LOW-PRESSURE AND HIGH VOLUME SANDBLASTING BOOTH AND CLEANING SYSTEM

BACKGROUND
Technical Field

The present disclosure generally relates to a sandblasting booth and, in particular, to a low pressure, high volume sandblasting system that can be made portable if desired.

Description of the Related Art

It is frequently desired to clean parts using an air pressured sandblasting system. In a sandblasting system, a stream of air at a selected pressure carries cleaning media, such as sand particles, and impacts it onto the part to be cleaned. When the sand particles impact the part to be cleaned or prepared, they remove the outer layer which may include paint, rust, or other debris. Generally, the media used for the sandblasting is not as hard as the base material of the part to be cleaned and therefore removes all of the debris that is not part of the base material. Unfortunately, sandblasting can create a great deal of dust in the air and also consume a large amount of cleaning media. In addition, high pressure air compressors and/or high volume, high cost pumps are frequently required to supply the airflow to carry the sand to be impacted onto the part to be cleaned.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to principles of the present disclosure, a low cost, enclosed, portable, lightweight booth is provided with a low pressure, high volume air pump that outputs a stream of air through a first flexible tube. Coupled to a distal end of the flexible tube is a second flexible tube that is connected to a reservoir of sandblasting media. A venturi nozzle having a venturi restriction at the end is positioned at the distal end of the first flexible tube. The second flexible tube has an outlet positioned adjacent to the venturi restriction which creates a vacuum to pull sand media from the reservoir into the airflow and eject it out of the outlet nozzle of the first hose. This provides a low pressure, high volume stream of sandblast media for cleaning various parts.

A reservoir is positioned at the bottom of the booth which is filled with the sandblasting media. An inlet tube at the bottom of the reservoir is coupled to the second flexible tube. When a vacuum is provided at the outlet end of the second flexible tube, air is pulled from the first end, picking up the sandblasting media and carrying it in an airstream to the outlet of the second flexible tube. After the sandblasting media is output from the outlet nozzle of the first hole, it falls through a substrate having apertures therein and enters the reservoir. As the sandblasting continues, the sandblasting media continues to be recirculated, going from the bottom of the reservoir, being pushed out of the sandblasting nozzle, falling into the reservoir and being picked up again to be reused during the sandblasting operation.

A user can reach into the sandblasting booth using integrated protective gloves, pick up the first flexible hose with one hand, hold the part to be cleaned with the other hand and apply the sandblasting airflow to the part in order to clean it using sandblasting. In one embodiment, a dust vacuum is provided at an upper portion sandblasting booth in order to remove any debris which floats in the air within the sandblasting booth and reduce the dust. In one embodiment, the sandblasting booth is enclosed with six walls and is somewhat sealed in order to prevent dust and sand from escaping and also to prevent excess air from entering the booth. However, in this embodiment the sandblasting booth is not hermetically sealed. The walls can be easily slide with respect to each other and the booth can be folded into a compact position. It is not necessary that the booth be hermetically sealed so that when in operation, air that is output by the sandblasting nozzle can either be removed with the dust cleaning vacuum system or can escape through small cracks or slits in the walls of the booth. Thus, a low cost, self contained booth can be used while providing a good system for sandblasting.

The sandblasting system according to the present disclosure is a low pressure, high volume system, in which the airflow out of the sandblasting nozzle is in the range of 1 to 3 psi above the standard local air pressure. A preferred amount of air pressure is in the range of 1 to 2.5 psi. This amount of air pressure can easily be provided by a commonly available air pump/blower or even the outlet of a standard house vacuum cleaner or shop vacuum. An air compressor is not needed as part of the system, rather, air is provide by a standard air pump than can flow continuously. In some embodiments, the air pressure output by the air pump may be in the range of 4 to 6 psi.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will be more fully understood by reference to the following figures, where like labels refer to like parts throughout, except as otherwise specified. The figures do not describe every aspect of the teachings disclosed herein and do not limit the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the inventive sandblasting booth with one wall and the part support grid not shown to permit viewing of the inside.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the inventive sandblasting booth having a part therein to be cleaned.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the right wall of the sandblasting booth.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the interior of the sandblasting booth.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the sand media reservoir during operation.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the sandblasting booth.

FIG. 7 is a top isometric view of the sandblasting booth.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the sandblasting nozzle outlet.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the sandblasting nozzle of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the sandblasting nozzle of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of the folded portable sandblasting booth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art will understand that the present disclosure is illustrative only and not in any way limiting. Other embodiments of the presently disclosed systems and methods readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the assistance of this disclosure.

Each of the features and teachings disclosed herein can be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide devices, systems, and methods for sandblasting and for cleaning parts using various types of cleaning media. Representative examples utilizing many of these additional features and teachings, both separately and in combination, are described in further detail with reference to the attached Figures. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Therefore, combinations of features disclosed in the detailed description may not be necessary to practice the teachings in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to describe particularly representative examples.

Like reference numerals refer to like elements. In addition, in the drawings, the thicknesses, proportions, and dimensions of components might be enlarged for effective description of technical content. The term “and/or” includes any combination of one or more that the associated configurations may define. The shapes, sizes, dimensions (e.g., length, width, height, thickness, radius, diameter, area, etc.), ratios, angles, number of elements, and the like illustrated in the accompanying drawings for describing the embodiments of the present disclosure are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A dimension including size and a thickness of each component illustrated in the drawing are illustrated for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to the size and the thickness of the component illustrated, but it is to be noted that the relative dimensions including the relative size, location, and thickness of the components illustrated in various drawings submitted herewith are part of the present disclosure.

Terms such as first and second, etc., may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited to the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be referred to as the second component. Similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. A singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Terms such as “under,” “at a lower side,” “on,” “at an upper side” are used to describe the relationship of the components shown in the drawings. The above terms have relative concepts and are described with reference to directions indicated in the drawings.

Terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification is present, and it should be understood that the terms do not preclude the possibility of addition or existence of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Moreover, the various features of the representative examples and the dependent claims may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings. It is also expressly noted that all value ranges or indications of groups of entities disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter. It is also expressly noted that the dimensions and the shapes of the components shown in the figures are designed to help understand how the present teachings are practiced, but are not intended to limit the dimensions and the shapes shown in the examples in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the dimensions and the shapes of the components shown in the figures are exactly to scale and intended to limit the dimensions and the shapes of the components.

Although the present disclosure will proceed to describe certain non-limiting examples of sandblasting, it is to be appreciated that the concepts of the disclosure can be applied equally to any type air pressure cleaning system using cleaning media.

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a sandblasting cleaning booth apparatus and method according to the present disclosure. The cleaning booth 10 has a front side wall 12, a right side wall 14, a left side wall 16, a back side wall 18, a top wall 20, and a bottom wall 22. The back wall 18 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 12, but is not illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 to permit illustrating the internal portions of the sandblasting booth 10. The front wall 12 includes user operating holders 24 which, in a preferred embodiment, take the form of integrated gloves 24 which the user can insert their hands into from the front wall 12. The gloves are an integral part of the front wall 12 and are sealed relative to the wall. Accordingly, sandblasting media cannot escape from the booth at the location where the gloves extend through the wall 12. The user will therefore stand at the front wall 12 and insert their hands into the gloves 24 in order to hold the part and operate the sandblasting cleaning apparatus. As will be appreciated, the sandblasting stream is abrasive and therefore it is beneficial for the user to have some protective gear such as the gloves 24 on their hands as they operate the system. The front wall 12 may include one or more doors 26 of various sizes with covers over their opening to permit parts to be put into and removed from the booth 10, however these are optional and are not required.

Coupled to one of the walls, in this embodiment the right wall 14, is an air pump 28 that sucks ambient air from outside the booth and outputs it as an air pressure stream through the inlet 30 into the booth 10. In a preferred embodiment, the air pressure pump 28 is a low pressure pump, high volume pump for example outputting in the range of 1 to 5 psi above the local ambient pressure, and preferably approximately 2 to 3 psi. Such low pressure pumps that can output a high volume are available from many suppliers and a ¼ hp air pump is acceptable. It is also preferred for it to be high volume air pump in the range normally output by a standard shop vacuum for use in a person's garage. A volume equal to the amount output from the air outlet of a standard shop vacuum is considered a high volume in this design and for these purposes. Notably, an air compressor and storage tank are not needed. The pump 28 can run continuously, even for a few or several hours at a time, and be performing the sandblasting cleaning the entire time. The pump 28 is secured to the right wall 14 by a bracket 32 or any other acceptable means to hold it in place for outputting pressurized air into the inlet 30 entering the booth. Along one of the walls is a dust collection vent 34, in this instance on the right wall 14, though it could be positioned on any wall. The dust collection vent 34 is provided in order to have a vacuum system collect in order to remove dust from the system while in operation, if desired.

The bottom wall 22 is sloped in the form of a funnel. In one embodiment, the wall 22 is made of a fit flexible fabric, for example, a high density nylon fabric, polyester, polymer, cotton, denim, or other acceptable fabrics having a tough and smooth surface that is also somewhat flexible. In another embodiment, the bottom wall 22 is a smooth rigid plastic, having a funnel shape so that sandblast media resting thereon will flow towards the bottom of the wall 22.

A reservoir 36 is mounted in an aperture in the bottom of the bottom wall 22 to function as a reservoir for the sandblasting media. The reservoir 36 can be an integral part of the bottom wall 22 and therefore considered part of the bottom wall itself, or it can be attached to the bottom wall by the appropriate fasteners. In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir 36 is a hardened plastic which is fixed by the appropriate rivets 38 to the flexible bottom wall 22. The transitions between the respective side walls 14 and 12 can also be sloped as shown by the slope surface 40 if desired, but this is optional. The booth 10 can have support legs 42 for holding the booth a desired distance above the floor, in order to provide the user handling gloves 24 at a desired height for convenient use. Thus, the legs 42 can be of a length such that the booth can stand by itself from the floor at the appropriate height or, alternatively it can be placed on a worktable to provide the proper height. The legs 42 can be extended or made shorter as desired in one embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, a grid 44 is positioned suspended above the bottom wall 22 in order to support and hold a workpiece 46 that is to be cleaned by the sandblasting apparatus. The grid 44 contains a large number of apertures 48 of a size that will permit the sandblasting media to easily fall through the grid so that it may enter the bottom wall 22 and flow down the funnel surface to enter the sandblasting media reservoir 36. Preferably, the apertures 48 in the grid 44 are at least 20 to 30 times larger than the diameter of the largest sandblasting media particles to be used and in one embodiment are between 100 and 10,000 or more times larger in area. This is to ensure that the sandblasting media will always fall completely through the grid 44 and there will be no buildup of the sandblasting media on the grid 44 due to clogging of the apertures 48. Accordingly, in order to ensure there is no clogging or buildup, the preferred area 48 is more than 100 times larger than the largest diameter of the expected sandblasting media diameter and is always at least 20 times larger in area.

A first tube 50 extends from the inlet 30 into the booth 10. Preferably, the first tube 50 is a flexible tube and is of the type commonly used for handling airflows, for example it may be flexible, stretchable and have smooth wall surfaces so that air can smoothly flow along the internal surfaces thereof. Adjacent to the first tube 50 is a second tube 52 which, in a preferred embodiment runs alongside the first tube 50 so the two tubes can be manipulated together in order to perform the sandblasting operation. The first tube 50 is connected to the air pressure output by the pump 28 so that it carries the airflow. The second tube 52 is coupled to the sandblasting media reservoir 36 as described in more detail herein in order to receive the sandblasting media 36 and provided to the airstream to be output by the cleaning system. A mixing chamber 54 is coupled at a second end of the tube 50 and an outlet nozzle 56 that acts as the sandblasting nozzle is coupled to the end of the mixing chamber 54. The second tube 52 is coupled to the mixing chamber 54 at a connection tube 58 in order to provide the sandblasting media for output during the sandblasting operation.

A dust collection system 60 can be coupled to the booth if desired in order to remove dust that may be present in the air inside the booth 10 during the cleaning operation. If such a dust collection system 60 is provided it will be coupled to the dust vacuum outlet 34 and have a hose 62 which sucks air out of the interior of the booth 10 using a vacuum 64. A standard low-power vacuum can be used, for example a house vacuum, a standard shop vac which is available at a number of consumer retail locations, or any acceptable standard air vacuum system. Under most circumstances, the vacuum 64 will only remove a small amount of dust since the sandblasting media is quite heavy and immediately upon use will generally fall through the grid 44. However, during the sandblasting operation some debris will be removed from the part 46 being cleaned and in addition, sometimes dust and other particles will be floating in the air inside the booth 10 and use of the vacuum 64 will help remove any dust which becomes airborne as floating inside the booth 10 in order to provide a cleaner working environment.

FIG. 3 illustrates the right side wall 14 of the sandblasting booth 10 which provides a clear view of the pump 28, the vacuum outlet vent 34, the bottom wall 22, and the second tube 52 which extends from the reservoir 36 to the side wall 14 to enter the booth as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a front elevation view of the booth providing an illustration of the reservoir 36 positioned at the bottom of the bottom wall 22. It also shows the pump 28 affixed to the right side wall 14 with a bracket 32. The second tube 52 extends from the reservoir 36 to enter the side wall 14 adjacent to the air pressure pump inlet 30. In one embodiment, the reservoir 36 is comprised of two rigid pieces of plastic which are coupled together and therefore have a connection member 55 to connect them together, which may include flanges and rivets or threaded fasteners. However, in a preferred embodiment, the reservoir 36 can be a single piece and therefore does not needs connection members 55 fixing the two halves to each other.

FIG. 5 shows more details of the reservoir 36 and the operation of the sandblasting booth while cleaning a part. The reservoir 36 includes many particles of the sandblasting media 60. This sandblasting media can be any type of acceptable cleaning media. Thus, the terms “sandblasting media” and “sandblasting” are used herein in the broad sense of any cleaning media that is carried in an air pressure stream to impact an object to be cleaned. In the art, this type of cleaning and polishing is called sandblasting or sandblast cleaning, even when the media used is not sand. In one embodiment, a fine, smooth and small grit sand is used for the media 60. In other embodiments, a more course grit of sand can be used for the particles of the sandblasting media 60. In some embodiments, sand itself will be used as the cleaning media, while in other embodiments the cleaning media can be small particles of any acceptable material for performing the cleaning. The sandblasting media may include small particles of nylon, plastic, glass beads, quartz, silicon carbide, aluminum oxide, steel shot, steel grit, ceramic shot, ceramic grit, polyester, baking soda, organic material such as crushed particles of shells, for example oyster shells, or the like. Many different types of cleaning media are known for sandblasting, both cleaning and polishing, and any acceptable media can be used in the present system. Thus, the term sandblasting is a broad term that includes cleaning or polishing with any of the above media and is not limited to sand.

The second tube 52 includes two parts, a flexible member 52a and a rigid member 52b. The flexible member 52a can be any acceptable hose, for example a rubber hose, a nylon hose or any of the type readily used for the transportation of air and sandblasting media entrained in air. The rigid member 52b can also be any acceptable rigid pipe, such as PVC pipe, a metal pipe, or any of a number of rigid pipes for carrying a fluid flow. Preferably, the rigid pipe 52b has a smooth hardened inner wall to easily carry the sandblasting media 60 with low friction. In a bottom region of the reservoir 36 the rigid member 52b are a plurality of apertures 64 on the underside of the pipe 52b and face downward, towards the bottom of the reservoir 36. The apertures 64 are of a suitable size for entraining and sucking up the individual particles that make up the sandblasting media 60. Preferably, the diameter of the aperture 64 is more than 10 times greater than the expected diameter of the particles of the cleaning media 60, and in one embodiment the diameter is between 15 and 20 times greater than the average diameter of the individual particles of the media 60. By the aperture 64 having a diameter which is at least 10 times larger than the expected diameter of the particles, the system is able to suck up the particle 60 without clogging of any of the apertures 64. According to one embodiment, a diameter of the apertures 64 is in the range of 3-5 mms, but a range between 2 and 10 mms is considered acceptable. Such a diameter will be more than 10 times greater than the expected particle diameter of the cleaning media 60.

An aperture 66 at the distal end of the second tube 52 is open to the air in order to suck ambient air into the tube 52 when a vacuum suction is present in the tube 52. A grid can be present on the end 66, as shown in FIG. 5 to prevent large particles or debris in the ambient air around the outside of the booth from entering into the tube 52 to maintain a more consistent cleaning media 60.

In operation, a vacuum is created or applied to the tube 52 which causes an airflow 70 to enter into the aperture 66 and be drawn out of the tube 52 as illustrated by the arrows 68. As air 70 is sucked through the tube 52, cleaning media 60 which is in the bottom of the reservoir 36 is drawn up into the tube 52b by the vacuum air pressure and enters the airflow 70 as it is drawn through the tube 52. The apertures 64 are facing downward, positioned for the cleaning media 60 that is at a bottom region thereof to be sucked up into the tube 52. Having the apertures 64 facing downward provides for uniform flow of the cleaning media 60 into the tube 52 to be entrained in the air stream 70. This is preferred to having the apertures 64 position facing upward in which the media 60 may fall to be entrained in the airflow 70 to be carried into the booth 10 for the cleaning operation.

When the system is not in operation there is no vacuum to cause the media 60 to fill the tube 52. Accordingly, with the apertures 64 facing downward the tube 52 would generally be empty and have no cleaning media 60 therein until the system is turned on and a vacuum is created sucking the airflow 70 into the tube 52. Once the vacuum pressure is created, the cleaning media 60 can be uniformly sucked up from a bottom region of the reservoir 36. Having the aperture 66 open to the ambient air permits airflow to enter into the tube 52 and create an airstream 70 in order to pick up and entrain the cleaning media 60.

FIGS. 6 and 7 provide additional views of the cleaning booth 10 for ease in illustration. These FIGS. 6 and seven show the bottom wall 22 having the reservoir 36 therein, and in the bottom of the reservoir 36 is the tube 52b which is shown in FIG. 5. The various walls 12, 14, 16, and 18 are not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in order to provide a clear view of the bottom surface of the bottom wall 22 and illustrate the sloped sides 40 which permit the cleaning media 60 to fall down the funnel shaped surface of the bottom wall 22 and enter the reservoir 36 based on gravity. Therefore, the recirculation of the sandblasting media 60 is a gravity fed system in which the media 60, once it is used to clean the part 46 will fall by the force of gravity towards the bottom wall 22 and then will be drawn down by the force of gravity into the reservoir 36 where it will surround the tube 52b and then, when the vacuum is applied to the tube 52, will be sucked up into the apertures 48 to be recirculated for use in cleaning the part 46. In one embodiment, the individual walls 12, 14, 16, and 18 can be easily removed and are positioned in a sliding fashion in support studs 71. Therefore, the individual walls can be provided as separate pieces and inserted into grooves 72 provided in the support studs 71. This permits the booth to be provided as a kit, with the individual pieces separated being easily assembled and disassembled for operation in a home cleaning system, or for ease and portability. The appropriate brackets 74 can be provided in order to attach the walls to each other and also to provide support for the booth 10. According to one embodiment, a hinge 76 is provided at two or more of the walls of the sand booth so that the booth 10 can be folded into a flat position for ease in storage, shipment and to improve the portability.

FIGS. 8-11 illustrate additional portions of the cleaning apparatus, including the output nozzle, the mixing chamber 54 and other portions of the system which will now be described in more detail. Turning first to FIG. 8, a second end of the tube 50 is shown as it will be extended into the interior of the booth 10. The tube 50 has fixed to the second end thereof a mixing chamber 54 and affixed to the end of the mixing chamber 54 is an outlet nozzle 56 of the sandblasting media. The outlet nozzle 56 is held in position by a threaded ring 80 which affixes it to the mixing chamber 54. The mixing chamber 54 is attached to the air supply tube 50 with an airtight seal so that air can be pumped from the tube 50 into the mixing chamber 54. A retaining pin 88 assists to maintain the mixing chamber 54 affixed to the tube 50 while also permitting it to be rotated about its own longitudinal axis relative to the tube 50. The mixing chamber 54 has a sandblasting media inlet 82 at a front portion thereof to permit entry of the sandblasting media 60 that has been picked up from the reservoir 36.

As shown in FIG. 9, which is a side elevation view of FIG. 8, the outlet nozzle 56 is held onto the mixing chamber 54 with the threaded ring 80. The inlet 82 attaches to the outlet of the second tube 52 that provides the sandblasting media into the mixing chamber 54. Threads 83 on the inlet 82 permit the second tube 52 to attach to the sandblasting media inlet 82.

FIG. 10 provides an exploded view of the cleaning assembly in FIG. 11 which is a side cross-sectional view of the cleaning assembly, both of which will be described together as follows. The outlet nozzle 56 is a separate piece that can be removably attached to the mixing chamber 54. The nozzle 56 is comprised of a suitable material for use in outputting an airstream having the sandblasting media entrained therein. The airflow 70 that comes from the tube 52 will be combined with the airflow out of the air pump 28 in the first tube 50 as an output from the nozzle 56 at the sandblasting cleaning supply 102.

In a preferred embodiment, the mixing chamber 54 is a single integral piece that can be composed of a hardened polymer, hardened steel or other material that will not be degraded by mixing of the sandblasting media therein. For example, it can be comprised of a high-grade plastic member created by 3D printing or other acceptable technique. It can be made of any acceptable material such as a nylon, polymer, or any other material suitable for mixing air with a sandblasting media. The sandblasting media will not be impacting the walls with high pressure, so a polymer will usually be acceptable for the material of mixing chamber 54. Threads 84 are formed at an outlet thereon so that the outlet nozzle 56 can be threadedly attached thereto with the ring 80 having internal threads thereon. The outlet nozzle 56 may be subject to wear over time and can, therefore, be removed from the system and replaced so that a new nozzle 56 can be provided. In addition, the diameter of the outlet opening of the outlet nozzle 56 may be selected as desired depending on the task to be completed. In some operations, a diameter in the range of one to two inches is preferred, while in other operations, such as cleaning jewelry or other small items (for example in a dental setting), a smaller diameter outlet will be desired (for example in the range of one half inch). In other embodiments, a larger diameter on the outlet nozzle will be preferred, for example four to five inches in diameter. The outlet nozzle 56 can, therefore, be removed and replaced in order to provide one made of the desired material, whether metal, plastic, nylon or the like, as well as the desired diameter for the outlet nozzle for the particular task being performed.

The mixing chamber 54 has retaining pins 88 which extend through apertures therein in order to assist in retaining the mixing chamber 54 on the tube 50. An O ring 86 is positioned between the mixing chamber 54 and the tube 50 in order to provide an airtight seal between the two.

Viewing FIG. 11, the tube has a groove 92 at one end thereof in order to receive the retaining pin 88 and another groove to receive the O ring 86. The O ring 86 is an abutting connection with the mixing chamber 54 to provide the airtight seal. The retaining pin 88 extends through a wall of the mixing chamber 54 into the groove 92 in order to retain the mixing chamber 54 on the tube in the rotatable connection. A phalange 89 on the tube 50 will hold the retaining pin 88 in position so that when the retaining pin 88 extends into the groove 92 the mixing chamber 54 does not come off of the tube 50. If it is desired to remove the mixing chamber 54 from the tube 50, the retaining pin 88 can be removed, either by threading or pulling out, and then the mixing chamber 54 can be slid off of the tube 50.

A venturi nozzle 90 is positioned at the second end of the tube 50. The venturi nozzle 90 is preferably a separate rigid piece that is threadedly attached to the tube 50. The groove 92 for the tube 50 can be an integral part of the venturi nozzle 90 or, it can be part of the tube 50 depending on the desired design. In a preferred embodiment, the venturi nozzle 90 has threads at the end thereof which are threaded into the tube 54 retaining the venturi nozzle 90 as a separate rigid piece for the tube 50. Alternatively, the venturi nozzle 90 can be an integral single piece with the tube 50. In one embodiment, the mixing chamber 54 is a separate piece that is affixed to the tube 50 as shown and described with respect to FIGS. 10 and 11. In another embodiment, the mixing chamber 54 is integral with the tube 50 and the venturi nozzle 90 may also be an integral member with the tube 50 so that the mixing chamber 50 for the venturi nozzle and the tube 50 all are formed as a single integral member.

In one embodiment, the mixing chamber 54, venturi nozzle 90, inlet 82 and other components to create the mixing zone 59 can be a single, integral member. It can be coupled to the tube 50 or be integral with the tube 50. This can also include tube 52 as a member of the single integral unit if desired. In other embodiments, one or more of these parts can be separate pieces for case in assembly and replacement.

The operation of the sandblasting system will now be described with respect to the various figures, including FIGS. 5, 11, and the other figures herein. In operation, the air pump 28 is engaged to output air flow 100 as shown by arrow 98 in FIG. 11. The airflow 100 is clean ambient air that is being provided from an outside source as input from the pump 28 into the inlet 30. The air 100 blows through the tube 50 and out the outlet nozzle 56. As the air 100 blows out of the tube 50, it enters the venturi nozzle 90. Upon entering the venturi nozzle 90, a low pressure is created at the outlet end of the nozzle 50 according to the physics of the operation of venturi nozzles. This will create a vacuum in the inlet 82 to the mixing chamber 54 which will create a suction of the air 70 as shown by arrow 68 to draw air into the mixing chamber 54. The suction created by the venturi nozzle 90 draws the air 70 as shown by arrow six shown in FIG. 11 and also arrow 68 in FIG. 5 out of the tube 52 to pull it into the mixing zone 59 in the interior of the mixing chamber 54. In the mixing zone 59, the clean air 100 is mixed with the sandblast media 60 which is entrained in the airflow 70 to create a pressurized air outflow from the outlet nozzle 56 as a cleaning stream 102 as shown by arrow 96. The mixing zone 59 generally surrounds the venturi nozzle 90 and will be positioned adjacent to the exit of the nozzle 90 as well as around the outer edges as the cleaning media 60 is drawn from the reservoir 36 into the mixing chamber 54 by the suction created in the venturing nozzle 90. The mixing zone 59 is therefore a location where the sandblasting media, being drawn by the venturi air suction from the inlet 82, is mixed with the pressurized air 100 create to create the sandblasting cleaning airstream 102.

The use of retaining pins 88 which permit rotatable coupling of the mixing chamber 54 to the tube 50 provides the advantage that the user can turn the mixing chamber 54 in various orientations as they perform the cleaning of the part. In particular, viewing FIG. 2 in combination with FIGS. 11 and 5, the user will place their hands into the gloves 24 and pick up a part 46 to be cleaned. They will there after turn on the system to cause air pressure to flow out of the tube 50 through the mixing chamber 54 and out the outlet nozzle 56. As shown in FIG. 11, sandblasting media will be combined in the mixing zone 59 within the mixing chamber 54 with the pressurized air and output as the cleaning stream 102 in order to clean the part 46. The part 46 can be held in the hand by the user while they hold the tube 50 in their other hand in order to direct the sandblasting stream 102 to the desired location on the part 46 to be cleaned. As the cleaning is carried out, the sandblasting stream 102 impacts on the part 46 and the sandblasting particles 60 will fall into the bottom 22 of the booth 10. The particles will fall through the openings 48 of the grid 44 under the force of gravity and enter the final region and slide into the reservoir 36. The same media particles 60 can therefore be sucked up again, carried in the stream 70 and output in the cleaning stream 102. The system therefore is a closed recirculating path for the cleaning media 60. A set amount of media, for example 2 or 3 pounds of media which might be in the range of 1 to 2 liters of volume, can be placed in the reservoir 36. The media 60 can be sucked by the vacuum into the tube 52 and outlet from the nozzle 56 in the cleaning stream 102. After impacting the part 46, the media 60 will fall back into the reservoir 36 and then be recirculated on a continuous basis while the system is in operation. The cleaning can therefore be continued for an extended period of time, whether 10 to 20 minutes, or for one or more hours, or even several hours in which only a small amount of cleaning media 60 need be present. The media 60, immediately after being used, falls into the reservoir 36 and can be used again. The appropriate amount of media will be provided depending on the size of the reservoir, the size of the booth, and the expected cleaning operation. Sufficient media 60 will be provided to ensure that the tube 52b is always surrounded by the cleaning media 60 so that it can be uniformly sucked into the apertures 48 to create the current cleaning outlet stream 102. By the use of the recirculating closed path for the cleaning media 60, a very low cost, efficient operation can be carried out. The cleaning media 60 can be continuously used without replacement for several different cleaning operations, and even for several different parts as desired. When the cleaning operation calls for a different type of media to be used, the media 60 present in the reservoir 36 can be removed and a different type of media can be introduced depending on the part 46 to be cleaned and the type of cleaning operation to be carried out. For example, if the part 46 is rusted metal, it may be desired to use a high grit part which may include small particles of metal, hardened polymer or the like in order to quickly remove any rust and grime on the part 46. On the other hand, if the part 46 is a fine piece of jewelry, a small part for which paint is to be removed, then actual sand can be used for the cleaning media 60 or a softened polymer, or the appropriate cleaning media depending on the type of cleaning to be carried out. The air pressure output is relatively low, in the range of 2-5 psi and is, therefore, acceptable for cleaning jewelry but may also be used for automobile parts, removing rust, and the like if desired. As the media 60 continues to be used, debris from the part 46 to be cleaned may enter with the media and over time it may become dirty and therefore can be replaced as desired in order to provide new cleaning media after several uses.

During operation, a vacuum will usually be provided through tube 52 for dust collection out of vent 34 in order to remove floating dust and debris which might be in the air in the internal chamber of the booth 10. Generally, since the cleaning media 60 will be quite heavy nearly all of it will fall through the grid 44 but some smaller particles or some pieces cleaned from the part 46 may become airborne and having the vacuum system 64 providing dust cleaning of the air helps to keep the interior of the booth 10 clean to permit the part 46 to be more easily seen by the operator and to maintain a clean work environment.

FIG. 12 shows the booth 10 in the folded portable position. The booth 10 can be completely portable in one embodiment. The periphery walls and the top wall, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 can be rigid sheets or a flexible fabric. In one embodiment, the walls 12 and 18 are rigid and one or both of them are composed of plexiglass so that a user can view the part while conducting the cleaning. In one embodiment, the walls 14, 16 and 20 are fabric and will fold inward when the frame is folded. In one design, only the front panel 12 is rigid and removable, namely it slides out of grooves 72. In other embodiments, the left and right side walls 14 and 16 are rigid and can be removed can be removed by sliding out of the groove 72, while in other designs, they are fabric and remain connected at all times. It is also permitted that one or more of the walls 14, 16 and 220 are folded at a hinge in order to fold the booth 10 into a flat position. The front wall 12 and the back wall 18 will, therefore, be brought close to each other. The support members for the left and right walls will bend inward, whether because they are fabric or there is a hinge to enter the interior of the closed booth 10 as shown in FIG. 12 so that the structure can be generally maintained in the flat position for ease in carrying and portability. Or, they can simply be removed and put next to the other walls 12 and 18. Prior to the booth being folded, the pump 28 can be removed as well as the various tubes therein which can be later attached. Preferably, when the booth 10 is folded it will have a width approximately equal to the diameter of the tube 50 so that the tube 50, together with the mixing chamber 54, the second tube 52, and the outlet nozzle 56 remain connected to the booth 10 during storage and transportation. When it is desired to use the booth 10, it can be opened by spreading the walls 12 and 18 apart from each other and revealing walls 14 and 16 which had been closed in the interior surface thereof or else permitting walls 14 and 16 to be added depending on the design of the booth 10. After the booth 10 is opened into the fully extended position as shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2, the pump 28 can be added to the outside and connected to the inlet 30 which preferably has the tube 50 already connected thereto. The sandblasting media 60 can then be placed into the reservoir 36 and thereafter air pressure is supplied via the air pump 28 in order to carry out the cleaning operation using the sandblasting airstream 102 as explained herein.

In the above description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with the technology have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the descriptions of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Certain words and phrases used in the specification are set forth as follows. As used throughout this document, including the claims, the singular form “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless indicated otherwise. Any of the features and elements described herein may be singular, e.g., a shell may refer to one shell. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. Other definitions of certain words and phrases are provided throughout this disclosure.

The use of ordinals such as first, second, third, etc., does not necessarily imply a ranked sense of order, but rather may only distinguish between multiple instances of an act or a similar structure or material.

Throughout the specification, claims, and drawings, the following terms take the meaning explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “herein” refers to the specification, claims, and drawings associated with the current application. The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in another embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in other embodiments,” and other derivatives thereof refer to one or more features, structures, functions, limitations, or characteristics of the present disclosure, and are not limited to the same or different embodiments unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the phrases “A or B, or both” or “A or B or C, or any combination thereof,” and lists with additional elements are similarly treated. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional features, functions, aspects, or limitations not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Generally, unless otherwise indicated, the materials for making the invention and/or its components may be selected from appropriate materials such as composite materials, ceramics, plastics, metal, polymers, thermoplastics, elastomers, plastic compounds, and the like, either alone or in any combination.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, uses specific nomenclature and formula to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It should be apparent to those of skill in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention. The embodiments have been chosen and described to best explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments and its practical application, thereby enabling others of skill in the art to utilize the disclosed embodiments, and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Thus, the foregoing disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and those of skill in the art recognize that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

The terms “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “up,” “down,” “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” and other like derivatives take their common meaning as directions or positional indicators, such as, for example, gravity pulls objects down and left refers to a direction that is to the west when considering a drawing and/or map with north at the top as is common. These terms are not limiting with respect to the possible orientations explicitly disclosed, implicitly disclosed, or inherently disclosed in the present disclosure and unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, any of the aspects of the embodiments of the disclosure can be arranged in any orientation.

Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, relative terms such as “approximately,” “substantially,” and other derivatives, when used to describe a value, amount, quantity, or dimension, are generally construed to include an ordinary error range or manufacturing tolerance and generally refer to a value, amount, quantity, or dimension that is within plus or minus 3% of the stated value, amount, quantity, or dimension. It is to be further understood that any specific dimensions of components or features provided herein are for illustrative purposes only with reference to the various embodiments described herein, and as such, it is expressly contemplated in the present disclosure to include dimensions that are more or less than the dimensions stated, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.

LOW-PRESSURE AND HIGH VOLUME SANDBLASTING BOOTH AND CLEANING SYSTEM

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CPC

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Abstract

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