The present invention relates to a stationary and/or a portable containment system or barrier in general and, more particularly, to a stationary and/or a portable containment system or barrier for completely separating an operator from the blasting media, and any contaminant(s), debris, etc., being removed from the surface being treated, during treatment of the desired work surface, while providing improved visibility and access within the defined enclosed treatment area and still facilitating containment of removed debris and collection of utilized blasting media.
It is known in the art to apply or propel various substances, materials and/or media, e.g., both abrasive and non-abrasive, against a desired surface in order to “treat” the surface, e.g., polish, clean, abrade, prepare a surface for painting, remove rust, grease or oil, etc. The blasting media may consist of dry or liquid material or a combination thereof with or without a variety of abrasive or non-abrasive constituents added thereto. In many applications, the blasting media is a composite media comprising a combination of two or more components which are mixed or blended together with one another, in the desired proportion, to achieve the desired amount surface treatment, e.g., polishing, cleaning, abrading, remove rust, surface preparation, etc. Application of the blasting media by means of a pressurized applicator generally results in a substantial quantity of media and contaminants becoming airborne and rebounding off of the surface being treated. This rebounding media must be adequately contained within an enclosed treatment area in order to prevent contamination to the surrounding environment with the media and/or removed contaminants and/or debris from the surface being treated. This is especially true if hazardous materials are being removed from the surface being treated.
Containment systems, currently known in the art, are used in the treatment of objects or surfaces are to be treated including beams, pipes, fixtures, wall, ceilings panels or some other structure. These systems contain the blasting media and other material, contaminant, debris and hazardous material and suppress the harmful affects to a confined area. However, to treat these objects or surfaces, generally an operator would be required to be located inside the containment area and thus subjected to such hazardous conditions.
As is conventional in the art, after being treated it is often times desirable to refinish, resurface, seal, overlay, or apply a desired coating to the treated surface. In such cases, coatings may be applied directly to the treated surfaces or it may be necessary to apply an adhesive to the treated surface in order for an overlay or other type of coating to be applied. It is sometimes required that a treated surface have a certain profile or texture, e.g., “anchor or surface profile” to enable the coating to properly adhere to the treated surface. In some cases, surfaces are required to have a specific anchor or surface profile in order for the manufacturer's warranty to be valid.
There are a number of drawbacks associated with the prior art in relation to treating a surface with blasting media in such a manner that the texture and/or anchor or surface profile of the treated surface is uniform across the entirety of the desired work surface. It is known that there are a variety of blasting media which are used in treating different surfaces. The different blasting media have a number of characteristics which can affect the treatment of the surface. The texture and/or anchor or surface profile of a surface at least somewhat depends on the weight and size of the particle of the blasting media as well as its abrasiveness, e.g., the grit of the blasting media. Generally, a blasting media having a lower grit (higher weight and larger size particles) is more aggressive in treating a surface than a blasting media with a higher grit (lower weight and smaller size particles). In other words, a blasting media having a lower grit will tend to remove a larger amount of material from the surface being treated when compared to treating the same surface with a blasting media having a larger grit. Also, after being treated with a low grit blasting media, the texture and/or the anchor or surface profile of the treated surface will generally be somewhat “rougher” than that of a surface treated with a higher grit blasting media which tends to be smoother.
It is to be appreciated that the characteristics, e.g., the grit of the blasting media, changes during use of media, due to the impact of the blasting media against the surface being treated, the texture and/or the anchor or surface profile of the treated surface can gradually change over time, e.g., the media tends to less aggressive. This is especially true when treating larger surfaces. A number of methods have been developed to compensate for the changes in blasting media during use. These known methods include the separation and removal of used blasting media, such as by filtering, and the replacement of used blasting media with new blasting media. The removal and replacement of blasting media have been shown to enhance, to some extent, the consistency or uniformity of the surface over the course of treatment.
Another drawback associated with prior art methods and systems of treating a surface with blasting media relates to the effort required to support and operate conventional blasting equipment. Prior art blasting equipment is generally manually supported and operated. Typically, the blasting nozzle is supported by an operator who aims/controls the blasting nozzle in order to direct a flow of blasting media at the surface being treated. Due to the weight of the blasting nozzle and the pressures usually associated with propelling the blasting media from the discharge nozzle, an operator can easily become fatigued which often results in a reduce work hours as well as quality, e.g., uniformity of the surface treatment being achieved.
Wherefore it is an object of the present invention to overcome the noted problems and drawbacks associated with the prior art containment systems and equipment.
Another object of the invention is to form a containment system, located in close proximity to a surface to be treated while still allowing the operator to be located completely outside the enclosed treatment area so that the operator is not directly exposed to the blasting media, any contaminant(s) and/or any debris removed from the object or surface to be treated and/or suspended in the air.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a containment system that can be readily erected at remote sites and has at least one sealable opening in an end surface of the containment system barrier to accommodate various parts, items, components, etc., such as pipes, walls, ceilings, beams, rods, shafts, etc.
Still another object of the invention is to effectively seal the entire perimeter of a surface to be treated so as to prevent any media, material, contaminant(s), debris, etc., from escaping the defined enclosed treatment area to facilitate collection, recycling and/or regeneration of the blasting media as well as facilitate collection and disposal of all of the removed material(s), contaminant(s), debris, hazardous material(s), etc., from the surface being treated.
Another object of the invention is to provide a containment system that is easy to assemble at remote locations and completely encloses the desired surface to be treated while also being easily to move to another section of the surface to be treated and is also easily disassembled following treatment of the surface.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a containment system that creates negative pressure within enclosed treatment area, during use of the system, to facilitate removal of any airborne media, dust, substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), debris, hazardous material(s), etc., from enclosed treatment area to minimize the possibility of any blasting media and/or removed material(s), contaminant(s), debris, hazardous material(s), etc., escaping from enclosed treatment area into the surrounding area.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a containment system that facilitates collecting of the discharged blasting media and also facilitates collection, recycling and/or regeneration of the blasting media into a new blasting media for reuse with the containment system.
A further another object of the invention is to provide the operator of the blasting equipment with up to 180 degree range of motion in a first direction, e.g., a horizontal direction, and up to 180 degree range of motion in a second direction normal to the first direction, e.g., a vertical direction, and well as having a range of motion for all locations therebetween to assist with adequate treatment of the object to be treated.
A still further another object of the invention is to utilize moisture, during the surface treatment process, in order to control and minimize the creation of dust, e.g., apply vapor or moisture to the blasting media immediately before or as the blasting media is discharged by the surface treatment equipment.
Yet another object of the invention is to at least partially define, with the rigid support panel, a relatively small enclosed treatment area in which a negative pressure can be generated during the surface treatment process to minimize the possibility of any blasting media and/or removed material(s), contaminant(s), debris, hazardous material(s), etc., from escaping the enclosed treatment area into the surrounding area.
Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible tarp or barrier which is at least partially translucent so as to permit light, from outside the enclosed treatment area, to pass through the flexible barrier and illuminate the object to be treated and thereby minimize the problems associated with adequately illuminating the object to be treated during the surface treatment process.
The term “air tight seal”, as generally used within this patent application, is intended to mean that the seal may allow some air to flow into the enclosed treatment area of the portable containment system but generally prevents any media, contaminant(s), dust and/or debris from flowing out of or escaping the enclosed treatment area past the seal into the surrounding environment.
Another object of the invention is to provide the operator of the blasting equipment with a system and method that enhances the treatment of a surface so as to maintain a desired, consistent and uniform surface texture and/or anchor or surface profile over the entire surface to be treated by controlling the weight and the size of the particles of blasting media, during use, and controlling the distance or spacing between the surface to be treated and the blasting nozzle as well as controlling the angle at which the blasting media impacts against the surface being treated. Better control of these parameters result in an improved texture and/or anchor or surface profile of the treated surface.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide the blasting equipment with a support or retaining mechanism which assists supporting the blasting nozzle so as to minimize back pressure, experienced by the operator during surface treatment, and thereby reduce the effort exerted by the operator in order properly and effectively operate the blasting equipment.
The present invention also relates to a treatment system for achieving a substantially uniform surface profile of a surface to be treated, the treatment system comprising a support panel supporting at least one rotatable orb, and the at least one rotatable orb being rotatable with respect to the support panel over a limited range of movement, the at least one rotatable orb having an access aperture extending therethrough which facilitates receiving a desired surface treatment equipment, and the access aperture being sized so as to permit the desired surface treatment equipment to pass therethrough and move relative to the access aperture, during surface treatment, for adjusting a position of the desired surface treatment equipment relative to the surface of the object to be treated, wherein the treatment system comprises a monitoring system for monitoring at least one of a spacing of a discharge end of the surface treatment equipment from the surface to be treated and a treatment angle of the surface treatment equipment with respect to the support panel in order to control the surface treatment of the surface to be treated and achieve a substantially uniform surface profile, of the surface to be treated, following treatment.
The present invention also relates to a method of achieving a substantially uniform surface profile of a surface to be treated, the method system comprising the steps of supporting at least one rotatable orb via a support panel with the at least one rotatable orb being rotatable with respect to the support panel over a limited range of movement, providing an access aperture in the at least one rotatable orb which extends therethrough and facilitates receiving a desired surface treatment equipment, and the access aperture being sized so as to permit the desired surface treatment equipment to pass therethrough and move relative to the access aperture, during surface treatment, for controlling a position of the desired surface treatment equipment relative to the surface or the object to be treated, and monitoring at least one of a spacing of a discharge end of the surface treatment equipment from the surface to be treated and a treatment angle of the surface treatment equipment relative to the support panel in order to control the surface treatment of the surface to be treated and achieve a substantially uniform surface profile, of the surface to be treated, following treatment.
The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Turning now to
A top cover 24 is pivotally connected to the top open end of the cylindrical housing 4 to allow the operator access to the interior of the cylindrical housing 4 for inserting a desired item or object to be treated O into the portable containment system 2 as well as facilitate removal of the desired item or object O therefrom once the same has been adequately treated. Typically at least one conventional hinge 26 is provided to facilitate the desired pivotally connected of the top cover 24 to the top open end of the cylindrical housing 4. In addition, a conventional latching mechanism 28 typically is provided, opposite the pivotally connection of the top cover 24 to the cylindrical housing 4, to facilitate retaining the top cover 24 in a closed position while blasting in occurring. Generally either the top cover 24 and/or the top open end 6 of the cylindrical housing 4 is provided with an annular seal, such as an O-ring, a gasket, an inflatable seal, a brush seal 30, etc., to ensure an air or fluid tight seal and thereby prevent the escape of blasting media, contaminants, dust and/or debris 14 between those components when the top cover 24 in its closed position. This annular seal 30 also facilitates application of a negative pressure within the portable containment system 2 via a suction device 40 while surface treatment is occurring.
To facilitating viewing of the object or surface to be treated O, a viewing opening or some other transparent viewing aperture 32 is provided in the exterior surface of the portable containment system 2. It is to be appreciated the viewing opening or some other transparent viewing aperture 32 may be provided in either the top or base cover 10, if desired. The viewing opening 32 is typically a shatter resistant glass, a transparent plastic or plexiglass, etc. One aspect of the viewing opening 32 is that it is movable, relative to a remainder of the portable containment system 2 as discussed below, while still providing an adequate and unobstructed line of sight between the operator and the object or surface to be treated O during surface treatment.
To facilitating control and manipulation of the blasting nozzle or other blasting equipment during the surface treatment process, an access port 34 is provided in the exterior surface of the portable containment system 2. The access port 34 may be as simple as a couple of heavy duty rubber gloves located in a slot opening provide in the exterior surface of the cylindrical housing 4 and extending into the interior of the enclosed treatment area T of the cylindrical housing 4 and sealed with respect to the cylindrical housing 4 to facilitate operation of a blasting nozzle located within the portable containment system 2 to allow manually control of the blasting nozzle during discharge of the blasting media. Alternatively, the blasting nozzle may only partially project though the cylindrical housing 4 and may be closely associated with the viewing opening 32 and be simultaneously movable with the viewing opening 32 to assist with control and manipulation of the surface treatment process. Preferably, the operator is able to pivot the blasting nozzle up and down within the access port 34, relative to the portable containment system 2, over an angle of about at least 45 degrees or so, more preferably over an angle of about at least 70 degrees or so and most preferably over an angle of about at least 130 degrees or so. In addition, the operator is able to either slide or move the blasting nozzle to and fro horizontally at least a few inches or so and/or pivot horizontally, relative to the portable containment system 2, over an angle of about at least 90 degrees or so, more preferably over an angle of about at least 180 degrees or so and most preferably over an angle of about 360 degrees so as to minimize the amount of times the object or surface to be treated O must be rotated or flipped in order to ensure adequate treatment to the entire object or surface to be treated O.
According to this embodiment, the access port 34 is sealed, e.g., by a conventional flexible rubber shroud or barrier 36, for example, with respect to the remainder of the portable containment system 2 and merely allowed to pivot both up and down and left and right while slide or move with the central housing 360 degrees around the portable containment system 2.
In order to create a negative pressure within the portable containment system 2, during operation of the system, a conventional suction device 40 is connected, via at least one exhaust or suction hose 20, to an outlet provided in the portable containment system 2, e.g., in the base cover 10, and the suction device 40 draws air from inside of the portable containment system 2 and thereby creates a negative pressure therein. Such withdrawal of air from an interior of the portable containment system 2 assists with removing airborne blasting media, contaminants, dust, removed substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), and/or debris 14, etc., from the enclosed treatment area T and reduces the opportunity for any fines or the like from escaping the enclosed treatment area T into the surrounding environment via any small crack(s) and/or other void(s) in the containment system. As a result, the only available exhaust flow path from the portable containment system 2 is via suction device 40. It is to be appreciated that at least one of the seals 36, formed in the portable containment system 2, is designed to permit some air to leak into the enclosed treatment area T of the portable containment system 2 while still facilitating the creation of a negative pressure within the portable containment system 2.
All of the matter removed from the enclosed treatment area T, by the suction device 40, is first collected by a separating and regeneration apparatus 42. The separating and regeneration apparatus 42 (only diagrammatically shown in the drawings) then separates, e.g., by a screening process, all of the larger pieces of blasting media, contaminants and/or debris 14 from the smaller particles and fines of the blasting media, contaminants and/or debris 14 which are then properly disposed of in accordance with generally accepted practices. The larger pieces of blasting media, contaminants and/or debris 14 are then further separated, classified, etc., to assist with separating the recyclable blasting media from the removed substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), hazardous material(s) and/or debris 14. The recyclable blasting media may then be regenerated and/or mixed with virgin blasting media and reused while the separated substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), hazardous material(s) and/or debris 14 are then properly disposed of in accordance with generally accepted practices.
Turning now to
At least one conventional latching mechanism 28 is provided on adjacent mating surfaces of the (cylindrical) housing 4 to facilitate retaining the first and second housing sections or components 54, 54′, 54″ in their closed position surrounding a desired portion or section of the object to be treated O during surface treatment. In addition, both opposed ends of the cylindrical housing 4, e.g., the opposed ends of the first and second housing sections or components 54, 54′, 54″, when in their closed positions, are provided with a suitable seal 52, such as an inflatable seal, for example, which, when inflated, adequately seals the entire periphery of the elongate the object to be treated so as to prevent the escape of blasting media, contaminants, dust and/or debris 14 between those components during surface treatment. In addition, each mating longitudinal edge of the first and/or second housings is provided with a suitable seal, such as an O-ring seal, a gasket seal, an inflatable seal, a brush seal 30, etc., to ensure that an air or fluid tight seal is formed therebetween to prevent the escape of blasting media, contaminants, dust and/or debris 14 between those mating components. Such seal 30 also facilitates creation of a negative pressure to the portable containment system 2 during the blasting process.
In addition, at least one of the first and second housing sections or components 54, 54′, 54″ has a tapered section, a conical section, a funnel section 55, etc., so as to facilitate funneling, channeling directing and/or collecting of the discharged blasting media as well as any removed substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), hazardous material(s), debris 14, etc., into a lower most portion thereof to facilitate collection and removal thereof. One or more collection/removal opening(s) or outlet(s) are provided in the tapered, conical and/or funnel section 55 of the first or the second housing and a suction hose(s) 20 is connected thereto to facilitate conveying of the collected blasting media and/or the removed substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), hazardous material(s), debris 14, etc., to suitable separation and regeneration equipment for regenerating the blasting media and disposal of the removed substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), hazardous material(s), debris 14, etc.
At least one of the first and the second housing sections or components 54, 54′ is provided with an elongate slot 44, for accommodating a blasting nozzle, and the viewing opening 32. The blasting nozzle is supported by a conventional pivot mechanism 48 which allows up and down as well as left and right pivoting movement of the blasting nozzle and this pivot mechanism 48 is supported by a pair of parallel longitudinal guides or tracks 50, one located on either side of the slot 44, to facilitate sliding and guiding the pivot mechanism 48 and the blasting nozzle along the entire length of the slot 44. The viewing opening 32 also generally extends along the entire length of the slot 44 to facilitate manipulation and control of the blasting nozzle.
Once a desired portion of the object or surface to be treated E has been treated, the portable containment system 2 is slide or moved axially along the elongate object to another section of the object or surface to be treated. If the resilient seal 52 is deflated in order to assist with moving the portable containment system 2 along the elongate object E, the resilient seal 52 is then reinflated prior to commencing further treatment of the object or surface to be treated E so as to adequately seal both opposed ends of the cylindrical housing 4. This process is repeated until the entire length of the elongate object E to be treated is adequately treated.
As seen in
With reference now to
A bottom surface of the rigid support panel 60 may be directly supported by a floor or some other support surface F or the rigid support panel 60 may be supported by either conventional staging, a fixed panel framework, an adjustable framework and/or a movable framework 70. In the event that the rigid support panel 60 is not directly supported by the floor F, then a portion of the outwardly facing surface 64 of the rigid support panel 60, remote from the access aperture 66, is coupled or connected to the framework 70 in a conventional manner, e.g., by an adhesive, mating nuts and bolts, welding, screws, etc., such that the framework 70 supports and retains the rigid support panel 60 in a desired orientation or position, e.g., substantially vertical, during use. It is to be appreciated that the framework 70 is connected to the rigid support panel 60 such that the framework 70 does not interfere with operation of the blasting equipment by the operator, e.g., the framework 70 is clear of the work area.
In the embodiment shown, the rigid support panel 60 is supported by conventional adjustable framework 70 which facilitates raising and lowering a vertical height of the rigid support panel 60 to adjust a relative height of the access aperture 66 and the spherical orb 68. A lower portion of most, if not all, of each frame members 72 carries at least one lockable wheel or roller 73, for example, which facilitates moving or rolling the framework 70, supporting the rigid support panel 60, to and fro along the floor or some other support surface F and reposition the rigid support panel 60 and the spherical orb 68 in a desired orientation, as necessary, by locking the wheels or rollers 73. Preferably at least each frame member 72 of the framework 70 comprises a conventional telescoping arrangement which facilitates a quick locking adjustment of the length of the frame member 72 to facilitate adjustment of the position and/or orientation of the rigid support panel 60 and the spherical orb 68. The frame members 72 are interconnected with one another in a conventional manner to provide a secure framework 70′ for supporting the flexible barrier 76. For applications where movement or adjustment of the position and/or the orientation of the rigid support panel 60 and the spherical orb 68 is not required or desired, the rigid support panel 60 may be supported by a fixed framework 70 or conventional staging.
It is be appreciated that although the rigid support panel 60 is shown in the drawings as being in a substantially vertical orientation, the framework 70 may also support the rigid support panel 60 in a horizontal orientation or in tilted orientation, somewhere in between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation. Further, for applications where the object to be treated O is relatively small and easy and convenient to rotate or turn, the object to be treated O may be completely enclosed within a rigid structure 74 in which the rigid support panel 60 comprises one or more of the exterior panels which form the rigid structure 74 that completely encloses the object to be treated O (see
In a number of different application, the rigid support panel 60 does not comprise or form any part of a rigid structure 74. For those applications typically a flexible barrier 76 is secured or coupled about the entire perimeter edge 78 of the rigid support panel 60, in an overlapped or sealing manner, to prevent any blasting media, contaminants and/or debris 14 from escaping through the interface between the flexible barrier 76 and the perimeter edge 78 of the rigid support panel 60. The flexible barrier 76 may be sealingly secured to the entire perimeter edge 78 of the rigid support panel 60 by adhesive or clamping mechanism, for example. Alternatively, the flexible barrier 76 may be attached to the perimeter edge 78 of the rigid support panel 60 by a variety of other conventional fastening methods such as, mating hook and loop fasteners, mating zippers, buttons, snaps or any other well known fastening devices. For applications where the object to be treated O is relatively small such that a portion of the flexible barrier 76 can readily completely surround and/or encompass the object to be treated O, then the flexible barrier 76 together with the first inwardly facing surface 62 of the rigid support panel 60 and the floor or other support surface F all combine with one another to define an enclosed treatment area T for treating the object to be treated O. In applications where the object to be treated O is sufficiently large such that the flexible barrier 76 can not readily or completely surround and/or encompass the object to be treated O, the flexible barrier 76 together with the first inwardly facing surface 62 of the rigid support panel 60 and generally a surface S of the object to be treated O all combine with one another to define an enclosed treatment area T for treating the object to be treated O.
For applications where the surface S of the object to be treated O, along with the flexible barrier 76 and the first inwardly facing surface 62 of the rigid support panel 60, is utilized to define the enclosed treatment area T, an adequate seal must be achieved at an interface I between the perimeter of the surface S of the object to be treated O and the perimeter of the flexible barrier 76 located closely adjacent the surface to be treated O (see
A flexible barrier framework 70 is provided for supporting the remote ends of the flexible barrier 76 closely adjacent the surface to be treated O. The flexible barrier 76 is attached to the flexible barrier framework 70′, at spaced intervals, by a conventional fastener such as mating hook and loop fasteners, ties, buttons, snaps or any other known fastening devices. As shown in
Once that portion of the object or surface to be treated O is treated, the supply of pressurized air to the inflatable seal may be interrupted or discontinued so that the inflatable interface seal 80 at least partially deflates. The operator then releases the locking wheels of the framework 70, 70′ and moves and repositions the rigid support panel 60 to another desired section of the object or the surface to be treated O. The flexible barrier framework 70′ is also suitable repositioned along with the flexible barrier 76 to the other desired section of the object or the surface to be treated O and the inflatable interface seal 80 is then reinflated to form a desired perimeter seal prior to commencing further treatment of the object or surface to be treated O. This process is repeated until either the entire object is treated or the entire desired surface area of the object or surface is adequately treated.
As noted above, regardless of whether or not the interface seal 80 is inflatable, the important aspect of the interface seal 80 is that it completely seals the interface I, e.g., the gap or the space, between the perimeter of the surface of the object to be treated O and the perimeter of the flexible barrier 76 located closely adjacent the surface to be treated O so as to prevent the escape of any blasting media, dust, contaminants and/or debris 14 between those components during the treatment process.
The enclosed treatment area T forms a completely closed chamber, for the surface or the object being treated O, so that as the surface S or the object being treated O with blasting media, all of the discharged blasting media and removed debris 14 and/or other contaminates, such as paint, oil, grease, rust, oxidation, corrosion, etc., removed from the surface or the object being treated are totally confined within the enclosed treatment area T and thus are prevented from rebounding and/or escaping into the surrounding environment. By completely enclosing either the entire object to be treated O, or at least the surface of the object to be treated O, within the enclosed treatment area T, this facilitates collection of all of the utilized blasting media as well as collection of all of the removed substance(s), material(s), contaminant(s), hazardous material(s), debris 14, etc., within a relatively confined area by a collection device, such as a vacuum. As is known in the art, the collected blasting media, contaminates and/or debris 14 can then be conveyed to a recycling system or mechanism where the recyclable blasting media is removed and separated from the contaminates and/or debris 14 so that the recyclable blasting media can then be subsequent recycled and regenerated for subsequent reuse while the contaminates and/or debris 14 can be properly disposed of in a conventional manner.
The flexible barrier 76 may be a tarp, a cloth or a plastic sheet. Preferably at least a portion of the flexible barrier 76, if not the entire flexible barrier 76, is transparent or translucent so as to at least permit light, located outside the enclosed treatment area T, to pass through the flexible barrier and illuminate the object to be treated O as well as facilitate viewing of the surface treatment process by an operator or some other personnel. By utilizing a transparent or translucent flexible barrier 76, this minimizes the illumination requirements inside the enclosed treatment area T.
It is to be appreciated that the inflatable interface seal 80 may be a single inflatable structure or a plurality of separately inflatable seal units 82 (see
The inflatable seal units 82 may be manufactured in a number of different sizes and shapes to accommodate a variety of different profiles and configurations of the objects to be treated O. As seen in
The access aperture 66 is typically circular in shape and has a diameter of between a few inches to about fifty inches or so and more preferably has a diameter of between about three inches and 12 about inches. The spherical orb 68, having a diameter that is slightly less than the diameter of the access aperture 66, is accommodated within the access aperture 66 in a pivotable/rotatable fashion. The diameter of the spherical orb 68 is typically between about a half an inch or to about a few inches or so smaller than the diameter of the access aperture 66 so that the spherical orb 68 substantially fills the access aperture 66. The small difference in the diameters, between the access aperture 66 and the spherical orb 68, result in a peripheral gap of between about 1/32 and about ½inches between those two components which permits free movement of the spherical orb 68 relative to the access aperture 66 of the rigid support panel 60.
A plurality of spaced apart bearings 86 are provided to facilitate permanent retention of the spherical orb 68, within the access aperture 66, while still permitting the desired free movement of the spherical orb 68. Generally at least three or more pairs of spaced apart bearings 86 are provided for retaining the spherical orb 68 within the access aperture 66. As a result of this arrangement, the largest diameter portion D of the spherical orb 68 is positioned between each pair of spaced apart bearings 86 so that each pair of bearings 86 sandwiches the spherical orb 68 therebetween and permanently retains the spherical orb 68 within the access aperture 66 while still permitting the desired movement, e.g., pivoting and rotation, of the spherical orb 68 relative to the rigid support panel 60. That is, the at least three pairs of bearings 86 generally maintain the spherical orb 68 centered within the access aperture 66 while facilitating the desired motion.
Each bearing a secured to a support assembly 88, as shown in
The plurality of bearings 86 captively retain the spherical orb 68 within the access aperture 66 while permitting the spherical orb 68 to pivot up and down, pivot left and right as well as rotate relative to the rigid support panel 60 to allow adequate of discharge of the blasting media when treating a surface to be treated O. A perimeter bearing seal 92, e.g., an air impermeable seal, is secured to the inwardly facing surface 62 of the rigid support panel 60 and this seal extends radially inward and over each of the plurality of spaced apart bearings 86 and overlaps a portion of the spherical orb 68 located adjacent the access aperture 66. This perimeter bearing seal 92 completely covers and seal all of the bearings 86 as well as the entire peripheral gap formed between the access aperture 66 and the spherical orb 68. This perimeter bearing seal 92 prevents the passage of any discharged blasting media, contaminants and/or other debris 14 from escaping the enclosed treatment area T, during surface treatment, between peripheral gap formed between the rigid support panel 60 and the spherical orb 68 and/or ensures that operation of the bearings 86 are not fouled or disrupted by the discharged blasting media, contaminants and/or other debris 14.
The perimeter bearing seal 92 can be manufactured from a variety of materials that permits rotation of the spherical orb 68 relative to the rigid support panel 60 while, at the same time, also provides and maintains an adequate seal between the rigid support panel 60 and an exterior surface of the spherical orb 68. As shown in
According to an alternative embodiment shown in
As can be seen in
The port 94 is adequately sized such that the blasting nozzle B can be inserted into and withdrawn from the port 94 while, at the same time, the exterior surface of the blasting nozzle B and the inwardly facing surface of the port 94 prevent the escape of discharged and airborne blasting media, dust, contaminates and/or debris 14 from exiting through the port 94 to the surrounding environment. In order to seal such interface, a perimeter seal 97 may be provided around the opening of the port 94 formed in the inwardly facing surface 95 of the spherical orb 68 to facilitate sealing of the blasting nozzle B as the blasting nozzle B passes through the port 94 and enters the enclosed treatment area T. Such seal 97 would also permit the operator to insert and move the blasting nozzle B to and fro, along the port 94, for controlling the spacing of a tip of the blasting nozzle B from the surface or the object to be treated O while also permitting removal of the blasting nozzle B.
As can be seen in
The spherical orb 68 may be either a hollow orb (see
The viewing aperture 32 may be circular in shape and have a diameter of between about 4 inches and about 60 inches. A transparent window 99, e.g., glass or plexiglass, is accommodated within and seals the viewing aperture 32 to separate the enclosed treatment area T from the surrounding environment. The transparent window 99 is normally located within the viewing aperture 32 and may be adjacent to, but spaced from, the inwardly facing surface 95 of the spherical orb 68, e.g., the transparent window 99 is typically recessed within the viewing aperture 32 by at least a few inches or so away from the inwardly facing surface 95 of the spherical orb 68.
A replaceable outer transparent cover 100 covers the inwardly facing surface opening of the viewing aperture 32 to protect the transparent window 99 from becoming scraped and scratched by the rebounding media and removed contaminants and/or debris 14. This transparent cover 100, once its exterior surface becomes sufficiently scratched and/or scraped, such that the line of sight of the operator through the spherical orb 68 is sufficiently blurred, can be replaced with a new transparent cover 100. To extend the operational life of the transparent cover and minimize the amount of scratching and/or scraping of the transparent cover, the transparent cover 100 is resilient retained, by a resilient element, within the opening of the viewing aperture 32 substantially flush with the inwardly facing surface 95 of the spherical orb 68 (see
As can been seen in
Alternatively, as shown in
The resilient element 102 may be made from rubber or some other rubberized material and comprise an O-ring or a gasket, for example. An important aspect is that the resilient element 102 be sufficiently soft and/or resilient so it can at least partially absorb the impact forces placed thereon by the rebounding blasting media, removed contaminants and/or debris 14. The resilient element 102 generally has a fairly thin profile so as not to obstruct the line of sight through the viewing openings in the spherical orb 68.
The transparent cover 100, 100′ can be made from a variety of different materials such as PVC, glass, plexiglass, a flexible plastic film, or any other currently available transparent material. As noted above, since the transparent cover 100, 100′ will be replaced fairly frequently, the transparent cover 100, 100′ is preferably inexpensive
Yet another embodiment is shown in
The spherical orb 68 is made of two or more spherical shell portions 104, 104′. When the edges of the spherical shell portions 104, 104′ are coupled and fixed together, they form the spherical orb 68. The orb is typically spherical, however any other three dimensional shape can be utilized in a manner similar to this embodiment. The spherical orb 68 could be for example, an ellipsoid, a cube, a cylinder or a prism. As with the previous embodiments, the spherical orb 68 is equipped with a viewing aperture 32, a port 94 adequately sized such that the B can be inserted into and withdrawn therefrom, and a plurality of bearings 86 permitting the spherical orb 68 to rotate relative to the support panel 60.
As seen in
A further embodiment is shown in
The attachment mechanism is provided adjacent the exterior perimeter of the framework 114, or any rigid support structure supporting the framework 114, and may comprise, for example, clips, snaps, buttons, touch fasteners or the like. The basic requirement of the attachment mechanism is that it releaseably secures or couples a flexible barrier to the framework 114 without allowing airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, oxidation, other undesired matter, or rebounding debris or treatment media to pass through the interface between the flexible barrier and the framework 114 or the rigid support structure.
The flexible barrier, which is to be fixed or coupled to the framework 114 or the rigid support structure, may comprise a tarp, a cloth or a plastic sheet, for example. The flexible barrier is generally impermeable to air so as to prevent airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, oxidation, other undesired matter, or rebounding debris or treatment media from passing through the flexible barrier. It is, however, preferable if at least a portion of the flexible barrier, if not the entire flexible barrier, be transparent or translucent so as to permit a sufficient amount of light, from outside the enclosed treatment area, to pass through the flexible barrier and illuminate the workpiece or the surface to be treated as this facilitates viewing of the object or the surface to be treated by an operator. By utilizing an at least partially transparent or translucent flexible barrier, the illumination requirements for the workpiece or the surface to be treated inside the treatment area T can be minimized or possible eliminated.
The upper and lower horizontal cross bars 106, 108 of the framework 114 include a pair of opposed pivot members 116, 118, e.g., a shaft or aperture, which are aligned with one another so as to form a vertical pivot axis or pivotable support for a vertical pivotable housing 120, which will be discussed below in further detail. The pivot members 116, 118 are located on the inwardly facing surfaces of the upper and the lower horizontal cross bars 106, 108, midway between the right and left vertical support bars 110, 112. Locating the pivot points centrally between the right and left vertical support bars 110, 112 facilitates pivoting of the vertical pivotable housing 120 relative to the framework 114. The vertical pivotable housing 120 has a radius of curvature which is slightly less, e.g., about 1/16 to ¾ of an inch or so, than one have of the length of the upper or the lower horizontal cross bar 106, 108 so that the exterior curved side surfaces 122 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 will remain closely adjacent to the inwardly facing surfaces of the right and the left vertical support bars 110, 112, during rotational or pivoting movement of the vertical pivotable housing 120. Such arrangement minimizes the passage of any airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation, other undesired matter, rebounding debris or treatment media therebetween.
With reference to
The edges of the arcuate end surfaces are respectively welded or otherwise permanently secured or coupled to opposite curved ends of two exterior curved side surfaces 122 thereby forming the vertical pivotable housing 120 which is closely accommodated within the framework 114. The exterior curved side surfaces 122 have the same radius of curvature as the arcuate edges and are generally only secured to the top and bottom surfaces 124, 126 along the arcuate edges. The interior space 128 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 is completely open and this facilitates accommodating a horizontal pivotable housing 134 therein which will be discussed below in further detail. Basically, the vertical pivotable housing 120 somewhat resembles a cylinder which is closed at its top and bottom ends and has opposed portions of its side wall removed therefrom.
As briefly described above, the height of the vertical pivotable housing 120 is slightly less than the spacing between the upper and lower horizontal cross bars 106, 108 of the framework 114. Similarly, the radius of curvature of the exterior curved side surfaces 122 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 is slightly less than the spacing between the right and the left vertical support bars 110, 112 of the framework 114. Due to such a slightly undersized arrangement, when the vertical pivotable housing 120 is accommodated and pivotally secured within the framework 114, a small perimeter gap is formed around the entire interface between the vertical pivotable housing 120 and the framework 114. This small gap 130, between the respective surfaces, can be easily covered and/or sealed by a perimeter seal such a brush seal or some other seal 132 describe above which is conventional in the art. This perimeter seal 132 inhibits the escape of any airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation, other undesired matter, rebounding debris or treatment media through the interface between the vertical pivotal structure and the framework 114.
The size of the framework 114 and the vertical pivotal housing 120 can vary depending on the intended use and/or particular application. The preferable spacing between the upper and lower horizontal cross bars 106, 108 is between about 12 inches and 50 inches. The preferable distance between the right and the left vertical support bars 110, 112 of the framework 114 is between about 12 inches and 36 inches.
The vertical pivotable housing 120 is pivotably secured in the framework 114 by a pivot connection such as a fixed pin joint, a ball and socket joint, a shaft and bearing arrangement or some other conventional pivotable or rotatable coupling which facilitates relative rotation. Mating pivot member 136, 138 are centrally supported on the exterior surfaces of each of the top and the bottom surfaces 124, 126 of the vertical pivotable housing 120. When, the mating pivot members 116, 118 of the framework 114 and the pivot member 136, 138 the top and the bottom surfaces 124, 126 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 respectively engage with one another, this facilitates rotation of the vertical pivotable housing 120 relative to the framework 114. The pivotable connection, between the top and the bottom surfaces 126, 128 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 and the inwardly facing surfaces of the framework 114 can be in any conventional manner so long at the vertical pivotable housing 120 is securely retained within the framework 114, but is free to pivot or partially rotate about the vertical pivot axis.
Once pivotally secured within the framework 114, the vertical pivotable housing 120 can pivot preferably in either rotational direction up to a maximum of about 70 degrees with respect to the framework 114. The vertical pivotable housing 120 may be provided with opposed stops (not shown) which limit the degree of pivoting motion of the vertical pivotable housing 120 relative to the framework 114.
A horizontal pivotable housing 134 is pivotably supported within the interior space 128 of the vertical pivotable housing 120. While the vertical pivotable housing 120 provides a horizontal range of pivoting motion, the horizontal pivotable housing 134 provides a vertical range of motion. The horizontal pivotable housing 134 comprises two substantially planar side surfaces 140 which are coupled with one another by a frame structure 142. The frame structure 142 defines a centrally located elongate access port 144 and an upper viewing port 146 and a lower viewing port 148, each of which will be described below in further detail. A blasting nozzle, or some other surface treatment device, typically passes through the access port 144 in the horizontal pivotable housing 134 and facilitates treating the workpiece or the surface to be treated while the upper and the lower viewing ports 146, 148 facilitate viewing of the treatment process by the operator. When the vertical and the horizontal pivotable housings 120, 134 and the framework 114 are assembled with one another and coupled with a containment barrier, the horizontal pivotable housing 134 provides access to as well as viewing of the treatment area T.
A detailed discussion concerning the horizontal pivotable housing 134 will now be provided. The horizontal pivotable housing 134 generally comprises a pair of opposed planar side surfaces 140 which are sized and shaped substantially identical to one another. Each side surface 140, in a plane view, comprises a generally semicircular section and a generally flat bottom V-shaped section such that a plan view of the side wall generally resembles a baseball field. That is, the flat bottom of the base of the V-shaped section partially defines the elongate access port 144 while the two sides of the V-shaped section respectively partially define the upper and lower viewing ports 146, 148.
The two planar side surfaces 140 are attached to the frame structure 142 such that the side surfaces 140 are located parallel to one another. The area along the semicircular section 150 between the side surfaces 140 is free from any frame or other component which may obstruct or hinder the vision or mobility of an operator. The frame structure 142 fixedly secures and separates the two planar side surfaces 140 from one another while also defining the elongate access port 144 and both of the upper and the lower viewing ports 146, 148.
As best seen in
The horizontal pivotable housing 134 is secured and pivotably supported within the vertical pivotable housing 120 in a manner similar to the pivotable support for the vertical pivotable housing 120. The opposed interior faces of the curved side surfaces 122 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 have pivot members 156, 158 centrally located thereon. The opposed exterior faces of the side surfaces 140 of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 also have mating pivot members 160, 162 that are centrally located in the side walls. When, the mating pivot members 156, 158, 160, 162 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 and the horizontal pivotable housing 134 respectively engage with one another, this facilitates rotation of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 relative to the vertical pivotable housing 120. The pivotable connection, between the outwardly facing side surfaces 140 of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 and the inwardly facing curved side surfaces 122 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 can be in any conventional manner so long at the horizontal pivotable housing 134 is securely retained within the vertical pivotable housing 120, but is free to pivot or partially rotate about the vertical pivot axis.
The height and width of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 is slightly smaller than the interior space 128 defined by the vertical pivotable housing 120. Due to such slightly undersized arrangement, when the horizontal pivotable housing 134 is accommodated and pivotally secured within the vertical pivotable housing 120, a small perimeter gap 164 is formed around the entire interface between the horizontal pivotable housing 134 and the vertical pivotable housing 120. This small gap 164, between the respective surfaces, can be easily covered and/or sealed by a perimeter seal 166 such a brush seal or some other seal describe above which is conventional in the art. This perimeter seal 166 inhibits the escape of any airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation, other undesired matter, rebounding debris or treatment media through the interface between the horizontal pivotal structure and the vertical pivotable housing 120.
The actual sizes of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 and the vertical pivotable housing 120 may be varied depending on the intended use of the containment barrier however, a preferable height of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 is about 5-60 inches or so.
The horizontal pivotable housing 134 is secured pivotably to the vertical pivotable housing 120 by a pivot connection such as a fixed pin joint, a ball and socket joint, a shaft and bearing configuration or the like. Again the connection between the curved side surfaces 122 of the vertical pivotable housing 120 and the side surfaces 140 of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 can be any manner of appropriate pivotal connection as long as the horizontal pivotable housing 134 is securely retained within the vertical pivotable housing 120, but can freely pivot about the horizontal pivot axis.
Once pivotally secured within the vertical pivotable housing 120, the horizontal pivotable housing 134 can pivot preferably either upwardly or downwardly up to a maximum of about 70 degrees or so with respect to the vertical pivotable housing 120. The horizontal pivotable housing 134 may be provided with opposed stops (not shown) which limit the degree of pivoting motion of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 relative to the vertical pivotable housing 120.
The access port 144 of the horizontal pivotable housing 134 is sealed via a seal, such as a brush seal, an inflatable seal, a rubber seal, etc., (not shown) which extends along the length of the access port 144 but allows the blasting nozzle to extend therethrough and slide or move to and fro laterally along the access port 144 while still providing an adequate seal so as to minimize the escape of any airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation, other undesired matter, rebounding debris or treatment media during the surface treatment process.
As is conventional, an operator sprays the blasting media under high pressure at the treatment surface such that the blasting media impacts the surface thereby removing any corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation or other undesired matter from the surface. During such treatment, the corrosion, contaminates, rust, other and undesired matter are removed from the surface together with the rebounding blasting media which normally ricochets off the surface and thus becomes airborne. Such airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation, other undesired matter, rebounding debris or treatment media may produce a possibly very dangerous, toxic and/or hazardous atmosphere.
To assist with control of a potentially dangerous, toxic and/or hazardous atmosphere, a vacuum system 170 is typically employed with containment system so as to withdraw air as well as any airborne debris, corrosion, contamination, oxidation, other particulate matter from the treatment area T by creating a negative pressure within the treatment area T. This withdrawn air is then passed through a suitable filtration system 172 to remove the air borne debris, corrosion, contamination, oxidation, other particulate matter. Once the air is adequately filtered, it can then be discharged directly into the atmosphere. As the air is withdrawn from the treatment area, a negative pressure is typically developed or created within the treatment area T. Such a negative pressure atmosphere is beneficial in that it further assists with preventing any airborne debris, corrosion, contaminates, rust, oxidation, other undesired matter, rebounding debris or treatment from escaping from the treatment area through the peripheral gaps or any breach or opening(s) in the containment barrier.
As diagrammatically shown in
As alluded to above, the pressure sensor 176 can be attached to any of the containment barrier components that are exposed to the treatment area T so as to continually monitor the atmospheric pressure within the treatment area. In some instances, although the vacuum system may appear to be operating as normal, if for some reason, such as an overfull filter, the vacuum fails to pass a sufficient amount air through the filtration system, the pressure sensor 176 will detect a pressure increase in the treatment area T.
When the atmospheric pressure within the treatment area is not maintained at or below or above a desired pressure, e.g., a negative pressure of a few inches of water, for example, the pressure sensor 176 will transmit a signal to the control device 178 which interrupts the supply of electrical power 182 to the desired blasting equipment. This notifies the operator that there is a problem with the system, e.g., the filter must be serviced, a breached has occurred in the containment barrier, etc. The operator will the survey the situation and undertake suitable corrective action so that a desired (negative) pressure is again achievable within the treatment area T. Thereafter, the vacuum system 170 can then develop a desired pressure in the treatment area and the pressure sensor 176 can then detect the same so that the control device 178 can again permit the supply of electrical power to the desired blasting equipment.
It is to be appreciated that the relative size of the containment barrier depends on the application. It is conceivable that the containment barrier is large enough to completely enclose an operator within its confines. The embodiment show in
As this embodiment is similar to the above embodiment, only the differences between the two embodiments will be discussed. The horizontal pivotable housing 134 would be pivotably supported by the domed housing 500 instead of the vertical pivotable housing 120. In this manner, the operator has a vertical range of motion by means of the horizontal pivotable housing 134. As indicated above, the domed housing 500 is rotatable around a vertical axis, via a motor or some other conventional drive or possibly by hand, thereby providing the operator with a 360 degrees of horizontal motion.
Of course certain modifications would have to be made to the vacuum system and treatment tools when employing the containment barrier with the domed housing 500. Such modifications would include a supply of fresh air to the interior of the domed housing 500 so that as contaminated air is withdrawn from the treatment area T, fresh air is drawn into the domed housing 500 to replace the withdrawn air. A further consideration would include the supply of power and surface treatment equipment to the domed housing 500 so as to permit an operator to treat the desired surfaces and operate the various surface treatment equipment and/or tools.
A further embodiment is generally shown in
The containment assembly 200 as shown in
The viewing aperture 214 includes a transparent window 218 which facilitates a clear line of sight to the object or surface to be treated O while, at the same time, separating the enclosed treatment area T and the object or surface to be treated O from the exterior work area F. As this type of viewing aperture 214 and transparent window 218 have previously been discussed above with regard to prior embodiments the same will not be discussed below.
The access aperture 216 facilitates access to the enclosed treatment area T and includes a pair of elongate inflatable sealing elements 220 that can be inflated to at least partially close the access aperture 216 and prevent the passage of blasting media, contaminants, dust and/or debris therethrough. The two inflatable sealing elements 220 of this embodiment have a flap or projection 222 that extends along the length thereof. The flap or projection 222, as shown in
The containment assembly 200 and the access panel 212 may be supported by either conventional staging, a fixed panel framework, an adjustable framework and/or a movable framework 232. In the event that the containment assembly 200 and/or the access panel 212 are not directly supported by the floor F, then a portion of the containment assembly 200 and/or access panel 212 is coupled to the framework 232 in a conventional manner, e.g., by an adhesive, mating nuts and bolts, welding, screws, etc., such that the framework 232 supports and retains the containment assembly 200 and access panel 212 during use.
The access aperture 216, the inflatable sealing elements 220 and the supporting/sealing panel 226 are shown in
In a like manner, the bottom cross frame member 236 has a retainment element 254 with two sides 256, 258 and a base 260 which together form a J-shape. The longer side 256 of the J-shaped retainment element 254 is fixed to the exterior side 260 of the bottom cross frame member 236 such that the hooked portion 262 of the J-shaped retainment element 254 is adjacent the access aperture 216 and faces away from the access panel 212. In this configuration, the bases 244, 260 of the J-shaped support element 252 and the J-shaped retainment element 262 face each other and the interior of the access aperture 216.
The top and bottom edges 264, 266 of the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226 are J-shaped with the hooked portion 268, 270 of the J-shaped edges 264, 266 facing toward the access panel 212. The height of the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226 is similar to the distance between the top and bottom cross frame members 236, 238 such that the J-shaped support element 252 of the top cross frame member 238 mates with the J-shaped top edge 264 of the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226. The J-shaped retainment element 262 of the bottom cross frame member 236 mates with the J-shaped bottom edge 266 of the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226. Due to the interlocking of the respective J-shaped elements 252, 262 of the frame members 238, 236 and the edges 264, 266 of the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226, the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226 is securely supported in a position adjacent the union of the two inflatable sealing elements 220. Further the interlock between the 252, 262 of the frame members 238, 236 and the edges 264, 266, the exterior supporting/sealing panel 226 is able to be slid to and fro laterally across the width of the access aperture 216.
The exterior supporting/sealing panel 226 has a circular opening 272 located essentially centrally therein and inner and outer retaining rings 274, 276. The inner retaining ring 274 is secured to the inner surface of the supporting/sealing panel 226 such that the inner retaining ring 274 and the circular opening 272 are concentric. The outer retaining ring 276 is formed by two half rings 278, 280 or portions of a ring which are shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As illustrated in
To reduce the size of triangular shaped openings 302, formed by the blasting nozzle B as it passes between the two inflatable two inflatable sealing elements 220, a pair of T-shaped baffles 228 are supported by a rear side of the supporting/sealing panel 226. Due to the overall shape and location of these baffles 228, the two inflatable sealing elements 220 are “pinched” together toward one another, as shown in
Each of the pair of T-shaped baffles 228 comprises a leg 304, a top member 306 and two arms 308 which are arranged so as to form a T-shape component. A base 310 of each respective leg 304 of the T-shaped baffles 228 flare as they mate with the supporting/sealing panel 226 on laterally opposite sides of the inner retaining ring 274. The flare of the base 310 of the legs 304 provides a greater contact area, between the T-shaped baffles 228 and the supporting/sealing panel 226, thereby increasing the stability of the T-shaped baffles 228. The arms 308 of the T-shaped baffles 228 are located on opposite sides of the top member 306 of the T-shaped baffles 228 and extend normal therefrom and parallel to one another and to the central leg 304 with the central leg 304 located therebetween. The T-shaped arrangement of the leg 304, the top member 306 and two arms 308 forms two passages 312 that are spaced from each other by the central leg 304 of the T-shaped baffle 228, as shown in
As a result of such arrangement, as the supporting/sealing panel 226 slides in the lateral direction, as generally shown by arrow D in
Although the T-shaped baffles 228 reseal the inflatable sealing elements 220 over a shorter distance, the blasting nozzle B still causes the inflatable sealing elements 220 to separate, as shown in
The top of the T-shaped baffles 228 are fixed to the inner surface of the interior sealing panel 230 such that the supporting/sealing panel 226 is parallel to the interior sealing panel 230. The interior sealing panel 230 has an opening 316 that is aligned with the port 300 of the spherical orb 224. Due to this arrangement, the blasting nozzle B passes through the spherical orb 224, between the inflatable sealing elements 220 and finally through the opening 316 in the interior sealing panel 230 and into the enclosed treatment area T.
The interior sealing panel 230 extends laterally over the inflatable sealing elements 220, specifically the seal therebetween, and minimizes the impact of any airborne blasting media, contaminants, dust and/or debris that may be directed toward the access aperture 216. The top edge 318 of the interior sealing panel 230 has an elastic type seal 320 that extends the length of the interior sealing panel 230 and is positioned and sized to contact the top frame cross member 238 and further seal the enclosed treatment area T.
The opening 316 in the interior sealing panel 230 is enclosed by a flexible diaphragm 314 whose entire perimeter is secured to the perimeter of the opening 316. The flexible diaphragm 314 has a centrally located hole 322 or a number of slits which enable the blasting nozzle B to pass through the flexible diaphragm 314 and substantially, completely enclose the leading end of the blasting nozzle B within the treatment area T. The flexible diaphragm 314 is beneficial when the treatment area T is to have a negative pressure, such as with the use of an air filtration system which includes a vacuum for removing air from the treatment area T.
The embodiments of the containment barrier, as shown in
According to the embodiments illustrated in
As diagrammatically shown in
In view of the above, it is beneficial to control the angle A of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B with respect to the surface to be treated O. The treatment angle A at which the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B is directed at the surface to be treated O relates to the angle at which the blast media impacts the surface (
Typically, four or more stops 410 are placed about the surface 95 of the orb 68, at desired locations, in order to restrict how far the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B is able to pivot and thereby deviate from a generally preferred 90 degree impact angle with respect to the surface to be treated O. The embodiment of the orb 68, as diagrammatically shown in
In the event that the orb 68 rotates a sufficient amount such that one of the stops 410 abuts against the perimeter bearing seal 92, such abutment of the stop 410 with the bearing seal 92 prevents further rotation of the orb 68 (and also the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B) in the pivoted direction with respect to the support panel 60. The locations of the stops 410 on the surface 95 of the orb 68 depend at least on the acceptable degree of variation of the treatment angle A from the desired included impact angle α of 90 degrees, as shown in
In a further embodiment of the containment barrier, instead of the stops 410 abutting against the perimeter bearing seal, to prevent or limit further pivoting or rotational movement of the orb 68 and the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B with respect to the rigid support panel 60 and, in turn, the surface to be treated O, the embodiment shown in
It is to be appreciated that there are a number of way by which the signaling device 418 can alert the operator of relative movement of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B, e.g., either lateral left and right movement, or up and down movement, or a combination of both movements, from the home position. For example, the signaling device 418 may comprise a horizontal gauge and a vertical gauge 420 (only one of which is shown in
It is to be recognized that there are a variety of signaling devices that could effectively be utilized to alert the operator of relative movement of the orb 68/access aperture/blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B and these may include, for example, conventional optical, haptic and/or auditory signaling devices and mechanisms. It is possible that separate first and second signaling devices 418, 418′ may be employed, with the first signaling device 418 signaling vertical motion of the blast nozzle B and the second signaling device 418 signaling horizontal motion of the blast nozzle B.
The position sensor 428 detects spacing between the discharge end of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B and the surface to be treated O and any variation, from the desired home position, and communicates the same to the operator via the communication line 430 and signaling device 432. Like the signaling devices described above, the signaling device 432 can alert the operator of the relative distance D between discharge end of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B and the surface being treated O so that the operator can adjust the position of the discharge end of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B either toward or away from the surface being treated O to maintain the preferred spacing therebetween and thereby achieve a more uniform surface texture and/or anchor or surface profile for the surface being treated O.
The rate of removal of the material and/or matter from the surface of the object O depends on a number of factors such as, for example, the grit of the blasting media, the type of material from which the object to be treated is manufactured, the included impact angle a of the surface treatment media on the surface, the duration of surface treatment on a particular area, the impact force, e.g., the pressure and speed at which the surface treatment material is propelled by the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B at the surface to be treated O. It is often desirable, and sometimes even required, to treat the surface to be treated such that the treated surface has a uniform and consistent surface texture and/or anchor or surface profile. By monitoring the distance D between the blast nozzle B and the surface being treated O, the position sensor 428 enables the operator to more precisely control treatment of the surface and therefore enhance the uniformity and consistency of the resulting surface texture and/or anchor or surface profile of the surface.
The blasting nozzle B can also include or support a laser 444 for emitting a laser beaming indicating the precise location at which the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B is aimed. That is, the laser 444 is precisely aligned and generally coincident with the discharge path of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B so as to assist with precisely indicating the desired impact location of the surface treatment material at the surface to be treated O. The laser 444, in this case, is utilized to enhance positioning of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B and facilitates improved aiming of the surface treatment material, as such media is discharged from of the blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B, at the desired area of the surface to be treated O. In this manner, the efficiency of the treatment process, according to the present invention, is further maximized.
The blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B, shown in
The blast nozzle or other surface treatment equipment B, as illustrated in diagrammatically
The orb 68, as diagrammatically illustrated in
It is recognized that the above described embodiments can be combined with each other in any desired manner so as to further enhance the process of treating the desired surface of an object. The containment barrier can, for example, support two or more orbs so as to decrease the overall surface treatment time, as generally shown in
The rigid support panel 60, diagrammatically shown in
It is to be appreciated that the orb assembly can be supported on a variety of portable lifts and is not limited to being supported by a rigid support panel as generally illustrated in the figures. For example, the orb could be supported by an open frame to which the flexible barrier could be fixed and supported so as to enclose the surface to be treated and contain the blasting media and debris created by the treatment.
The orb assembly can also be utilized to support equipment that is often related to the art of treating surfaces but is different that the treatment equipment described above, e.g., blasting nozzles. It is foreseeable that the orb could support a variety of other type of equipment such as power tools, water jets, surface test equipment, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is to be appreciated that a variety of different conventional seals, such as, for example, a lap seal, a brush seal, etc., can be utilized for sealing the access aperture from the surface treatment area and preventing any rebound blasting media, other surface treatment material and other debris from entering into the access aperture, past the seal formed with the surface treatment equipment. As such seals are conventional and well known in the art, a further detail description concerning the same is not provided.
Since certain changes may be made in the above described rotatable orb and portable containment system, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/618,339 filed Nov. 13, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,556,683 issued Oct. 15, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/114,257 filed Nov. 13, 2008.
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2495269 | Lindmark | Jan 1950 | A |
2953876 | Zieber et al. | Sep 1960 | A |
4300318 | Brown | Nov 1981 | A |
4503577 | Fowler | Mar 1985 | A |
4603515 | Gilmore et al. | Aug 1986 | A |
4825598 | Schlick | May 1989 | A |
4960143 | Dore, Jr. et al. | Oct 1990 | A |
5209028 | McDermott et al. | May 1993 | A |
5316588 | Dyla | May 1994 | A |
6250996 | Metcalf et al. | Jun 2001 | B1 |
6273154 | Laug | Aug 2001 | B1 |
6705921 | Shepherd | Mar 2004 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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44 07 956 | Sep 1995 | DE |
198 02 308 | Jul 1998 | DE |
100 07 831 | Aug 2001 | DE |
0 365 707 | May 1990 | EP |
Entry |
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European Search Report Corresponding to EP 10 00 5029 mailed Jul. 11, 2012. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20140038497 A1 | Feb 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61114257 | Nov 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12618339 | Nov 2009 | US |
Child | 14054101 | US |