PRESS FOR SEPARATION OF SOLID AND LIQUID PARTS FROM A MATERIAL, SUCH AS GRAPES

Abstract

Press (1) comprising a tank (2) with longitudinal axis (XX'), a frame (3) supporting the tank (2) horizontally, a device (4) for rotating the tank (2) and a pilot unit (16), said tank (2) being equipped with at least one pressurization port (9) having a tubular body (5) provided with a drainage zone (7) with longitudinal drains (71), one of the flanges (6) of the tank (2) being equipped with an axial filling port (8), said tank (2) comprising a membrane (10) separating the tank (2) into a treatment chamber (11) with the axial filling port (8), and a control chamber (12), said treatment chamber (11) being equipped with a first presence sensor (13), and an exhausting device (141) movable between a closed position and an open position,The control unit (16) being configured to control the rotation drive device (4) of the tank (2) based at least on the data provided by the first presence sensor (13), the treatment chamber (11) includes a second material presence sensor (15) located outside the drainage zone (7) and angularly offset from the first presence sensor (13), the control unit (16) is configured to control the passage of the exhaust device (141) from at least one position to another based at least on the data provided by the second presence sensor (15).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a press, preferably pneumatic, for separating the solid and liquid parts, also called juice, of a material, such as grapes.

[0002] It relates in particular to a press, preferably pneumatic, for separating the solid and liquid parts, also called juice, of a material, such as grapes, said press comprising a tank having a longitudinal axis, a support frame on which the tank is arranged substantially horizontally, a device for driving the tank in rotation around its longitudinal axis, at least one sensor for the angular position of the tank and a control unit, said tank having a tubular body closed at each of its opposite ends by a flange, said body being equipped with at least one opening for filling the tank closed by a door and being provided with a drainage zone comprising one or more longitudinal drains each extending, inside the tank, along said body, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank,one of the flanges of the tank being equipped with an axial filling orifice for filling the tank with material to be pressed, said tank being further provided with at least one pressurization orifice, said tank comprising at least one membrane, the or at least one of the membranes being fixed in a sealed manner on the one hand, to the tubular body of the tank along two opposite longitudinal edges, on the other hand, to the flanges along two respective transverse edges, the membrane(s) separating in a sealed manner the interior volume of the tank into a so-called treatment chamber, into which said axial filling orifice opens, and at least one so-called control chamber, into which the or one of the pressurization orifices opens, said treatment chamber being equipped with at least one material presence sensor, called the first presence sensor,the control unit being configured to control the device for driving the tank in rotation as a function of at least the data provided by the first presence sensor.,

[0003] A press of the aforementioned type is known as illustrated for example by document EP-4.063.111. Conventionally in such a press, the membrane is configured so that it can, in the pressurized state of the control chamber, come to rest against the walls of the tank delimiting the treatment chamber, and, in the depressurized state of the control chamber, come to rest against the walls of the tank delimiting said control chamber. Such presses have the advantage, due to the presence of an axial filling orifice, of being able to allow filling of the tank whatever the angular position of the tank and in particular, including during rotation of the tank. This results in shorter operating cycles of the press. However, manufacturers of such presses continue to seek solutions to further increase the performance of such presses.In particular, these presses have the disadvantage of exhibiting an effect called the "whale effect" at the drains in the drainage area. This whale effect occurs when, during the rotation of the tank, a drain is exposed to the atmosphere while the pressure inside the tank in the space called the tank headspace is high. This results in liquid being projected via the drain outside the tank.

[0004] An aim of the present invention is to propose a press whose design makes it possible to limit or even eliminate the whale effect while optimizing drainage.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a press, preferably pneumatic, for separating the solid and liquid parts, also called juice, of a material, such as grapes, said press comprising a tank having a longitudinal axis, a support frame on which the tank is arranged substantially horizontally, a device for driving the tank in rotation around its longitudinal axis, at least one sensor for the angular position of the tank and a control unit, said tank having a tubular body closed at each of its opposite ends by a flange, said body being equipped with at least one opening for filling the tank closed by a door and being provided with a drainage zone comprising one or more longitudinal drains each extending, inside the tank, along said body, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank,one of the flanges of the tank being equipped with an axial filling orifice for filling the tank with material to be pressed, said tank being further provided with at least one pressurization orifice, said tank comprising at least one membrane, the or at least one of the membranes being fixed in a sealed manner on the one hand, to the tubular body of the tank along two opposite longitudinal edges, on the other hand, to the flanges along two respective transverse edges, the membrane(s) separating in a sealed manner the interior volume of the tank into a so-called treatment chamber, into which said axial filling orifice opens, and at least one so-called control chamber, into which the or one of the pressurization orifices opens, said treatment chamber being equipped with at least one material presence sensor, called the first presence sensor,the control unit being configured to control the device for driving the tank in rotation as a function at least of the data provided by the first presence sensor, characterized in that the treatment chamber is equipped with an exhaust device comprising at least one exhaust member mounted to move between a closed position and an open position for exhausting the treatment chamber, and comprises a second material presence sensor, the second presence sensor and the exhaust member(s) are arranged outside the drainage zone, on the part of the tubular body of the tank equipped with the door(s) and extending between one of the longitudinal edges of the membrane and the drainage zone,the first presence sensor and the second presence sensor are angularly offset around the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank so that in the driven state of rotation of the tank with the exhaust member(s) arranged in front of the first presence sensor,the second presence sensor is arranged in front of the first sensor and the control unit is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) from the closed position to the open position based at least on the data provided by the second presence sensor. The possibility for the control unit to control the rotation of the tank based on the data provided by a first presence sensor makes it possible to define the angular positioning of the tank based on its filling level so as to optimize the use of the drainage surface and limit the number of rotations of the tank to reduce the risk of crushing the material. The presence of a second presence sensor whose data makes it possible to control the exhaust device can allow, in the event of the tank filling too quickly,to ensure closure of the exhaust member to avoid damage to this exhaust member. The presence of this second presence sensor also makes it possible to open, as soon as possible, the exhaust member after an angular movement of the tank during which the exhaust member moves from a position in the harvest to a position out of the harvest while the first presence sensor is still in the harvest to avoid the whale effect when a drain from the drainage zone is exhausted during this angular movement.,

[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first presence sensor is arranged on the tubular body of the tank in the drainage zone or at the edge of the drainage zone located closest to the door(s) of the tank. This position of the first sensor makes it possible to further optimize the use of the drainage surface.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the drainage zone comprising several drains, the first presence sensor is arranged between two drains.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first presence sensor and the second presence sensor are angularly spaced apart by an angle at most equal to 60°. The apex of the angle is taken on the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the or at least one of the exhaust members is arranged on the tubular body of the tank and spaced from one of the longitudinal edges connecting the or one of the membranes to the body of the tank by an angle at most equal to 60°. Again, the apex of the angle is taken on the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank. Preferably, the or at least one of the pressurization orifices is an axial orifice, the transverse edges connecting the membrane to the flanges extend, at one of the flanges, on one side of a median or diametral longitudinal plane of the tank passing through the axial filling orifice of the tank and the axial pressurization orifice, and at the opposite flange, on the other side of said median longitudinal plane.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second presence sensor arranged on the tubular body of the tank and the exhaust member(s) are angularly spaced apart by an angle at most equal to 10°. The apex of the angle is taken on the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank. The exhaust member(s) and the second presence sensor arranged on the tubular body of the tank are angularly spaced apart by an angle between 0° and 60°. It is understood that at 0°, the second presence sensor and the exhaust member(s) are arranged at the same level on the tubular body of the tank but this solution is not preferred.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, a radial plane of the tank passing through the second presence sensor and a radial plane of the tank passing through the exhaust member form, inside the tank, a first angular sector, the radial plane of the tank passing through the second presence sensor and a radial plane of the tank passing through the first presence sensor form, inside the tank, a second angular sector not included in the first angular sector and contiguous to the first angular sector and, for rotational driving of the tank following at least one revolution, the control unit is configured to control the device for rotational driving of the tank following a direction of rotational movement of the tank in which the first angular sector is arranged in front of the second angular sector taken with respect to the direction of rotational movement.Thus, ideally, the exhaust member(s) are angularly spaced from the longitudinal edge of the membrane closest to an angle of between 1° and 60°, the second presence sensor is angularly spaced from the exhaust member by an angle of between 0° and 10°, preferably between 1° and 10° and the first presence sensor is angularly spaced from the second presence sensor by an angle of between 10° and 60°, each angle being an apex angle taken under the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the drainage zone comprising several drains, the drains extend on either side of the radial plane delimiting the second angular sector passing through the first presence sensor, the second angular sector containing at least one drain and at most three drains.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control unit is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) from the open position to the closed position based at least on the data provided by the second presence sensor. This is the case when the tank is filled too quickly.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the invention, the control unit is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) from the open position to the closed position based at least on the data provided by the first presence sensor and the angular position sensor of the tank. This is the case, for example, when a rotation of the tank is commanded for the purpose of unclogging the drainage zone and the filling level of the tank is low. This makes it possible to trigger the closing of the exhaust member(s) just before the entry of the exhaust member(s) into the harvest.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the invention, the or at least one of the exhaust members is arranged on the tubular body of the tank at a location on the body closer to the flange opposite the flange provided with the axial filling orifice.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first and second presence sensors are level probes.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first and second presence sensors are arranged on the tubular body of the tank in the same plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tank or in two parallel planes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tank separated from each other by a distance at most equal to two-thirds of the length of the tank, the length of the tank being taken along the longitudinal axis of the tank. Brève description des dessins

[0018] The invention will be clearly understood upon reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which: [ Fig. 1 ] represents a partially sectioned schematic view of a press according to the invention; [ Fig. 2 ] represents a partial schematic sectional view of the tank of a press; [ Fig. 3 ] represents a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the tank of a press; [ Fig. 4 ] represents in the form of two schematic cross-sectional views of the tank the rotation drive of the tank.

[0019] As mentioned above, the invention relates to a press 1, as illustrated in figure 1 . The press 1 is a pneumatic press intended to separate the solid parts from the liquid parts also called juice of a material, such as grapes. This press 1 comprises a tank 2. This tank 2 delimits an enclosure. This tank 2 has, for the delimitation of the enclosure, walls. This tank 2 is here a tank with a substantially horizontal axis with a peripheral lateral wall forming the tubular body 5, in particular cylindrical, of the tank 2 and two end walls or flanges 6 closing the tank 2 respectively at one end and at the other end of the cylindrical body 5. Obviously, the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 could have had a shape other than a circular shape in cross section, even if the circular shape is preferred.

[0020] This tank 2 is a rotating tank 2 mounted to rotate around an axis called longitudinal of the tank 2 represented at XX' in the figures. This longitudinal axis XX' corresponds to the substantially horizontal longitudinal axis of the cylinder formed by the tank 2. The press 1 comprises a support frame 3 on which the tank 2 rests. The tank 2 is arranged substantially horizontally on the support frame 3, that is to say that the longitudinal axis XX' called substantially horizontal of the tank 2 is a horizontal axis to within ± 20° in the positioned state of the press 1 on a horizontal flat surface.

[0021] This support frame 3 comprises posts resting on the ground and on which the tank 2 is rotatably mounted. The posts of the frame 3 thus each support, for example, a bearing cooperating with a journal of the tank 2 arranged in the center of each flange 6 of the tank 2. The press 1 also comprises a device 4 for driving the tank 2 in rotation around the longitudinal axis XX' of the tank 2, a sensor 20 for the angular position of the tank 2 and a control unit 16. The control unit 16 is configured in particular to control the device 4 for driving the tank 2 in rotation. This device 4 for driving the tank 2 in rotation may comprise an electric motor 41 carried by one of the posts. The rotating motor shaft of this electric motor 41 carries a pinion 42 which meshes directly or indirectly with a toothing 43 of the tank 2.The sensor 20 for the angular position of the tank 2 may be an encoder arranged at the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank 2 or any other sensor, for example for detecting the angular position of the teeth 43 or the pinion 42.

[0022] To allow the filling of the tank 2 with material to be pressed, one of the flanges 6 of the tank 2 is equipped with an axial filling orifice 8. This axial filling orifice 8 is coaxial with the longitudinal axis XX' of the tank 2. This axial filling orifice 8 is connected to a pumping circuit external to the tank. The tank 2 also comprises, for its filling, one or more access doors 19 to the tank arranged on the tubular body 5 of the tank 2. In the example, two access doors 19 are shown. These access doors 19 allow the press 1 to be supplied at atmospheric pressure. These access doors 19 also act as a drain orifice for the tank. The axial filling orifice 8 can allow the tank 2 to be supplied under pressure with material to be pressed.

[0023] The flange 6 opposite the one equipped with the axial filling orifice 8 is, in the example shown, equipped with a pressurization orifice 9. This pressurization orifice 9 is an axial pressurization orifice here common with a depressurization orifice of the tank 2. This axial pressurization orifice therefore also acts as a depressurization orifice of the tank 2. Inside the tank 2 is arranged at least one flexible deformable membrane 10. In the example shown in figure 1 , a single membrane 10 is provided. The membrane 10 is fixed in a sealed manner on the one hand, to the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 along two opposite longitudinal edges 17, on the other hand, to the flanges 6 along two respective transverse edges 18. The transverse edges 18 connecting the membrane 10 to the flanges 6 extend, at the level of one of the flanges 6, on one side of a median or diametral longitudinal plane of the tank 2 passing through the axial orifice 8 for filling the tank 2 and the axial pressurization orifice 9, and at the level of the opposite flange 6, on the other side of said median longitudinal plane.The membrane 10 thus separates the interior volume of the tank 2 in a sealed manner into two chambers, namely, one, called the treatment chamber 11 into which the axial orifice 8 for filling the tank 2 and the access door(s) 19 open, and the other, called the control chamber 12, into which the axial pressurization orifice 9 also serves as a depressurization orifice. Obviously, the pressurization orifice and the depressurization orifice could have been produced separately. Alternatively, the tank 2 could have been separated by means of several membranes into a treatment chamber and several control chambers each equipped with a pressurization orifice.

[0024] The treatment chamber 11 comprises drainage means configured to allow communication between the inside and the outside of the tank 2 and in particular the drainage of the juices contained in the tank 2. These drainage means comprise one or more drains 71. Each drain 71 may be in the form of a drainage chute or portion of elongated openwork conduit as illustrated in figure 2 . Each time the drain(s) are arranged at the level of the tubular body 5 of the tank 2. Said drains 71 are longitudinal drains which each extend inside the tank 2 along the body 5 of the tank 2, in particular along a generatrix of the tubular body 5 of the tank 2.

[0025] These drains 71 therefore extend inside the tank 2 along the cylindrical body of the tank 2, parallel to the longitudinal axis XX' of the tank 2. Regardless of their embodiment, these drains 71 are in fluid communication with partially shown juice outlet means. These juice outlet means may comprise a collector for the result of the drainage, this collector comprising an outlet orifice positionable above and directly above a collection tank for transferring the juices leaving the tank via said drains 71 to said collection tank.

[0026] In the example illustrated in the figures, the drains 71 which constitute longitudinal drainage channels are formed by means of perforated profiled elements arranged on the internal face of the cylindrical body 5 of the tank, extending along a generatrix of the cylindrical body 5 of said tank. These profiled elements form a filtering screen due to the presence of orifices, such as holes or slots, made in their wall. The collection tank can be arranged at least partially under the tank 2. In the state positioned horizontally to the longitudinal axis XX' of the tank 2 corresponding to the configuration of use, at least a portion of the drains 71 can be positioned in the lower part of the tank to form the low point of the tank. This arrangement is for example shown in figure 3 where the drains 71 are arranged in the lower half of the tank 2 due to the angular position occupied by the tank 2. The area of ​​the body 5 of the tank 2, along which the drain(s) 71 are arranged, is called the drainage area 7 of the tank 2.

[0027] The pressurization orifice also serving as a depressurization orifice of the tank 2 is connectable to a pressurized fluid circuit on which are arranged a device for allowing a supply of fluid, in particular pressurized gas, to the control chamber and a vacuum generation device. The device allows the admission, into the control chamber 12, of compressed gas which may be compressed air, during the pressing phases. The device for allowing the supply of pressurized fluid comprises a source of pressurized fluid. The source of pressurized fluid may be a compressor, a compressed air network or other. This source of pressurized fluid may therefore be integrated into the press 1 or independent of the press 1. The pressurized fluid circuit which connects this source of pressurized fluid to the control chamber may be closable.

[0028] The vacuum generating device allows the suction of gas, such as compressed air, into the control chamber(s) 12, in particular during the filling, crumbling and emptying phases of the tank 2. It is understood, in the example shown which only comprises a single control chamber 12, that, when the control chamber 12 is under vacuum, the membrane 10 tends to be pressed against the part of the tubular body 5 of the tank serving to delimit said control chamber 12, which makes it possible, during the filling of the treatment chamber 11, to optimize the available volume of the treatment chamber 11. In the pressurized state of the control chamber 12, the membrane 10 tends to be pressed in the direction of the drains 71 so as to press the material to extract juice therefrom which then flows out of the tank through the drains 71.The ability to apply pressure and vacuum to the control chamber 12 also allows the membrane to be moved back and forth against the material to be treated in order to press it effectively to extract the juices. The operation would be similar in the presence of several membranes and several control chambers.

[0029] The press comprises, as mentioned above, a control unit 16 which allows, in addition to the control of the device 4 for driving the tank 2 in rotation, control of the device to allow a supply of pressurized gas to the control chamber(s) 12 and control of the vacuum generation device.

[0030] The control unit 16 is in the form of an electronic and computer system which comprises for example a microprocessor and a working memory. According to a particular aspect of the invention, the control unit 16 may be in the form of a programmable automaton. In other words, the functions and steps described may be implemented in the form of a computer program or via hardware components, for example programmable gate arrays. In particular, the functions and steps operated by the control unit or these modules may be carried out by instruction sets or computer module implemented in a processor or controller, or be carried out by dedicated electronic components or FPGA or ASIC type components. It is also possible to combine computer parts and electronic parts.When it is specified that the control unit 16 or means or modules of said unit are configured to carry out a given operation, this means that the unit comprises computer instructions and the corresponding execution means which make it possible to carry out said operation and / or that the unit comprises corresponding electronic components.

[0031] The press 1 also comprises a device 14 for venting the treatment chamber 11. This device 14 for venting the treatment chamber comprises at least one venting member 141 mounted to move between a closed position and an open position for venting the treatment chamber 11. This or each venting member 141 may be in the form of a valve or a controlled flap. In the figures, only one venting member 141 is shown.

[0032] This exhaust device 14 makes it possible, in the open position of the exhaust member 141, to avoid overpressure or depression inside the tank during the filling phase of the tank 2 via the axial orifice 8 for filling the tank 2.

[0033] The press 1 also comprises a first material presence sensor 13 and a second material presence sensor 15.

[0034] In the examples shown, each material presence sensor is a level probe. In particular, this material presence sensor may be an analog level probe, using impedance spectroscopy method technology, i.e. capable of producing an electrical signal when it is in contact with the material, the sensitivity of the sensor being a function, for example, of the more or less aqueous nature of the material and of the contact surface.

[0035] Obviously, any other level sensor, preferably active by contact with the material, can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. The data provided by the first and second presence sensors are transmitted to the control unit 16. The first and second presence sensors are arranged inside the treatment chamber 11. The first and second presence sensors are angularly offset around the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank 2. The first presence sensor 13 is arranged on the tubular body 5 of the tank 2. The second presence sensor 15 is arranged on the tubular body 5 of the tank 2.Ideally, the first and second presence sensors are arranged substantially in the same transverse plane, i.e. orthogonal, to the longitudinal axis XX' of rotation of the tank or in two parallel planes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tank 2 separated from each other by a distance at most equal to two-thirds of the length of the tank 2, the length of the tank 2 being taken along the longitudinal axis of the tank 2.

[0036] The second presence sensor 15 is arranged on the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 outside the drainage zone 7, the part of the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 equipped with the door(s) 19 extending between one of the longitudinal edges 17 of the membrane 10 and the drainage zone 7. Similarly, the exhaust member(s) 141 are arranged outside the drainage zone 7 on the part of the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 equipped with the door(s) 19 extending between one of the longitudinal edges 17 of the membrane 10 and the drainage zone 7. With this description, in the rotating state of the tank 2 with the exhaust member(s) 141 arranged in front of the first presence sensor 13, the second presence sensor 15 is arranged in front of the first sensor 13. Thus, during an anti-clockwise rotation at the figure 4 in the left view, the exhaust member(s) 141 enter the harvest before the first presence sensor 13 and simultaneously or ideally before the second presence sensor 15, the second presence sensor 15 entering the harvest before the first presence sensor 13. The second presence sensor 15 and the exhaust member(s) 141 are arranged inside the angular sector extending between one of the longitudinal edges 17 of the membrane 10 and the drainage zone 7. The control unit 16 is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member 141 from the closed position to the open position, as a function at least of the data provided by the second presence sensor 15.The control unit 16 is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) 141 from the open position to the closed position as a function at least of the data provided by the second presence sensor 15.

[0037] The control unit 16 is also configured to control the device 4 for driving the tank 2 in rotation as a function of at least the data provided by the first presence sensor 13. In particular, the control unit 16 is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) 141 from the open position to the closed position as a function of at least the data provided by the first presence sensor 13 and the angular position sensor 20 of the tank 2. Ideally, the first presence sensor 13 is arranged on the tubular body of the tank in the drainage zone 7 or at the edge of the drainage zone 7, in particular at the edge of the drainage zone 7 located closest to the door(s) 19 of the tank 2. This edge of the drainage zone 7 is materialized by the outer longitudinal edge of the outermost drain of the drainage zone 7 and closest to the door(s) 19 of the tank 2.

[0038] In the example shown in the figure 2 , the drainage zone 7 comprises several drains 71 and the first presence sensor 13 is arranged between two drains 71. To obtain better results in terms of optimizing the use of the drainage surface of the tank 2, while avoiding the whale effect, it is preferable for the first presence sensor 13 to be angularly spaced from the second presence sensor 15 by an angle at least equal to 10° and at most equal to 60°.

[0039] In practice and as mentioned above, the exhaust member(s) 141 and the second presence sensor 15 are arranged on the part of the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 equipped with the door(s) 19 which extends between a longitudinal edge 17 of the membrane 10 and the drainage zone 7 as visible in FIG. figure 3 . When the first presence sensor 13 is arranged at the edge of the drainage zone 7, the relevant edge of the drainage zone 7 is the edge closest to the door(s) 19 of the tank. Each edge of the drainage zone 7 is formed by a longitudinal edge of a drain. When the drainage zone 7 is reduced to a single drain, the edges of the drainage zone 7 are formed by the longitudinal edges of the drain. When the drainage zone 7 comprises several parallel drains, the edges are formed by the longitudinal edges of the drain which are spaced apart from each other by the largest angular value, that is to say which form between them the largest angle with the apex of the angle arranged on the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank 2.The or at least one of the exhaust members 141 is preferably further arranged on the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 and spaced apart from one of the longitudinal edges 17 connecting the or one of the membranes 10 to the body 5 of the tank 2 by an angle of between 1° and 60°. Ideally, the exhaust member(s) 141 must be as close as possible to the longitudinal edge of the membrane closest to the door(s) 19. The second presence sensor 15 arranged on the tubular body of the tank and the exhaust member(s) 141 are angularly spaced apart by an angle of at most 10°.

[0040] When following the profile of the tubular body of the tank 2 by rotating around the longitudinal axis XX' of rotation of the tank, and starting from the longitudinal edge of the membrane 10 closest to the exhaust member 141, we first encounter the exhaust member 141, then the second presence sensor 15, then either the first presence sensor 13, then the drainage zone 7 when the first presence sensor 13 is at the edge of the drainage zone 7, or at least a first drain of the drainage zone 7 then the first presence sensor 13 when the first presence sensor 13 is not at the edge of the drainage zone 7 but in the drainage zone 7.

[0041] In the example shown, the first sensor 13 is between two drains immediately after the first drain of the drainage zone 7. The second presence sensor 15 and the exhaust member 141 are angularly offset along the body of the tank 2 relative to the longitudinal axis of rotation of the tank 2. Alternatively, although this solution is not preferred, the second presence sensor 15 could not be angularly offset from the exhaust member(s) 141. In this case, when following the profile of the tubular body of the tank 2 by rotating around the longitudinal axis XX' of rotation of the tank, and starting from the longitudinal edge of the membrane 10 closest to the exhaust member 141, the exhaust member 141 and the second presence sensor 15 are encountered simultaneously.

[0042] This exhaust member 141 is preferably arranged on the tubular body 5 of the tank 2 at a location on the body 5 closer to the flange 6 opposite the flange provided with the axial filling orifice 8.

[0043] If we define, as illustrated by the figure 3 , a first angular sector S1 formed by a radial plane of the tank passing through the second presence sensor 15 and a radial plane of the tank 2 passing through the exhaust member 141 and a second distinct angular sector S2, i.e. not included in the first angular sector S1 and contiguous to the first angular sector S1 with the second angular sector S2 formed by the radial plane of the tank 2 passing through the second presence sensor 15 and a radial plane of the tank 2 passing through the first presence sensor 13, the direction of rotation of the tank to perform at least one rotational revolution is imposed by the control unit 16 which is configured to control the device 4 for driving the tank 2 in rotation in a direction of rotational movement of the tank 2 in which the first angular sector S1 is arranged in front of the second angular sector S2 taken with respect to the direction of rotational movement.It is noted that, in this example where the drainage zone 7 comprises several drains 71, the drains 71 extend on either side of the radial plane delimiting the second angular sector S2 passing through the first presence sensor 13. In particular, a drain 71 arranged at the edge of the drainage zone 7 extends inside the second angular sector S2.

[0044] Even if the solution of a first sensor 13 preferably arranged at the edge of the drainage zone is conceivable, generally, the first presence sensor 13 is in the drainage zone 7 and the second angular sector S2 contains at least one drain 71 and at most three drains 71.

[0045] The traditional operation of a press is as follows.

[0046] Before filling the treatment chamber 11 with material, such as grapes, air or any other equivalent pressure agent is sucked out of the control chamber 12 of the tank 2 using the vacuum generating device through the pressurization orifice 9 fitted to the control chamber 12, so that a vacuum is produced there and the membrane 10 is pressed against the wall parts of the tank used to delimit said control chamber 12, as illustrated for example in FIG. figure 1 .

[0047] The vacuum generation device is controlled by the control unit 16 using a sensor for measuring a parameter representative of the pressure arranged either inside the enclosure of the tank in the or one of the control chambers 12, or at the level of the pressurized fluid circuit connecting the vacuum generation device to the tank 2.

[0048] Although the filling of the press tank with the material to be pressed can be carried out when the tank is stopped by the door(s) 19 with which the treatment chamber 11 is equipped. The filling of the tank 2 generally takes place only by the axial filling orifice 8 advantageously equipped with a rotating connection to allow filling during the rotation of the tank 2.

[0049] This filling therefore takes place in the closed state of the doors 19 of the tank and in such a way that an overpressure could be observed in the treatment chamber 11, when a blockage occurs at the level of the drainage zone 7, or when the evacuation flow rate becomes lower than the supply flow rate, at least when the exhaust member(s) 141 are not in the open position.

[0050] In this filling position, the tank 2 occupies a position in which the drains 71 are arranged in the lower part of the tank 2, opposite the reservoir for collecting the liquid contained in the material arranged at least partially under the tank. If necessary, during this filling of the tank, a rotation of the tank can be controlled by the control unit 16 in particular as a function of the filling level of the tank, as will be described below.

[0051] During this filling and draining phase, the juices flow freely at atmospheric pressure. Once this free flow of juices is complete, the pressing phase can begin. It is assumed that one or more set pressures have been stored, as well as time periods corresponding to the maintenance of said set pressure inside the control chamber(s). The pressurized fluid supply device is then activated.

[0052] Under the effect of this supply of pressurized fluid to the control chamber 12, the membrane 10 is pressed against the material present in the treatment chamber 11 which is itself pressurized against the drains 71. As a result, the liquid part of this material flows through the drains 71 while the solid part remains in the tank outside said drains 71.

[0053] The control chamber 12 is then placed under vacuum, during which the membrane 10 is moved away from the drains 71, followed by a crumbling phase during which the tank 2 is rotated around its axis to break up the cake of material which forms under the effect of the pressure. A new pressing phase can then be initiated.

[0054] Once the pressing phase is complete, the control chamber is again placed under vacuum to allow an operator to remove the solid material remaining in the tank. To empty the tank, once pressing has been carried out, the door(s) 19 fitted to the tubular body 5 of the tank are opened and the tank is rotated so that the solid part remaining in the treatment chamber is gradually evacuated through the opening unmasked by the door. The operator can then clean the membrane by passing a jet of water through the lateral opening made in the cylinder body on the treatment chamber side to clean the membrane pressed against the wall of the control chamber. A new cycle can then begin.

[0055] It should be noted that the operation, as described above, would be similar in the presence of multiple membranes and multiple control chambers.

[0056] The first and second presence sensors and the exhaust member(s) 141 fulfill an essential role during the filling, draining and crumbling phases described above. The objective is to ensure filling and draining as well as crumbling without human intervention while avoiding a whale effect at the drainage zone 7 and optimizing the use of the drainage surface. The optimization of the drainage surface is obtained, during the filling of the tank, by limiting the tilting of the tank because breathing of the tank is always ensured due to the presence of the at least one exhaust member 141 and the controlled angular positioning of the tank using the first presence sensor 13.The angular spacing between the first and second presence sensors allows, during a rotation of the tank, time to depressurize the tank using the exhaust member(s) 141 before the drainage zone 7 is uncovered. Thus, the whale effect is avoided.

[0057] If we refer for example to the figure 4, if a rotation over one revolution of the tank in the counterclockwise direction is engaged in the position of the tank shown in the right-hand view where the exhaust member 141 is open and the first presence sensor 13 does not mention any presence of harvest, the control unit controls the device for driving the tank in rotation by maintaining the exhaust member 141 in the open position for as long as possible with regard to the information provided by the first presence sensor 13 and by the sensor 20 of the angular position of the tank 2. These two sensors make it possible to determine the angular position of the tank corresponding to the entry of the exhaust member 141 into the harvest.

[0058] The exhaust member 141 is closed immediately before it enters the harvest. The control unit 16 is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) 141 from the open position to the closed position based at least on the data provided by the first presence sensor 13 and the angular position sensor 20 of the tank 2. When the exhaust member 141 is closed, a portion of the drainage zone 7 may be in the open air so that the tank breathes. The rotation of the tank continues until the exhaust member 141 leaves the harvest.This exit of the harvest exhaust member 141 is detected in the process by the second presence sensor 15 which then controls the opening of the exhaust member 141 so that, as soon as a drain in turn leaves the harvest, the free space called the head space of the tank is already at atmospheric pressure and no whale effect is observed. The control unit 16 is therefore configured to control at least the passage of the exhaust member 141 from the closed position to the open position when the second presence sensor 15 detects an absence of harvest in the state driven in rotation of the tank 2.

[0059] As the tank is filled, the first presence sensor 13 tends, for its part, to allow, via the information that it provides to the control unit 16, a progressive rotation of the tank which makes it possible to optimize the position of the drainage zone 7 to limit the number of drains in the open air, that is to say outside the harvest. It is noted that the presence of the second presence sensor 15 also makes it possible to avoid damage, in particular clogging of the exhaust member 141 during too rapid filling of the tank during which the control unit 16 would not have had time, in view of the data provided by the first presence sensor 13, to generate a partial rotation of the tank to move the exhaust member 141 away from the high level of the harvest.The control unit 16 is therefore configured to control the transition from the open position to the closed position of the exhaust member 141 as a function of at least the data provided by the second presence sensor 15.

[0060] In the preceding example, the control unit controls the passage of the exhaust member 141 from the closed position to the open position as a function of the data provided by the second presence sensor 15 and can control the passage of the exhaust member 141 from the open position to the closed position, as a function of the data provided by the second sensor 15 or as a function of data provided by the first sensor 13 depending on the situations. The control unit 16 also always controls an angular movement of the tank at least as a function of the data provided by the first presence sensor 13. The control unit 16 is configured to control an angular movement of the tank at least when the first presence sensor 13 detects a presence of material around said first presence sensor 13 under conditions defined as a function of its sensitivity.

Claims

1. Press (1), preferably pneumatic, for separating the solid and liquid parts, also called juice, of a material, such as grapes, said press (1) comprising a tank (2) having a longitudinal axis (XX'), a support frame (3) on which the tank (2) is arranged substantially horizontally, a device (4) for rotating the tank (2) around its longitudinal axis (XX'), at least one sensor (20) for the angular position of the tank (2) and a control unit (16), said tank (2) having a tubular body (5) closed at each of its opposite ends by a flange (6), said body (5) being equipped with at least one opening for filling the tank closed by a door (19) and being provided with a drainage zone (7) comprising one or more longitudinal drains (71) each extending, inside the tank (2), along said body (5), parallel to the longitudinal axis (XX') of the tank (2),one of the flanges (6) of the tank (2) being equipped with an axial filling orifice (8) for filling the tank (2) with material to be pressed, said tank (2) being further provided with at least one pressurization orifice (9), said tank (2) comprising at least one membrane (10), the or at least one of the membranes (10) being fixed in a sealed manner on the one hand, to the tubular body (5) of the tank (2) along two opposite longitudinal edges (17), on the other hand, to the flanges (6) along two respective transverse edges (18), the membrane(s) (10) separating in a sealed manner the interior volume of the tank (2) into a chamber (11) called the treatment chamber, into which said axial filling orifice (8) opens, and at least one chamber (12) called the control chamber, into which the or one of the pressurization orifices (9) opens, said treatment chamber (11) being equipped with at least one material presence sensor, called first presence sensor (13),the control unit (16) being configured to control the device (4) for driving the tank (2) in rotation as a function of at least the data provided by the first presence sensor (13), characterized in that the treatment chamber (11) is equipped with an exhaust device (14) comprising at least one exhaust member (141) mounted to move between a closed position and an open position for exhausting the treatment chamber (11), and comprises a second material presence sensor (15), in that the second presence sensor (15) and the exhaust member(s) (141) are arranged outside the drainage zone (7), on the part of the tubular body (5) of the tank (2) equipped with the door(s) (19) and extending between one of the longitudinal edges (17) of the membrane (10) and the drainage zone (7), in thatthe first presence sensor (13) and the second presence sensor (15) are angularly offset around the longitudinal axis (XX') of rotation of the tank (2) so that in the state in which the tank (2) is driven in rotation with the exhaust member(s) (141) arranged in front of the first presence sensor (13), the second presence sensor (15) is arranged in front of the first sensor (13) and in that the control unit (16) is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) (141) from the closed position to the open position as a function at least of the data provided by the second presence sensor (15).

2. Press (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first presence sensor (13) is arranged on the tubular body (5) of the tank (2) in the drainage zone (7) or at the edge of the drainage zone (7) located closest to the door(s) (19) of the tank (2).

3. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the drainage zone (7) comprising several drains (71), the first presence sensor (13) is arranged between two drains (71).

4. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first presence sensor (13) and the second presence sensor (15) are angularly spaced apart by an angle at most equal to 60°.

5. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the or at least one of the exhaust members (14) is arranged on the tubular body (5) of the tank (2) and spaced from one of the longitudinal edges (17) connecting the or one of the membranes (10) to the body (5) of the tank (2) by an angle at most equal to 60°.

6. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in thatthe second presence sensor (15) arranged on the tubular body of the tank and the exhaust member(s) (141) are angularly spaced apart by an angle at most equal to 10°.

7. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a radial plane of the tank (2) passing through the second presence sensor (15) and a radial plane of the tank (2) passing through the exhaust member (141) form, inside the tank (2), a first angular sector (S1), in that the radial plane of the tank (2) passing through the second presence sensor (15) and a radial plane of the tank (2) passing through the first presence sensor (13) form, inside the tank (2), a second angular sector (S2) not included in the first angular sector (S1) and contiguous to the first angular sector (S1) and in that, for a rotational drive of the tank (2) following at least one revolution, the control unit (16) is configured to control the device (4) for driving the tank (2) in rotation following a direction of rotational movement of the tank (2) in which the first angular sector (S1) is arranged in front of the second angular sector (S2) taken relative to the direction of rotational movement.

8. Press (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the drainage zone (7) comprising several drains (71), the drains (71) extend on either side of the radial plane delimiting the second angular sector (S2) passing through the first presence sensor (13), the second angular sector (S2) containing at least one drain (71) and at most three drains (71) 9. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in thatthe control unit (16) is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) (141) from the open position to the closed position as a function at least of the data provided by the second presence sensor (15).

10. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the control unit (16) is configured to control the passage of the exhaust member(s) (141) from the open position to the closed position as a function of at least the data provided by the first presence sensor (13) and the angular position sensor (20) of the tank (2).

11. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the or at least one of the exhaust members (141) is arranged on the tubular body (5) of the tank (2) at a location on the body (5) closer to the flange (6) opposite the flange provided with the axial filling orifice (8).

12. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the first and second presence sensors (13, 15) are level probes.

13. Press (1) according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the first and second presence sensors (13, 15) are arranged on the tubular body (5) of the tank (2) in the same plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tank (2) or in two parallel planes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tank (2) spaced from each other by a distance at most equal to two thirds of the length of the tank (2), the length of the tank (2) being taken along the longitudinal axis of the tank (2).