Plan shifter

Abstract

The present invention relates to a planisher (1) comprising at least one compartment (2, 2') and a drive module (3) for causing the compartment (2, 2') to perform a vibrating motion and / or a rocking motion. In the inner region (2b) of the compartment (2, 2'), a sieve stack (5) is provided which includes at least one sieve, preferably 2 to 32 sieves, more preferably 10 to 32 sieves, and particularly preferably 20 to 32 sieves. The compartment (2, 2') has an outlet frame (9) provided in the bottom region (2c) of the compartment (2, 2'). The present invention further relates to an outlet frame for a planisher and a method for sieving materials in the above-mentioned planisher (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a planifter having an increased sifting area.

[0002] Sieves have found wide application in industrial applications where separation or sorting of materials by particle size is required. As an example, a planifter can be mentioned.

[0003] In pulverizers, particularly cereal pulverizers, planifters for sieving powdery or granular products are widely used. An example is the planifter Sirius MPAK made by Buhler. The planifter has a lockable sieve module (also referred to herein as a compartment) having at least one stack of sieve trays arranged vertically, and the mesh size thereof can be variably selected throughout the sieve stack in order to sort the product into a desired particle size range. To perform the sieving motion, the planifter is set to a uniform rocking motion by an unbalanced drive. Conventionally, the above drive is provided within a separate drive module arranged in the vicinity of the compartment.

[0004] The individual fractions of the sieved material, separated from each other in the stack of sieve trays, are then led to an outlet frame. The outlet frame is located at the lower part of the inner region of each compartment and guides the individual fractions to the appropriate outlets of the sieve module. The outlet frame is typically made of a plastic material such as polyurethane.

[0005] For example, as described in German Patent Application Publication No. 2256307 (A1), in known planifters, usually, a plurality of compartments are arranged in an even number in two rows, and the drive module is arranged between the two rows. Further, from European Patent Publication No. 1396289 (A1), an arrangement of two blocks each consisting of four sieve modules (compartments) and a drive module arranged between these blocks is known.

[0006] The above-described prior art planifter is not yet optimal.

[0007] The outlet frame at the bottom of the inner region of each compartment consumes valuable space and thus this space cannot be utilized for providing additional sieve trays. Designing the outlet frame as a plastic component involves the risk of mixing plastic material into the product stream, which is undesirable. The plastic outlet frame also does not provide the necessary mechanical support and thus does not contribute to the structural integrity of the planifter.

[0008] The object of the present invention was to provide a planifter that overcomes the disadvantages of the above-described prior art.

[0009] The above object is solved by the planifter according to claim 1.

[0010] Specifically, the present invention provides a planifter comprising at least one compartment and a drive module for oscillating and / or rocking the compartment, wherein the at least one compartment has a framework of outer walls forming an upper region, an inner region and a bottom region, the upper region is provided with at least one inlet, the bottom region is provided with at least one outlet, and the inner region is provided with at least one sieve, preferably 2 to 32 sieves, more preferably 10 to 32 sieves, particularly preferably 20 to 32 sieves, in a sieve stack, and the planifter is characterized in that the compartment has one outlet frame provided in the bottom region.

[0011] The present invention is based on the idea of providing the outlet frame not in the inner region of the compartment of the planifter, but rather in its bottom region. This enables the provision of additional sieves in the inner region of the compartment and advantageously utilizes the bottom region of the compartment.

[0012] In the prior art, the upper region, internal region, and bottom region of the planifter are separate regions. The internal region is a hollow space within the compartment and is separated from the upper and bottom regions by partition walls. The partition walls have openings that lead from the upper region to the internal region and from the internal region to the bottom region. Both a sieve stack and an outlet frame were provided in the hollow space of the internal region.

[0013] The planifter according to the present invention differs from the conventional planifter only with respect to the outlet frame. Therefore, the planifter according to the present invention is basically designed as described above. However, the outlet frame is provided in the bottom region rather than within the hollow space of the internal region. According to the present invention, preferably, there is no longer a partition wall between the internal region and the bottom region. However, it should be understood that the bottom region is still outside the hollow space of the internal region and is not part of the internal space.

[0014] The planifter according to the present invention functions as a sieve module and comprises a compartment provided with a sieve stack consisting of sieves. According to the present invention, any sieve used in a conventional planifter can be used in the planifter of the present invention.

[0015] The sieve stack is provided in the internal region of each compartment of the planifter. The sieve stack includes at least one sieve, preferably 2 to 32 sieves, more preferably 10 to 32 sieves, and particularly preferably 20 to 32 sieves. The design and operation of the sieves are known and will not be described in detail here.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the planisher comprises two rows of compartments, each row consisting of at least one compartment, preferably 2 to 10 compartments. However, other arrangements of the compartments are also possible. According to the above preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive module is arranged between the two rows. The drive module functions to vibrate and / or rock the compartments. Preferably, the drive module is composed of at least one drive unit. Preferably, one drive unit is arranged between two compartments and can vibrate and / or rock these two compartments.

[0017] As is conventionally known, the planisher is provided, for example, on a rod that can be connected to the ceiling of the hall where the planisher is arranged. Therefore, the planisher is of a cantilever type and enables the vibration and / or rocking movement of the compartments.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the planisher is designed such that each row has a modular design, so that compartments can be added to or removed from the rows.

[0019] Each compartment of the planisher of the present invention has a framework of an outer wall that forms an upper region, an inner region, and a bottom region. Preferably, each compartment has a cuboid structure provided with the above three regions.

[0020] At least one inlet is provided in the upper region. The inlet serves to introduce the material to be sieved into the compartment. According to the present invention, the number of inlets provided in each compartment is limited only by the available space. Typically, 1 to 5 inlets, preferably 2 to 4 inlets are provided. These inlets can be connected to a supply line that can transport the material to the compartment. The material entering the compartment through the inlet falls from the upper region, by gravity, into the internal region provided below the upper region. The above-mentioned sieve stack is provided in the internal region.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the compartment includes a door in the front wall, enabling access to the internal region of the planifter. This enables the insertion and / or replacement of the sieve into the internal region of the compartment. The door should have dimensions such that sufficient access to the internal region of the compartment is possible when it is open.

[0022] At least one outlet is provided in the bottom region. The outlet serves to remove the sieved and sorted material from the compartment. According to the present invention, the number of outlets provided in each compartment is limited only by the available space. Typically, 1 to 10 outlets, preferably 2 to 8 outlets, more preferably 3 to 6 outlets are provided. These outlets can be connected to a supply line such as a conveyor line that can transport the material away from the compartment.

[0023] In a prior art planifter, the outlet frame is a region in the lower part of the internal region of the compartment where there is an opening leading to the outlet and a channel ramp for guiding the sieved material to the opening. Further, side walls (not inclined) are provided that divide this region into pockets. These components are separate and independent of each other.

[0024] In contrast, according to the present invention, the outlet frame is arranged in the bottom region of the compartment, i.e., in a region separated from the internal region. This provides more space in the internal region of the compartment, and this space can be used to provide additional sieves (which would otherwise only be possible by increasing the dimensions of the plan shifter, which is undesirable). Therefore, the sieving efficiency of the plan shifter of the present invention is improved compared to conventional plan shifters.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an outlet frame is provided which consists of a single-piece part provided with at least one pocket, said pocket including a bottom surface having an opening and inclined side walls.

[0026] Therefore, the present invention also relates to an outlet frame for a plan shifter, said outlet frame preferably being made of a metallic material and consisting of a single-piece part, said single-piece part including at least one pocket, preferably 2 to 10 pockets, more preferably 3 to 6 pockets, each pocket including inclined side walls and an opening in the bottom surface of the pocket, the side walls being inclined towards the opening such that material can move through the side walls into the opening.

[0027] Preferably, the outlet frame is made of a metallic material, preferably stainless steel. This avoids the use of plastic parts in the plan shifter, thus eliminating the risk of plastic material contamination in the product stream, and thus improving the hygienic properties of the plan shifter of the present invention. Furthermore, an outlet frame of metallic material typically has a longer service life than an outlet frame of plastic material. Finally, the metallic outlet frame of the present invention provides improved recyclability.

[0028] Furthermore, by providing an outlet frame of solid and rigid material in the bottom region of the compartment, the structural support of the compartment is increased. When the outlet frame, preferably made of stainless steel, is in place, the bottom region of the compartment becomes more rigid.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet frame is a deep drawing part, preferably a deep drawing metal sheet.

[0030] Deep drawing is a known technique for producing metal parts of a desired shape and need not be described in detail here. By deep drawing, it is possible to efficiently produce the integral outlet frame according to the present invention having pockets.

[0031] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet frame is made by additive manufacturing. In additive manufacturing, data from computer-aided design (CAD) software or a 3D object scanner is used to instruct the hardware to deposit material, preferably layer by layer, in an accurate geometric shape. A preferred variant of additive manufacturing is 3D printing. Additive manufacturing and the materials used in additive manufacturing are known.

[0032] The outlet frame according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes at least one pocket, preferably 2 to 10 pockets, more preferably 3 to 6 pockets. These pockets are intended to capture the fraction of the material to be sieved in the sieve stack of each compartment of the plan shifter of the present invention. As is known, the sieve stack of the plan shifter is composed of vertically arranged sieves having different mesh sizes. Typically, the mesh size of the sieves decreases from the top to the bottom of the sieve stack. Materials having a particle size smaller than the mesh size of each sieve fall onto the collection tray through the sieve, from where, with the help of the oscillating movement of the sieve cleaner located between the sieve and the collection tray, they are conveyed to the side outlet of the sieve by the vibrating movement and / or oscillating movement of the operating sieve, from where they are either led to the pockets of the outlet frame or later returned inside the sieve stack. In contrast, particles having a particle size larger than the mesh size of each sieve are conveyed to the sieve outlet on the side of the sieve by the vibrating movement and / or oscillating movement of the operating sieve, from where they are either led to the pockets of the outlet frame or later returned inside the sieve stack. By repeating the separation of the material on different sieves, different material fractions are obtained, which are led to the separation pockets of the outlet frame of the present invention, for example, with the help of lines arranged inside the plan shifter.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the outlet frame of the present invention, each pocket includes an inclined side wall and an opening in the bottom surface of the pocket, and the side wall is inclined towards the opening so that the material can move over the side wall and into the opening. Thereby, the material entering the pocket from above is transferred to the opening in the bottom surface of the pocket. Each opening in the pocket of the outlet frame is fluidly connected to an outlet in the bottom region of the plan shifter when installed in the plan shifter of the present invention. Thus, the material is reliably transferred out of the plan shifter through the openings in the outlet frame and the outlets of the compartments. Outside the compartment, the material can be transported away from the plan shifter, for example, by known conveying means.

[0034] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insulating material is provided on the bottom surface of the outlet frame and / or the outside of the inclined side wall, and is preferably adhered. Any material that can insulate the outlet frame from environmental conditions such as the temperature of humidity can be used for this purpose. Preferably, the insulating material is provided in the form of a layer, and more preferably in the form of an injection-molded layer.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outlet frame is mechanically fixed to the bottom region of the compartment, preferably releasably fixed. More preferably, the mechanical fixing is provided by screw joints, preferably eight screw joints arranged at the four corners of the bottom region. Preferably, the bottom region is made of a metal such as cast iron.

[0036] In particular, when the integrated outlet frame described above is used, this fixing increases the structural support in the bottom region of the compartment. The bottom region has increased rigidity such that the mechanically fixed outlet frame is mechanically loaded. This also leads to a reduction in the weight of the planter since the mechanically fixed outlet frame replaces other parts that would otherwise be required to absorb the mechanical load.

[0037] When using the planter according to the present invention, different types of materials can be sorted. For example, powdered or granular products such as grains can be mentioned. On the other hand, sugar or chemicals can also be sufficiently sorted in the planter according to the present invention.

[0038] The present invention also relates to a method for sorting materials in the above-described planter, and this method a) introducing the material to be sorted into the inlet of the compartment of the planter; b) sorting the material using a sieve stack provided in the internal region of the compartment; c) removing the sieved material through an outlet frame provided in a bottom region of the compartment and through the outlet of the compartment.

[0039] The details of the above method have already been described above.

[0040] There is a difference between sieving and shifting. In the sieving process, the particles are strictly separated from each other due to their different particle sizes, enabling the smaller particles to protrude through a sieve mesh of a specific size, while the larger particles are retained by the sieve. In the shifting process, the particles are separated from each other based on their size, shape, and density using the circular motion of the sieve and layering on the sieve mesh by the product flow.

[0041] Preferably, in step c), the material is removed by moving it downward through an opening in the bottom surface of the pocket of the outlet frame over at least one inclined side wall of the pocket of the outlet frame, and the side wall is inclined towards the opening such that the material moves into the opening over the side wall.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0042] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to non-limiting examples and the drawings.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

[0043] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a plan shifter 1 according to the prior art. The plan shifter 1 comprises compartments 2, 2' that function as sieve modules. In the embodiment of Figure 1, two rows of compartments 2, 2' are provided, each row consisting of three compartments 2, 2'. A drive module 3 is arranged between these rows of compartments 2, 2'. In the embodiment of Figure 1, two compartments 2, 2' can be caused to perform an oscillating or rocking motion by a drive unit arranged between them.

[0044] Each compartment 2, 2' includes an upper region 2a, an inner region 2b, and a bottom region 2c that are separated from each other, and is provided with doors 4, 4'. In Figure 1, for the sake of explanation, one door 4 has been removed from compartment 2', and as a result, the entire sieve stack 5 arranged in the inner region 2b of said compartment 2' is visible.

[0045] In the plan shifter 1, the sieve stack 5 includes a sieve frame with an insertion frame, as is conventionally known. The number of sieves that can be provided over the height of the inner region of the plan shifter 1 is limited by the presence of an outlet frame 9 at the lower part of the inner regions 2b of the compartments 2, 2'.

[0046] The plan shifter 1 has a swing drive (not shown) in the drive module 3 that imparts a circular motion to all the sieves in the compartments 2, 2'. For this purpose, the plan shifter 1 is suspended on the rod 8 as a cantilever beam.

[0047] The material is supplied to the sieve stack 5 in the compartments 2, 2' via the inlets 6, 6', 6'' provided in the upper regions 2a of the respective compartments 2, 2', and the sorted material is discharged via the outlets 7, 7', 7'' provided in the bottom regions 2c of the respective compartments 2, 2'. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, one inlet 6, 6', 6'' and two outlets 7, 7', 7'' belong to each compartment 2, 2'. However, it is understood that the number of inlet ports and outlet ports belonging to each compartment 2, 2' may be adjusted as desired or necessary.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows the lower parts of the two compartments 2, 2' of the plan shifter 1 from the prior art according to FIG. 1. In the left compartment 2, a sieve stack 5 is arranged in the inner region of the compartment 2. Further, in the inner region 4 of the compartment 2, an outlet frame 9 is also arranged below the sieve stack 5. The outlet frame 9 includes a pocket 9a that opens into an opening 9c connected to the outlets 7, 7', 7'' (not shown in FIG. 2). Further, as can be best seen in the right compartment 2' (neither the sieve stack 5 nor the outlet frame 9 is inserted into the inner region 2b of the compartment 2'), a channel inclined portion 9b is provided that serves to guide the sorted material to the opening 9c. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the bottom region 2c of each compartment 2, 2' provides only the opening 9c. The bottom region 2c is separated from the inner region 2b (which provides a hollow space for inserting the sieve stack 5).

[0049] Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the planifter 1 according to the present invention. Compared with the planifter from the prior art according to Figure 1, the outlet frame 9 is here provided in the bottom region 2c of each compartment 2, 2' instead of in the inner region 2b of each compartment 2, 2'. Here too, the bottom region 2c is separated from the inner region 2b. A sieve cannot be provided in the bottom region 2c. However, since the hollow space in the inner region 2b no longer needs to accommodate the outlet frame 9, there is free space for inserting additional sieves in the inner region 2b.

[0050] Figure 4 shows the bottom region 2c of the planifter 1 according to the present invention (as shown in Figure 3) in more detail. The outlet frame 9 is provided in the bottom region 2c of the compartment 2. Thus, the inner region 2b does not include the outlet frame 9 and can accommodate more sieves.

[0051] Preferably, the outlet frame 9 is made of a metallic material such as stainless steel so as to provide structural support to the planifter.

[0052] The outlet frame 9 includes pockets 9a into which the sieved material is introduced. Each pocket 9a includes an opening 9c in the bottom surface. The opening 9c is in communication connection with the outlets 7, 7', 7'' (shown in Figure 3) of the compartment 2 such that the sieved and sorted material exits the compartment 2 through the opening 9c and the outlets 7, 7', 7'' (shown in Figure 3).

[0053] Each pocket 9a includes inclined side walls 9d that guide the sieved material entering the pocket 9a to the respective opening 9c in the bottom surface of the pocket 9a.

[0054] In the embodiment of FIG. 4, an insulating material 9e is provided under the bottom surface and / or the inclined side wall 9d. Preferably, the insulating material is adhered to the outlet frame 9. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the outlet frame 9 preferably consists of an integral part made of a metal material, more preferably stainless steel. Particularly preferably, the integral outlet frame 9 is a deep-drawn part, preferably a deep-drawn metal sheet.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, the outlet frame 9 is provided with screws 9f for fixing the side wall 9d to the bottom region 2c of the compartments 2, 2'. Further, although not shown in FIG. 4, the outlet frame 9 is mechanically fixed, preferably releasably fixed, to the bottom region 2c of the compartments 2, 2' by means of screw joints, preferably eight screw joints arranged at the four corners of the bottom region 2c of the compartments 2, 2'.

Claims

1. A plan shifter (1) comprising at least one compartment (2, 2') and a drive module (3) for causing the compartment (2, 2') to perform an oscillating movement and / or a rocking movement, wherein the at least one compartment (2, 2') has an outer wall framework forming an upper region (2a), an inner region (2b) and a bottom region (2c), the upper region (2a) is provided with at least one inlet (6, 6', 6''), the bottom region (2c) is provided with at least one outlet (7, 7', 7''), and the inner region (2b) is provided with a sieve stack (5) including at least one sieve, preferably 2 to 32 sieves, more preferably 10 to 32 sieves, particularly preferably 20 to 32 sieves, characterized in that the compartment (2, 2') has an outlet frame (9) provided in the bottom region (2c).

2. The plan shifter according to claim 1, characterized in that the outlet frame (9) is made of a metallic material, preferably stainless steel.

3. The plan shifter according to claim 2, characterized in that the outlet frame (9) is a deep drawing part, preferably a deep drawing metal sheet.

4. The plan shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the outlet frame includes at least one pocket (9a), preferably 2 to 10 pockets, more preferably 3 to 6 pockets.

5. The plan shifter according to claim 4, characterized in that each pocket (9a) includes an inclined side wall (9d) and an opening (9c) at the bottom surface of the pocket (9a), and the side wall (9d) is inclined towards the opening (9c) such that material can move into the opening (9c) over the side wall (9d).

6. The plan shifter according to claim 5, characterized in that each opening (9c) in the pocket (9a) of the outlet frame (9) is in fluid connection with the outlet (7, 7', 7'') in the bottom region (2c) of the plan shifter (1).

7. The screening machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an insulating material (9e) is provided on the bottom surface of the outlet frame (9) and / or outside the inclined side wall (9d), preferably adhesively bonded.

8. The screening machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the outlet frame (9) is mechanically fixed to the bottom region (2c) of the compartment (2, 2'), preferably releasably fixed.

9. The screening machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the mechanical fixing is provided by screw joints (9f), preferably by eight screw joints arranged at four corners of the bottom region (2c) of the compartment (2, 2').

10. The screening machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the screening machine (1) comprises two rows of compartments (2, 2'), each row consisting of at least one compartment (2, 2'), preferably 2 to 10 compartments (2, 2'), and the drive module (3) is arranged between the two rows.

11. The screening machine according to claim 10, characterized in that each row has a modular design, so that compartments (2, 2') can be added to or removed from the row.

12. The screening machine according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the at least one compartment includes a door (4, 4') on the front wall that enables access to the internal region (2b) of the screening machine (1).

13. An outlet frame (9) for a screening machine (1), wherein the outlet frame (9) preferably consists of a single-piece part made of a metallic material, the single-piece part including at least one pocket (9a), preferably 2 to 10 pockets, more preferably 3 to 6 pockets, each pocket (9a) including an inclined side wall (9d) and an opening (9c) in the bottom surface of the pocket (9a), and the side wall (9d) is inclined towards the opening (9c) such that material can move through the side wall (9d) into the opening (9c).

14. A method for screening material in a screening machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, a) introducing the sieveable material into the inlets (6, 6', 6'') of the compartments (2, 2') of the planifter (1); b) sieving the material using a sieve stack (5) provided in the inner region (2b) of the compartments (2, 2'); c) removing the sieved material through an outlet frame (9) provided in the bottom region (2c) of the compartments (2, 2') and through the outlets (7, 7', 7'') of the compartments (2, 2'), a method. **Claim 15** The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, in step c), the material is removed by moving downward beyond the inclined side wall (9d) of at least one pocket (9a) of the outlet frame (9) to the opening (9c) in the bottom surface of the pocket (9a) of the outlet frame (9), and the side wall (9d) is inclined towards the opening (9c) such that the material moves beyond the side wall (9d) into the opening (9c).

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