Powder recycling device

Abstract

A powder recovery device is disclosed to address the problem of low collection efficiency of conventional collection tanks for high-temperature, irregular powders. The device comprises: a receiving tray having at least one inclined surface and a pipe, the at least one inclined surface being inclined toward the pipe and its bottom end adjacent to an upper opening of the pipe, the bottom edge of the at least one inclined surface forming an angle greater than 90 degrees with the edge of the upper opening of the pipe; a storage box connected to the pipe; and a vibration module driving the receiving tray to vibrate, causing the powder to move from the at least one inclined surface and through the pipe to the storage box. This improves the recovery efficiency of powder materials.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a material recycling technology, and more particularly to a powder recycling device for collecting high-temperature and irregular particulate materials. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Metal powder is a commonly used processing and manufacturing material. It can be used in technologies such as 3D printing, powder metallurgy, sandblasting, and thermal spraying. Various metal powders with different material properties, particle sizes, and strengths are used in the process. High-purity and dimensionally accurate metal powders have high material costs and must be handled and used correctly to meet the manufacturing conditions of the processed products and reduce losses. This includes carefully recycling and reusing metal powders that are sprayed or fall off during the manufacturing process.

[0003] The above-mentioned conventional metal powder material recycling operation is problematic because the metal powder may reach a high temperature and high pressure state during processing, causing the metal powder to scatter and the particle shape to be easily deformed. As a result, the recycled metal powder material may be difficult to collect and may be mixed with impurities. In some cases, the metal powder may even stick to the baffle or the wall of the collection tank, thus increasing the difficulty of recycling the material.

[0004] In view of this, there is indeed a need to improve the conventional powder collection tank. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a powder recycling device that can improve recycling efficiency.

[0006] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a powder recycling device that can classify powder materials by particle size.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a powder recycling device that can improve the purity of the recycled material.

[0008] The directions or similar terms used throughout this invention, such as "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "side", etc., are mainly for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings. The directions or similar terms are only used to help explain and understand the various embodiments of this invention and are not intended to limit this invention.

[0009] The use of the quantifiers “a” or “an” for the elements and components described throughout this invention is for convenience and to provide the general meaning of the scope of the invention; in this invention, it should be interpreted as including one or at least one, and a single concept also includes plural cases, unless it clearly means otherwise.

[0010] The terms "combination", "integration" or "assembly" used throughout this invention mainly include those that can be separated without damaging the components after connection, or those that make the components inseparable after connection. These are terms that can be selected by those with ordinary knowledge in the art based on the material of the components to be connected or the assembly requirements.

[0011] The powder recovery device of the present invention is used to collect a powder, comprising: a receiving tray having at least one inclined surface and a pipe, the at least one inclined surface being inclined toward the pipe and its bottom end being adjacent to one of the upper openings of the pipe, the bottom edge of the at least one inclined surface forming an angle greater than 90 degrees with the edge of the upper opening of the pipe; a storage box communicating with the pipe; and a vibration module driving the receiving tray to vibrate, so that the powder moves from the at least one inclined surface and through the pipe to the storage box.

[0012] Accordingly, the powder recycling device of the present invention, by means of the vibration module driving the receiving plate to vibrate, can cause the irregularly shaped powder material that falls on the receiving plate to vibrate on the inclined surface and slide down in a concentrated manner, which has the effect of improving recycling efficiency.

[0013] Several inclined surfaces are continuously joined to form the surface of the receiving tray, and the bottom ends of the inclined surfaces converge and respectively abut the periphery of the upper opening of the pipe. In this way, the receiving tray can form an inverted conical groove, which has the effect of collecting materials in a concentrated manner and improving recycling efficiency.

[0014] The vibration module has several vibration elements located on the lower surfaces of several inclined planes, with adjacent vibration elements located on different inclined planes. Thus, the surface of the receiving tray can vibrate uniformly to prevent material accumulation in areas with weaker vibration, thereby improving material movement and recycling efficiency.

[0015] The vibration frequency driven by the vibration module is 300 Hz to 2000 Hz. Thus, the vibration of each inclined surface system can cause material particles with a particle size of 10 micrometers to 120 micrometers and a total weight of less than or equal to 20 grams to roll rapidly, which has the effect of improving the concentration efficiency of powder materials.

[0016] The powder recovery device of the present invention further includes a cover, which is detachably mounted on the receiving tray. The cover covers the upper opening of the pipe, and there is a gap between the edge of the cover and the surface of the receiving tray. In this way, the recovered material can re-enter the pipe through the gap, thereby limiting the size of the recovered material and having the effect of classifying the particle size of the recovered material.

[0017] The orifice cover includes a cover and a support frame. The cover is conical with the apex facing upwards. One end of the support frame is fixed to the lower surface of the cover, and the other end of the support frame abuts against the inner wall of the pipe. The support frame supports the cover above the upper opening. Thus, recycled material falling onto the upper surface of the cover can slide down along the side of the cone, and the support frame can stably support the orifice cover, thereby improving the concentration and falling efficiency of powder materials.

[0018] Wherein, the edge of the hole cover extends downward to form at least two protrusions, the at least two protrusions contact the surface of the receiving plate, and the at least two protrusions separate the edge of the hole cover from the surface of the receiving plate to form the gap. In this way, the at least two protrusions can support the hole cover and have the effect of preventing the gap from closing.

[0019] The powder recovery device of the present invention further includes an air extraction unit connected to one side opening of the pipe, which generates a laterally discharged airflow in the pipe. Thus, a negative pressure state can be formed inside the pipe to attract the recovered material, thereby improving the recovery efficiency.

[0020] The airflow velocity generated by the extraction unit is 12 m / s to 20 m / s. Thus, the extraction unit can separate lighter particulate materials and impurities such as dust, and has the function of classifying material particle size and improving the purity of recycled materials.

[0021] The powder recovery device of the present invention further includes at least one baffle located at the periphery of the receiving tray. Thus, the baffle can block scattered powder material, and has the effect of concentrating and collecting the material and preventing dust hazards.

Implementation Method

[0023] In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; in addition, those symbols that are marked with the same symbols in different drawings are considered to be the same and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a preferred embodiment of the powder recycling device of the present invention. It includes a receiving plate 1, a vibration module 2 and a storage box 3. The vibration module 2 is connected to the receiving plate 1 and the storage box 3 is connected to the bottom of the receiving plate 1.

[0025] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the receiving plate 1 has at least one inclined surface 11. The at least one inclined surface 11 slopes from one of the edges of the receiving plate 1 toward the pipe. The bottom end of the at least one inclined surface 11 is adjacent to one of the upper openings 12a of the pipe 12. The bottom edge of the at least one inclined surface 11 forms an angle greater than 90 degrees with the edge of the upper opening 12a of the pipe 12. Furthermore, the plate surface of the receiving plate 1 may also be composed of several inclined surfaces 11. The several inclined surfaces 11 are continuously joined together. Each inclined surface 11 is preferably adjacent to at most two other inclined surfaces 11. Each inclined surface 11 slopes downward and inward from one of the edges of the receiving plate 1, so that the bottom ends of the several inclined surfaces 11 converge at the bottom of the pipe 12 of the receiving plate 1. The bottom ends of the several inclined surfaces 11 are respectively adjacent to the periphery of the upper opening 12a of the pipe 12. In this embodiment, the receiving tray 1 is quadrilateral and has four inclined surfaces 11. The four inclined surfaces 11 are inclined from the four sides of the quadrilateral toward the center of the tray surface, so that the receiving tray 1 forms an inverted quadrangular pyramidal groove, and the inverted cone top is connected to the opening 12a on the pipe 12. However, the receiving tray 1 of the present invention can also be circular or other polygonal. The appropriate shape of the receiving tray 1 can be selected according to the state of powder processing, working range and powder collection method. Several baffles F can also be set around the receiving tray 1. The present invention is not limited to the shape of the receiving tray 1, the number and distribution of the inclined surfaces 11.

[0026] Referring to Figure 1, the vibration module 2 is used to drive the receiving tray 1 to vibrate towards the pipe 12. The vibration module 2 may have several vibration elements located on the lower surfaces of several inclined surfaces 11 of the receiving tray 1. The vibration elements drive the inclined surfaces 11 to vibrate up and down, causing the recycled material (e.g., metal particles) on the surface of the receiving tray 1 to vibrate rapidly and slightly, sliding off each inclined surface 11 and falling into the pipe 12. The vibration elements are spaced apart, and adjacent vibration elements are preferably located on different inclined surfaces 11, so that the surface of the receiving tray 1 can vibrate evenly, thus avoiding material accumulation in areas with weaker vibration and reduced recycling efficiency. In this embodiment, the receiving tray 1 has four inclined surfaces 11, and the two vibration elements are respectively located on two non-adjacent inclined surfaces 11. However, the present invention is not limited to the vibration mode of the vibration module 2, the number of vibration elements, or their distribution. The vibration frequency driven by the vibration module 2 can be 300 Hz to 2000 Hz, which is used to make material particles with a particle size of 10 micrometers to 120 micrometers and a total weight of less than or equal to 20 grams roll rapidly.

[0027] The storage box 3 is connected to the lower opening 12b of the pipe 12. The recycled materials collected by the receiving tray 1 can enter the storage box 3 through the pipe 12 for storage. Furthermore, the storage box 3 can be divided into several slots or replaceable collection bags can be used to separate the materials dropped from different processing processes according to their material, particle size, and other conditions to avoid material mixing or contamination. It has the function of material classification and convenient recycling.

[0028] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the powder recovery device of the present invention may also have a cover 4, which is detachably mounted on the receiving tray 1 to cover the upper opening 12a of the pipe 12 to prevent foreign objects of non-recoverable material from falling into the pipe 12. The area of ​​the cover 4 projected onto the surface of the receiving tray 1 is a covering area, which is preferably slightly larger than the area of ​​the upper opening 12a. There is a gap G of 10 mm to 15 mm between the edge of the cover 4 and the surface of the receiving tray 1. The recovered material can re-enter the pipe 12 through the gap G, thereby limiting the size of the recovered material or separating larger foreign objects. In this embodiment, the orifice cover 4 includes a cover 41 and a support frame 42. The cover 41 may be conical with the cone apex facing upward. The cover 41 is located above the upper opening 12a, allowing recycled material falling onto the upper surface of the cover 41 to slide down the side of the cone into the gap G. One end of the support frame 42 is fixed to the lower surface of the cover 41, and the other end of the support frame 42 abuts against the inner wall of the pipe 12 to fix the position of the orifice cover 4. The width of the gap G can be changed by adjusting the height of the support frame 42. Alternatively, the edge of the orifice cover 4 may extend downward to form at least two protrusions 43. By contacting the surface of the receiving tray 1 through the at least two protrusions 43, the edge of the orifice cover 4 can be separated from the surface of the receiving tray 1 and the gap G can be avoided from being closed.

[0029] The inner wall of the pipe 12 can be a circular channel that gradually narrows from top to bottom. The support frame 42 of the cover 4 can include a bracket 42a with an annular and an inner cross structure and a straight rod 42b. The annular part of the bracket 42a is connected to the inner wall of the pipe 12, and the two ends of the straight rod 42b are respectively fixed to the center of the inner cross of the bracket 42a and the inner side of the cone top of the cover 41. The support frame 42 can stably support the cover 4 and keep the pipe 12 unobstructed. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described form of the cover 4.

[0030] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, the powder recovery device of the present invention may further include an air extraction unit 5, which is connected to one side opening 12c of the pipe 12. When the air extraction unit 5 is turned on, it can generate a lateral airflow in the pipe 12. In addition to creating a negative pressure state in the pipe 12 to improve the efficiency of the recovered material passing through the upper opening 12a, it can also separate lighter particulate materials and impurities such as dust into the airflow to the air extraction unit 5, so that the recovered material collected in the storage box 3 is pure particles with uniform size, and the lighter particulates can be recycled after purification processing. The airflow velocity generated by the air extraction unit 5 is 12 m / s to 20 m / s, which can separate particles with a particle size of 5 micrometers to 10 micrometers.

[0031] In summary, the powder recycling device of the present invention, by using the vibration module to drive the receiving plate to vibrate, can cause the irregularly shaped powder material that falls on the receiving plate to vibrate on the inclined surface and fall in a concentrated manner. It can also further classify the collected powder material by particle size and separate the mixed particulate dust, thus improving the recycling efficiency and increasing the purity of the recycled material.

[0032] Although the present invention has been disclosed using the above preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications and alterations made by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technology protected by the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall include all changes within the meaning and equivalent scope of the appended claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0022] [Figure 1] A combined perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A partially enlarged exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A powder recovery device for collecting powder, comprising: a receiving tray having at least one inclined surface and a pipe, the at least one inclined surface being inclined toward the pipe and its bottom end adjacent to an upper opening of the pipe, the bottom edge of the at least one inclined surface forming an angle greater than 90 degrees with the edge of the upper opening of the pipe; a cover detachably disposed on the receiving tray, the cover covering the upper opening of the pipe, a gap being formed between the edge of the cover and the surface of the receiving tray; a storage box communicating with the pipe; and a vibration module driving the receiving tray to vibrate, causing the powder to move from the at least one inclined surface and through the pipe to the storage box.

2. The powder recovery device as described in claim 1, wherein, Several inclined surfaces are joined together to form the surface of the receiving plate, and the bottom ends of the inclined surfaces converge and respectively adjoin the periphery of the upper opening of the pipe.

3. The powder recovery device as described in claim 2, wherein, The vibration module has several vibration elements located on the lower surface of several inclined planes, with adjacent vibration elements located on different inclined planes.

4. The powder recovery device as described in claim 1, wherein, The vibration frequency driven by this vibration module is 300 Hz to 2000 Hz.

5. The powder recovery device as described in claim 1, wherein, The cover includes a cap and a support frame. The cap is conical with the cone apex facing upward. One end of the support frame is fixed to the lower surface of the cap, and the other end of the support frame abuts against the inner wall of the pipe. The support frame supports the cap to be positioned above the upper opening.

6. The powder recovery device as described in claim 1, wherein, The edge of the cover extends downward to form at least two protrusions, which contact the surface of the receiving plate and separate the edge of the cover from the surface of the receiving plate to form the gap.

7. The powder recovery device of claim 1 further includes an air extraction unit connected to one side opening of the pipe, the air extraction unit generating a lateral airflow in the pipe.

8. The powder recovery device as described in claim 7, wherein, The air extraction unit generates an airflow velocity of 12 m / s to 20 m / s.

9. The powder recovery device of claim 1 further includes at least one baffle located at the periphery of the receiving tray.

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