Spherical press for pressing liquid-containing substances

Abstract

A press (1) for pressing liquid-containing pressing material, in particular grapes, comprising a pressure-resistant pressing vessel (2), the vessel interior (4) of which is divided by a flexible pressing membrane (200) into a pressure medium chamber (8) and a pressing medium chamber (10), which can be filled with pressing material through a filling opening (14) that is located in the wall of the pressing vessel (2) and can be closed by a lid (12), and having a drainage element (20) which stands upright in the vessel interior (4) during the pressing operation and is assigned a juice outlet (30) located in the vessel wall in the lower region of the pressing medium chamber (10), the press being characterized in that the pressure-resistant pressing vessel (2) is substantially spherical, in particular has the shape of a spherical segment, on the top side of which there is an upper clamping flange (114), which goes all the way around the filling opening (14), and on the bottom side of which there is a lower clamping flange (130), which goes all the way around the juice outlet (30), the drainage element (20) extending between the two flanges perpendicularly in relation to a pivot axis (6) which runs diametrically through an equatorial plane (3) of the pressing vessel (3) and about which the pressing vessel (2) can be rotated, and in that the pressing membrane (200) has a shape adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the pressing vessel (2), in particular a spherical-segment-like shape, with a filling opening (214) assigned to the upper clamping flange (114) and a lower juice outlet opening (230) assigned to the juice outlet (30), the filling opening and the juice outlet opening each having a thickened portion (216, 232) surrounding them, preferably in a continuous ring around them, the thickened portion being able to clamp the pressing membrane (200) leaktightly at the upper and the lower clamping flange (114, 130).

Description

[0001] Spherical press for pressing out

[0002] LIQUID-CONTAINING FABRICS

[0003] The invention relates to a spherical press for pressing out liquid-containing substances, in particular agricultural and chemical products, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0004] Presses for extracting liquids are known, for example, from EP 1438185 Bl and are used to extract grape juice, used as a raw material for the production of wine or fruit juice, from grapes or fruit placed in the press. The press described in EP 1438185 Bl has a closed, elongated cylindrical container that can be rotated about its horizontal longitudinal axis. The interior of this container is divided by at least one press membrane into a pressure chamber and a pressing chamber, into which the material to be pressed is placed. A filling opening for the material to be pressed, which can be closed by a lid, is located in the container shell, opposite a juice drain in the pressing chamber. Liquid-permeable drainage elements are also arranged in the pressing chamber, extending diametrically across the diameter and substantially perpendicular to the container axis.The drainage elements comprise an elastic or flexible support element around which a tube made of juice-permeable mesh is arranged. One end of the tube is connected to a clamp that is engaged on the inside of the press container during the pressing process. In the juicing position of the cylindrical press container, which rotates around its longitudinal axis, the drainage elements extend in a substantially vertical direction to direct the juice from the interior of the juice-permeable mesh into the juice outlet located at the bottom of the press container, to which the other end of the drainage element is connected. The problem with the press described above is that the drainage elements are subjected to high forces during the pressing process, which, particularly at the ends where the mesh is attached to the inside of the press container, can easily lead to material fatigue in the clamping area.

[0005] These forces arise because the press membranes are attached to clamping strips at a distance from the filling opening, extending longitudinally along the cylindrical press container. This causes the membrane to first expand towards a drainage element and then shift into the remaining space in the lid area, so that the drainage element is pulled towards the lid by the membrane during the pressing process. The forces generated by the membrane's inflation are considerable and can sometimes lead to fatigue or even tearing of the mesh of the respective drainage elements.

[0006] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to create a press for pressing liquid-containing material, in particular grapes, which enables material-friendly and efficient pressing of the material.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the invention by a drainage element having the features of claim 1.

[0008] Further features of the invention are contained in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to the invention, a press for pressing liquid-containing material, in particular grapes, comprises a pressure-resistant press container, the interior of which is divided by a flexible press membrane into a pressure chamber and a pressing chamber. The pressing chamber can be filled with the material to be pressed via a filling opening arranged in the wall of the press container, which can be closed with a lid. Inside the press container, a known drainage element is arranged vertically during the pressing operation. This drainage element preferably comprises a spiral support element and a tube-like sieve fabric surrounding it, through which the liquid pressed from the material can drain in a known manner into a juice drain. This drain is arranged in the lower region of the pressing chamber in the container wall during the pressing process and communicates with the interior of the drainage element.To press the liquid out of the material being pressed, the lid is closed and the pressure medium chamber located between the inner wall of the press container and the press membrane is pressurized with a pressurized gas, in particular with compressed air, which forces the membrane against the material being pressed and forces the liquid contained therein through the mesh of the sieve fabric into the interior of the drainage element, from which the liquid then flows out of the press container via the juice outlet for further processing.

[0010] The press according to the invention is characterized in that the pressure-resistant press container is spherically shaped, i.e., essentially has the form of a sphere, at whose poles the filling opening and the juice outlet are arranged. In geometry, this shape is also referred to as a spherical layer, since the surface of the sphere is not completely closed, but rather, with reference to the pressing position used below for the sake of simplicity, has the aforementioned filling opening at the upper pole and the opening for the juice outlet at the lower pole.

[0011] The press is further characterized by the fact that the press container has an upper clamping flange on its top side, enclosing the filling opening, and a lower clamping flange on its underside, enclosing the juice outlet. Between these, the drainage element extends inside the press container perpendicular to a pivot axis running diametrically through an equatorial plane of the same, around which the press container can be rotated in a known manner to loosen the material being pressed after a pressing process.

[0012] The press membrane has a shape adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the press container, in particular a spherical shape with a filling opening associated with the upper clamping flange and a lower juice outlet opening associated with the juice outlet, each of which is surrounded by a preferably endlessly circumferential ring-shaped thickening, which ensures that the press membrane can be clamped liquid-tight on the upper and lower clamping flanges and is not pulled out between the respective clamping flanges by the tensile forces occurring in the flexible membrane material during a pressing process.

[0013] This design of the press container and the flexible press membrane offers the advantage that the pressure forces exerted by the press membrane during the pressing process are applied uniformly to the material being pressed across the entire circumference of the drainage element. This results in a very homogeneous pressure distribution within the material, leading to high-quality pressed grape juice. Furthermore, the clamping of the press membrane between the clamping flanges according to the invention, in conjunction with the spherical, or more precisely, spherical layer geometry of the press container and the press membrane, offers the advantage that no edges are formed where liquid or solids can adhere during emptying of the press container. Additionally, the clamping directly at the filling opening, or...The advantage of the lid is that the membrane can expand towards the lid at the beginning of the pressure build-up, leading to a significant reduction in the tensile forces acting on the drainage element.

[0014] The invention is described below with reference to the drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0015] The drawings show:

[0016] Fig. 1 shows a schematic spatial view of the press container of the press according to the invention with a drainage element shown in dotted lines.

[0017] Fig. 2 shows a schematic, abbreviated partial view of the press container in the area of ​​the filling opening.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a schematic, abbreviated partial view of the press container in the area of ​​the juice outlet, Fig. 4 is a schematic close-up view of the spherical press membrane, and

[0019] Fig. 5 shows a schematic detail view of another embodiment of the

[0020] Press membrane, which has an upper and lower cap-shaped, in particular conical-shell-shaped section, as well as a central cylindrical-shell-shaped section connected to these.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, a press 1 according to the invention comprises a spherical press container 2 made of pressure-resistant material, in particular stainless steel, which has the shape of a spherical layer. The pressure-resistant press container 2 has an interior 4, which is divided by a flexible press diaphragm 200 into a pressing medium chamber 10 and a pressure medium chamber 8, the latter of which can be pressurized with compressed air or vented via a compressed air source (not shown) and a corresponding valve. A filling opening 14, which can be closed by a lid 12, is formed in the wall of the press container 2, through which the material to be pressed can be filled into the pressing medium chamber 10, or the pomace, consisting mainly of solid press residues, can be emptied from the pressing medium chamber. The lid 12 is preferably fixed to the container 2 over the filling opening 14 in a pressure- and liquid-tight manner by means of manually rotatable set screws.

[0022] In the pressing chamber a drainage element 20 is arranged in a standing position during the pressing operation, to which a juice drain 30 located in the lower area of ​​the pressing chamber 10, which is preferably designed as a juice pot, and through which the pressed liquid, i.e. the grape juice, is drained from the pressing chamber 10.

[0023] As can be further seen from the illustration in Fig. 1, the pressure-resistant press container 2 essentially has the shape of a sphere, more precisely the shape of a spherical layer, on the upper side of which an upper clamping flange 114 enclosing the filling opening 14 and on the underside of which a lower clamping flange 130 enclosing the juice outlet 30 are arranged. Between these, the drainage element 20, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, extends perpendicularly to a pivot axis 6 running diametrically through an equatorial plane 3 of the press container 2, about which the press container 2 can be rotated via its two pivot pins (not shown in detail) in order to loosen the material to be pressed after each pressing operation, or to remove the pressed pomace from the pressing chamber 10 after the last pressing operation by rotating the container 2 upside down through the filling opening 14.

[0024] As indicated in Fig. 4, the press membrane 200 has a shape adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the press container 2, in particular a spherical shape, with a filling opening 214 associated with the upper clamping flange 114 and a lower juice outlet opening 230 associated with the juice outlet 30, each surrounded by a preferably continuously circumferential annular thickening 216, 232, by means of which the press membrane 200 can be clamped liquid-tight to the upper and lower clamping flanges 114, 130. Alternatively, the press membrane 200 can also have a doubly conical-cylindrical shape in the expanded state, as shown in Fig. 5, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0025] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper clamping flange 114 has a first lower flange ring 114a, shown in detail in Fig. 2, facing the interior 4 of the press container 2, and a second upper flange ring 114b, facing the outside of the press container 2, between which the press membrane 200 is clamped. Advantageously, the edge of the press membrane 200 is guided through the opening in the lower flange ring onto the upper side of the lower flange ring 114a in the area of ​​the filling opening 14. This has the advantage that no parts of the inner wall of the press container 2 come into contact with the material being pressed in the area of ​​the filling opening 14, but only the flexible press membrane 200, which is preferably made of fabric-reinforced plastic.This allows for particularly straightforward cleaning of the press chamber after a pressing process, thereby shortening the cleaning processes accordingly and advantageously increasing the effective operating times of press 1.

[0026] To further increase the holding forces when clamping the press diaphragm, the first lower flange ring 114a is firmly connected to the press container 2, in particular welded, and has on its side facing the second upper flange ring 114b a preferably continuously circumferential groove 116 in which the further thickening 216 of the press diaphragm 200 associated with the filling opening 14 can be received.

[0027] It is particularly advantageous if the thickening 216 of the press membrane 200, which surrounds the filling opening 14, comprises a ring 218 adapted to the shape of the groove 116 made of a soft material, in particular of flexible plastic such as polyurethane, which is incorporated into the edge 214r of the press membrane 200 surrounding the filling opening 214.

[0028] To ensure the most uniform possible distribution of the clamping forces into the edge of the membrane material in the area of ​​the filling opening, in the embodiment of the invention described above, the second upper flange ring 114b is designed to be movable relative to the first lower flange ring 114a, through which the edge of the press membrane 200 passes. Furthermore, threaded bores 120 are formed in the first lower flange ring 114a in an area radially spaced from the circumferential groove 116 and facing the center of the flange ring 114b, into which clamping screws 122 can be screwed. These extend through through-bores 132 formed in the second flange ring 114b of the upper clamping flange 114, which are aligned with the threaded bores 120, such that by tightening the clamping screws 122 the circumferential annular thickening 216 of the press diaphragm 200 is clamped airtight between the upper and lower flange rings 114a, 114b.

[0029] According to a further concept underlying the invention, the lower juice outlet-side clamping flange 130 comprises a first lower further flange ring 130a facing the outside of the press container 2 and a second upper further flange ring 130b facing the interior 4 of the press container 2, between which the press membrane 200 is clamped.

[0030] As the applicant has recognized, this type of clamping results in improved juice flow, since the opening is the lowest point of the pressing chamber (product chamber). Due to the distance between the clamping point, i.e., the groove, and the adjacent outer edge of the upper flange ring 130b, the outer surface of the upper flange ring 130b extends beyond the pressing membrane 200. This creates a circumferential groove when the pressing container 2 rotates, as the pressing membrane 200 rests against the inner wall of the container. However, during the juicing process, this groove is closed by the inflated membrane 200, which rests against the product being pressed, so that the juice outlet 30 forms the lowest point of the pressing container 2.This advantageously promotes the flow of liquid through the juice outlet 30 during juicing and accordingly increases the efficiency of the press 1 according to the invention.

[0031] In the embodiment described above, it can further be provided that the first lower flange ring 130a is firmly connected to the press container 2, in particular welded, and has on its side associated with the upper flange ring 130b a further groove 134 open towards the lower flange ring 130a, preferably continuously circumferential, in which the further annular thickening 232 of the press membrane 200, which surrounds the juice drain opening 230 of the press membrane 200, is received.

[0032] In the embodiment described last, it has proven particularly advantageous if the further, preferably continuously circumferential, annular thickening 232 of the press membrane 200, which surrounds the juice outlet opening 230 of the press membrane 200, also includes a further ring 234 adapted to the shape of the groove 134, made of a soft material, in particular flexible plastic, preferably polyurethane, which is incorporated into the rim 230r of the membrane 200 surrounding the juice outlet opening 230 of the press membrane 200. The design as a flexible plastic ring has the advantage that the further thickening can be compressed and thus, when inserting the membrane into the press container 2, can be inserted through the interior of the juice outlet 30 or the interior of the second upper flange ring 130b, which generally has a smaller inner diameter.

[0033] It is particularly advantageous if the second upper flange ring 130b is movable relative to the first lower flange ring 130a, and if further threaded bores 150 are formed in the second upper flange ring 130b in an area radially spaced from the circumferential groove 134, into which further clamping screws 152 can be screwed, which extend through further through-bores 160 formed in the first lower flange ring 130a and aligned with the further threaded bores 150, such that by tightening the further clamping screws 152 the continuously circumferential annular thickening 232 of the press membrane 200 surrounding the juice drain opening 230 of the press membrane 200 is clamped airtight.

[0034] Although the press membrane 200 can also be manufactured by coating a spatially shaped fabric or knitted material having the outer spherical shape of the pressure-resistant press container 2 with plastic, or by spatially deforming a flat, planar plastic film web by heat into an unwound, spherical plastic film web and bonding or welding the ends thereof, according to a further concept underlying the invention, the press membrane 200 is formed from polygonal spheres, in particular spherical digons or quadrilateral spheres 250, as indicated in Fig. 4. These polygonal spheres 250 are connected to each other at their longitudinal edges in a liquid-tight manner, preferably overlapping, in particular by welding or bonding.To form the annular thickening 216 and the further thickening 232, the respective ends of each polygonal sphere are preferably shortened according to the size of the opening 214, 230 and guided around a support element, in particular the aforementioned elastic ring 218 or further elastic ring 234, and attached to the outer or inner surface of the respective quadrilateral sphere 250, in particular by bonding, thermal welding, or sewing. This opens up the possibility of a very durable yet comparatively cost-effective production of the preferably spherical layer-like press membrane 200.

[0035] As further shown in Fig. 5, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the press membrane 200 can comprise a first upper cap-shaped, in particular conical shell section-shaped section 260a and a second lower cap-shaped, in particular conical shell section-shaped section 260b, which are connected at unspecified seams to a central cylindrical shell-shaped section 270 to form a circumferentially closed press membrane 200, which has the openings 214 and 230, which are recessed in the respective cap-shaped sections 260a and 260b.

[0036] 11

[0037] Reference symbol list

[0038] 1 Press

[0039] 2 press containers

[0040] 5 3 Equatorial plane of the press container

[0041] 4 B container interior

[0042] 6 Swivel axis of the press container

[0043] 8 Pressure medium chamber

[0044] 12 lids

[0045] 10 10 Pressing area

[0046] 14 Filling opening

[0047] 20 drainage elements

[0048] 30 Juice drain

[0049] 114 upper lid-side clamping flange

[0050] 15 114a first lower flange ring of the upper clamping flange

[0051] 114b second upper flange ring of the upper clamping flange

[0052] 116 circumferential grooves

[0053] 120 threaded holes in the lower flange ring of the first clamping flange

[0054] 122 clamping screws

[0055] 20 130 lower juice drain side clamping flange

[0056] 130a first lower further flange ring

[0057] 130b second upper further flange ring

[0058] 132 through holes in the second flange ring of the upper clamping flange

[0059] 134 upward-opening further groove in the first lower further flange ring

[0060] 25,150 additional threaded holes

[0061] 152 additional clamping screws

[0062] 160 additional boreholes

[0063] 200 flexible press membranes

[0064] 214 Filling opening in press membrane

[0065] 30 214r Edge, which surrounds the filling opening of the press membrane

[0066] 216 Thickening associated with the filling opening, preferably continuously circumferential

[0067] 218 Ring that creates the thickening in the area of ​​the membrane's filling opening 230 Juice drainage opening in the press membrane

[0068] 230r Edge of the membrane that surrounds the juice drain opening

[0069] 232 further ring-shaped thickening of the press membrane

[0070] 234 further ring that creates the further thickening of the press membrane 250 spherical quadrilateral

[0071] 260a first upper cap-shaped section

[0072] 260b second upper cap-shaped section

[0073] 270 central cylindrical shell-shaped section 270

Claims

Claims 1. Press (1) for pressing liquid-containing material, in particular grapes, comprising a pressure-resistant press container (2), the interior (4) of which is divided by a flexible press membrane (200) into a pressure medium chamber (8) and a pressing medium chamber (10), which can be filled with material via a filling opening (14) arranged in the wall of the press container (2) and closable by a lid (12), and with a drainage element (20) arranged standing in the interior (4) of the container during the pressing operation, to which a juice drain (30) located in the lower region of the pressing medium chamber (10) in the container wall is assigned, characterized in that the pressure-resistant press container (2) has essentially the shape of a sphere, in particular a spherical layer,The press membrane (200) has an upper clamping flange (114) enclosing the filling opening (14) on its upper side and a lower clamping flange (130) enclosing the juice outlet (30) on its lower side, between which the drainage element (20) extends perpendicularly to a pivot axis (6) running diametrically through an equatorial plane (3) of the press container (2), about which the press container (2) is rotatable, and the press membrane (200) preferably has a shape adapted to the shape of the inner wall of the press container (2), in particular a spherical shape, with a filling opening (214) associated with the upper clamping flange (114) and a lower juice outlet opening (230) associated with the juice outlet (30), each of which is surrounded by a preferably continuously circumferential annular thickening (216, 232) by means of which the press membrane (200) is liquid-tight at the upper and lower The clamping flange (114, 130) can be clamped.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper clamping flange (114) comprises a first lower flange ring (114a) facing the interior (4) of the press container (2) and a second upper flange ring (114b) facing the outside of the press container (2), between which the press diaphragm (200) is clamped.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first lower flange ring (114a) is firmly connected to the press container (2), in particular welded, and has on its side associated with the second upper flange ring (114b) a preferably continuously circumferential groove (116) in which the further thickening (216) of the press diaphragm (200) associated with the filling opening (14) can be received.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the thickening (216) of the press membrane (200), which surrounds the filling opening (14), comprises a ring (218) adapted to the shape of the groove (116) made of a soft material, in particular of flexible plastic, preferably polyurethane, which is incorporated into the edge (214r) of the press membrane (200) surrounding the filling opening (214).

5. Device according to claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the second upper flange ring (114b) is movable relative to the first lower flange ring (114a), and that threaded bores (120) are formed in the first lower flange ring (114a) in a region radially spaced from the circumferential groove (116), into which clamping screws (122) can be screwed, which extend through through-bores (132) formed in the second flange ring (114b) of the upper clamping flange (114) and aligned with the threaded bores (120), such that by tightening the clamping screws (122) the preferably endlessly circumferential annular thickening (216) of the press diaphragm (200) surrounding the filling opening (214) of the press diaphragm (200) can be clamped airtight.

6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower clamping flange (130) has a first, the outside of the press container (2) comprising a lower flange ring (130a) facing the interior (4) of the press vessel (2) and a second upper flange ring (130b) facing the interior (4) of the press vessel (2), between which the press diaphragm (200) is clamped.

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the first lower further flange ring (130a) is firmly connected to the press container (2), in particular welded, and has on its side associated with the upper further flange ring (130b) a further groove (134) open towards the lower further flange ring (130b), preferably continuously circumferential, in which the further annular thickening (232) of the press membrane (200), which surrounds the juice drainage opening (230) of the press membrane (200), can be lifted.

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the further, preferably endlessly circumferential annular thickening (232) of the press membrane (200), which surrounds the juice drainage opening (230) of the press membrane (200), comprises a further ring (234) adapted to the shape of the groove (134) made of a soft material, in particular of flexible plastic, preferably polyurethane, which is incorporated into the edge (23 Or) of the membrane (200) surrounding the juice drainage opening (230) of the press membrane (200).

9. Device according to claims 5 to 8, characterized in that the second upper further flange ring (130b) is movable relative to the first lower further flange ring (130a), and that further threaded bores (150) are formed in the first upper further flange ring (130a) in a region radially spaced from the circumferential groove (134), into which further clamping screws (152) can be screwed, which extend through further through-bores (160) formed in the first lower further flange ring (130b) and aligned with the further threaded bores (150), such that by tightening the further clamping screws (152) the juice drain opening (230) of the press membrane (200) circumferential continuous ring-shaped further thickening (232) of the press membrane (200) is airtight and clampable.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the pressure membrane (200) is formed from polygonal spheres, in particular spherical slantangles or quadrilateral spheres (250), which are connected to each other in a liquid-tight manner at their longitudinal edges, wherein, to form the annular thickening (216) and further thickening (232), the respective ends of each spherical slantangle or quadrilateral sphere are led around a support element, in particular an elastic ring (218, 234), and are attached to the outer or inner surface of the respective spherical slantangle or quadrilateral sphere (250), in particular by gluing or thermal welding or sewing.

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the press membrane (200) comprises a first upper cap-shaped, in particular conical shell section-shaped section (260a) and a second lower cap-shaped, in particular conical shell section-shaped section (260b), which are connected to a central cylindrical shell-shaped section (270) to form a liquid-tight spatial body which has the openings (214, 230) which are recessed in the first upper cap-shaped section (260a) and in the second lower cap-shaped section (260b).

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