents polluted air escape without creating the need to admit and waste large volumes of outside air, optimizing energy efficiency by addressing only the specific problem areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Object-generated harmful factors

If air flow emission means are added to form fluid barrier, then device complexity increases, but polluted air containment improves

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepolluted air separationVSAvoidair flow emission system
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The outer casing is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the structural enclosure of the coating chamber and simultaneously houses the air flow emission means as integrated hollow portions. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by combining structures rather than adding separate components, while still achieving effective polluted air separation through the fluid barrier.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The air flow emission means are merged with the outer casing structure, with the casing's hollow portions serving as the air supply circuit. This integration combines what would otherwise be separate components into a unified structure, reducing device complexity while maintaining the polluted air containment function through the fluid barrier.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Effectively limits polluting leaks outside the machine, maintains indoor air quality, reduces energy consumption, and minimizes environmental impact while allowing for high-speed and continuous production with reduced maintenance.

Implementation Method 1

means for emitting a flow of air arranged so as to form a fluidic barrier covering at least the majority of said at least one access opening to separate the inside and the outside of said coating chamber

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluid barrier:

Data Source

PatentEP2842637B1Coating machine and method with fluid barrier
Publication Date: 2018.01.17 TURNER SAS
  • EP2842637B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2842637B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

- Fluidic barrier coating machine and process. - The invention relates to a coating machine (1) designed to coat an article (2) with a coating, the machine (1) comprising: - a coating chamber (3) formed by an outer casing (11) at the through which at least one access opening (4) is provided, - spraying means (5) designed to spray the coating onto said article (2) inside said coating chamber (3), characterized in that it comprises: - means (6) for emitting an air flow (Ff) arranged so as to form a fluidic barrier (7) covering at least the majority of said at least one opening of access (4), - an air supply circuit (15) for the emission means (6), the outer casing (11) comprising hollow portions (15) contributing to form said supply circuit (15) , so that the air intended to form the air flow (Ff) circulates within said hollow portions (15). - Industrial coating for tannery articles.