A conical twin-screw extruder

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of bulking processing, and provides a conical double-screw bulking machine. The conical double-screw bulking machine comprises a base, a driving assembly arranged on the base, a bulking assembly comprising a barrel and a pair of mutually meshed and opposite-rotation screws, the axes of the two screws are mutually close along a discharging direction, and the axes are connected with the driving assembly; the inner wall of the barrel is attached to the edges of the two screws; a temperature control assembly is arranged outside the bulking assembly and is used for controlling the temperature inside the barrel; and a discharging assembly is arranged at the discharging end of the bulking assembly and is used for dividing the material extruded by the bulking assembly into particles of different specifications. The pressure gradient formed by the conical structure of the conical double-screw bulking machine is more smooth, the material bulking is more sufficient, and the product palatability is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of puffing processing, and in particular to a conical twin-screw puffer. Background Technology

[0002] Extruders are commonly used processing equipment in food processing, feed production, and other fields. They expand materials by applying pressure and heat. Currently, common extruders mainly include single-screw extruders and parallel twin-screw extruders. Single-screw extruders rely on a single screw rotating inside the barrel to push the material forward and gradually compress it to create the pressure required for processing. Parallel twin-screw extruders, on the other hand, use two parallel screws that mesh and rotate to achieve material conveying, mixing, and extrusion. The internal space of their barrels is usually kept uniform or has a slightly varying structure.

[0003] In existing single-screw extruders, the gap between the screw and the barrel changes with the state of the material, causing pressure fluctuations within the barrel and making it difficult to establish a stable pressure gradient. While parallel twin-screw extruders improve material conveying stability through the meshing of the two screws, the parallel axes of the two screws result in minimal change in the internal volume of the barrel from the feed end to the discharge end, leading to a relatively uniform pressure distribution. The overall pressure level is primarily controlled by adjusting the screw speed.

[0004] The aforementioned existing technologies have shortcomings in terms of pressure gradient adaptability. Single-screw extruders, due to large pressure fluctuations, cannot meet the precise requirements of gradually increasing pressure during the extrusion process, easily leading to insufficient or excessive extrusion. Parallel twin-screw extruders, lacking a clear pressure gradient, struggle to achieve ideal extrusion results for materials requiring gradual pressure increase to achieve molecular structure recombination. This inadequate pressure adaptability is particularly pronounced when processing multi-component compound materials, affecting the palatability of the final product. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, this application aims to propose a conical twin-screw extruder to solve the above-mentioned technical problems and meet the pressure adaptability requirements of extruder production.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this application is implemented as follows: A conical twin-screw extruder, comprising: Base; The drive assembly is mounted on the base. An extrusion assembly includes a cylinder and a pair of meshing screws with opposite directions of rotation; the axes of the two screws are close to each other along the discharge direction and are both connected to the drive assembly; the inner wall of the cylinder is in contact with the edges of the two screws; A temperature control component is disposed outside the puffing component and is used to control the temperature inside the cylinder. The feeding component is located at the discharge end of the puffing component and is used to divide the material extruded by the puffing component into particles of different sizes.

[0007] Furthermore, the cylinder is composed of multiple short pipe segments spliced ​​together, and the short pipe segments are covered with a sleeve. There is a cavity between the sleeve and the outer wall of the short pipe segment, and the cavity is connected to the temperature control component. The puffing assembly also includes a feeding valve, which is connected to the inside of the short pipe located at the feed end of the cylinder.

[0008] Furthermore, the driving component includes: A drive motor is mounted on the base. A coupling connected to the power output shaft of the drive motor; The speed reducer has its input end connected to the coupling and its output end connected to the two screws respectively.

[0009] Furthermore, the reducer is a dual-output-shaft reducer with opposite directions.

[0010] Furthermore, the temperature control component includes: A circulating pump is mounted on the base, with its input end connected to the heating medium container. The circulation pipeline includes a main pipe connected to the circulation pump and a plurality of branch pipes connecting the cavity and the main pipe, wherein the branch pipes return to the heating medium container after being merged. A thermometer is mounted on the sleeve, with its measuring end located inside the cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the feeding assembly includes: A frame is mounted on the base and located at the discharge end of the puffing assembly; The feeding motor is movably mounted on the frame.

[0012] Furthermore, multiple ear plates are symmetrically arranged on the side of the base.

[0013] Compared with existing technologies, the conical twin-screw extruder proposed in this application has the following advantages: (1) The base provides stable support for the whole machine, ensuring the structural stability of the equipment during operation; the drive component provides power to the screw, driving it to rotate stably; in the puffing component, the screws with opposite rotation directions and axes close to each other along the discharge direction cooperate with the cylinder to form a stable pressure gradient during material conveying, enhancing the shearing and mixing effect on the material, and with the temperature control component to control the temperature, the material is fully puffed; the feeding component can divide the puffed material into particles of different specifications, which improves the stability of puffing processing and the consistency of product quality.

[0014] (2) The present application uses a structure in which the cylinder is spliced ​​from multiple short pipes, which makes it easy to replace some of the short pipes according to processing needs, and also makes it easy to clean and maintain; the cavity outside the short pipe is connected to the temperature control component, which can achieve precise temperature control of different sections of the cylinder through the temperature control medium, adapting to the temperature requirements of materials at different processing stages; the feeding valve can control the amount of material entering the cylinder, avoid the cavity from being blocked or insufficient feeding, ensure stable feeding, and improve processing efficiency.

[0015] (3) This application provides initial power to the system through a drive motor. The coupling buffers vibration and reduces wear of components when transmitting torque. The reducer converts the high speed of the motor into the low speed required by the screw and increases the torque, ensuring that the screw can stably output sufficient power to push and squeeze the material, thus ensuring the continuity and stability of the material conveying and squeezing process.

[0016] (4) By selecting a counter-rotating dual-output shaft reducer, this application can directly drive two screws to rotate in opposite directions without the need for an additional reversing structure, which simplifies the layout of the transmission system. At the same time, it ensures that the two screws rotate in opposite directions and match their speeds, making the shearing and pushing action at the screw meshing point more stable, which is conducive to the uniform mixing of materials and the formation of pressure gradient.

[0017] (5) This application uses a circulating pump to pump the heating medium into the circulating pipeline. The main pipe and branch pipes work together to allow the medium to flow into the cavities of different short pipes, thereby achieving temperature regulation of different sections of the cylinder. The thermometer monitors the temperature of the medium in the cavity in real time, which makes it easier for operators to accurately control the internal temperature of the cylinder, ensuring that the material completes expansion in a suitable temperature environment and improving the stability of product quality.

[0018] (6) This application provides stable support for the feeding motor through the frame; the feeding motor can move on the frame, which makes it easy to adjust the distance between the cutter and the discharge port. With the motor speed adjustment, the puffed material can be cut into particles of different specifications, ensuring that the particle length is consistent and meeting the diverse product requirements.

[0019] (7) The application facilitates equipment hoisting through the symmetrical ear plate structure on the side of the base. The hoisting device can lift the whole machine smoothly through the ear plate. The symmetrical layout makes the base evenly stressed during hoisting, avoids the equipment from tilting or colliding during hoisting, protects the components from damage, improves the safety and convenience of hoisting operation, and facilitates equipment transportation or position adjustment. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the conical twin-screw extruder described in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the extrusion component described in an embodiment of this application, parallel to the discharge direction. Figure 3 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the extrusion component described in an embodiment of this application, perpendicular to the discharge direction.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Base; 101. Ear plate; 2. Drive assembly; 201. Drive motor; 202. Coupling; 203. Reducer; 3. Extrusion assembly; 301. Cylinder; 302. Screw; 303. Feeding valve; 4. Temperature control assembly; 401. Circulation pump; 402. Circulation pipeline; 403. Thermometer; 5. Feeding assembly; 501. Frame; 502. Feeding motor. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the technical solution and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0023] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0024] Furthermore, it should be noted that in the description of this application, if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" appear, indicating orientation or positional relationship, these are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In addition, if terms such as "first" or "second" appear, they are also used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "connector" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in light of the specific circumstances.

[0026] In this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0027] The present application will now be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that, without further description, elements, structures, and features in one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments.

[0028] This application provides a conical twin-screw extruder, which is applied in the field of extrusion processing and is mainly used to improve the degree of material extrusion and enhance the palatability of the product.

[0029] Existing extruders suffer from deficiencies in pressure gradient adaptability. Single-screw extruders, due to large pressure fluctuations, cannot meet the precise requirements of materials for gradual pressure increases during the extrusion process, easily leading to insufficient or excessive extrusion. Parallel twin-screw extruders, lacking a clear pressure gradient, struggle to achieve ideal extrusion results for materials requiring gradual pressure increases to achieve molecular structure recombination. This inadequate pressure adaptability is particularly pronounced when processing multi-component compound materials, impacting the quality stability of the final product.

[0030] In view of this, in order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, referring to Figure 1 The conical twin-screw extruder in this embodiment includes a base 1, a drive assembly 2, an extrusion assembly 3, a temperature control assembly 4, and a feeding assembly 5.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 The base 1 serves as the installation foundation for the entire machine, supporting the drive assembly 2, the expansion assembly 3, the temperature control assembly 4, and the feeding assembly 5. It can be made of cast iron or welded steel plate box-type support structure to ensure sufficient structural strength and stability and avoid excessive vibration during equipment operation.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 The drive component 2 is used to provide power to the puffing component 3. It can use an electric motor as a power source and transmit power to the puffing component 3 through a transmission structure to drive the puffing component 3 to operate.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The puffing component 3 is the core part for material puffing, including a cylinder 301 and screws 302. The cylinder 301 has a hollow structure, and its inner wall contour fits against the edges of the two screws 302, forming a closed extrusion cavity. The two screws 302 mesh with each other and rotate in opposite directions, rotating synchronously under the drive of the drive component 2; at the same time, the axes of the two screws 302 gradually approach each other along the discharge direction, so that the cavity volume formed between the two screws 302 and the cylinder 301 gradually decreases from the feed end to the discharge end. When the material enters the cavity, it is continuously conveyed forward by the pushing and meshing action of the screws 302, and is subjected to gradually increasing extrusion pressure due to the shrinking cavity volume, forming a stable pressure gradient; the screws 302 rotating in opposite directions generate shearing and stirring action on the material during the meshing process, making the material more uniformly mixed. With subsequent temperature control, the internal moisture of the material can be vaporized and puffing can be completed.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 The temperature control component 4 can adopt a structure of circulating heat transfer medium. By contacting or communicating with the outside of the cylinder 301, it can regulate the temperature inside the cylinder 301, so that the material can complete the expansion reaction in a suitable temperature environment and ensure stable expansion effect.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 The feeding component 5 is located at the discharge end of the extrusion component 3, which can cut the continuously extruded extruded material into particles of different lengths or specifications to meet different product requirements.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cylinder 301 is composed of multiple short pipe sections spliced ​​together. Adjacent short pipes can be connected by flanges or bolts. This splicing structure facilitates the replacement of some short pipes according to different processing requirements, and also facilitates the cleaning and maintenance of the inside of the cylinder 301. The cavity formed between the sleeve covering the outside of the short pipe and the outer wall of the short pipe can be used to contain the heat transfer medium.

[0037] After the temperature control component 4 is connected to the cavity, the heat transfer medium can flow in the cavity and regulate the temperature of the short tubes through heat exchange, thereby controlling the temperature inside the cylinder 301. Since the cylinder 301 is spliced ​​from multiple short tubes, the temperature control medium parameters in the outer cavities of different short tubes can be controlled to achieve precise temperature control of different sections of the cylinder 301, adapting to the temperature requirements of materials at different processing stages.

[0038] Reference Figure 1 The puffing component 3 also includes a feeding valve 303, which can be a gate valve or a ball valve. It is connected to the inside of the short pipe at the feed end of the cylinder 301. By adjusting the opening of the feeding valve 303, the amount of material entering the cylinder 301 can be controlled to avoid excessive material causing blockage of the cavity or insufficient material affecting processing efficiency and ensuring stable feeding.

[0039] Reference Figure 1 The drive motor 201 in the drive assembly 2 can be an asynchronous motor or a servo motor, which is fixed on the base 1 and provides initial power for the entire drive system.

[0040] The coupling 202 is connected between the power output shaft of the drive motor 201 and the input end of the reducer 203. It can be an elastic coupling 202, which can buffer the vibration between the drive motor 201 and the reducer 203 while transmitting torque, reduce the wear of components caused by vibration, and ensure the smoothness of power transmission.

[0041] The input end of the reducer 203 is connected to the drive motor 201 via a coupling 202, and the output end is connected to the two screws respectively. Its function is to convert the high speed of the drive motor 201 into the low speed required by the screws and increase the output torque to meet the power requirements of the screws to squeeze and push the material, ensuring that the screws can stably drive the material movement. The reducer 203 can be a counter-rotating dual-output shaft reducer, with its two output shafts rotating in opposite directions and connected to the two screws 302 respectively. When the drive motor 201 transmits power to the reducer 203 via the coupling 202, the counter-rotating dual-output shaft reducer can directly drive the two screws 302 to rotate in opposite directions. This structure ensures that the two screws rotate in opposite directions and match their speeds, ensuring stable shearing and pushing action at the screw meshing point, which is beneficial to the uniform mixing of materials and the formation of pressure gradients.

[0042] Reference Figure 1The circulating pump 401 in the temperature control component 4 can be a gear pump or a centrifugal pump. It is mounted on the base 1, and its input end is connected to the heating medium container. It is used to draw the heating medium, such as heat transfer oil or hot water, from the container and pump it into the circulating pipeline 402. The main pipe of the circulating pipeline 402 is connected to the output end of the circulating pump 401. Multiple branch pipes are connected to the main pipe and the cavities outside each short pipe, so that the heating medium can enter the cavities of different short pipes through the branch pipes, exchange heat with the short pipes, and then return to the heating medium container through the branch pipes to form a circulation. This pipeline layout can ensure that the cavity of each short pipe receives sufficient heating medium, thereby achieving temperature regulation of different sections of the cylinder 301. The thermometer 403 can use a thermocouple or a resistance temperature detector as the detection element. It is set on the sleeve and the measuring end extends into the cavity to monitor the temperature of the heating medium in the cavity in real time. The operator can adjust the flow rate of the circulating pump 401 or the temperature of the heating medium according to the reading of the thermometer 403, thereby accurately controlling the temperature inside the cylinder 301 and ensuring stable material expansion conditions.

[0043] Reference Figure 1 The frame 501 of the feeding assembly 5 can be welded from structural steel and fixed to the base 1. Located at the discharge end of the puffing assembly 3, it provides mounting support for the feeding motor 502. The feeding motor 502 can be a stepper motor, which is movably mounted on the frame 501 via a slide rail or lead screw structure. The output shaft of the feeding motor 502 can be connected to the cutter. By adjusting the position of the feeding motor 502 on the frame 501, the distance between the cutter and the discharge port of the puffing assembly 3 can be changed, thereby adjusting the length of the cut material particles. At the same time, the speed of the feeding motor 502 is adjustable to adapt to different discharge speeds and ensure the consistency of particle size.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 Multiple ear plates 101 symmetrically arranged on the side of the base 1 can be welded to the base 1 using steel plates. Lifting holes can be provided on the ear plates 101. During equipment transportation, installation, or maintenance, the hooks of the lifting device can engage with the lifting holes of the ear plates 101 to achieve stable lifting of the entire machine. Because the ear plates 101 are symmetrically arranged, the base 1 is subjected to uniform force during lifting, preventing tilting or collisions during the lifting process, protecting the equipment components from damage, and improving the safety and convenience of lifting operations. This also facilitates the transfer or repositioning of the equipment between different locations.

[0045] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The technical features or structures in the foregoing different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined to form other specific technical solutions as needed. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A conical twin-screw extruder, characterized in that, include: Base (1); A drive component (2) is disposed on the base (1); The puffing assembly (3) includes a cylinder (301) and a pair of intermeshing screws (302) with opposite directions of rotation; the axes of the two screws (302) are close to each other along the discharge direction and are both connected to the drive assembly (2); the inner wall of the cylinder (301) is in contact with the edges of the two screws (302); A temperature control component (4) is disposed outside the puffing component (3) and is used to control the temperature inside the cylinder (301); The feeding component (5) is set at the discharge end of the puffing component (3) and is used to divide the material extruded by the puffing component (3) into particles of different specifications.

2. The conical twin-screw extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cylinder (301) is composed of multiple short pipes spliced ​​together. The short pipes are covered with a sleeve. There is a cavity between the sleeve and the outer wall of the short pipe. The cavity is connected to the temperature control component (4). The puffing assembly (3) also includes a feeding valve (303), which is connected to the inside of the short pipe located at the feed end of the cylinder (301).

3. The conical twin-screw extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving component (2) includes: A drive motor (201) is mounted on the base (1); The coupling (202) is connected to the power output shaft of the drive motor (201); The reducer (203) has its input end connected to the coupling (202) and its output end connected to the two screws (302) respectively.

4. A conical twin-screw extruder according to claim 3, characterized in that, The reducer (203) is a dual-output-shaft reducer with opposite directions.

5. A conical twin-screw extruder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The temperature control component (4) includes: A circulating pump (401) is mounted on the base (1), and its input end is connected to the heating medium container; The circulation pipeline (402) includes a main pipe connected to the circulation pump (401) and a plurality of branch pipes connecting the cavity and the main pipe, the branch pipes returning to the heating medium container after converging; A thermometer (403) is mounted on the sleeve, with its measuring end located inside the cavity.

6. A conical twin-screw extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding assembly (5) includes: The frame (501) is mounted on the base (1) and located at the discharge end of the puffing component (3); The feeding motor (502) is movably mounted on the frame (501).

7. A conical twin-screw extruder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (1) has multiple ear plates (101) symmetrically arranged on its side.

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