DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC FILLING OF PROCESSING STATIONS

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (10) for pneumatically filling processing stations with adhesive pillows. In order to make such a device suitable for pneumatically filling processing stations with adhesive pillows, to enable the most automated and reliable filling of the processing stations with high process reliability, and to make the device flexible in use, the device has the following features: a housing (12) with a housing wall (14) enclosing a housing interior (16), wherein the housing interior (16) is accessible via at least one first housing opening (20) formed in the housing wall (14) and is divided by means of a dividing floor (22) arranged in the housing interior (16) into a storage container (24) accessible via the first housing opening (20) for storing the bulk material and an equipment compartment (26).a compressed air generator (34) arranged in the equipment compartment (26) for generating a compressed air flow, a compressed air line (36) which establishes a fluid connection between the compressed air generator (34) and a conveying line connection (40), and the compressed air line (36) can be supplied with bulk material from the storage container (24) by means of a metering device (30) arranged outside the housing wall (14).

Description

The invention relates to a device for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material, in particular with adhesive films.The invention is generally suitable for various operating materials, in particular bulk materials, gel-like or pasty materials. A specific application of the invention is the provision of hot melt adhesive for hot melt adhesive devices, for example at processing stations of a production plant such as packaging machines. Before being provided at processing stations, hot melt adhesive is usually stored in a storage container as bulk material, for example in the form of pellets / granules or as adhesive films. Such a storage container can be part of the processing station. Alternatively, however, the storage container can be embodied separately from the processing station and be positioned at a distance therefrom.It is known, for example, from EP 2 241 867 A1 to convey granular adhesive from a storage tank spaced apart from a processing station by means of compressed air to the processing station in order to avoid complicated manual filling of the processing station with hot melt adhesive. The apparatuses used for this purpose usually have a compressed air connection via which they can be connected to a central compressed air distribution network of the production plant, which is supplied with compressed air by a central compressor. However, this entails the disadvantage that the devices for filling processing stations can only be set up where compressed air can be provided. If, for example when converting a production line, the position of a device for filling is to be changed, the compressed air distribution network must be transferred to the new installation location of the device.In addition, compressed air distribution systems with a central compressed air supply, in particular the pressure level which can be provided by the system and the compressed air flow which can be provided, are usually optimized for the transport of adhesive granules.Adhesive films-also referred to as hot melt films or hot melt adhesive pads-are a small, cushion-shaped packaging unit which is filled with a predefined amount of adhesive. Adhesive films are a specific form of adhesive packaging often used in various industrial applications, such as industrial assembly, packaging, wood processing, automotive and many other applications where it is necessary to fill glue equipment, such as packaging machines, with the adhesive.In contrast to the usually fine-grained, free-flowing adhesive granules, adhesive films have a greater volume and a greater weight. In particular, the flow resistance coefficient (also called c w- value) of the adhesive films, which characterizes the flow resistance of the adhesive films, is significantly lower than the flow resistance coefficient of adhesive granules. Consequently, significantly higher compressed air speeds are required for conveying adhesive films than for transporting adhesive granules. Accordingly, the known devices provided for the compressed air transport of adhesive granules are not suitable for the pneumatic transport of adhesive films.Consequently, the adhesive tanks of processing stations operated with adhesive films are usually filled manually. Because the vicinity of the adhesive tank of a processing station usually becomes very hot, personnel can easily burn when filling the tank. In the case of high-performance hot-melt adhesive devices, the adhesive tank must moreover be replenished very frequently, which requires a correspondingly comprehensive use of personnel.There is also the risk that there are not sufficient adhesive films in the tank of the processing station, which can lead to defects in the bond and to production waste and to production losses. Additionally, adhesive puddles that are erroneously poured next to the tank during the filling process may contact hot parts of the processing station and then melt. This results in soiling at the processing station. In packaging machines or processing stations for food, soiling is particularly serious.On this basis, the invention is based on the problem of providing a device for the pneumatic filling of processing stations which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages. In particular, the device should be suitable for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with adhesive films, allow the most automated, reliable filling of the processing stations with high process safety and be flexibly usable.To solve this problem, the device according to the invention for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material comprises at least one housing with a housing wall enclosing a housing interior. The housing interior is accessible via at least one first housing opening which is formed in the housing wall. By means of a separating floor arranged in the housing interior, the housing interior is divided into a storage container accessible via the first housing opening for storing the bulk material and a device space.The subdivision of the housing interior is preferably designed such that no bulk material can pass from the storage container into the device space. For example, the housing wall can enclose a prism-shaped, cuboidal or cylindrical housing interior. The separating base can be arranged in the housing interior in such a way that the storage container is located substantially above the appliance space, wherein the first housing opening can be formed in a top surface of the housing wall. Thus, with the aid of gravity, a particularly simple filling of the storage container is possible, which can be effected, for example, by pouring the bulk material into the storage container.The terms upper, lower, above, below, vertical and horizontal refer to a preferred installation situation of the device for filling processing stations, in the frame of which the device is arranged standing, wherein in this case the force of gravity acts parallel to the vertical direction. However, the terms are not intended to be limiting. Thus, for example, a horizontal arrangement of the device is likewise encompassed by the concept of the invention.The device further comprises at least one compressed air generator arranged in the appliance space for generating a compressed air stream. Preferably, the pressure level provided by the compressed air generator and the compressed air flow can be adjusted. A compressed air line establishes a fluid connection between the compressed air generator and a delivery line connection. The conveying line connection serves as an interface of the device for connecting a conveying line, through which bulk material set in motion by means of compressed air can be transported to a processing station.Bulk material can be fed from the storage container to the compressed air line by means of a metering device arranged outside the housing wall. In this case, the metering device is preferably designed to feed a specific, optionally adjustable, quantity of bulk material into the compressed air line, so that the fed bulk material is captured by the compressed air stream in the compressed air line and transported to the conveying line connection.Due to the arrangement of the dosing device outside the housing wall, the dosing device is particularly easily accessible. Thus, maintenance work on the dosing device can be carried out particularly quickly and easily, which is why the availability of a device according to the invention is improved. In addition, it is possible to quickly and easily eliminate blockages or blockages of the metering device.Due to the compressed air generator arranged in the appliance room, the device according to the invention does not rely on being connected to an external compressed air source and being supplied by the latter with a compressed air stream. Rather, the device is capable of generating a compressed air stream by means of the compressed air generator, which stream is matched to the substrate / bulk material to be transported, for example adhesive films. For operating or driving the compressed air generator, the device can have an interface for supplying energy, for example electrical or mechanical energy. For example, the device can have a power connection, in particular a 230 V or 400 V, 50 Hz, power connection, or a mechanical interface for connecting a mechanical drive. Thus, electrical or mechanical energy can be supplied to the compressed air generator, which is converted by the compressed air generator into pneumatic energy for generating a compressed air stream.The apparatus can thus be operated independently of the centrally provided compressed air network of a production installation and can thus be easily repositioned within the production installation, wherein, for example, only one power connection has to be available at the new installation location.In a preferred embodiment, the compressed air line between the compressed air generator and the metering device is led out of the housing interior. For example, the compressed air line can run initially within the appliance space, starting from the compressed air generator arranged in the appliance space, as viewed in the direction of the compressed air flow. Thus, the connection of the compressed air line to the compressed air generator is protected by the housing wall surrounding it, and an undesired, accidental release of the compressed air line from the compressed air generator, for example due to mishazard during transport of the device, which could result in damage to the compressed air line or damage to the high-quality and expensive compressed air generator, is made more difficult or prevented.Subsequently, viewed in the direction of the compressed air flow, the compressed air line can be led out of the housing interior or the appliance space, wherein the housing wall can have a recess for this purpose, the dimensions of which, taking into account an appropriate size, correspond to the external dimensions of the compressed air line. After being led out of the housing interior, the compressed air line can extend to the metering device, so that bulk material can be fed to the compressed air line on the housing outer side. The section of the compressed air line extending outside the housing wall is thus easily accessible, in order, for example, to be able to repair blockages of the compressed air line quickly and efficiently and to simplify maintenance. The recess in the housing can provide a certain fixing for the compressed air line, so that tearing or pulling on the outer part of the compressed air line does not lead to damage to the compressed air generator.It can further be preferred to design the section of the compressed air line extending in the housing interior and the section of the compressed air line extending outside the housing interior as separate components. Accordingly, for example, the section of the compressed air line which extends in the housing interior can be connected in a non-detachable manner or can only be detachably connected with relatively high expenditure to the compressed air generator and / or the recess in the housing wall, for example by means of an adhesive or latching connection which ensures a high degree of tightness against fluid leakage, but cannot easily be opened again. In contrast, the part of the compressed air line extending outside the housing interior can be detachably connected to the recess in the housing wall and / or to the metering device. Thus, in the event of a blockage of the compressed air line or during transport of the device, this part can be easily disassembled and optionally cleaned.Preferably, ambient air is sucked in from outside the housing interior by the compressed air generator. Particularly preferably, the intake of the ambient air takes place through an air filter. This prevents the suction of foreign bodies, in particular dust particles. Thus, for example in the case of the transport of adhesive films, contamination of the adhesive films located in the storage container is prevented or such contamination is reduced. A contamination of the stored adhesive films would cause a contamination of the adhesive after the melting of the adhesive films in a processing station and could thus have a negative influence on the load-bearing capacity of an adhesive connection produced by the processing station.A filter can additionally or alternatively be arranged in the compressed air line, for example in the region of the compressed air line which passes through the housing wall. Such a filter in the compressed air line can be designed to reduce air contaminants or to prevent a backflow of adhesive from the metering device in the direction of the compressed air generator.In a preferred embodiment, the compressed air generator is designed as a side channel compressor, wherein a compressed air port of the side channel compressor is in fluid communication with the compressed air line. In particular for transporting adhesive films, side channel compressors are excellently suitable on account of the specific ratio of volume flow generated to pressure difference provided. The air volume flow produced by the side channel compressor can be, for example, 1-500 m 3 / h. The pressure difference generated by the side channel compressor can be, for example, 50-500 mbar.According to a preferred embodiment, a vibration device is furthermore arranged in the equipment room, which is designed to set the separating floor into vibrations. For this purpose, the vibration device can be in direct contact with the separating floor, for example, or can be brought into contact with the latter, so that oscillations generated by the vibration device are transmitted or can be transmitted to the separating floor. The vibrations caused on the separating floor set the bulk material stored in the storage container into vibration, so that individual bulk material elements move relative to one another. In this way, a possible blocking of the bulk material in the storage container can be prevented. Adhesive films in particular tend to form blocks when they are stored and are not set in motion, because they can bond to one another by partial melting and subsequent solidification.The separating base is preferably planar. The separating base thus has a particularly simple structure and can be inserted into the housing wall, for example. In particular, the planar separating base can extend obliquely in the housing interior, wherein a lower edge of the separating base can stand, for example, on a housing base or an intermediate base of the housing. Additionally or alternatively, receptacles can be formed on the inner surfaces of the housing wall, by means of which receptacles the separating base is held and / or is fastened to the housing wall.The device preferably comprises a cover for closing the storage container. In particular, the first housing opening can be closable with the cover, so that bulk material located in the storage container is protected from soiling and is secured against falling out, for example during transport of the device.In a preferred embodiment, a second housing opening is formed laterally in the housing wall. The storage container can be connected to the metering device via the second housing opening. Consequently, bulk material, for example adhesive films, can pass from the storage container into the metering device. The bulk material can be actively moved, for example pushed through the second housing opening. However, the bulk material can also move through the second housing opening without being actively moved. For example, the bulk material can be moved through the second housing opening by gravity.Further preferably, the separating base is inclined with respect to the horizontal toward the second housing opening. An inclination of the separating base towards the second housing opening leads to the bulk material sliding on the separating base in the direction of the second housing opening and through the latter into the metering device. Consequently, this design measure ensures that the contents of the storage container can pass almost completely into the metering device without the bulk material having to be conveyed manually from the storage container to the metering device.The metering device preferably comprises a metering container for buffering bulk material, in particular for buffering bulk material from the storage container. Such buffering of the bulk material has the result that even an irregular supply of bulk material from the storage container into the metering device does not lead to an uneven supply of bulk material into the compressed air line. Rather, the suitable quantity of bulk material can always be supplied to the compressed air line from the metering device as long as sufficient bulk material is present in the metering container acting as a bulk material buffer.In order to prevent blocking in the metering container, a vibrating plate fixed to the separating base can preferably extend from the separating base into the metering container. The vibrating plate can transmit oscillations or oscillations of the separating bottom to the bulk material stored in the dosing container and thus, in particular when using adhesive films, prevent the formation of blocks or release blocks of mutually adhering bulk material elements that have already occurred. In an alternative embodiment, a further vibration device can be arranged in the dosing container or interacting with a side surface of the dosing container.As already explained above, in an advantageous embodiment at least a part of the dosing device is accessible from outside the housing wall. The dosing device can have, for example, a cover which can be opened from outside the housing wall. Technical difficulties which arise in the metering device, for example blockage of the metering device or sticking of the feed to the metering device, can thus be eliminated quickly and efficiently. In this case, it is possible in particular to dispense with emptying the storage container. For example, in the case of maintenance of the device, the device can be tilted into the horizontal position in such a way that the metering device points upward. By opening the cover of the dosing device, the dosing device is accessible without the storage container of the device or the dosing container having to be emptied beforehand. The storage container is preferably closed by a cover during this process.To further improve the device, it can also be provided that the supply of bulk material from the storage container to the dosing device can be stopped. For example, a separating flap can be provided for this purpose between the storage container and the dosing device, which can be displaced in such a way that it selectively enables or inhibits a supply of bulk material from the storage container into the dosing device.In a preferred embodiment, the metering device comprises a rotary feeder for the metered supply of bulk material to the compressed air line. By means of a cellular wheel sluice, an exactly predefined quantity of bulk material can be introduced into the compressed air line. In addition, cellular wheel locks function reliably and can be operated with little maintenance effort. The cellular wheel sluice can be adjustable so that the supplied quantity of bulk material can be adjusted.Where and in which direction compressed air must be provided by the device, it is possible to vary for different installation locations of the device. Preferably, therefore, the metering device and / or the delivery line connection are arranged pivotably on the housing. The compressed air line can additionally or alternatively be able to be led out of the housing at least on two opposite sides of the housing. For this purpose, recesses can be provided, for example, on opposite sides of the housing. This makes it possible to adapt the alignment of the delivery line connection and of the metering device to the direction from which delivery lines are guided to the device or are guided away from the latter. Adapted thereto, the compressed air line can be led out of the housing of the device on the respectively matching side. For example, a device can be provided in this way which can be easily converted between a left-hand and a right-hand provision of the conveying line connection.As already explained above, the device is preferably designed for filling at least one processing station connected to the conveying line connection with adhesive films. The compressed air generator arranged in the appliance space of the device can provide a compressed air flow matched to the shape and the weight of the adhesive films and a corresponding pressure difference, wherein the compressed air generator can be operated, for example, in an uncomplicated manner by means of electrical energy.Consequently, the device illustrated can be used in a very versatile manner and can be used independently of the availability of a central compressed air supply at the respective installation location.The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a device for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in a perspective view; FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the device for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in a first side view; FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the device for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in a second side view; FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the device for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in plan view; and FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a further apparatus for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in a perspective view;FIG. 1 shows a device 10 for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in a perspective view. Some portions of the housing 12 of the device 10 are shown broken away so that the placement of the components inside the device 10 is more readily understood. For the same reason, the illustration of the cover 33 of the dosing device 30 has been omitted in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the apparatus 10 for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with a bulk material in a first side view. A second side view is shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a plan view.In the figures, identical elements of different exemplary embodiments are provided with identical reference numerals in order to improve the clarity. However, this should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection.The device 10 has a housing 12, the housing wall 14 of which encloses a housing interior 16. In the embodiment shown, the housing wall 14 has a housing base 18 which delimits the housing interior 16 at the bottom. The housing wall 14 extends upwards in the vertical direction starting from the housing base 18, so that the housing wall 14 is designed in the form of a prism with a rectangular base surface, i.e. a cuboid.The device 10 is arranged upright in the embodiment shown. The housing interior 16 is accessible from vertically above via a first housing opening 20 which is formed in the housing wall 14, more precisely in the cover surface of the housing wall 14. In the housing interior 16, i.e. within the housing wall 14, a separating base 22 is arranged, which divides the housing interior into a storage container 24 and an appliance space 26. The storage container 24 and the appliance space 26 are arranged substantially vertically one above the other, wherein the storage container 24 is arranged directly adjacent to the first housing opening 20 and the appliance space 26 is located vertically below the storage container 24. In this case, the separating base 22 thus simultaneously forms a lower boundary for the storage container 24 and an upper boundary for the appliance space 26.The separating base 22 is substantially planar and has a curved, i.e. an angled or beveled, section 23 on two opposite edges, with which the separating base 22 is brought into contact on opposite side surfaces of the housing wall 14. Thus, the separating base 22 can be inserted into the housing interior 16 easily and with a predefined inclination. Various possibilities are available for fastening the separating floor 22 in the housing interior 16. For example, a lower edge of the separating floor 22 can be supported-as illustrated-on an intermediate floor or a projection projecting into the housing interior 16. Additionally or alternatively, the separating base 22 can be fixed to the housing wall 14, wherein a releasable connection, such as a screw or clamping connection, is preferred so that the appliance space 26 lying under the separating base 22 is easily accessible. In the case of a non-destructively releasable fixing of the separating floor 22 to the housing wall 14, however, the accessibility of the appliance space 26 can also be ensured differently, for example by a flap arranged in the region of the lateral housing wall 14.The separating floor 22 extends obliquely downward with respect to a horizontal plane, so that bulk material arranged on the separating floor 22, in particular adhesive puddles, slide under the action of gravity in the direction of the lowest point of the separating floor 22. There, a second housing opening 28 is formed in a side wall of the housing wall 14. The second housing opening 28 connects the storage container 24 to a metering container 32 of a metering device 30 arranged outside the housing 12.Consequently, bulk material can slide out of the storage container 24 through the second housing opening 28 into the metering container 32, where intermediate buffering of the bulk material takes place in order to increase the process safety when supplying bulk material to a processing station. The oblique arrangement of the separating base 22 and the connection of the storage container 24 to the metering container 32 result in an automated feeding of the bulk material into the metering device 30, and otherwise necessary manual operating steps can be dispensed with.Below the separating floor 22, i.e. in the equipment room 26, a vibration device 35 is arranged, by means of which the separating floor 22 can be set into vibration. The movement of the separating floor 22 caused in this way on the one hand vibrates the bulk material located in the storage container 24, so that adhesions between individual bulk material elements which would lead to the bulk material accumulating are loosened up. On the other hand, the bulk material is conveyed to the second housing opening 28 by the shaking of the bulk material induced by the separating base 22, so that a more reliable provision of the bulk material from the storage container 24 to the metering container 32 takes place in the metering device 30.In order to prevent the bulk material from accumulating or blocking in the dosing container 32 or to redetach it again, a vibrating plate 39 extends from the separating bottom 22 into the storage container 24, by means of which the vibrations of the separating bottom 22 can be passed on to the bulk material arranged in the storage container 24.In the appliance space 26, a compressed air generator 34 is arranged, which is operated with electrical energy, which is provided via a power connection, not shown, of the apparatus 10. The compressed air generator 34 generates a compressed air stream and is in fluid communication with a compressed air line 36 for conveying the compressed air stream. Due to the arrangement of the compressed air generator 34 in the housing interior 16 on the one hand and the spatial separation of the device space 26 from the storage container 24 on the other hand, the compressed air generator 34 is protected in the interior of the housing wall 14, wherein at the same time it is prevented that the compressed air generator 34 is contaminated by bulk material residues.The compressed air generator 34 draws in ambient air from outside the housing wall 14 in order to provide the compressed air flow. In order not to let contaminants of the sucked air pass into the provided air flow, the suction of the ambient air takes place through an air filter 37, which is suitable for separating foreign bodies and particles from the sucked air.The compressed air stream generated by the compressed air generator 34 is led out of the housing interior 16 through the compressed air line 36 and is led past a cellular wheel lock 38 of the metering device 30. A metered amount of bulk material can be fed to the compressed air line 36 through the rotary feeder 38. The bulk material supplied is captured by the compressed air flow in the compressed air line 36 and conveyed to a conveying line connection 40.The conveying line connection 40 provides an interface for the fluid-tight connection of a conveying line of a processing station, so that the compressed air generated by the compressed air generator 34, which has been supplied with bulk material by the metering device 30, can be conducted to the processing station through the conveying line connected to the conveying line connection 40, and the supplied bulk material is transported to the processing station in the process.The device 10 also has a cover 42 for closing the first housing opening 20 in order to secure the bulk material located in the storage container 24 against falling out and in order to prevent contamination of the bulk material. The device 10 has wheels 44 and a handle 46 by means of which the device 10 can be moved easily during a change of location, so that the flexibility of the device 10 is improved.The apparatus 10 may also be equipped with a controller 48. The controller 48 may provide the electrical interface for operating the air generator 34. By means of the controller 48, the compressed air generator 34, in particular the compressed air flow provided by the compressed air generator and / or the pressure difference, can be controlled or regulated. Thus, the device 10 is suitable for conveying different types of bulk material, wherein the compressed air generator 34 can be adjusted by means of the controller 48 based on the properties of the new bulk material when the type of bulk material is changed. For example, the air volume flow or the pressure difference can be increased or decreased. Such a control can also take account of the circumstances in a production plant. For example, the pressure level provided by the compressed air generator 34 can be increased if a greater distance from the processing station has to be bridged by means of the conveying line.It is apparent in particular from FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 that the dosing device 30 arranged on the outside of the housing wall 14 has releasable closure means, in particular clamping closures 50, by means of which a cover 33 of the dosing device 30 can be opened and closed quickly and reproducibly. As already explained above, the dosing device 30 arranged outside the housing interior 16 is particularly easily accessible. By providing tension closures 50, the cover 33 of the dosing device 30 can be easily opened and / or removed, thereby making the interior of the dosing device 30 accessible. Thus, for example, a blockage of the metering device 30, in particular of the metering container 32 or of the rotary feeder 38, can be eliminated in an uncomplicated manner. It can also be seen from FIG. 3 that the cover 33 has a fill level indicator 52, which indicates the fill level of bulk material in the dosing container. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the fill level indicator 52 is designed as a viewing window in the cover 33 of the dosing device 30, through which a machine operator can observe the fill level of bulk material in the dosing container.FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of the invention, which is similar in many features to the embodiment described above. As already stated, the same reference numerals are therefore used for the same elements in the figures. The compressed air line 36 is not guided by the housing wall 14 when passing through the housing wall 14, but the corresponding recess in the housing wall 14 has a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the compressed air line 36. A recess configured in this way facilitates the dismantling of the compressed air line 36, for example if the compressed air line 36 is to be mounted on the opposite side of the device 10 and therefore first has to be temporarily detached from the device 10.Furthermore, the cover 42 of the device 10 can be closed by a clamping element, so that it remains closed even when the device 10 is tilted, for example into the horizontal position, and no bulk material can escape from the storage container 24.The invention provides a possibility for automatically providing bulk material, in particular adhesive films, at processing stations. The provided device 10 can be used flexibly in particular because of the compressed air generator 34 arranged in the housing 12 which can be operated with electrical energy, without relying on a central provision of compressed air. Furthermore, the device 10, in particular the properties of the compressed air stream provided, can be adapted to the characteristics of the bulk material to be conveyed, so that the device 10 can be used in a particularly versatile manner. Because of the compactness and ease of handling, the apparatus 10 can be easily deployed at different workstations or in different production environments.List of reference characters10 Device for pneumatic filling 12 Housing 14 Housing wall 16 Housing interior 18 Housing base 20 First housing opening 22 Separating base 23 Folded-up or folded-down section 24 Storage container 26 Device space 28 Second housing opening 30 Metering device 32 Metering container 33 Cover 34 Compressed air generator 35 Vibrating device 36 Compressed air line 37 Air filter 38 Cellular wheel lock 39 Vibrating plate 40 Conveying line connection 42 Cover 44 Wheel 46 Handle 48 Controller 50 Clamping closure 52 Fill level displayReferences included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedEP 2 241 867 A1

[0003]

Claims

Device (10) for the pneumatic filling of processing stations with adhesive films, having the following features: a housing (12) with a housing wall (14) enclosing a housing interior (16), wherein the housing interior (16) is accessible via at least one first housing opening (20) formed in the housing wall (14) and is divided by means of a separating floor (22) arranged in the housing interior (16) into a storage container (24) accessible via the first housing opening (20) for storing the bulk material and an appliance space (26), a compressed air generator (34) arranged in the appliance space (26) for generating a compressed air flow, a compressed air line (36) which establishes a fluid connection between the compressed air generator (34) and a conveying line connection (40), and bulk material can be fed from the storage container (24) to the compressed air line (36) by means of a metering device (30) arranged outside the housing wall (14).The device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the compressed air line (36) is led out of the housing interior (16) between the compressed air generator (34) and the metering device (30).The apparatus (10) of claim 1 or 2, wherein the compressed air generator (34) draws ambient air from outside the housing interior (16) through an air filter (37).The apparatus (10) of any preceding claim, wherein the air generator (34) is a side channel compressor.Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a vibration device (35) is furthermore arranged in the appliance space (26), which is designed to set the separating floor (22) into vibrations.Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the separating base (22) is of planar design.Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (10) comprises a cover (42) for closing the storage container (24).The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a second housing opening (28) is formed laterally in the housing wall (14), and the storage container (24) is connected to the dosing device (30) via the second housing opening (28).The device (10) according to claim 8, wherein the separating base (22) is inclined with respect to the horizontal toward the second housing opening (28).The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metering device (30) comprises a metering container (32) for buffering bulk material from the storage container (24).Device (10) according to claim 10, wherein a vibrating plate (39) fixed to the separating base (22) extends from the separating base (22) into the dosing container (32).The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least a part of the dosing device (30) is accessible from outside the housing wall (14).The apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metering device (30) comprises a rotary feeder (38) for metered feeding of bulk material to the compressed air line (36).The device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the metering device (30) and / or the delivery line connection (40) are pivotably arranged on the housing (12) and the compressed air line (36) can be led out of the housing (12) at least on two opposite sides of the housing (12).Device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the device (10) is designed for filling at least one processing station connected to the conveying line connection (40) with adhesive films.

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