Conveying device for conveying a pasty mass and follow-up plate for such a mass

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a follower plate for placement on a pasty mass, having the features specified in the preamble of claim 1. Such a follower plate is known from US 5,971,211 A. Similar follower plates are also known from CH 688 958 A5, US 10,486,958 B1, JP H06-70669 U and US 4,195,755 A.

[0002] A conveying device for conveying a pasty mass in insulating glass manufacturing, with the features specified in the preamble of claim 11, is known from DE 689 05 676 T2 and EP 0 347 269 B1. This conveying device has a support for a cylindrical container with a pasty mass, namely made of butyl rubber-like organic material. Above the support, a vertically displaceable follower plate is arranged for contact with the surface of the pasty mass. A conveying line for transporting the pasty mass is connected to the follower plate. The follower plate has a top, a bottom, and at least one outlet opening, which is connected to the conveying line. Several downward-projecting extensions are arranged on the bottom of the follower plate. The extensions are cylindrical and arranged around the outlet opening. The extensions are designed to be immersed in the pasty mass.

[0003] From EP 0 171 309 A1, a conveying device with a follower plate is known, on the underside of which several downward-projecting extensions are arranged, which also have a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical extensions have a height, measured in a vertical section through the follower plate, which is greater at a point near the outlet opening than at a point further away from the outlet opening. The follower plate and / or the extensions are heated.

[0004] From EP 0 943 583 A1, a conveying device with a heated follower plate is known, on the underside of which several downward-projecting protrusions are arranged. The protrusions are designed as tapered ribs, which are arranged concentrically to each other around the outlet opening.

[0005] DE 10 2007 051 610 A1 discloses a device for injecting a strand of a pasty mass into the space between two glass plates of an insulating glass pane, as well as a conveying device and a follower plate of the type mentioned above.

[0006] From DE 10 2004 030 654 A1, a non-standard conveying device for viscous material is known, which has a circular follower plate with a centrally located outlet opening. The underside of the follower plate has no downward-projecting extensions around the outlet opening. The outlet opening has a hopper on the underside of the follower plate and a cover element that covers the hopper. The cover element has openings for the viscous material. The cover element is designed as a grid with a central ring and arms extending radially from the ring. The grid is screwed to the follower plate via the arms and is flush with the underside of the follower plate in order to retain as much of the material contained in the hopper as possible when the follower plate is lifted.

[0007] From EP 0 340 493 B1, a container for pasty masses is known, consisting of a cylindrical housing divided into two separate chambers by a longitudinally arranged partition. An outlet opening is provided at the upper end of each chamber. A semicircular piston is arranged in each chamber and is slidable towards the outlet opening. The piston base is convex, so that the surface of the piston in contact with the pasty mass has a curvature towards the pasty mass. Reinforcing elements are arranged on the side of the piston base facing away from the pasty mass; these reinforcing elements do not come into contact with the pasty mass. The reinforcing elements are ribs of different heights, arranged at an angle to each other such that the points of intersection of the imaginary axes extending the ribs lie outside the semicircular piston.

[0008] US Patent 4 090 640 A1 discloses a conveying device for hot melt adhesives with a heated follower plate, on the top of which insulation is provided.

[0009] The invention is based on the objective of improving a conveying device and a follower plate of the type mentioned above.

[0010] This problem is solved by a follower plate with the features specified in claim 1 and a conveying device with the features specified in claim 11. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] A conveying device according to the invention comprises a support for a container with a pasty mass, for example, with a capacity of 10 liters to 500 liters, in particular 20 liters to 200 liters. In particular, the container is a cylindrical container, for example, a drum, in particular a standard 200-liter drum. Depending on the type of insulating glass production plant, however, 20-liter drums can also be used. The support can, for example, be designed as a support plate. Above the support, a vertically displaceable follower plate is arranged for placing on the surface of the pasty mass. A conveying line for transporting the pasty mass is connected to the follower plate. At least one outlet opening for connecting the follower plate to the conveying line is arranged in the follower plate. A pump, for example, a gear pump, can be provided in the conveying line in a manner known per se for transporting the pasty mass.

[0012] The conveying device is used particularly in insulating glass manufacturing to supply a large quantity of a pasty mass, for example, an adhesive or hot-melt adhesive. It can be part of a system for manufacturing insulating glass units, which are assembled from two or more glass panes. The glass panes of an insulating glass unit are each held at a predetermined distance from one another by means of a spacer. The pasty mass can be conveyed via the conveying line to an application device, which forms a strand of the pasty mass. The strand can be applied to a glass pane to form a spacer between two glass panes, as is known, for example, from EP 0 823 318 A1.The conveying device according to the invention can also convey the pasty mass to a device for sealing insulating glass units, such as that known, for example, from DE 10 2007 051 610 A1. There, a strand of the pasty mass is injected into the space between two glass panes to form an insulating glass unit from the glass panes, which are already held at a distance from each other. The pasty mass can be, for example, butyl rubber, polyisobutylene, an organic polysulfide, or polyurethane.

[0013] The follower plate according to the invention has a top and a bottom. It can have a circumferential surface extending between its top and bottom surfaces. The follower plate can, for example, be circular, particularly if the containers with the pasty mass are essentially standard circular cylindrical drums. To seal the follower plate to the inside of a wall of the cylindrical container, a seal can be arranged on the circumferential surface of the follower plate in a manner known per se. Several downward-projecting extensions are arranged on the underside of the follower plate. The downward-projecting extensions are arranged around the at least one outlet opening. At least one of the extensions is designed as a rib extending along the underside of the follower plate. With respect to the outlet opening, the rib extends radially outwards.With extensions designed as radially extending ribs, pasty material from the outer area of ​​the container and / or the outer area of ​​the follower plate can be very efficiently guided to the centrally located outlet opening. Furthermore, the flow resistance for the pasty material flowing along the underside of the follower plate towards the outlet opening can be reduced.

[0014] After an open-topped container of pasty material has been positioned on the carrier of the conveying device, the follower plate is moved downwards and its underside is placed on the surface of the pasty material in the container. The follower plate is then moved further downwards so that the projections on its underside are immersed in the pasty material. As the follower plate is pressed further downwards, the pasty material is forced past the projections to the outlet opening in the follower plate and from there into the conveying line. The follower plate can be heated. It can contain a heating element. A heating element, in particular an electric heating element, can be arranged in the follower plate and / or in at least one of its fins.The ribs can accordingly be designed as "cooling fins," which transfer heat from the heating element into the pasty mass to improve its flowability. The subsequent plate, with its downward-pointing ribs, can be formed in one piece as a casting, particularly from a highly thermally conductive light metal alloy.

[0015] The follower plate according to the invention significantly increases the conveying capacity of the conveying device. When extracting pasty material from a 200-liter drum, the mass flow rate conveyed by the device can be increased by up to 50%. The follower plate can have only one outlet opening, which is located centrally within the plate. Nevertheless, the follower plate according to the invention enables a conveying capacity of more than 1 kg of pasty material per minute, in particular more than 1.3 kg per minute. This is especially advantageous for insulating glass production plants in which insulating glass units are manufactured where the distance between the individual glass panes is increased to improve the insulating effect. A large mass flow rate of the pasty material is required to form a large spacer or to seal the unit.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the follower plate can have several ribs extending along its underside. Each rib can extend radially to the at least one outlet opening. In particular, each of the projections on the underside of the follower plate can be designed as a rib. The rib, and especially each rib, can have a width measured circumferentially around the outlet opening, which is smaller at a point near the outlet opening than at a point further away. The width can decrease, particularly continuously, with decreasing distance from the outlet opening. Each rib can taper towards the outlet opening. A reduction in rib width towards the center of the follower plate promotes the flow of the pasty mass towards the outlet opening located there.

[0017] Each rib has a length measured radially to the outlet opening. The rib length is measured from below, looking down onto the follower plate. The length of a rib can differ from the length of an adjacent rib. One rib may be shorter, and another may be longer. The shorter rib can be positioned further from the outlet opening than the longer rib. This distance is measured radially to the outlet opening. The longer rib can be positioned between two shorter ribs. This allows for an increase in the number of ribs around the outlet opening. The surface area on the underside of the follower plate that comes into contact with the pasty mass can be significantly increased, thus increasing the heat input into the pasty mass.With reference to a flat comparison surface enclosed by the wall of the container, the area of ​​the underside provided with the ribs is larger than this comparison surface by a factor of 2 to 5, in particular by a factor of 3 to 4.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the follower plate, a gap arranged between two adjacent ribs can form a guide channel for the pasty mass. The guide channel formed by two adjacent ribs and / or the gap arranged between two adjacent ribs extends radially from a point near the outlet opening along the underside of the follower plate to a point on the follower plate further away from the outlet opening. In other words, the guide channel and / or the gap extends radially inward from an outer area of ​​the follower plate. Viewed in the direction of flow of the mass along the underside of the follower plate toward the outlet opening, the guide channel is bounded above by the underside of the follower plate and laterally by the two ribs. The guide channel is open at the bottom.The guide channel and / or the space between them thus takes the form of a groove arranged on the underside of the follower plate. Multiple guide channels can be formed around the outlet opening by means of several adjacent ribs. Each guide channel can extend radially along the underside of the follower plate relative to the outlet opening. This can further reduce the flow resistance for the pasty mass on the underside of the follower plate.

[0019] According to the invention, the gap arranged between two adjacent ribs has a varying height. The guide channel formed by the gap can also have a varying height. The height of the gap is measured vertically, particularly in a vertical section through the follower plate. The height of the gap is greater at a point near the outlet opening than at a point further away from the outlet opening. In particular, the height can increase with decreasing distance from the outlet opening, especially continuously. The height increases along a curve with varying curvature. In a vertical section through the follower plate, the underside of the follower plate can have a bell-shaped contour in the area of ​​the gap.

[0020] In a further embodiment, the guide channel and / or the space between two adjacent ribs can have a varying width. The width of the space is measured circumferentially around the outlet opening, particularly in a view from below onto the subsequent plate. The width of the space can be smaller near the outlet opening than at a point further away from it. The width of the space can decrease with decreasing distance from the outlet opening, particularly continuously. The space and / or the guide channel has a free cross-sectional area for the pasty mass. The cross-sectional area of ​​the space is calculated as the product of its width and its height. The cross-sectional area of ​​the space is larger at a point near the outlet opening than at a point further away from it.The cross-sectional area of ​​the gap can increase, particularly continuously, with decreasing distance to the outlet opening. This ensures that the flow resistance for the pasty mass is not increased to such an extent that the conveying of a large mass flow would be impaired, due to the narrowing of the gap towards the outlet opening.

[0021] In an embodiment of the invention, the follower plate can have several, in particular two, outlet openings. In such a case, a separating rib can be arranged on the underside of the follower plate, extending between two of the outlet openings or between the two outlet openings along the underside of the follower plate. The separating rib does not extend radially to the outlet openings, but transversely to them. In the case of several outlet openings in the follower plate, the aforementioned properties of the ribs refer to the outlet opening to which the corresponding rib or the corresponding space converges radially.

[0022] In a further embodiment, the underside of the ribs, in particular all ribs, can lie in a horizontal plane. The underside of the ribs can run perpendicular to the wall of the container holding the pasty mass. The height of the ribs then corresponds to the height of the spaces between them. Thermal insulation can be arranged on the upper side of the subsequent plate. This reduces heat loss from the heating element of the subsequent plate.

[0023] The conveying device can further include a support sleeve for the container with the pasty mass. The support sleeve is designed to be attached externally along the circumference of the container. At least one circumferential section of the support sleeve is formed from a mesh, in particular a fabric, made of wire or fiber-reinforced plastic filaments. Due to its stability, such a support sleeve is well suited to supporting the container with the pasty mass in a conveying device according to the invention when the follower plate is pressed downwards into the container under high pressure in order to convey large mass flows from the container. At the same time, such a support sleeve has a relatively low weight. It can therefore be handled by a system operator without excessive effort when changing the container with the pasty mass.

[0024] Further details and advantages of the invention are explained with reference to exemplary embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings, in which identical and corresponding components are identified by corresponding reference numerals. The drawings show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a simplified conveying device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the underside of a first variant of a follower plate according to the invention, Fig. 3 a view from below of the follower plate of the Figure 2 , Fig. 4 a vertical section through the subsequent plate along the section surface IV-IV of the Figure 3 , Fig. 5 an oblique view of the vertical section of the Figure 4Fig. 6 a bottom view of a second variant of a follower plate according to the invention, Fig. 7 a bottom view of a third variant of a follower plate according to the invention, Fig. 8 a bottom view of a fourth variant of a follower plate according to the invention, Fig. 9 an oblique view similar to Figure 5 on a vertical section through the subsequent plate of the Figure 8 , Fig. 10 an oblique view from below of the subsequent plate of the Figure 8 , Fig. 11 a schematic oblique view of a support shell for the conveying device of the Figure 1 , Fig. 12 a view from below of a fifth variant of a follower plate according to the invention, Fig. 13 a vertical section through the follower plate along the section surface XIII-XIII of the Figure 12 .

[0025] In Figure 1Figure 1 shows a conveying device 1 according to the invention. It includes a support 2 for a cylindrical container 3 containing a pasty mass 4. The support 2 is designed as a support plate on which the open-topped container 3 is placed. Two hydraulic cylinders 5 are attached to the support 2. Each cylinder 5 has a piston rod 6, which is connected to each other via a central crossbeam 8. A follower plate 9 is attached to the bottom of the crossbeam 8 by two vertical rods 10. By retracting the piston rods 6 into the hydraulic cylinders 5, the follower plate 9 is placed onto the pasty mass 4 in the container 3 (see Figure 1). Figure 4By further retracting the piston rods 6, the pasty mass 4 is forced through an outlet opening 12 in the follower plate 9 into a conveying line 14 or into a pump 13 located above the follower plate 9, which conveys the pasty mass 4 further. The conveying device 1 is part of a system for insulating glass production (not shown). The pasty mass 4 is transported via the conveying line 14 to an application device in a manner known per se, as is known, for example, from EP 0 171 309 A1 or DE 10 2007 051 610 A1. The conveying device 1 has a control unit 15 with which the cylinders 5 and the pump 13 can be controlled. A support jacket 20 is arranged around the container 3. The support jacket 20, see also Figure 11The support shell 20 stabilizes the container 3 when the follower plate 9 is drawn into the container 3 by the cylinders 5. A circumferential section of the support shell 20 is formed from a wire mesh 21. The wire mesh 21 can consist, for example, of wires with a diameter of 0.4 mm to 2.0 mm, in particular from 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm. The wires running circumferentially around the support shell 20 are thinner than the wires running longitudinally around the support shell. This allows the wire mesh to conform very well to the outer circumference of the container 3. The wire mesh 21 is attached to strips 22, to which three clamping fasteners 23 are attached. To place the support shell 20 against a container 3, the clamping fasteners 23 are first opened. Then, due to the flexibility of the wire mesh 21, the two strips 22 can be moved slightly away from each other, thus increasing the diameter of the support sheath 20.The support sleeve 20 is placed around a new, full container 3. The clamping fasteners 23 are then closed again. This reduces the circumference of the support sleeve 20, allowing it to tighten around the outer circumference of the container 3 and stabilize it. Due to the flexibility of the wire mesh 21 and its low weight, the support sleeve 20 can be easily handled by a single operator.

[0026] The in the Figures 2 to 10 and 12 to 13The illustrated variants of the follower plate 9 each have a top surface 30, a bottom surface 31, and a circumferential surface 32 extending between the top surface 30 and the bottom surface 31. A seal can be arranged on the circumferential surface 32 in a manner not shown, but known per se, which seals the follower plate 9 against the wall of the container 3. The follower plate 9 has several downward-projecting extensions in the form of ribs 33 on its bottom surface 31. The ribs 33 are arranged around the outlet opening 12 and are designed to dip into the pasty mass 4. When the piston rods 6 are retracted, the ribs 33 are pressed into the pasty mass 4 from above. The pasty mass 4 flows along the bottom surface 31 past the ribs 33 and is forced out of the container 3 through the outlet opening 12. The subsequent plate 9 contains a heating device 36 with several electric heating elements 37, cf. Figure 4 A heating element 37 is arranged in one of the ribs 33. Thermal insulation 38 is arranged on the upper surface 30 of the follower plate 9. In an embodiment not shown, thermal insulation can be arranged around the wire mesh 21 of the support sheath 20.

[0027] The thermal insulation 38 reduces heat loss. This minimizes unwanted cooling of a preheated container 3 and / or losses of heat supplied by the heating device 36.

[0028] The ribs 33 have a width B measured circumferentially around the outlet opening 12 and a length L measured radially to the outlet opening 12, cf. Figures 3 , 9 and 12 A width B1 near the outlet opening 12 is smaller than a width B2 at a point further away from the outlet opening 12, cf. Figure 3 . In the Figures 3 and 9It is further evident that the length L1 of a rib 33 differs from the length L2 of an adjacent rib 33. The rib 33 with the greater length L1 has a radial distance A1 to the outlet opening 12. The rib 33 with the shorter length L2 has a distance A2 to the outlet opening 12. The distance A2 is greater than the distance A1. The rib 33 with the greater length L1 is positioned between two ribs 33 with the shorter length L2. This significantly increases the area on the underside 31 that comes into contact with the pasty mass 4. The increased area is compared to a reference area. The reference area is the size of a flat surface enclosed by the wall of the container 3. For a standard 200-liter drum with a diameter of 570 mm, the reference area is 0.26 m².The area on the underside 31 that comes into contact with the pasty mass 4 is 3 to 4 times larger than the reference area. In the present example, it can be between 0.8 m² and 1.0 m².

[0029] Between each pair of adjacent ribs 33 there is a guide channel or space 34. The space 34 has a height H measured in the vertical direction, cf. vertical sections of the Figures 4 , 9 and 13 , as well as a width Z measured circumferentially around the outlet opening 33, cf. Figures 3 , 9 and 12The height H1 of the gap 34 at a point near the outlet opening 12 is greater than the height H2 of the gap 34 at a point further away from the outlet opening 12. The height H increases continuously with decreasing distance to the outlet opening 12 along a curve with varying curvature. Thus, in the gap 34, the underside of the follower plate 9 has a bell-shaped contour, cf. Figures 4 , 5 and 9 The height H of the gaps 34 at a point located at a distance A from the outlet opening 12 corresponds to the height of the ribs 33 at a point equidistant from the outlet opening 12. At a point near the outlet opening 12, the gap 34 has a width Z1, which is smaller than a width Z2 at a point further away from the outlet opening 12, cf. Figure 3 , 9 and 12As the distance A to the outlet opening 12 decreases, the width Z decreases continuously along the ribs 33. The free cross-sectional area Z*H of the space 34, calculated as the product of the width Z and the height H, is larger at a point near the outlet opening 12 than at a point further away from it. As the distance to the outlet opening 12 decreases, the cross-sectional area Z*H increases continuously along the ribs 33.

[0030] Instead of eight ribs, 33 in Figure 3 are at the in Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment of the follower plate 9, only seven ribs 33 are provided, all of which have the same length L and the same distance A to the outlet opening 12. The ribs shown in the Figures 7 to 10 The variants of the follower plate 9 shown each have two outlet openings 12. In the version shown in the Figures 8 to 10In the illustrated variant, a separating rib 40 runs between the two outlet openings 12. The separating rib 40 extends transversely in a radial direction with respect to the outlet openings 12. The other ribs 33 extend radially outwards from the respective outlet opening 12. The ribs 33 have different lengths L and spacing A. In the exemplary embodiments of the Figures 12 and 13 It can be seen that the underside 31 of the subsequent plate 9, or the underside of the ribs 33, is oriented at an angle W to the circumferential surface 32, or the wall of the container 3, which is less than 90°. The angle W can lie in the range between 80° and 87°. Reference symbol list 1 Conveyor A, A1, A2 Distance 2 carrier B, B1, B2 Rib width 3 container H, H1, H2 Height 4 pasty mass L, L1, L2 length 5 cylinder Z, Z1, Z2 space width 6 piston rod W angle 8 traverse 9 follow-up album 10 rod 12 outlet opening 13 pump 14 Conveyor 15 Control unit 20 Supporting coat 21 Wire mesh 22 bar 23 Tension lock 30 Top 31 bottom 32 Perimeter area 33 rib 34 space 36 Heating system 37 heating element 38 Thermal insulation 40 Separating rib

Claims

1. A follow-up plate (9) for placing on a pasty mass (4) in a conveying device (1) for conveying the pasty mass (4) in the manufacture of insulating glass comprising an underside (31) and at least one outlet opening (12) being arranged in the follow-up plate (9) and being configured to be connected to a conveyor line (14), wherein several downwardly projecting projections are arranged on the underside (31) of the follow-up plate (9) around the at least one outlet opening (12), which projections are configured to be immersed in the pasty mass (4), wherein at least one of the projections is formed as a rib (33) extending radially outwards in relation to the outlet opening (12) along the underside (31) of the follow-up plate (9), characterized in that a space (34) arranged between two adjacent ribs (33) has a height (H, H1, H2) measured in vertical direction, which is greater at a location (H1) near the outlet opening (12) than at a location further away from the outlet opening (12) and increases along a curve having a changing curvature.

2. The follow-up plate (9) according to claim 1, wherein the follow-up plate (9) comprises several outlet openings (12).

3. The follow-up plate (9) according to claim 1, wherein only one outlet opening (12) is arranged centrally in the follow-up plate (9).

4. The follow-up plate (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a heating element (37) is arranged in the rib (33).

5. The follow-up plate (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rib (33) has a width (B, B1, B2) measured in circumferential direction around the outlet opening (12) which is smaller at a location (B1) near the outlet opening (12) than at a location (B2) further away from the outlet opening (12).

6. The follow-up plate (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, which comprises several ribs (33) each with a length (L, L1, L2) measured radial to the outlet opening (12), wherein one of the ribs has a smaller length (L2) and one of the ribs (33) has a larger length (L1).

7. The follow-up plate (9) according to claim 6, wherein the rib (33) of smaller length (L2) has a greater distance (A2) to the outlet opening (12) than the rib (33) of greater length (L1).

8. The follow-up plate (9) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a rib (33) of greater length (L1) is arranged between two ribs (33) of smaller length (L2).

9. The follow-up plate (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a space arranged between two adjacent ribs (33) has a width (Z, Z1, Z2) measured in circumferential direction around the outlet opening (12) which is smaller at a location (Z1) near the outlet opening (12) than at a location (Z2) further away from the outlet opening (12).

10. The follow-up plate (9) according to claim 9, wherein a cross-sectional area (Z*H) of the space (34), which is formed as a product from its width (Z) and its height (H), is larger at a location near the outlet opening (12) than at a location further away from the outlet opening (12).

11. A conveying device (1) for conveying a pasty mass (4) in the manufacture of insulating glass comprising a carrier (2) for a cylindrical container (3) containing pasty mass (4), a follow-up plate (9) arranged above the carrier (2) and being vertically displaceable for placing on the pasty mass (4), and a conveyor line (14) connected to the follow-up plate (9) for further transport of the pasty mass (4), characterized in that the follow-up plate (9) is formed according to claim 1.

12. The conveying device according to claim 11, wherein a heat insulation (38) is arranged on the upper side of the follow-up plate (9).

13. The conveying device according to claim 11 or 12 which comprises a support jacket (20) configured to be mounted externally on the container (3), wherein at least a circumferential section of the support jacket (20) is formed of a mesh (21), in particular a woven fabric.