PRESS UNIT AND VEHICLE WITH A PRESS UNIT

Abstract

Pressing unit (22) for pressing waste material, in particular mineral wool, the pressing unit (22) comprising: • an input section (24) into which unpressed waste material (26) can be input, • a pressing device (38) for compressing the input waste material (26) in portions into individual bales (47), • an output section (28) at which the bales (47) can be output, and • a wrapping device (46) arranged functionally between the pressing device (38) and the output section (28), which is designed to cover at least one bale (47) output by the pressing device (38) with a substantially dust-tight cover (48), characterized by • a transport device (44) arranged operatively between the pressing device (38) and the wrapping device (46), which is designed to transport at least one bale (47) in a direction from the pressing device (38) to the wrapping device (46), and • a tying device (42) which is functionally arranged between the pressing device (38) and the wrapping device (46), which is designed to combine a plurality of compressed bales (47) and to feed them to the wrapping device (46) as a bale package (47), and in that the wrapping device (46) is designed to cover all the bales of a bale package (47) with a common cover (48), wherein the pressing device (38) and the wrapping device (46) and preferably also the transport device (44) and / or the tying device (42) are accommodated in a common housing (32) of the pressing unit (22), wherein the housing (32) has an input opening (34) which belongs to the input section (24) and has an output opening (36) which belongs to the output section (28).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a pressing unit for compressing waste material, in particular mineral wool, wherein the pressing unit comprises an input section for inputting uncompressed waste material, a pressing device for compressing the input waste material in portions, and an output section for discharging the compressed waste material. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle having such a pressing unit.

[0002] The compaction of waste material is a widely known technique for reducing the volume and thus improving the manageability and transportability of the waste material to be processed. Compaction usually takes place where the waste material is generated, e.g., on a construction site or at a waste collection point. After compaction, the compressed material can be transported to a landfill or further processing station using a suitable vehicle. Some compaction units are transportable as a single unit and can be transported, for example, on a semi-trailer. However, due to the weight and size of the compaction unit, such transports are associated with considerable effort and require, in particular, special transport vehicles such as low-loaders or heavy-duty transporters, etc.

[0003] Waste materials may contain substances that are hazardous to health or the environment and require special treatment during processing and storage. For example, during the processing and transport of mineral wool waste, the release of mineral wool fibers or dust into the environment or contact with humans must be avoided. Therefore, special packaging materials are required for such waste, such as special tear-resistant garbage bags. However, such packaging regularly tears during compaction in a conventional compacting device, and the release of waste material or dust from the waste material can hardly be prevented.To overcome this problem, a device for processing mineral wool waste is known, for example, from EP 2 465 673 A2. Dust generated during the compression of mineral wool can be extracted by an extraction device and disposed of separately. Although this method can remove some of the material released during compression, it does not prevent subsequent contact of the waste material with humans or the environment, particularly after the compressed waste material has left the compression unit and is transported, for example, to a landfill. From JP H10 - 323 798 A, DE 36 33 219 A1, JP 2008 - 030 946 A, JP 2009 - 189 922 A and JP H05 - 269 598 A, pressing units for pressing waste material with the features of the preamble of claim 1 are known.

[0004] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a press unit for compressing waste material, in particular mineral wool, which effectively reduces the release of waste material into the environment and the contact of waste material with humans. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a mobile and compact press unit that operates economically and is easy to operate.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present invention, these objects are achieved by a pressing unit of the generic type, in which a wrapping device is provided which is functionally arranged between the pressing device and the output section and is designed to encase at least one bale output from the pressing device in a substantially dust-tight covering. According to an important feature of the present invention, a wrapping device which packages at least one pressed bale in a covering and thus prevents waste material from escaping into the environment is thus arranged between the pressing device and the output section, i.e. is integrated into the pressing unit. The pressed material is thus packaged in a substantially dust-tight manner before being output from the pressing unit and thus before being transferred to another transport device, a crane or an operator.The bales wrapped in this way are not only easy to handle and transport, but at the same time effectively prevent any environmental or health hazards caused by the waste material.

[0006] The wrapping device preferably has a film inlet for feeding a film material and a wrapping device for wrapping the at least one bale with the film material. By wrapping the at least one bale with a film, in particular a plastic film, stretch film, etc., a substantially dust-tight wrap can be produced at low cost and in a simple work step. The wrapping device is preferably configured to cover the at least one bale essentially on all sides and completely with the wrap, so that any material escape from the wrap is reliably prevented and sufficiently safe and convenient handling of the compressed bales is enabled, even for waste materials that are particularly hazardous to health or the environment.

[0007] Functionally, a transport device is arranged between the pressing device and the wrapping device, which is designed to transport at least one bale in one direction from the pressing device to the wrapping device. This enables, in particular, an automated transfer of the at least one bale from the pressing device to the wrapping device, so that human intervention or an external transport device, which in turn would pose the risk of environmental contamination by the waste material, can be completely avoided. Furthermore, functionally, a tying device is arranged between the pressing device and the wrapping device, which can, for example, be part of the aforementioned transport device or can have such a transport device.The tying device is designed to combine a plurality of compressed bales and feed them to the wrapping device as a bale package, wherein the wrapping device is designed to wrap all bales of a bale package with a common wrap. By combining several compressed bales into one bale package and enclosing the entire bale package with a common wrap, the effectiveness of the device and the subsequent transport process can be increased and material for the wrap can be saved. Particularly with highly compressible waste material, the overall size of a bale compressed by a respective pressing process is limited and by combining several compressed bales, a bale package can be created which has a size optimized for subsequent transport.If desired, the plurality of bales of a bale package can be fixed to one another before being covered with the cover by a fixing device, preferably with a yarn, alternatively with a wire, band, rope or the like, so that elastic expansion forces in the material are at least partially absorbed by the fixing and the material requirement for the cover can thus be reduced.

[0008] The pressing device and the wrapping device, as well as any other devices of the pressing unit (e.g., transport device and / or tying device), are housed in a common housing. A common housing provides additional protection from the external environment against the escape of waste material during pressing and / or during the application of the sleeve. The housing has an input opening belonging to the input section and an output opening belonging to the output section, so that the housing is essentially closed except for the input opening and the output opening, and the waste material only leaves the housing again once it is safely enclosed in the dust-tight sleeve and there is no longer any risk of contamination.

[0009] Preferably, the pressing unit further comprises a vacuum holding device configured to remove dust generated by the pressing unit. Such a vacuum holding device, which may, for example, comprise a suction arrangement arranged near the pressing device, further reduces environmental pollution by dust from the waste material and, in particular, reduces the risk of operators inhaling hazardous dust. In particular, in conjunction with the aforementioned common housing of the pressing unit, a vacuum holding device can be used particularly effectively if an interior of the housing is maintained under negative pressure and extracted dust is cleaned by a filter of the vacuum holding device.Therefore, even if the housing is not optimally sealed, the vacuum holding device effectively prevents waste material or dust from the waste material from escaping from the housing into the environment.

[0010] Furthermore, a collecting device can be provided, which is designed to catch any pieces of material that are detached and fall during the pressing process and / or the wrapping process. In this context, detached and falling pieces of material are understood to be parts of the waste material that are not in the form of dust, but rather contain larger pieces that fall to the ground due to gravity. Using a suitable catching device, such as a tray or the like, the collecting device can then catch such pieces of material and dispose of them separately or return them to the processing cycle.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressing unit further comprises a loading device configured to receive uncompressed waste material and feed it to the input section and / or configured to remove at least one bale discharged at the output section. In this way, no external operating device, such as an additional mobile crane or the like, is required, and the pressing unit can have a loading device specifically adapted to the task of loading and unloading the pressing unit.

[0012] Furthermore, the pressing unit preferably has a power supply device configured to supply operating power to at least the pressing device and the enveloping device. Such an arrangement follows the concept that the devices of the pressing unit are integrated into a single structural unit, allowing important structural and functional elements, such as the power supply device or support elements, housing elements, etc., to be shared. In particular, a single power supply device preferably supplies all energy-consuming devices of the pressing unit.The transfer of energy in the form of electrical or mechanical energy from one device to the next is of course not excluded, so that the energy supply device may be directly connected to only one of the devices in an energy-transmitting manner and energy is transferred from this device to the other devices in the form of electrical or mechanical energy.

[0013] The power supply device can be a diesel or gasoline generator. Alternatively, the power supply device can be powered by batteries, a fuel cell, or another energy source.

[0014] According to the invention, the pressing unit is designed as a structural unit and, as such, is preferably mobile, so that it can be transported to a site of use, for example, a construction site or a waste collection point, with little effort. Preferably, the pressing unit is designed as part of a vehicle or is transportable on a vehicle. Road vehicles (especially trucks) are particularly considered here.

[0015] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is further provided comprising a pressing unit of the type described above in the first aspect of the invention. This vehicle is preferably a road vehicle, such as a semi-trailer for a tractor or a truck, but may alternatively be configured as a rail vehicle.

[0016] Particularly preferably, the vehicle is constructed such that it does not exceed a total weight of 40 tonnes. If the vehicle is designed for joint movement with a second vehicle in a vehicle train, for example, the vehicle is a semi-trailer or a trailer that is to be coupled to a known, suitable towing vehicle, the total weight of the vehicle and the second vehicle (e.g., towing vehicle) is preferably 40 tonnes or less. In this way, the vehicle according to the invention, with normal road approval in accordance with German road traffic regulations, can be driven to a desired location quickly and cost-effectively, in particular without special transport vehicles such as low-loaders, heavy-duty transporters, etc.

[0017] Particularly preferably, the vehicle has a load-bearing body element running in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, preferably a body element which connects at least one axle of the vehicle to a coupling section for a towing vehicle or to a front axle of the vehicle in a load-bearing manner, wherein this body element simultaneously forms a base part of the pressing device which absorbs the pressing load and / or a support part of the pressing unit which connects the devices of the pressing unit to form a structural unit.In this way, components that are mechanically and statically important and therefore heavy and complex to manufacture can be used simultaneously by both the vehicle and the press unit, so that a synergistic effect is achieved compared to a mere arrangement of a transportable press unit on a conventional vehicle. In particular, the weight reduction associated with this measure advantageously contributes to bringing the total weight of the vehicle to a value of less than or equal to 40 tonnes.

[0018] The present invention will now be explained using a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1: a schematic side view of a vehicle with a pressing unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] One in Fig. 1, the vehicle generally designated 10, is preferably designed as part of a truck and accordingly comprises a plurality of road wheels 12, which are rotatably mounted on at least one axle 14, and a body longitudinal member 16 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. In the exemplary embodiment, the vehicle is a semi-trailer, which has a trailer section 17 at the front end of the body longitudinal member 16, to which it can be coupled to a known towing vehicle 18 with a driver's cab 20.

[0020] According to the invention, the vehicle 10 further comprises a pressing unit 22 with an input section 24 for inputting uncompressed waste material 26 and an output section 28 for outputting compressed waste material in the form of wrapped bale packages 30. The elements of the pressing unit 22 are accommodated in a common housing 32 (indicated by a dashed line), which has an input opening 34 at the input section 24, for example at an upper side of the housing 32, and an output opening 36 at the output section 28, for example at a rear end of the housing 32.

[0021] The pressing unit 22 comprises, in particular, a pressing device 38 in the housing 32, which can be designed as a known channel baling press for continuously compressing waste material into bales. The pressing device 38 can accordingly comprise a pre-compression flap 40 on the input section 24, which simultaneously closes the input opening 34 and thus seals the interior of the housing 32 and, through the flap pressure, also provides pre-compression of the material or increases compression power in the pressing chamber. Furthermore, the pressing device 38 can comprise at least one pressure cylinder, preferably two pressure cylinders, by which a press ram is driven for the actual pressing and compressing of the waste material. If two pressure cylinders are used, not only can the pressing pressure be increased, but it is also possible to increase the propulsion speed and thus the throughput of the waste material to be compressed.

[0022] Preferably, a tying device 42 is connected to the pressing device 38, which receives the pressed bales and combines a plurality of the bales into a bale package 47. The tying device 42 secures the bale package 47, preferably by wrapping it with twine or wire, so that the bales of the bale package 47 cannot separate from one another and elastic expansion after the pressing process is reduced. The following describes the further processing of the pressed waste material with respect to bale packages 47. Bale packages 47 can contain a plurality of bales (as described above) or they can contain only a single bale (particularly in cases where the pressing device does not have a tying device 42).

[0023] After the bales have been compressed and, if necessary, prepared, they are transported by a transport device 44 in a direction from the pressing device 38 to a wrapping device 46, which is designed to wrap the bale package 47 with a substantially dust-tight cover 48. In this case, particular consideration is given to the use of a plastic film 46a, which can be fed from a film dispensing device 46b, for example a film roll, and with which the bale package 47 is wrapped several times. For this purpose, the bale package 47 can rotate on a turntable 46c and continuously unwind the film material until the bale package 47 is completely wrapped with the film material. If necessary, the bale package 47 can be turned or tilted in the meantime in order to change the wrapping direction of the film 46a and thus completely wrap the bale package 47 on all sides.Winding devices 46 of this type for the automated and substantially complete wrapping of a body with a plastic film are known per se in the prior art and the person skilled in the art can, if necessary, adapt a device known from the field of industrial packaging of goods and integrate it into the pressing unit 22 according to the invention.

[0024] The plastic film 46a may carry an adhesive layer so that the strength of the sleeve can be improved and unwanted loosening of the wrap can be avoided.

[0025] The wrapping device 46 transfers the bale package 47 with the finished casing 48 to the output section 28, from which the bale package 47 finally leaves the housing 32 again.

[0026] The housing 32 essentially prevents waste material from escaping from the pressing unit 22 during pressing, processing, transport, or encapsulation of the material. The interior of the housing 32 is continuously maintained at a negative pressure by a vacuum maintenance device 50, so that dust or vapors of the waste material generated in the interior are continuously extracted and separated at a downstream filter 51 for separate disposal. Furthermore, a collecting container 52 can be provided in the lower area of ​​the pressing unit, in particular below the pressing device and optionally below other devices. This collecting container 52 catches falling pieces of the waste material and allows separate disposal of this material or return to the processing cycle.

[0027] For loading and unloading the pressing unit 22, the vehicle 10 according to the invention can further comprise a loading device, for example in the form of a self-loading crane 54. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the self-loading crane 54 is provided in a central section of the vehicle between the input section 24 and the output section 28, so that a boom 55 of the self-loading crane 54 can, by means of a corresponding pivoting movement, both load the input section 24 with uncompressed waste material 26 and unload the output section 28 with compressed waste material 30. A special gripper 57 can be provided at the free end of the boom 55, which is specifically designed to grip, load, and unload both uncompressed waste material 26 and compressed waste material 30 without causing damage.

[0028] To further improve the handling of the baling unit, the output section 28 can comprise a removal device 60, which is connected to the output section 28 and is configured to provide the wrapped bale packages 30 output at the output section 28 for removal. In particular, the removal device 60 can temporarily store at least one bale package 30, preferably a plurality of bale packages 30, on a transport track, for example a roller conveyor 62, until they are grasped by the self-loading crane 54 and loaded onto a transport vehicle (not shown) located next to the vehicle 10.

[0029] The energy required to operate the pressing unit 22 is preferably provided by a common energy supply device 56. The energy supply device 56 can also be accommodated in the housing 32 and thus be part of the structural unit of the pressing unit 22. The towing vehicle 18 is equipped with a separate vehicle drive device 58, which supplies drive energy for a travel drive of the towing vehicle 18, whereas the energy supply device 56 supplies energy for the pressing unit 22. A diesel generator, for example, can be used as the energy supply device 56, which can supply electrical and / or mechanical energy (e.g., hydraulic energy) to operate the individual devices of the pressing unit 22.

[0030] An optimal weight distribution of the pressing unit, particularly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10, can be achieved by a suitable arrangement of the respective devices. Fig. In the variant illustrated in Figure 1, the winding device 46 can be movable between a front transport position 46', indicated by dashed lines, in which the winding device 46 is displaced in the forward direction, and a rear working position in which the winding device is arranged at the rearmost end of the housing 32 and preferably behind the axle 14 of the vehicle 10. For this purpose, the winding device 46 can be held displaceably in a linear guide in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0031] It should also be noted that the body longitudinal member 16 forms the actual load-bearing section of the semi-trailer, which transmits and absorbs support and tensile forces between the towing vehicle 18 and the vehicle 10, and at the same time also forms a supporting base part of the pressing device 38 and / or the winding device 46 and / or other devices of the pressing unit 22. In particular, the body longitudinal member preferably also forms the supporting base part for at least one further, preferably all, of the following devices: power supply device 56, self-loading crane 54, tying device 42, transport device 44, vacuum holding device 50. In particular, the body longitudinal member can form substantially the entire floor of the housing 32 and / or be the main connecting and supporting element of the entire pressing unit 22.The dual function of these sections allows for a reduction in the size and weight of the vehicle 10, in particular such that the total weight of the vehicle combination, i.e., the weight of the vehicle 10 plus the weight of the towing vehicle 18, is less than or equal to 40 tons. In this way, the vehicle 10 can be transported quickly and cost-effectively to a desired location, for example, with road approval in accordance with at least German road traffic regulations and, in particular, without the need for special transport vehicles such as low-loaders or heavy-duty transporters, etc.

[0032] Operation of the vehicle of the exemplary embodiment is described in more detail below. While the vehicle 10 is moving, the self-loading crane 54 is locked in a rest position, and the winding device 56, which may be provided as a movable device, is moved into the transport position and locked there. The input and output openings 34, 36 are closed, and an operator can pull the vehicle 10, for example, while sitting in the towing vehicle 18. At the site, the operator can operate the self-loading crane 54 either by operating it from the driver's cab 20 or by operating a control panel of the self-loading crane 54 directly, in order to grasp uncompressed waste material 26, which is provided, for example, in bags, and feed it into the pressing device 38 at the input section 24.The pressing device 38 continuously compresses the bags of waste material into a plurality of compressed bales, which are then optionally combined and secured by the tying device 42 into bale packages 47. The transport device 44 transports the bale packages 47 to the wrapping device 46, which wraps the bale packages 47 with the plastic film 46a and subsequently presents them again at the output section 28. The operator can then grasp the fully wrapped bale packages 30 with the self-loading crane 54 and unload them, for example, onto a waiting transport vehicle (not shown).

[0033] Overall, it can be seen that in the illustrated embodiment, the entire pressing and processing process takes place without the risk of the waste material coming into contact with humans or the environment and can be controlled by a single operator. The potentially health- or environmentally hazardous material is fed into sealed bags and discharged in a substantially dust-tight container. Between these two work steps, it is continuously enclosed within the substantially closed housing 32. The pressing unit 22 created in this way is therefore not only mobile and easy to operate but also particularly environmentally friendly and health-friendly.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 10 is configured as a semitrailer for coupling to a towing vehicle 18. However, an embodiment of the invention is equally conceivable in which the vehicle is a truck, in which the front axles, which carry the driver's cab and the vehicle drive system, and the rear axles of the truck are permanently connected to one another by the body longitudinal member. In principle, it is then also conceivable to provide an energy supply device that supplies energy both for the operation of the press unit and for the vehicle's drive system.

[0035] It should also be noted that in the illustrated embodiment, a winding device 46 was used as a wrapping device within the meaning of the present invention for producing the essentially dust-tight cover. In a variant of the invention, the wrapping device can instead be formed by a welding device in which the bale package 47 is enclosed in a tube, in particular a tube made of a plastic film material. Here, a shrink tube can be used which operates according to the principle of hot packaging, so that first the bale package is wrapped in the shrink tube and then the shrink tube is heated. During heating, the tube shrinks and encloses the bale package securely and seals it off from the environment. Alternatively or additionally, the two end openings can be closed by welding or in some other way after the compressed waste material has been introduced.

Claims

[1] Pressing unit (22) for pressing waste material, in particular mineral wool, the pressing unit (22) comprising: • an input section (24) into which unpressed waste material (26) can be input, • a pressing device (38) for compressing the input waste material (26) in portions into individual bales (47), • an output section (28) at which the bales (47) can be output, and • a wrapping device (46) arranged functionally between the pressing device (38) and the output section (28), which is designed to cover at least one bale (47) output from the pressing device (38) with a substantially dust-tight cover (48), characterized by • a transport device (44) arranged operatively between the pressing device (38) and the wrapping device (46), which is designed to transport at least one bale (47) in a direction from the pressing device (38) to the wrapping device (46), and • a tying device (42) which is functionally arranged between the pressing device (38) and the wrapping device (46), which is designed to combine a plurality of compressed bales (47) and to feed them to the wrapping device (46) as a bale package (47), and in that the wrapping device (46) is designed to cover all the bales of a bale package (47) with a common cover (48), wherein the pressing device (38) and the wrapping device (46) and preferably also the transport device (44) and / or the tying device (42) are accommodated in a common housing (32) of the pressing unit (22), wherein the housing (32) has an input opening (34) which belongs to the input section (24) and has an output opening (36) which belongs to the output section (28). [2] Press unit (22) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the wrapping device (46) comprises a film feed (46b) for feeding a film material (46a) and a wrapping device (46c) for wrapping the at least one bale (47) with the film material (46a). [3] Press unit (22) according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized by a vacuum holding device (50) which is designed to remove dust generated by the pressing unit (22), in particular to keep the common housing (32) under negative pressure. [4] Press unit (22) according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized by a collecting device (52) which is designed to collect pieces of material which are detached and fall down during the pressing process. [5] Press unit (22) according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized bya loading device (54) which is adapted to receive uncompressed waste material (26) and to supply it to the input section (24), and / or which is further adapted to remove at least one bale (30) output at the output section (28). [6] Press unit (22) according to one of the preceding claims, further characterized by a power supply device (56) which is configured to supply at least the pressing device (38) and the enveloping device (46) with operating power. [7] Press unit (22) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the pressing unit (22) is mobile as a structural unit, is preferably provided as part of a vehicle (10) or is transportable on a vehicle (10). [8] Press unit (22) according to claim 6 and claim 7, characterized by that the energy supply device (56) comprises a diesel generator. [9] Vehicle (10), in particular semi-trailer or truck, comprising a pressing unit (22) according to one of the preceding claims. [10] Vehicle (10) according to claim 9, characterized by that a load-bearing body element (16) of the vehicle (10) which runs in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which preferably has a semitrailer section (17) for load-bearing connection to a towing vehicle (18) or which connects at least one axle (14) of the vehicle (10) to a front axle of the vehicle (10), forms a base part of the pressing device (38) which absorbs the pressing load and / or a support part of the pressing unit (22) which connects the devices (56, 38, 54, 42, 44, 46, 32) of the pressing unit (22) to form a structural unit. [11] Vehicle train (10, 18) comprising a vehicle (10) according to claim 9 or claim 10 and a towing vehicle (18), wherein the towing vehicle (18) has a traction drive (58) and first coupling means for coupling second coupling means of the vehicle (10), characterized by that the vehicle train (10, 18) has a total weight of less than or equal to 40 tonnes.

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