Pre-filter device and valve for industrial dust collector

Abstract

A pre-filter (200) for a heavy dust collector (100), the pre-filter (200) comprising a filter aperture (210) and a filter sidewall (220), where the sidewall is arranged to allow a flow of air through the sidewall and to prevent at least some particulate matter from passing through the sidewall, where the filter sidewall (220) extends away from the filter aperture (210) and tapers inwardly toward a central axis (260) of the filter (200), where the filter aperture (210) and the filter sidewall (220) are spaced apart from each other. The partition wall (230) is arranged to define a filter interior volume (V), and wherein the pre-filter (200) is arranged to hold the partition wall (230) in place in the filter interior volume (V) to divide the filter interior volume (V) into at least two parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heavy-duty dust collection device for use with construction equipment to process, for example, concrete and stone, etc. A pre-filter device, a valve device and other devices for cleaning a pre-filter in a dust collector are disclosed. Background Art

[0002] Dust and slurry are generated by cutting, drilling, grinding, blasting and / or demolishing concrete, bricks and other hard building materials. Dust and slurry can be collected by a dust collector and removed from the construction site in a controlled manner. Dust collectors typically collect dust and slurry by creating a vacuum through an impeller and motor arrangement, i.e., similar to a household vacuum cleaner. Many industrial-grade dust collectors include a pre-separator or cyclone separator device with a pre-filter designed to capture the majority of the dust, followed by a primary filter, such as a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, to capture the remaining finer dust particles.

[0003] As filters accumulate particulate matter, air flow through the dust collection system is impeded, ultimately resulting in reduced dust collection efficiency. To mitigate this reduction in efficiency, the pre-filters can be periodically cleared of dust and slurry by at least temporarily reversing the air flow through the filters.

[0004] US 7,082,640 B2 describes a dust collector with filter cleaning function.

[0005] WO 2021 / 088172 A1 describes another dust collector with similar functions. There is still a need for an improved pre-filter device that can remove dust more efficiently. Summary of the invention

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved pre-filter arrangement for an industrial grade dust collector which alleviates at least some of the above-mentioned problems.

[0007] This object is achieved by a pre-filter for a heavy-duty dust collector. The pre-filter comprises a filter aperture and a filter sidewall, wherein the sidewall is arranged to allow air flow to flow through the sidewall and prevent at least some particulate matter from passing through the sidewall. The filter sidewall extends away from the filter aperture and tapers inwardly toward a central axis of the filter to define a filter inner volume. The pre-filter is arranged to hold a partition wall in place in the filter inner volume to divide the filter inner volume and optionally also the filter aperture into at least two parts.

[0008] In this way, two separate filter parts or chambers are formed in the same side wall, which is advantageous because a space-saving arrangement is obtained and it is also easier to maintain. It is advantageous that the side wall of the filter tapers inwardly toward the center of the filter, because this means that during the use of reverse air thrust to clean the filter, gravity helps to remove particles from the filter side wall. The filter side wall can, for example, have a cone, a truncated cone, a pyramid or a truncated pyramid shape. The filter side wall preferably forms an angle with respect to the central axis of the pre-filter, and the angle is between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, and is preferably about 20 degrees. In some cases, the partition wall will not extend all the way to the filter aperture. In this case, the matching section of the wall can be configured to extend from the cover of the dust collector into the pre-filter.

[0009] According to some aspects, the first elastic seal extends around the edge of the filter aperture, and the second elastic seal is formed on the edge of the partition wall that divides the filter aperture into at least two parts. This means that the air duct can be integrated in the cover of the dust collector in an efficient manner because a portion that cooperates with the seal can be formed in the cover.

[0010] The partition wall of the pre-filter can be fixedly attached in the filter internal volume portion. Alternatively, the pre-filter may include a groove or other attachment mechanism, which is arranged to receive the partition wall and releasably hold the partition wall in place in the filter internal volume portion. This is an advantage because it means that different types of partition walls can be used with the same pre-filter base structure. By replacing the sidewall structure, the number of internal chambers can be adjusted to adapt a given dust collector. For example, some dust collectors may require a single pre-filter internal chamber, while other dust collectors may require two or more pre-filter internal chambers. The examples discussed herein mainly relate to dust collectors with two pre-filter internal chambers, but it should be understood that the pre-filter is not limited to any specific number of internal filter chambers. Some aspects of the teachings herein are also applicable to pre-filter systems including two or more separate pre-filters arranged in the same pre-separator tank.

[0011] The filter aperture, i.e. the main filter opening, may be disc-shaped and the partition wall may be planar to separate the filter inner volume portion and, in this case, also separate the filter aperture into a first half disc portion and a second half disc portion. The height of the filter measured along the central axis may be between 300 mm and 400 mm, and preferably about 345 mm. The thickness of the filter side wall is preferably between 20 mm and 40 mm, and more preferably about 30 mm.

[0012] A dust collector including a pre-filter device is also disclosed herein. Some of these dust collectors include: a hatch mechanism including an orifice having a perimeter; and at least three elongated blocking elements pivotably attached to respective hinged ends along the perimeter. Each blocking element has a distal end arranged opposite to the hinged end along the extension direction of the blocking element. Adjacent blocking elements arranged along the perimeter are connected by a foldable connecting member, which is arranged to guide the distal ends to a common intersection spaced apart from the plane where the orifice is located, whereby the blocking elements are arranged to fold around the respective hinged ends to a mutually supporting position to close the hatch mechanism. The hatch mechanism has been shown to be particularly suitable for use with a pre-filter and a valve device for cleaning the pre-filter, which will be discussed in more detail below. The hatch mechanism is relatively flexible and is not prone to damage to the dust bag. The hatch is easily opened to allow accumulated dust to be discharged from the pre-separator tank, which is an advantage.

[0013] A pre-filter is also disclosed that includes a rotation guide member configured to guide axial rotation of the pre-filter as it is inserted into the dust collector. These pre-filters are more difficult to insert into a pre-separator of the dust collector if they are incorrectly rotated about their central axis. As discussed herein, the rotation guide member is particularly suitable for use with filters having more than one section, as the partition walls inside these filters may be important to align at a predetermined position.

[0014] The rotation guide member may, for example, include a protrusion configured to engage a corresponding recess on the dust collector, a recess or notch configured to engage a corresponding protrusion on the dust collector, and / or a visual indication indicating rotation of the pre-filter about a central axis (260) of the pre-filter.

[0015] A pre-filter of the above type having a rotation guide member and including a cover which is arranged so as not to be able to enter a closed position when the pre-filter is not correctly rotated to a predetermined position about a central axis, is beneficial because the cover can prevent incorrect use of the dust collector, i.e., unless the pre-filter is correctly installed, it is impossible or at least difficult for an operator to use the dust collector.

[0016] Some of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the art can also be alleviated by a valve device configured to generate a reverse air flow, preferably an air pulse, to clean a pre-filter for a heavy-duty dust collector. The device includes: a main valve closing body, arranged to move between a first position as a suction position and a second position as a pre-filter cleaning position, wherein in the first position, the main valve closing body is arranged to seal the passage between the ambient pressure side and the low pressure side of the valve device, and wherein, in the second position, the main valve closing body is arranged to seal the passage between the low pressure side and the suction duct of the valve device, while opening the passage between the ambient pressure side and the low pressure side of the valve device to allow a stream of air to flow through the pre-filter in the reverse direction, thereby causing dust to fall off the pre-filter wall. The valve device also includes: a control body, which is connected to the main valve closing body, so that the position of the main valve closing body is determined by the position of the control body; a control chamber, which is partially defined by the control body, whereby the volume of the control chamber is variable relative to the position of the control body; and a control chamber valve, which has an open state and a closed state for adjusting the pressure in the control chamber, wherein the state of the control chamber valve is determined by the trigger device. Thus, an effective mechanism for cleaning a pre-filter is provided, which mechanism is able to seal the suction duct during cleaning, thereby allowing suction to continue through the other pre-filter during the pre-filter cleaning period (due to the closure of the passage between the low pressure side of the valve device and the suction duct). The mechanism operates on the principle of pressure difference, which means that no powerful actuator is required to overcome the pressure difference in the system (i.e., overcome or counteract the effect of the pressure difference in the system). The valve device is fast due to its ability to open quickly to generate reverse air thrust, which is an advantage because it improves the filter cleaning effect.

[0017] The reverse air flow for cleaning the filter generated in this way pushes the accumulated dust away from the filter wall, thereby cleaning the filter. The reverse air flow is preferably sudden and of a pulsed nature, but may last for a few seconds in some cases, less than 10 seconds - 15 seconds in most cases.

[0018] According to some aspects, the control chamber is fluidly connected to the low pressure side via a connecting passage configured with a connecting passage orifice, and the control chamber valve is configured with an orifice larger than the connecting passage orifice, so that the control chamber valve is configured to overcome the connecting passage when in an open state.

[0019] The trigger device may also include a manual control device, such as a button, a switch, etc., configured to force the control chamber valve into an open state. In this way, a simple and efficient trigger device is provided. The trigger device may also be combined with a manual trigger or alternatively include an electrically actuated control device, which is configured to force the control chamber valve into an open state in response to a wired or wireless control signal. The electrically actuated control device can be used to automatically perform a cleaning process, which is an advantage. For example, the electrically actuated control device may include an electromagnet, which is configured to engage a magnetic material member (such as iron or a permanent magnet) on a control rod attached to the control chamber valve, i.e., a solenoid device, to provide an efficient and sensitive trigger mechanism. If the magnetic material member is a permanent magnet with polarity, a specific advantage can be obtained, in which case the electromagnet can be configured to reverse polarity to attract and repel the magnetic material member. In this way, the control valve can be opened and closed in a fast manner using magnetic force, which is an advantage. The electrically actuated control device is advantageously surrounded by some type of seal to prevent foreign particles from coming into contact with components of the control device, such as to prevent metal dust from accumulating on the electromagnet and / or on the permanent magnet.

[0020] The control chamber valve preferably has an orifice area that is at least twice the orifice area of ​​the connecting passage orifice so that the valve can be effectively actuated. The control chamber valve can, for example, be configured with a circular orifice having a diameter between 10 mm and 20 mm, and preferably about 15 mm. The connecting passage can be configured with a circular orifice having a diameter between 2 mm and 5 mm, and preferably between 3 mm and 4 mm.

[0021] The dust collector discussed herein preferably comprises at least a first valve device and a second valve device, and comprises a control unit arranged to actuate a trigger device of the first valve device and a trigger device of the second valve device. The control unit is arranged to actuate the trigger device of the first valve device and the trigger device of the second valve device alternately. Thus, the control unit can be configured to automatically perform filter cleaning by repeatedly and alternately cleaning different parts of the pre-filter device, thereby always maintaining suction through the system and extending the operating time of the dust collector system due to regular cleaning of the pre-filter. The various techniques involving the first valve device and the second valve device can be advantageously combined with the split pre-filter discussed above, but can also be used with separate pre-filters arranged in the same pre-separator tank, i.e., one pre-filter per valve device.

[0022] The control unit may also be arranged to actuate the trigger means of the first valve means and the trigger means of the second valve means simultaneously, i.e. with some overlap in time, in response to a pre-separator dump signal. This causes the pressure inside the pre-separator tank to increase rapidly so that the hatch mechanism of the pre-separator tank opens in a controlled manner, thereby emptying the pre-separator tank of the dust collector into the dust collector in an efficient manner.

[0023] A pre-separator tank of a dust collector can be emptied particularly effectively if the dust collector comprises a hatch mechanism having an aperture with a perimeter and at least three elongated blocking elements pivotably attached at respective hinged ends along the perimeter. Each blocking element comprises a distal end arranged opposite the hinged end along the extension direction of the blocking element. Adjacent blocking elements arranged along the perimeter are connected by a foldable connecting member, which is arranged to guide the distal ends to a common intersection spaced apart from the plane in which the aperture is located, whereby the blocking elements are arranged to fold around the respective hinged ends into a mutually supporting position to close the hatch mechanism.

[0024] The present invention also discloses a dust collector cover for a heavy-duty dust collector. The cover includes a valve device configured to generate a reverse air flow, preferably an air pulse, to clean the pre-filter of the heavy-duty dust collector. The dust collector cover extends in the cover plane, and the valve device includes: a main valve closing body, which is arranged to move between a first position and a second position in a direction transverse to or even perpendicular to the cover plane, wherein, in the first position, the main valve closing body is arranged to seal the passage between the ambient pressure side and the low pressure side of the valve device, and wherein, in the second position, the main valve closing body is arranged to seal the passage between the low pressure side of the valve device and the suction duct. The device is efficient in terms of filter cleaning ability and is also compact, which is an advantage. In this article, "transverse to" can be interpreted in some cases as an angle between 45 degrees and 90 degrees relative to the cover plane, wherein 90 degrees relative to the plane means perpendicular to the cover plane.

[0025] The suction duct is preferably arranged on the pre-filter side of the cover plane and comprises a seat against which the main valve closing body is arranged to seal the passage between the low-pressure side of the valve device and the suction duct. In this case, the main valve closing body separates the seat from the cover plane. By arranging the suction duct on the pre-filter side of the cover plane, or even inside the pre-filter volume, a space-efficient design can be obtained. The suction duct can extend beyond the orifice plane of the pre-filter.

[0026] The present disclosure also relates to a dust collector, which includes at least a first valve device and a second valve device and includes a pre-filter system having at least a first part and a second part, wherein the first valve device is associated with the first part of the pre-filter system, and the second valve device is associated with the second part of the pre-filter system. Each valve device is configured to generate a reverse air flow in response to the actuation of a corresponding trigger device configured to place the valve device in a pre-filter cleaning position to clean the associated part of the pre-filter system. The actuation of the valve trigger device can be performed in a time-overlapping manner to simultaneously place the first valve device and the second valve device in the corresponding pre-filter cleaning position. In this way, a particularly strong pre-filter cleaning effect is achieved, which also causes the dust retained in the pre-filter tank to be dumped into the dust collector below the tank. Therefore, the dust dumping function is achieved by allowing two valves to be opened simultaneously. The pre-filter system can include a single pre-filter divided into a first part and a second part, or a separate pre-filter arranged in the same pre-separator tank.

[0027] The dust collector optionally comprises a control unit, and the trigger means may comprise an electrically actuated control means. In this case, the control unit may be arranged to actuate the respective trigger means of the first valve means and the second valve means in a time-overlapping manner in response to the pre-separator dumping signal. In this way, an automatic dust dumping function may be achieved in an efficient manner. The control unit may be arranged to actuate the respective trigger means of the first valve means and the second valve means synchronously in response to the pre-separator dumping signal, thereby optimizing the efficiency of the dust dumping operation.

[0028] The dust collector optionally includes a control input device, such as a button or switch, which is configured to generate a pre-separator dumping signal, and the control unit responds to the pre-separator dumping signal and performs an automatic dumping operation. The control input device enables an operator to trigger the dust dumping operation in the event that too much dust accumulates in the filter tank. The operator can also use the control input device to empty the dust in the filter tank when a work task is about to be completed. The control unit can also be configured to periodically generate the pre-separator dumping signal in an automatic manner, thereby providing an automatic dust dumping function to keep the amount of dust in the filter tank within a desired range.

[0029] The trigger device can obviously also comprise manual control means allowing manual actuation of the valve device. The manual control means can be used with or without the control unit and the electronically actuated valve device.

[0030] Generally, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, all terms used in the claims should be interpreted according to their ordinary meanings in the technical field. Unless otherwise clearly stated, all references to "one / an / the element, facility, component, device, step, etc." should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the element, facility, component, device, step, etc. Unless explicitly stated, the steps of any method or process disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed. When studying the attached claims and the following description, other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, without departing from the scope of the present invention, different features of the present invention may be combined to form embodiments other than those described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1A to Figure 1B An exemplary heavy-duty dust collector is shown;

[0033] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F A pre-filter for a dust collector is schematically shown;

[0034] FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C Exemplary pre-filters with different dividing walls are shown;

[0035] Figure 4 An exemplary apparatus for pre-filter cleaning is shown;

[0036] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B An exemplary valve arrangement for pre-filter cleaning is shown;

[0037] Figure 5C A pre-filter cleaning operation is shown;

[0038] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B An exemplary hatch mechanism is shown in a closed position;

[0039] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B An exemplary hatch mechanism is shown in an open position;

[0040] Figure 8 An exemplary control unit is shown; and

[0041] Fig. 9 A computer program product is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain aspects of the invention are shown. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments and aspects set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure is comprehensive and complete and fully conveys the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals represent the same elements.

[0043] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims. In particular, the different valve arrangements discussed herein may be used with a variety of different types of dust collectors, not just the dust collector designs used as examples.

[0044] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An exemplary dust collection device 100 is shown. The dust collection device can be connected to a dust generator (not shown in FIG. 1 ), such as a core drill, a floor grinder, a concrete saw, etc., via a flexible hose. Dust and slurry from the dust generator enter the dust collector via an inlet 110. A pre-separator 120 is disposed after the inlet, i.e., downstream of the inlet relative to the direction of the air flow entering the inlet 110. The pre-separator may include a cyclone separator with a pre-filter for separating larger debris particles from the particle-laden air flow entering the inlet 110. The larger debris particles can then be collected via an outlet 130 of the pre-separator 120. A hatch mechanism 600 (an example of which will be combined with FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B The outlet 130 is configured to close during operation and to open in response to an increase in pressure in the pre-separator 120 to discharge dust and slurry from the pre-separator 120. During normal operation, the pre-separator 120 captures most of the generated dust and then discharges the dust into a dust collector, such as a bag or bucket ( Figure 1A and Figure 1B not shown). Figure 1A Also shown is a dust collector cover 101 forming an upper portion of the dust collector 100. The cover 101 is Figure 1B 101 is shown in an open maintenance position in which the pre-filter 200 inside the pre-separator 120 is accessible. The exemplary cover is substantially planar when in its closed position. This means that the cover 101 extends primarily in the cover plane 102, such as Figure 1A As shown in FIG. 1 , and the height h of the cover (when the dust collector 100 is in the Figure 1A and Figure 1B100) is significantly smaller than its width w and depth d. The advantage of having a planar cover is that it does not increase the height of the dust collector 100. It should be noted that the cover is advanced by including valve means for cleaning the filter 200 of the pre-separator and a suction duct 140 formed integrally with the cover. The valve means and the suction duct will be discussed in more detail below.

[0045] The pre-separator 120 may also be referred to as a cyclone separator, a cyclone separator tank, or a filter tank. As mentioned above, the hatch mechanism 600 discussed herein is applicable to most industrial dust collectors and need not be configured to seal the pre-separator. Instead, the hatch mechanism may be used to seal the filter tank structure of any dust collector.

[0046] The air flow continues from the pre-separator 120 via one or more suction ducts 140 formed in the cover 101 into one or more primary filters ( Figure 1A and Figure 1B The primary filter is a fine filter (finer than the pre-filter) designed to meet stringent filter function requirements. Such a primary filter can be, for example, a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, but other air filters can also be used. The term "primary filter" is often used in the technical field of wet vacuum cleaners and dry vacuum cleaners, see, for example, European Standard EN 60335-2-69, August 2012, in which the term "primary filter" is used.

[0047] A blower device 150 is arranged downstream of the pre-separator 120, and the blower device is also arranged downstream of the one or more primary filters. The blower device generates suction or vacuum, sucking the airflow laden with particles through the inlet 110, through the pre-separator 120 and through the one or more primary filters. Here, vacuum or vacuum level refers to the degree to which the pressure in the airflow is lower than a reference pressure level (e.g., atmospheric pressure).

[0048] It is desirable to periodically clean the pre-filter in the pre-separator. Known mechanisms use reverse air thrust to achieve cleaning. Some such mechanisms use more than one individual pre-filter, which allows one filter to be cleaned while another filter is used to maintain suction through the inlet. The dust collector 100 includes a pre-filter 200 (in FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F200). The pre-filter 200 includes: a filter aperture 210, i.e., an opening from which the air flow can leave the clean side of the filter; and a filter sidewall 220. The sidewall 220 is configured to allow the air flow to flow through the sidewall and prevent at least some particulate matter from passing through the sidewall, i.e., the filter sidewall is made of some form of filter material in a known manner. The air flow from the pre-separator 120 can enter the clean side of the pre-filter (the inside of the filter wall 220) from the contaminated side of the pre-filter 200 (the outside of the filter wall 220), leaving most of the dust in the pre-separator, where the dust can be collected in the dust collector via the hatch mechanism 600. The pre-filtered, reduced-pollution air flow then continues to flow forward to one or more primary filters of the dust collector 100 and then leaves the dust collector. It is noteworthy that the filter sidewall 220 in the exemplary pre-filter 200 extends away from the filter aperture 210 and tapers inwardly toward the central axis 260 of the filter 200 to define a filter internal volume V. This taper has the important technical effect of facilitating filter cleaning. When the filter is used in an upright position (with the aperture facing upward in the vertical direction), dust adhering to the filter sidewall and subjected to reverse air thrust (i.e., air thrust from the inside of the filter through the filter sidewall to the outside of the filter) will "fall" from the sidewall due to gravity. The filter sidewall 220 can have, for example, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D The shape of the cone or truncated cone that tapers inwardly toward the center of the filter is shown in FIG, but other tapered shapes are also possible. A pyramidal or truncated pyramidal shape will also have a similar technical effect. Therefore, the pre-filter 200 disclosed herein is different from a columnar sidewall pre-filter, the sidewall of which does not taper inwardly, but extends in the vertical direction. Here, the "vertical direction" refers to the position of the pre-filter 200 in use (such as Figure 1B ), in which position the filter opening 210 faces upward in the vertical direction.

[0049] The filter sidewall 220 preferably forms an angle α with respect to the central axis of the pre-filter 260, such as Figure 2D As shown in , the angle is between 10 and 30 degrees, and is preferably about 20 degrees.

[0050] The pre-filter 200 is also arranged to hold a partition wall 230 in place in the filter inner volume V to divide the filter inner volume V and optionally also the filter aperture 210 into at least two parts. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2DThe exemplary partition wall in the filter internal volume V is divided into two equal halves, thereby effectively making a single filter unit have a dual filter function. This is an advantage because only one filter needs to be maintained and replaced compared to the common use of a single filter in the art. Due to the sidewall 230, a reverse air thrust can be generated in one filter half without affecting the air flow flowing through the other filter half. In this way, the two filter halves can be cleaned successively in an alternating manner while maintaining the dust removal operation, which is an advantage. Compared with the situation of using two or more separate filters, the pre-filter 200 is easier to be removed. In the case where the sidewall cannot separate the filter aperture into at least two parts, for example, because the sidewall does not extend all the way to the aperture, a complementary partition wall can be provided in the cover of the dust collector to extend downward into the pre-filter and engage the sidewall.

[0051] It should be noted that the side wall may be configured to divide the interior of the pre-filter into more than two parts, thereby obtaining a filter with the inner filter volume divided into two or more sections (ie two or more chambers surrounded by the same side wall 220). FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C Some exemplary side walls are shown in FIG. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The exemplary side wall configuration in the embodiment divides the interior of the pre-filter into three sections, and Figure 3C The example in the embodiment divides the interior of the pre-filter into four sections. These sections do not need to have the same volume, but preferably equivalent filtering characteristics can be maintained in all sections, that is, the air permeability of all sections is approximately the same. It should be noted that side walls of different shapes can be used with the same base side wall. In this way, the number of individual sections of the filter interior can be adjusted according to the dust collector. Some dust collectors can be designed for use with a single pre-filter, in which case no side walls are used.

[0052] The pre-filter 200 may optionally include FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C10. The rotation guide member is arranged to guide the axial rotation R of the pre-filter (around the central axis 260) when the pre-filter 200 is inserted into the dust collector 100, so that, for example, the elastic seal on the pre-filter properly engages the matching portion 103 of the cover 101, thereby forming an airtight pre-separation tank 120 including the separated pre-filter components. In other words, the rotation guide members 300, 310, 320 on the pre-filter 200 ensure that the filter rotates correctly so that the different filter components and seals are properly aligned. The rotation guide member can be implemented in different ways, such as a protrusion in the filter edge 300, a notch or recess formed in the filter edge 310, or a cat's ear 320 formed on the outside of the filter. Visual indication is also possible, that is, a mark on the pre-filter 200 indicating that it rotates around the central axis 260. Then, this mark can have a matching mark formed on the dust collector 100, so that the correct rotation of the pre-filter can be ensured.

[0053] The dust collector cover 101 can also be designed so that the dust collector cover cannot be closed unless the pre-filter is correctly rotated. This can be achieved in a variety of different ways. For example, a protrusion can be provided on the pre-filter that prevents the pre-filter from being fully inserted into the receiving portion of the pre-separator 120. The pre-filter then interferes with the cover and prevents the cover from closing unless the protrusion enters a matching recess formed in the dust collector 100 so that the pre-filter is fully received in the pre-separator 120 of the dust collector 100. This type of arrangement is generally referred to as a mistake-proofing feature because it can prevent incorrect handling of the filter device.

[0054] In some cases, the partition wall 230 may be subject to relatively large forces, particularly during filter cleaning, when pressures in different parts of the pre-filter change rapidly. Therefore, the partition wall 230 optionally includes a reinforcing structure configured to resist deformation of the partition wall 230, such as ribs and / or some form of honeycomb structure.

[0055] According to some aspects, the part of the filter sidewall 220 associated with at least two parts has different filtering characteristics. This means that the filtering characteristics of the part of the first part of the pre-filter defined by the filter sidewall is different from the filtering characteristics of the part of the second part of the pre-filter defined by the filter sidewall. For example, a pre-filter part can be configured to be easier to clean than another filter part. A filter part can also have a higher permeability than another filter part. According to some aspects, the first elastic seal 240 extends around the edge of the filter orifice 210, and the second elastic seal 250 is formed on the edge of the partition wall 230 that separates the filter orifice 210 into at least two parts. These elastic seals engage with the matching part 103 of the cover 101 to form an airtight pre-separator tank 120. Therefore, after the cover 101 is in its closed position, the pre-filter 200 acts as two separate filters, wherein, a pre-filter part can be cleaned at a time without significantly affecting the operation of another pre-filter part.

[0056] According to one example, the partition wall 230 is fixedly attached in the filter inner volume V. In other words, the partition wall 230 can be integrally formed with the rest of the pre-filter 200, preferably, the partition wall is made of an airtight material such as plastic. However, the partition wall can also allow a small amount of air to flow between different pre-filter sections without significantly affecting the function of the entire dust removal system.

[0057] According to another example, the pre-filter 200 comprises a groove 270, which is arranged to receive the partition wall 230 and to releasably hold the partition wall in place in the filter inner volume V. This means that, depending on the use case, the pre-filter can be used as a single chamber filter (by removing the partition wall) or as a filter with more than one inner chamber. Thus, the same filter can be used with more than one type of dust collector, which is an advantage. The partition wall made of airtight material can obviously also be used repeatedly for more than one pre-filter.

[0058] FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F The filter aperture 210 of the exemplary pre-filter 200 shown in FIG. 2 is disc-shaped and the partition wall 230 is planar. This means that the partition wall divides the filter inner volume V into two parts and the filter aperture 210 into a first half-disc part and a second half-disc part.

[0059] Figure 2D Some exemplary dimensions of a pre-filter suitable for a heavy-duty dust collector are shown. According to this example, the height H of the filter measured along the central axis 260 is between 300 mm and 400 mm, and preferably about 345 mm. The thickness W of the filter sidewall 210 is between 20 mm and 40 mm, and preferably about 30 mm.

[0060] Figure 4 An exemplary valve arrangement is shown for a dust collector 100 housing a prefilter 200. However, it should also be noted that the same valve arrangement can be used for designs having multiple separate prefilters, such as designs having two or more separate cylindrical prefilters disposed in the same pre-separator tank.

[0061] In this arrangement, two separate valves 400 are arranged in respective parts of the pre-filter 200 to clean the respective parts of the filter. The space-efficient arrangement of the valves and the suction duct 140 is particularly noteworthy. Each valve arrangement 400 is integrated in the cover 101 and extends into the interior of the dust collector away from the cover plane 102. The suction duct 140 is at least partially formed in the pre-filter interior volume V, thereby reducing the overall dust collector height.

[0062] Each valve device 400 is configured to generate a reverse air flow to clean a corresponding portion of the pre-filter 200. However, it should be understood that the valve device can also be used individually, i.e., for cleaning a pre-filter device in a dust collector including only a single pre-filter or a pre-filter without a dividing wall. Figure 4 Each valve device 400 shown in 400 comprises a main valve closing body 410 arranged to move between a first position 420 and a second position 430, wherein in the first position 420 the main valve closing body 410 is arranged to seal a passage 440 between an ambient pressure P2 side and a low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400, and wherein in the second position 430 the main valve closing body 410 is arranged to seal a passage 450 between the low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400 and the suction duct 140, P4. In this example, the first position 420 is associated with a seat 415 against which the main valve closing body 410 abuts to seal the passage 440 between the ambient pressure P2 side and the low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400, and the second position 430 is associated with a seat 145 against which the main valve closing body 410 abuts to seal the passage 450 between the low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400 and the suction duct 140. Note how the suction duct 140 is at least partially arranged inside the pre-filter and how a seat 145 for the main valve closing body is formed at the opening of the suction duct 140 to form a space-saving arrangement.

[0063] refer to Figure 1A to Figure 1B , Figure 4 and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B, a dust collector cover 101 for a heavy-duty dust collector 100 is disclosed herein, the dust collector cover comprising a valve device 400 configured to generate a reverse air flow to clean a pre-filter 200 of the heavy-duty dust collector 100, wherein the dust collector cover 101 extends in a cover plane 102. The valve device 400 is integrated in the cover 101 and comprises a main valve closing body 410, which is arranged to move between a first position 420 and a second position 430 in a direction transverse to or even perpendicular to the cover plane 102, wherein in the first position 420, the main valve closing body 410 is arranged to seal a passage 440 between an ambient pressure P2 side and a low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400, and wherein in the second position 430, the main valve closing body 410 is arranged to seal a passage 450 between the low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400 and the suction duct 140, P4.

[0064] For example, refer to FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B , the suction duct 140 is arranged on the pre-filter side of the cover plane 102 (i.e., the plane along which the dust collector cover 101 extends). The suction duct 140 includes a seat 145, against which the main valve closing body 410 is arranged to seal the passage 450 between the low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400 and the suction duct 140. In order to seal the passage, the main valve closing body 410 moves away from the cover plane 102 and downwardly toward the seat 145. Therefore, the main valve closing body 410 separates the seat 145 from the cover plane 102 and most other parts of the cover 102.

[0065] It should also be noted that the suction duct 140 extends beyond the aperture plane of the prefilter 200, ie into the prefilter 200. This provides a particularly efficient design in terms of building height, ie this is a space-saving way to construct the cover 101 of the heavy-duty dust collector 100.

[0066] The valve device 400 also includes a control body 460, which is connected to the main valve closure body 410 so that the position of the main valve closure body 410 is determined by the position of the control body 460. In other words, if the control body 460 moves, the main valve closure body 410 also moves. It should be noted that this movement is vertical in the normal operating position, or perpendicular to the plane of the main valve closure body 410, but this precise configuration is not strictly necessary for the function of the device. The position of the main valve closure body 410 can be determined by the position of the control body 460 in a variety of different ways, for example, via a rod device, a cable or by some other form of mechanical linkage. It is also possible to use an electric or electromechanical control actuator to control the position of the control body 460, such as a solenoid or an electromagnet. A resilient member, such as a spring 490, can be provided to bias the main valve closure body 410 to the first position 420.

[0067] Figure 4 The mechanism in uses air pressure differential to actuate the valve mechanism. Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 4 , the control chamber 461 is partially defined by the control body 460, and the volume of the control chamber 461 is variable relative to the position of the control body 460. There is also a control chamber valve 462 having an open state and a closed state for regulating the pressure P1 in the control chamber. Therefore, by changing the pressure in the control chamber, the control body can be moved, which will cause a corresponding movement of the main valve closing body 410. The state of the control chamber valve 462 is determined by the trigger device 470, 480, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0068] exist Figure 4 and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5B In the example in FIG. 4 , the control chamber 461 is a space sealed by an elastic membrane that can move up and down to limit or expand the volume of the control chamber (but this is not accurately shown in the drawings). Therefore, the volume of the control chamber 461 is variable relative to the position of the control body 460. Other ways to implement this type of control chamber include, for example, a cylinder and piston device or an airbag device.

[0069] refer to Figure 4 If the pressure P1 inside the control chamber 461 is less than the pressure P2 outside the control chamber 461, the control body 460 will move to restrict the volume in the control chamber 461. This movement will also pull the main valve control body 410 to the sealing position 420 because the reaction force acting on the main valve control body 410 is smaller due to the pressure difference between the low pressure P3 side and the high pressure P2 side.

[0070] When the control chamber valve 462 opens to increase the pressure in the control chamber 461, for example from the machine operating pressure to atmospheric pressure, the main valve control body shifts to the non-sealing position 430 and now seals the suction conduit instead, at least in part because the main valve control body is drawn against the orifice of the suction conduit (because the pressure P4 is less than the pressure P3). The effective area of ​​the control body 460 can be set to be larger than the effective area of ​​the main valve control body 410.

[0071] According to some aspects, the control chamber 461 is fluidly connected to the low pressure P3 side via a connecting passage 463 configured with a connecting passage orifice 464, and the control chamber valve 462 is configured with an orifice larger than the connecting passage orifice 464, so that the control chamber valve 462 is set to overcome the connecting passage 463 when in an open state.

[0072] FIG. 5A to FIG. 5BThe valve device 400 shown in FIG. 10 also differs from known valve devices in how the pressure P1 in the control chamber 461 is adjusted to trigger an air pulse for cleaning the air filter. The valve device 400 includes a connecting passage 463 that fluidically connects the control chamber 461 to the low pressure P3 side. The connecting passage 463 is a relatively narrow duct that extends from the low pressure P3 side into the control chamber 461 (the connecting passage orifice 464 leads upward to the control chamber 461, as can be inferred from FIG. 10A , for example).

[0073] Therefore, when the dust collector is in use, air is continuously drawn from the control chamber 461 toward the low pressure P3 side via the connecting passage 463. Therefore, as long as the control chamber valve 462 is in a closed state, a low pressure is generated in the control chamber 461. The control chamber valve 462 is configured with an orifice larger than the orifice 464 of the connecting passage 463, which means that the control chamber valve is arranged to overcome the orifice 464 of the connecting passage when it is in an open state. In this case, "overcoming" means that when the control chamber valve 462 is open, even if the connecting passage 463 always connects the control chamber to the low pressure P3 side, the pressure inside the control chamber will increase. It should be noted that when the air pulse is triggered, the connecting passage 463 is not closed, which means that there is no need for a complex three-way valve or the like as described in WO 2017 / 025305.

[0074] For example, for a circular orifice, the diameter of the orifice of the control chamber valve 462 may be approximately 15 mm, which means an area of ​​approximately 175 mm. 2 This larger orifice easily overcomes the orifice of the connecting passage 464, and for an area of ​​7mm 2 -13 mm 2 For a circular orifice, the diameter of the orifice of the connecting passage may be approximately 3mm-4mm.

[0075] It should be understood that the orifice of the control chamber valve 462 and the orifice of the connecting passage 464 need not be circular in shape, or even regular in shape. In order for the control chamber valve 462 to be able to overcome the connecting passage 464, the orifice area is important. An orifice area of ​​the control chamber valve 462 that is approximately twice as large may be sufficient, but a greater difference may be preferred, such as ten times or more. The greater the difference between the orifices, the faster the response to the trigger. However, an orifice of the control chamber valve that is too large may cause structural difficulties.

[0076] When the control chamber valve 462 enters the open state, the pressure in the control chamber increases rapidly due to the open connection with atmospheric pressure, that is, the pressure inside the control chamber changes rapidly from the machine operating pressure to the atmospheric pressure. The effect of the connecting passage in reducing the pressure is overcome, and therefore, the main valve control body is shifted into the non-sealing position 430, thereby generating a reverse air flow (preferably an air pulse) to clean the filter.

[0077] The trigger device may include a manual control device 470 configured to force the control chamber valve 462 into an open state, such as Figure 5A and Figure 5B This button can be used to trigger filter cleaning on demand in a convenient manner.

[0078] Referring back to FIG. 1 , the dust collector 100 may also include a control unit 160 configured to perform various control actions, such as monitoring the pressure level at various locations in the dust collector 100 and controlling the blower device 150. The control unit 160 may also be configured to control one or more valve devices of the dust collector, as will be discussed below. The display unit 170 may be configured as a device for interacting with a user of the dust collector. The display unit 170 may include an input device to allow a user to trigger various functions on the dust collector, such as triggering a pre-filter cleaning program or triggering a pre-filter dumping program, in which dust and slurry are discharged from the pre-separator 120 into a dust collector below the pre-separator. The dust collector may also include a dedicated control input device connected to the control unit 160 by wire or wireless. For example, there may be a dust dumping command button or switch, a filter cleaning button or switch, etc.

[0079] According to some aspects, the trigger device includes an electrically actuated control device 480 configured to force the control chamber valve 462 into an open state in response to a wired or wireless control signal. Figure 5A and Figure 5B In the example of FIG. 4 , the electrically actuated control device 480 is an electromagnet that is arranged to engage a magnetic material member 485 (such as iron, steel or a permanent magnet) on a control rod attached to the control chamber valve 462, i.e., a solenoid device. In this way, a control current can be caused to flow in the electromagnet, thereby pulling the magnetic material member 485 toward the electrically actuated control device 480 to operate the rod, thereby opening the control chamber valve 462.

[0080] According to some aspects, the electrically actuated control device 480 (and the magnetic material member 485, if present) is sealed by a seal and isolated from the rest of the dust collector, in particular from the surrounding environment. Therefore, optionally, the electrically actuated control device 480 is surrounded by a seal, which is arranged to prevent foreign particles from the surrounding environment and the pre-separator tank from reducing the performance of the control device or even causing a malfunction. The seal, for example, prevents foreign particles such as iron powder from entering between the electrically actuated control device 480 and the magnetic material member 485, which may reduce the performance of the control device 480. The seal may include a bellows or the like surrounding the electrically actuated control device 480 and the magnetic material member 485, or a columnar body including an internal sealed volume portion defining the control device 480 operating therein. Of course, a hermetically sealed solenoid may also be used as the electrically actuated control device 480, wherein the seal is integrated in the control device.

[0081] The magnetic material member 485 can be made of iron or steel as mentioned above. However, if a permanent magnet with polarity is used, further advantages can be obtained. In this case, the electromagnet can be configured to be able to reverse polarity to attract and repel the magnetic material member 485. This will make the control chamber valve 462 open and close more quickly, because the control chamber valve can open quite quickly due to the attraction between the electromagnet and the permanent magnet. When the current in the electromagnet is reversed, the closing of the control chamber valve 462 is also fast due to the repulsion between the electromagnet and the permanent magnet. Of course, a two-way solenoid with the same technical effect can also be used.

[0082] As mentioned above, the low pressure P3 side can be associated with the pressure in the interior volume V of the pre-filter 200, and the ambient pressure P2 side is associated with atmospheric pressure. The pressure in the suction conduit 140 is generally lower than the pressure in the low pressure P3 side, especially during filter cleaning. The control chamber valve 462 preferably has an orifice area that is at least twice the orifice area of ​​the connecting passage orifice 464. For example, the control chamber valve 462 can be configured with a circular orifice having a diameter between 10 mm-20 mm and preferably about 15 mm, and the connecting passage 464 can have a circular orifice having a diameter between 2 mm-5 mm and preferably between 3 mm-4 mm.

[0083] Some of the dust collectors described herein include more than one pre-filter chamber, i.e., two or more separate pre-filters or FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D1. This is primarily because a pre-filter system having more than one filter chamber enables one filter chamber to be cleaned while the other filter chambers can be used to maintain suction through inlet 110. Another advantage of using two or more pre-filter chambers to maintain suction even during filter cleaning is that fine dust is less likely to escape from the primary filter during the turbulence that may be generated by pre-filter cleaning.

[0084] Also refer to Figure 5C The dust collector 100 preferably comprises at least a first valve device and a second valve device 400, and comprises a control unit 160, which is arranged to actuate the trigger device 480 of the first valve device and the second valve device. The control unit 160 is arranged to actuate the trigger device 480 of the first valve device and the second valve device alternately. This means that first one of the cleaning valves is actuated (placing its corresponding main valve closing body 140 in the second position 430), followed by actuating the other cleaning valve, and then actuating the first cleaning valve again. The cycle of cleaning actuation may vary from machine to machine, and typically the two filter chambers are operated in parallel. The filter cleaning operation may also include placing both valve devices in the second position (i.e. the pre-filter cleaning position), such as Figure 5C 500 near the end of the timeline. In this case, both parts of the pre-filter 200 are opened to atmospheric pressure, which means that the filter is cleaned and the pressure inside the pre-separator tank is also increased. When this happens, the hatch mechanism (such as the following combined FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B The hatch mechanism 600 discussed opens to discharge the accumulated dust and slurry into a dust collector disposed below the hatch.

[0085] According to one example, the valve device is intermittently placed in a pre-filter cleaning state, i.e., a second position, in which the main valve closing body is arranged to open a passage between the ambient pressure side and the low pressure side of the valve device for about 0.7 seconds to 1.0 seconds, and then placed in the first position (in which the passage to the ambient pressure is sealed) for about 15 seconds to 20 seconds. It is generally desirable to reduce the time that the valve spends in the second position, because the passage to the ambient pressure reduces the suction power of the dust collector.

[0086] As mentioned above, the control unit 160 can also simultaneously (i.e., overlap for at least a period of time) actuate the trigger devices 470, 480 of the first valve device and the second valve device in response to the pre-separator dumping signal. This increases the pressure in both chambers of the pre-filter 200, thereby increasing the pressure in the separation tank. This pressure increase causes the hatch mechanism to open, and causes the dust collected inside the pre-separator tank to be discharged into the dust collector below the pre-separator. The pre-separator dumping signal can be obtained from the operator via some control input device (e.g., button). The pre-separator dumping signal can also be automatically and internally generated by the control unit based on a timer, etc.

[0087] As mentioned above, Figure 5C The operation 500 in which more than one valve device is placed in the filter cleaning position 430 simultaneously may be referred to as a dumping operation. It will be appreciated that the actuation of the trigger devices of the valve devices need not be synchronized. It is sufficient for two or more valves to have some overlap in being in their respective second positions, for example an overlap of greater than 0.5 seconds, preferably an overlap of between 0.5 seconds and 1.0 seconds.

[0088] The dumping operation functionality of the dust collector 100 complements the other features discussed herein, but can also be used alone without the other features discussed herein. In other words, disclosed herein is a dust collector 100 that includes at least a first valve device and a second valve device 400. These valve devices can be one of those valve devices discussed herein, or some other type of filter cleaning valve device known in the art. The dust collector also includes a pre-filter system having at least a first portion and a second portion arranged in the same pre-separator tank 120, wherein the first valve device is associated with the first portion of the pre-filter system and the second valve device is associated with the second portion of the pre-filter system. The pre-filter system can be a split filter type (having a single common sidewall), for example, such as FIG. 2A to FIG. 2F or FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C As shown in , or includes two or more separate pre-filter units, such as two conventional columnar pre-filters arranged in parallel and located in the same pre-separator tank 120.

[0089] Each valve assembly 400 is configured to generate a reverse air flow of the type discussed above that cleans the associated portion of the pre-filter system. The reverse air flow is generated in response to actuation of a respective trigger assembly 470, 480 configured to place the valve assembly in the pre-filter cleaning position. The actuation of the trigger assembly may be alternating, in which case only one valve is used for filter cleaning, or the actuation of the trigger assembly may be performed in a manner that overlaps in time, such as Figure 5CAs shown in, in this way, both the first valve device and the second valve device are placed in their corresponding pre-filter cleaning positions. The control unit 160 is preferably arranged to synchronously actuate the corresponding trigger devices 480 of the first valve device and the second valve device in response to the pre-separator dumping signal, so that the valves are opened and closed almost at the same time, which will produce a more effective dumping operation. However, the synchronous actuation of the valves is not necessary. In fact, asynchronous operation may be advantageous in some cases. Such as, keeping one valve open for a longer time compared with the other valve, wherein the overlap only occurs in a short time of less than about 1s. For example, both valves can be placed in the pre-filter cleaning position 430 initially, and then one of the valves can be controlled to return to the first position 420 again. It is also possible to initially control only one of the valves to enter the pre-filter cleaning position 430, and then control the other valve to enter the pre-filter cleaning position 430 to obtain a shorter overlap. The control unit can alternately control the valves that remain open for a longer time.

[0090] The trigger means may comprise manual control means 470 of the first and second valve means 400. These manual control means may be implemented as buttons mechanically connected to the valves, e.g. Figure 5A and Figure 5B The trigger means may also include an electrically actuated control device 480, in which case the control unit 160 may be arranged to actuate respective trigger means 480 of the first valve means and the second valve means with a time overlap 500 in response to the pre-separator dump signal.

[0091] According to some aspects, the dust collector 100 includes a control input device, such as a button or a switch, configured to generate a pre-separator dump signal. In this way, a user can manually operate the dust collector to empty dust from the pre-separator tank into a dust collector below. The control input device can be directly connected to the control unit 160 by wire, or form part of a human-machine interface (HMI), such as a display system, etc.

[0092] The control unit 160 is optionally configured to periodically generate a pre-separator dump signal so that the pre-separator tank is periodically emptied. The control unit 160 may also be configured to monitor the pressure difference and / or pressure difference accumulation between the ambient pressure P2 side of the valve device and the low pressure P3 side of the valve device 400, and trigger a dump operation 500 if the normal pre-filter cleaning operation is not sufficient to efficiently clean the pre-filter 200.

[0093] The valve device discussed herein is particularly suitable for use with FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A to FIG. 7BThe hatch mechanism 600 is used in conjunction with a hatch mechanism 600 of the type shown in . The mechanism comprises an aperture 610 having a perimeter 620 and at least three elongated blocking elements 640 pivotably attached at respective hinged ends 630 along the perimeter 620. Each blocking element has a distal end 635 arranged opposite to the hinged end 630 along the extension direction of the blocking element 640. Adjacent blocking elements 640 arranged along the perimeter 620 are connected by a foldable connecting member 660, which is arranged to guide the distal ends 635 to a common intersection point spaced apart from the plane where the aperture is located, whereby the blocking elements 640 are arranged to fold around the respective hinged ends 630 to a mutually supporting position to close the hatch mechanism 600.

[0094] The hatch mechanism 600 is generally an important part of the dust collector 100. The hatch is used when the pre-separator chamber is emptied into a dust collector disposed below the hatch (but in Figure 1A to Figure 1B The dust collector may be, for example, a detachable box-like structure or a plastic bag, such as the one mentioned above. Bagging System. If the hatch mechanism is used with a non-rigid plastic bag dust collector system, it is important that the dust bag cannot be sucked into the pre-separator chamber via the hatch. However, this does not mean that the hatch needs to be airtight during operation. Since many of the components may be made of soft materials such as rubber, the hatch mechanism can be made quite flexible. A soft hatch mechanism will not damage the dust bag, which is an advantage. Furthermore, the hatch mechanism 600 is shown as being opened when the pre-filter chamber is cleaned by actuating the valve arrangement discussed above, which is an advantage because it always keeps the amount of dust generated in the pre-separator tank low.

[0095] The present disclosure is directed, in part, to a hatch mechanism that closes to prevent a dust collector from being drawn into a pre-separator during operation while allowing easy emptying of dust into the dust collector.

[0096] refer to FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B and FIG. 7A to FIG. 7B , the mechanism comprises an orifice 610 with a perimeter 620 arranged in a plane. Through the orifice, the accumulated dust and slurry are dumped into a dust collector below the hatch mechanism. In order to empty the pre-separator chamber, the low operating pressure in the chamber is first increased, for example, by opening a duct to the outside atmosphere during filter cleaning, or by shutting down the blower device 150. The plane can be freely defined as a certain plane with the main emptying direction of the hatch as normal. It should be understood that the perimeter does not need to be completely aligned with the plane along the entire outer perimeter.

[0097] At least three elongated blocking elements 640 are pivotably attached at respective hinge ends 630 along the periphery 620. Each blocking element comprises a distal end 635 arranged opposite the hinge end along the extension direction of the blocking element 640. This means that each blocking element is connected to the periphery 620 in such a way that it can swing inwardly relative to the orifice.

[0098] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B An exemplary hatch mechanism 600 is shown in a closed position. Adjacent occluding elements 640 arranged along the perimeter 620 are connected by a foldable connecting member 660, which is configured to guide the distal ends 635 to a common intersection spaced apart from the plane where the orifice is located, whereby the occluding elements 640 are configured to fold around the corresponding hinged ends 630 to a mutually supporting position to close the hatch mechanism 600. Therefore, the occluding elements swing inwardly to a mutually supporting position, thereby forming an inverted cone or pyramid-shaped structure, wherein the distal ends meet at the tip. The occluding elements 640 can be implemented, for example, by a rigid or semi-rigid slat structure, such as a metal strip structure or an elongated plastic structure.

[0099] When the structure is subjected to a pressure gradient above the orifice, the blocking element 640 and the foldable connecting member 660 will be sucked towards the pre-separator chamber, i.e. in the direction towards the orifice 610. This causes the blocking element 640 to pivot, thereby closing the hatch, at least enough so that the dust bag is not sucked into the pre-separator chamber. When the low pressure in the pre-separator chamber is released, the blocking element 640 will no longer remain in the closed position, but will swing radially outwards, thereby opening the hatch, as shown in FIG. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B According to some aspects, the blocking element 640 is configured with a large weight to facilitate opening of the hatch by gravity.

[0100] The hatch mechanism is not rigid like other known hatch mechanisms based on metal covers, etc. On the contrary, the hatch can be made of an elastic material that moves and / or vibrates during operation (such as during the period when the pressure difference in the main chamber of the pre-separator decreases over time). This movement of the hatch mechanism prevents dust and slurry from forming a harder block that is difficult to empty. In addition, when the accumulated dust has enough weight to overcome the suction of the closed hatch, the hatch mechanism can allow dust and slurry to pass through the hatch mechanism even if there is a pressure gradient above the orifice. This means that the hatch mechanism disclosed herein can be automatically opened as needed to dump dust and slurry into a dust collector below the hatch. This automatic opening can occur, for example, when the pre-filter 120 is cleaned by reverse air thrust.

[0101] Figure 8The general components of the control unit 160 are schematically shown in the form of a number of functional units. The processing circuit 810 is provided using any combination of one or more of a suitable central processing unit CPU, a multiprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor DSP, etc., which is capable of executing software instructions stored in a computer program product in the form of, for example, a storage medium 830. The processing circuit 810 may also be provided as at least one application specific integrated circuit ASIC or a field programmable gate array FPGA.

[0102] Specifically, the processing circuit 810 is configured to cause the device 160 to perform a set of operations or steps, such as the method discussed herein. For example, the storage medium 830 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuit 810 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 830 to cause the device to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions. Therefore, the processing circuit 810 is thereby configured to perform the method as disclosed herein.

[0103] The storage medium 830 may also include persistent storage, which may be, for example, any one or combination of magnetic storage, optical storage, solid-state storage, or even remotely mounted storage.

[0104] The device 160 may also include an interface 820 for communicating with at least one external device. Thus, the interface 820 may include one or more transmitters and receivers, including analog and digital components and a suitable number of ports for wired or wireless communication.

[0105] The processing circuit 810 controls the general operation of the control unit 160 , such as sending data and control signals to the interface 820 and the storage medium 830 , receiving data and reports from the interface 820 , and retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 830 .

[0106] Fig. 9 A computer readable medium 910 carrying a computer program is shown, the computer program including program code means 920 for executing the above method and / or implementing the above various functions when the program product is run on a computer. The computer readable medium and the code means may together form a computer program product 900.

Claims

1. A pre-filter (200) for a heavy-duty dust collector (100), The pre-filter (200) comprises a filter aperture (210) and a filter sidewall (220), wherein: The sidewalls are configured to allow air flow to flow through the sidewalls and to prevent at least some particulate matter from passing through the sidewalls, wherein the filter sidewall (220) extends away from the filter aperture (210) and tapers inwardly toward a central axis (260) of the filter (200) to define a filter interior volume (V), Wherein, the pre-filter (200) is configured to hold a partition wall (230) in place in the filter inner volume (V) to divide the filter inner volume (V) into at least two parts.

2. The pre-filter (200) according to claim 1, wherein: The filter side wall (220) has any one of a cone, a truncated cone, a pyramid, and a truncated pyramid.

3. The pre-filter (200) according to claim 2, wherein: The filter side wall (220) forms an angle (α) relative to the central axis (260) of the pre-filter, and the angle is between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, preferably, the angle is 20 degrees.

4. The pre-filter (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein A first elastic seal (240) extends around the edge of the filter aperture (210), and a second elastic seal (250) is formed on the edge of the partition wall (230) that divides the filter aperture (210) into at least two parts.

5. The pre-filter (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The partition wall (230) is fixedly attached in the filter inner volume (V).

6. The pre-filter (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The pre-filter (200) comprises a partition wall retaining means, such as a groove (270), arranged to receive the partition wall (230) and releasably retain the partition wall in place within the filter interior volume (V).

7. The pre-filter (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The filter aperture (210) has a disc-like shape, and wherein the partition wall (230) is planar to separate the filter inner volume (V) and the filter aperture (210) into a first semi-disc-shaped portion and a second semi-disc-shaped portion.

8. The pre-filter (200) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein The height (H) of the filter measured along the central axis (260) is between 300 mm and 400 mm, and preferably, the height of the filter is 345 mm.

9. The pre-filter (200) according to any preceding claim, wherein: The thickness (W) of the filter side wall (210) is between 20 mm and 40 mm, and preferably, the thickness of the filter side wall is 30 mm.

10. The pre-filter (200) according to any preceding claim, wherein The partition wall (230) includes a reinforcement structure configured to resist deformation of the partition wall (230).

11. The pre-filter (200) according to claim 10, wherein: The reinforcement structure of the partition wall (230) includes ribs and / or a honeycomb structure.

12. The pre-filter (200) according to any preceding claim, wherein Portions of the filter sidewall (220) associated with the at least two portions have different filtering characteristics.

13. The pre-filter (200) according to any preceding claim, comprising a rotation guide member (300, 310, 320) arranged to guide axial rotation of the pre-filter (200) when the pre-filter (200) is inserted into a dust collector (100).

14. A dust collector (100) comprising a pre-filter (200) according to any preceding claim.

15. The dust collector (100) of claim 14, further comprising a hatch mechanism (600) comprising an aperture (610) having a perimeter (620), and At least three elongated blocking elements (640) are pivotally attached to the corresponding hinged ends (630) along the periphery (620), each blocking element comprising a distal end (635) arranged opposite to the hinged end (630) along the extension direction of the blocking element (640), wherein: Adjacent blocking elements (640) arranged along the periphery (620) are connected by a foldable connecting member (660), which is configured to guide the distal end (635) to a common intersection point spaced apart from the plane where the orifice is located, whereby the blocking elements (640) are configured to fold around the corresponding hinged ends (630) to a mutually supporting position to close the hatch mechanism (600).

16. The dust collector (100) according to claim 14 or 15, wherein: The filter inner volume (V) of the pre-filter (200) is divided into two parts, wherein each part is associated with a corresponding valve device (400), and the valve device (400) is arranged to connect the part of the filter inner volume (V) to the ambient pressure side of the valve device (400) when triggered.

17. The dust collector (100) according to claim 16, comprising a control unit (160) configured to trigger the valves of the two valve devices (400) to open alternately to clean each filter portion successively and sequentially.

18. The dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 14 to 17, comprising a hatch mechanism (600) arranged between a pre-separator (120) of the dust collector (100) and a dust collector of the dust collector, wherein: The hatch mechanism (600) is at least partially made of elastic material.

19. A pre-filter (200) for a heavy-duty dust collector (100), comprising a rotation guide member (300, 310, 320) configured to guide axial rotation (R) of the pre-filter (200) when the pre-filter (200) is inserted into the dust collector (100).

20. The pre-filter (200) according to claim 19, wherein: The rotation guide member comprises protrusions (310, 320) arranged to engage corresponding recesses on the dust collector (100).

21. The pre-filter (200) according to claim 19 or 20, wherein: The rotation guide member comprises a recess or notch (310) arranged to engage a corresponding protrusion on the dust collector (100).

22. The pre-filter (200) according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein: The rotation guide member includes a visual indication that directs the pre-filter to rotate about the central axis (260) of the pre-filter.

23. A dust collector (100), comprising a pre-filter (200) according to any one of claims 19 to 22 and comprising a cover (101), wherein the cover is arranged so that when the pre-filter is not accurately rotated to a predetermined position around the central axis (260), the cover cannot enter a closed position.

24. A valve device (400) configured to generate a reverse air flow to clean a pre-filter (200) for a heavy-duty dust collector (100), the valve device comprising: The main valve closing body (410) is arranged to move between a first position (420) and a second position (430), wherein, in the first position (420), the main valve closure body (410) is arranged to seal a passage (440) between an ambient pressure (P2) side and a low pressure (P3) side of the valve device (400), wherein, in the second position (430), the main valve closing body (410) is arranged to seal a passage (450) between the low pressure (P3) side of the valve device (400) and the suction duct (140, P4), The valve device (400) further comprises: a control body (460) connected to the main valve closing body (410) so that the position of the main valve closing body (410) is determined by the position of the control body (460), a control chamber (461) defined in part by the control body (460), whereby the volume of the control chamber (461) is variable relative to the position of the control body (460), and a control chamber valve (462) having an open state and a closed state for regulating the pressure (P1) in the control chamber, Wherein, the state of the control chamber valve (462) is determined by a trigger device (470, 480).

25. The valve device (400) according to claim 24, in, The control chamber (461) is fluidically connected to the low pressure (P3) side via a connecting passage (463) provided with a connecting passage orifice (464), and Wherein, the control chamber valve (462) is configured with an orifice that is larger than the connecting passage orifice (464), so that the control chamber valve (462) is arranged to overcome the connecting passage (463) when in the open state.

26. The valve device (400) according to claim 24 or 25, wherein: The trigger device includes a manual control device (470) configured to force the control chamber valve (462) into the open state.

27. The valve device (400) according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein: The trigger device includes an electrically actuated control device (480) configured to force the control chamber valve (462) into the open state in response to a wired or wireless control signal.

28. The valve device (400) according to claim 27, wherein: The electrically actuated control device (480) includes an electromagnet arranged to engage a member of magnetic material (485) on a control rod attached to the control chamber valve (462).

29. The valve device (400) according to claim 28, wherein: The magnetic material member (485) is a permanent magnet having polarity, wherein the electromagnet is configured to be able to reverse polarity to attract and repel the magnetic material member (485).

30. The valve device (400) according to any one of claims 27 to 29, wherein: The electrically actuated control device (480) is enclosed in a seal configured to prevent foreign particles from interacting with the control device (480).

31. The valve device (400) according to any one of claims 24 to 30, wherein: The low pressure (P3) side is associated with the pressure in the inner volume (V) of the pre-filter (200), and wherein the ambient pressure side (P2) is associated with atmospheric pressure.

32. The valve device (400) according to any one of claims 24 to 31, wherein: The control chamber valve (462) has an orifice area that is at least twice the orifice area of ​​the connecting passage orifice (464).

33. The valve device (400) according to any one of claims 24 to 32, wherein: The control chamber valve (462) is configured with a circular orifice having a diameter between 10mm-20mm and preferably about 15mm, and wherein the connecting passage (464) has a circular orifice having a diameter between 2mm-5mm and preferably between 3mm-4mm.

34. A dust collector (100) comprising at least one valve device (400) according to any one of claims 24 to 33.

35. A dust collector (100) according to claim 34, comprising at least a first valve device and a second valve device (400), and comprising a control unit (160) arranged to actuate a trigger device (470, 480) of the first valve device and a trigger device of the second valve device, wherein: The control unit (160) is configured to alternately actuate the trigger device (470, 480) of the first valve device and the trigger device (470, 480) of the second valve device.

36. The dust collector (100) according to claim 35, wherein: During use of the dust collector, each valve is repeatedly placed in the second position for 0.7 seconds to 1.0 seconds and then placed in the first position for about 15 seconds to 20 seconds.

37. A dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 34 to 36, comprising at least a first valve device and a second valve device (400), and comprising a control unit (160) arranged to actuate a trigger device (470, 480) of the first valve device and a trigger device of the second valve device, wherein: The control unit (160) is arranged to actuate the trigger means (470, 480) of the first valve means and the trigger means of the second valve means in a time-overlapping manner in response to a pre-separator dump signal.

38. The dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 34 to 37, further comprising: A hatch mechanism (600), the mechanism comprising an aperture (610) having a perimeter (620); as well as at least three elongated blocking elements (640) pivotably attached to the corresponding hinged ends (630) along the periphery (620), each blocking element comprising a distal end (635) arranged opposite to the hinged end (630) along the extension direction of the blocking element (640), Wherein, the adjacent blocking elements (640) arranged along the periphery (620) are connected by a foldable connecting member (660), and the foldable connecting member is configured to guide the distal end (635) to a common intersection spaced apart from the plane where the orifice is located, whereby the blocking elements (640) are configured to fold around the corresponding hinged ends (630) to a mutually supporting position to close the hatch mechanism (600).

39. A dust collector cover (101) for a heavy-duty dust collector (100), the cover (101) comprising a valve device (400) configured to generate a reverse air flow to clean a pre-filter (200) of the heavy-duty dust collector (100), in, The dust collector cover (101) extends in a cover plane (102), The valve device (400) comprises: A main valve closing body (410) is arranged to move between a first position (420) and a second position (430) in a direction transverse to or perpendicular to the cover plane (102), wherein, in the first position (420), the main valve closure body (410) is arranged to seal a passage (440) between an ambient pressure (P2) side and a low pressure (P3) side of the valve device (400), wherein, in the second position (430), the main valve closing body (410) is arranged to seal the low pressure (P3) side of the valve device (400) and the suction duct (140, P4) between the channels (450).

40. The dust collector cover (101) according to claim 39, wherein: The suction duct (140) is arranged on the pre-filter side of the cover plane (102), wherein the suction duct (140) includes a seat portion (145), and the main valve closing body (410) is arranged against the seat portion to seal the channel (450) between the low pressure (P3) side of the valve device (400) and the suction duct (140), wherein the main valve closing body (410) separates the seat portion (145) from the cover plane (102).

41. The dust collector cover (101) according to claim 39 or 40, wherein: The suction duct (140) extends beyond the orifice plane of the pre-filter (200).

42. The dust collector cover (101) according to any one of claims 39 to 41, is provided with a structure such as a protrusion, which is configured to prevent the cover from closing when the pre-filter is inserted in a position where it cannot be properly rotated around the central axis of the pre-filter.

43. A dust collector (100) comprising at least a first valve device and a second valve device (400) and comprising a pre-separator tank (120) having a pre-filter system, in, The pre-filter system comprises at least a first part and a second part, wherein each valve device (400) generates a reverse air flow to clean an associated portion of the pre-filter system in response to actuation of a corresponding trigger device (470, 480) configured to place the valve device in a pre-filter cleaning position, wherein the first valve arrangement is associated with cleaning of the first portion of the pre-filter system and the second valve arrangement is associated with cleaning of the second portion of the pre-filter system, In which, the actuation of the trigger device can be performed alternately, in which way only one of the first valve device and the second valve device is placed in the pre-filter cleaning position, or, the actuation of the trigger device is performed in a time-overlapping manner, in which way both the first valve device and the second valve device are placed in corresponding pre-filter cleaning positions.

44. The dust collector (100) according to claim 43, wherein: The pre-filter system includes a pre-filter (200) having a filter aperture (210) and a filter sidewall (220), wherein the sidewall is configured to allow air flow to flow through the sidewall and to prevent at least some particulate matter from passing through the sidewall, wherein the filter sidewall (220) extends away from the filter aperture (210) and tapers inwardly toward a central axis (260) of the filter (200) to define a filter interior volume (V), Wherein, the pre-filter (200) is configured to hold a partition wall (230) in place in the filter inner volume (V) to separate the filter inner volume (V) into the first portion and the second portion.

45. The dust collector (100) according to claim 43, wherein: The pre-filter system includes two separate pre-filters constituting the first portion and the second portion.

46. ​​The dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 43 to 45, comprising a control unit (160), wherein: The trigger device comprises an electrically actuated control device (480), wherein the control unit (160) is arranged to actuate the respective trigger devices (470, 480) of the first valve device and the second valve device in a time-overlapping (500) manner in response to a pre-separator dump signal.

47. The dust collector (100) according to claim 46, wherein: The control unit (160) is arranged to synchronously actuate respective trigger means (470, 480) of the first valve means and the second valve means in response to the pre-separator dump signal.

48. The dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 46 to 47, comprising a control input device, wherein the control input device is configured to generate the pre-separator dump signal in response to a user control input.

49. The dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 46 to 49, wherein: The control unit (160) is configured to internally and periodically generate the pre-separator dump signal.

50. The dust collector (100) according to any one of claims 43 to 49, wherein: The trigger device comprises a manual control device (470) configured to actuate the first valve device and the second valve device (400).

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