DE102021109816A1 - Process for emptying viscous material from a cartridge that is open on both sides and emptying device suitable for this purpose - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to empty a disposable cartridge (100) without bubbles, the material (M) is ejected from the bottom (100a) of the cartridge (100), which acts as a distribution head and has a large number of small outlet openings (100A1, 100A2, 100Ax). Cartridge (100) is pressed, creating a multitude of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) that have a very large surface area compared to their volume, so that outgassing gas can be removed via the vacuum applied around them. The strands ( S1, S2, S3) fall into a pot-shaped collection container (2) underneath and are removed from there after the cartridge (100) has been completely emptied by retracting the cartridge (100) with its perforated base (100a) ahead over the bottom of the collection container ( 2) located outlet opening (29) in the connected discharge line (20) to the consumer, such as a metering device (300), pushed (2b) is supported radially.

Description

I. Field of application

The invention relates to the bubble-free emptying of highly viscous, ie pasty, substances from delivered transport containers, in particular cartridges.

II. Technical background

When processing highly viscous substances, e.g. fat, oil, glue in adhesive technology, creams in the cosmetics industry, these substances or their individual components are placed in transport containers such as cylindrical cartridges, which are usually made of plastic, with one or more liters and the viscous material contained therein must be delivered from there to a consumer, for example a metering device or a mixer, without bubbles, i.e. without air pockets.

In the following, only cartridges are mentioned, which for the purposes of the present description should include all transport containers that are open on both sides but can be closed, in which a pusher can be pushed tightly inside the cartridge - which is usually cylindrical with regard to the inner circumference - and from the is introduced from the rear end and then closes the rear, otherwise open, end face, while the opposite front end has one or more removal openings which are closed during transport, for example by a screw cap, and can be opened for removing the material.

The removal from the cartridge and the transport via a discharge line to the remote consumer should take place as required and automatically without time-consuming manual post-processing, and the mostly expensive materials should be able to be emptied from the cartridge with as little residue as possible.

In addition, no air should be able to get into the material when it is emptied, but the air still contained in the material should be able to escape.

So far, attempts have been made to interpose a degassing nozzle between the removal line to be connected to the removal opening, usually a hose line, and the removal opening, to which a vacuum can be applied. In this way, however, only gas bubbles that arise there after opening the removal opening and connecting to the discharge line can be removed, but not gas bubbles that are, for example, finely distributed in the interior of the material.

• Dabei wird das Material in Form einer möglichst dünnen Schicht über eine Fläche geleitet, und dadurch die Oberfläche des strömenden Materials im Vergleich zu ihrem Volumen massiv vergrößert, sodass die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass eine enthaltene Gasblase Kontakt zur Oberfläche der Schicht erhält und dadurch aus dem Material ausgast, stark vergrößert ist.

It is generally known to degas viscous substances, in particular self-leveling viscous substances, in particular free-flowing substances, using the thin-film method:

• The material is passed over a surface in the form of a layer that is as thin as possible, thereby massively increasing the surface area of the flowing material compared to its volume, so that the probability that a gas bubble contained in it will come into contact with the surface of the layer and thus outgas from the material , is greatly enlarged.

Furthermore, when removing from barrels filled with viscous material, which are delivered as transport containers, it is known to empty such a barrel by means of a barrel follower plate placed on the material, but before inserting the barrel follower plate into the barrel and putting it on to apply negative pressure, in particular vacuum, to the space around the material and to arrange a pressure-tight housing with a negative pressure connection around it for this purpose.

In the absence of a second opening, however, the material is conveyed out of the only opening on the top of the barrel, namely through the hollow piston rod attached to the barrel follower plate and pushing it down.

For this purpose, the barrel follower plate must be pressed against the material with high pressure, for which the stability of the barrel itself in the radial direction is often not sufficient, but the barrel must be held together radially in a corresponding support device.

In the case of cartridges - these are usually disposable cartridges made of plastic - the material should be pushed tightly by means of the ejector located therein, usually also a disposable part, along the mostly round inner cross-section that remains the same in the main direction of extension of the cartridge can be pushed out through the removal opening on the opposite end.

III. Presentation of the invention

a) Technical task

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a method for emptying cartridges without bubbles, using the gas that is also present inside the material bubbles can be eliminated before sending to the consumer. It is also the task to provide an emptying device suitable for this purpose.

b) Solution of the task

This object is solved by the features of claims 1-8 and 17. Advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims.

With regard to the method, this object is achieved in that when the material is pressed out by means of axial displacement of the ejector in the cartridge, the material passes through a large number of passage openings with a small cross section - maximum 3 mm, preferably maximum 2 mm, preferably maximum 1 mm - in the otherwise closed Soil is pressed out in the front end of the cartridge and is thereby divided into a large number of thin strands whose surface area is very large in comparison to their volume.

Due to this large enlargement of the surface, the probability that a gas bubble present in the material will come into contact with the surface of such a thin strand is much greater, and of course the greater the thinner the strands are.

The strands are dropped into an open-topped collection container and mix with the free-flowing material present there, which can be conveyed from this collection container to the consumer by means of a discharge line connected to its lower area.

In order to prevent new gas pockets from forming in the material in the collection container when the thin strands are reunited, at least the area from the passage openings to the material fill level or material level in the collection container is kept under negative pressure during the emptying process of the cartridge and preferably also during the removal of the material from the collection container to the consumer.

The gas contained in an opening gas bubble in the material is then sucked out of this area via the vacuum connection and when there is almost a vacuum in the area, no new gas inclusions can form.

Negative pressure in the context of the present description is understood to mean that this is in particular approximately a vacuum with a residual pressure of at most 50 mbar absolute value, preferably at most 10 mbar, preferably at most 1 mbar.

For forwarding to the consumer, the material is pressurized in the direction of the outlet opening, i.e. the mouth of the discharge line on the collection container, at the latest after the cartridge has been completely emptied in the collection container, which is preferably done by pushing forward the front end of the cartridge, which is guided tightly in the collection container, i.e with the bottom first, as a discharge piston from the open side in the direction of the outlet opening of the collecting container, preferably in the direction of the bottom of the usually pot-shaped collecting container, with this mouth being located in the bottom or in the lower area of the peripheral wall of the collecting container.

Since the collection container fills with material in a vacuum environment and the cartridge is retracted under vacuum to form a seal around the inner circumference of the collection container, gas pockets no longer form, even if there is still a free space after the cartridge has been inserted into the open top of the collection container between the bottom of the cartridge and the top of the fill material.

The cartridge is preferably moved axially by being fixed in a cartridge carrier with its rear end, in which the filling opening is located, in both axial directions, i.e. both upwards and downwards, preferably also in at least one of the transverse directions thereto, and this cartridge carrier can be moved back and forth in the pressing direction by means of a conveyor drive.

To press the material out of the cartridge, a cartridge plunger of a cartridge drive is attached to the back of the ejector facing away from the material and pushes this ejector further forward in the cartridge towards the bottom of the cartridge and for this purpose the pressing surface of the cartridge Plunger preferably adapted to the shape of the back of the pusher.

In order to ensure that the ejector fits tightly against the inner circumference of the cartridge, the cartridge can also be supported radially on its outer circumference.

Preferably, the area on the outside, i.e. the back, of the ejector up to the point at which the cartridge plunger exits the cartridge drive is kept under negative pressure during the emptying process, so that there is no air on the back of the ejector that could escape in the event of a Leakage between reject Can penetrate into the material above and the inner circumference of the cartridge.

Preferably, instead or in addition, only the area at the rear of the cartridge ram can be evacuated, not up to its exit point from the cartridge drive, but only up to a front area of the cartridge ram, in which case the cartridge ram is then preferably has at least one passage opening from its rear to its front, so that negative pressure can also be generated on its front, ie between the cartridge plunger and the ejector.

In order to be able to empty the cartridge, the cartridge is inserted in the transverse direction to the pressing direction under the retracted cartridge ram and fixed in alignment with the cartridge ram in the cartridge carrier, with the cartridge carrier being pushed as far away from the collection container, in particular upwards , offset is that when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge carrier, the bottom of the cartridge, which is located at the front, usually the lower end of the cartridge, is still above the collection container.

• - ein Grundgestell, an dem alle weiteren Teile befestigt sind,
• - einen Kartuschen-Antrieb mit einem Kartuschen-Stößel zum Vorwärtsschieben des Ausschiebers der Kartusche,
• - eine Abförder-Leitung zum Verbraucher hin, die an einer Auslassöffnung der Entleer-Vorrichtung angeschlossen werden kann,
• - einen Kartuschen-Träger, an dem die Kartusche befestigt werden kann und
• - ein erstes druckdichtes Vakuum-Gehäuse mit einem Unterdruck-Anschluss, welches am Übergang von der Kartusche zur Abförder-Leitung vorhanden ist, um in diesem Bereich aus dem Material austretendes Gas abzusaugen.

With regard to the Entieer device, this first of all includes the known components such as

• - a base frame to which all other parts are attached,
• - a cartridge drive with a cartridge plunger for pushing the cartridge ejector forward,
• - a discharge line to the consumer, which can be connected to an outlet opening of the emptying device,
• - a cartridge carrier to which the cartridge can be attached and
• - A first pressure-tight vacuum housing with a vacuum connection, which is present at the transition from the cartridge to the discharge line, in order to suck off gas escaping from the material in this area.

According to the invention, there is also a one-sided, generally upwardly open and thus cup-shaped collecting container on the base frame, in whose lower area, in particular in whose bottom, the outlet opening is present and preferably a discharge line is connected.

Furthermore, in the bottom, which forms the front end of the cartridge, a plurality of passage openings are arranged through the bottom as extraction openings with a small cross-section, from which the material emerges in a large number of thin strands when the pusher is pushed forward, which promotes degassing .

So that the thin strands emerging therefrom do not curl up due to one-sided adhesion at one point on the circumference of the removal opening at the end of the through-opening, the removal openings preferably have a tear-off edge which surrounds the removal opening and, in cross-section, have a sharp, pointed tear-off edge with an angle of less than 70 °, preferably less than 50°, preferably less than 40°.

So that the front end of the cartridge in the form of its base, in which the through-openings are located, can be tightly inserted into the collection container, the outer circumference—which usually remains the same over the length of the cartridge—must correspond to the inner circumference of the collection container and is preferably at the front end of the outer circumference of the cartridge, a sealing lip is provided for this purpose, which is preferably formed in one piece on the cartridge, which is preferably produced in one piece as an injection molded part.

• Zu diesem Zweck ist der Auffangbehälter zweiteilig ausgebildet mit einem topfförmigen Einweg-Innenbehälter mit einer Auslassöffnung im unteren Bereich und einem ebenfalls topfförmigen, stabilen Außenbehälter mit ebenfalls einer Auslassöffnung, der den Innenbehälter sowohl in radialer Richtung als auch in Richtung Boden, also nach unten, abstützt.

In order to simplify handling for the user, not only the cartridge and the ejector that can be slid inside it are intended as disposable parts, i.e. for disposal after a single use, but preferably also at least part of the collection container:

• For this purpose, the collection container is designed in two parts with a pot-shaped disposable inner container with an outlet opening in the lower area and a likewise pot-shaped, stable outer container with an outlet opening, which supports the inner container both in the radial direction and in the direction of the bottom, i.e. downwards .

The open upper end of the outer container preferably protrudes further upwards than the inner container, and the upper edge of the outer container is in sealing contact with the outer circumference of the cartridge, for example by means of an O-ring.

The degassing-promoting underpressure application is then achieved in a vacuum housing, which consists of the outer housing, which has a vacuum connection, preferably in its bottom or in the area between the upper end of the inner container and the upper end of the outer container, in any case in such a way that the negative pressure between the outer housing and the inner housing can continue and the interior of the inner housing is also under the negative pressure if the front lower end of the cartridge has not yet been immersed in the inner container, but has already been immersed in the outer container and on the inner circumference of which lies tightly against the upper edge of the outer container.

The inner container can be made of thin plastic with little intrinsic stability and can therefore also be provided as a disposable part for single use only.

If the inner container also has an outlet connection as an outlet opening, which protrudes downwards from the bottom of the inner container and at least partially penetrates a corresponding opening in the bottom of the outer container, a discharge line can be attached directly to the outlet connection of the inner container by means of appropriate fastening means such as a thread.

Then the outer container does not come into contact with the material and does not have to be cleaned when changing the cartridge, which further simplifies the handling of the device.

In order to be able to move the cartridge carrier together with the cartridge back and forth in the pressing direction, a discharge drive is provided which can move the cartridge carrier towards and away from the collecting container relative to the base frame, preferably consisting of two discharge working cylinders opposite sides of the cartridge carrier.

Furthermore, there is a fixing device on the cartridge carrier, with which the cartridge can be held fixed on the cartridge carrier both in and against the pressing direction.

To maintain a vacuum in the area of the open side of the collection container, there is a first vacuum housing, which is sleeve-shaped and rests on the one hand on the outer circumference of the collection container and on the other hand on the outer circumference of the cartridge aligned with it, with the seal against the cartridge requiring a relative movement of the cartridge allows to this vacuum housing to pull the cartridge back up so far that its Entnahmeöffnuneng is at a distance above the collection container.

To insert the cartridge, the cartridge receptacle in the cartridge carrier is open on one side to the side or can at least be opened for inserting the cartridge from the side, for which purpose the cartridge carrier is positioned at such a height that the lower removal openings of the cartridge are spaced above the open top of the collection container.

After inserting the cartridge and, if necessary, closing the cartridge holder in a circumferential direction, the upper end, the filling end, of the cartridge, in which the ejector is located when filled, is located within a second, cap-shaped vacuum housing. which sits tightly on the upper edge of the cartridge below and is sealed above against the circumference of the cartridge plunger, which passes through it.

character list

• 1a: die erfindungsgemäße Entleer-Vorrichtung in perspektivischer Ansicht,
• 1b, c: die Entleer-Vorrichtung der 1a in Seitenansichten in einer ersten und einer zweiten Querrichtung,
• 2a: die Entleer-Vorrichtung betrachtet in der zweiten Querrichtung im Vertikalschnitt, mit dem Presskopf über der eingehängten Kartusche,
• 2b: die Entleer-Vorrichtung betrachtet in der ersten Querrichtung und geschnitten in Pressrichtung, mit dem Presskopf anliegend an dem Ausschieber und innerhalb der Kartusche,
• 3a: in einem Vertikalschnitt gemäß 2a, jedoch mit dem unteren Ende der Kartusche geringfügig eingefahren im Auffangbehälter,
• 3b: die Entleer-Vorrichtung betrachtet in analoger Blickrichtung wie 2b mit weiter in den Auffangbehälter eingefahrener Kartusche,
• 4a: einen Längsschnitt durch eine volle Kartusche im Anlieferungszustand,
• 4b: eine Kartusche im Längsschnitt beim aus pressen von Material mittels des Ausschiebers,
• 4c: eine perspektivische Darstellung des unteren Endes der Kartusche,
• 5: eine Prinzip-Darstellung einer Dosier-Einheit,
• 6a - c: das Einsetzen der Kartusche in die Entleer-Vorrichtung.

Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. Show it:

• 1a : the emptying device according to the invention in a perspective view,
• 1b, c : the emptying device of 1a in side views in a first and a second transverse direction,
• 2a : the emptying device viewed in the second transverse direction in vertical section, with the press head above the suspended cartridge,
• 2 B : the emptying device viewed in the first transverse direction and sectioned in the pressing direction, with the pressing head abutting the ejector and inside the cartridge,
• 3a : in a vertical section according to 2a , but with the lower end of the cartridge slightly retracted in the collection container,
• 3b : the emptying device viewed in an analogous direction as 2 B with the cartridge moved further into the collection container,
• 4a : a longitudinal section through a full cartridge as received,
• 4b : a longitudinal section of a cartridge when material is pressed out using the pusher,
• 4c : a perspective view of the lower end of the cartridge,
• 5 : a schematic representation of a dosing unit,
• 6a - c : inserting the cartridge into the emptying device.

As the 1a until 3b As can be seen, the emptying device 200 consists of a base frame 1 in the form of a base plate 1 - preferably with lateral wheels that are cranked downwards inwards towards one another for positive, encompassing sliding onto a guide 501 as in 5 shown - on the in a first transverse direction 11 spaced two discharge working cylinder 13, 14, here as pneumatic cylinders, are arranged, which together form the discharge drive 6, since they are arranged with their pressing directions 10 parallel to one another and from their respective cylinders 13b, 14b the respective piston rod 13a, 14a vertically is extendable at the top.

The upper free ends of these two piston rods 13a, 14a, which can be moved synchronously, are connected to one another via a yoke 23, on which the cartridge drive 4 in the form of preferably only one cartridge working cylinder 15 projects, this time with the bottom of the cylinder 15b pointing upwards, so that the piston rod 15a extends downwards as a cartridge plunger 15a and protrudes through an opening in the yoke 23, which is formed in the cartridge receptacle 16 of a cartridge carrier 3, into a cartridge 100 suspended therein and with it flees.

The cartridge carrier 3 consists of a rectangular profile that is open on at least one side in the second transverse direction 12, preferably continuously, which is preferably attached to the underside of the yoke 23, which is narrow enough in the first transverse direction 11 to immersed between the two discharge working cylinders 13,14.

It is located in the lower horizontal plate of the rectangular profile in the second transverse direction 12 - see 1a - Open, U-shaped, continuous from top to bottom, recess which is dimensioned such that a cartridge 100 can be hung on it with its peripheral, outwardly pointing edge 100b1 at the filling opening 100B, by the cartridge 100 in the second transverse direction 12 is inserted into the cartridge receptacle 16 in such a way that it rests with the filling opening 100B pointing upwards with this upper edge 100b1 on the cartridge carrier 3, i.e. its edge region running around the cartridge receptacle 16, and preferably with the aid of a Fixing device 3a, as in the enlargement of 2 B shown, is held.

The insertion process of a cartridge is later based on 6a until c described.

In this suspended state, the cartridge 100 extends through the cartridge receptacle 16 and has its bottom 100a at the opposite end pointing downwards.

As in 6a shown, the many small removal openings 100A are shown in the transport state, from a closure element 102, in particular a closure cover 102 that can be screwed into the internal thread 102b of a blind hole opening or through-opening opening out in the bottom 100a on the outside by means of a pin with an external thread 102a, which covers the entire floor area, closed. A removable adhesive film covering the outside of the floor would also serve this purpose. Inserted into the opposite filling opening 100B is a pot-shaped ejector 101 lying tightly against the inner circumference of the cartridge 100, the friction of which is so great in comparison that it is not possible to move out of the filling opening 100B by itself, not even through the pressure between the ejector 101 and the closure Element 102 Existing Material M.

According to the invention, only the closure element 102 is removed for emptying

On the base frame 1, in particular the base plate 1, between the two removal working cylinders 13, 14 and aligned with the - usually also pneumatically operated - cartridge working cylinder 15 and the cartridge 100 fixed in the cartridge receptacle 16, there is a collection container 2 assembled.

The cartridge 100 fits tightly into the upwardly open, cup-shaped collection container 2, which preferably has a constant internal cross section in the axial direction, and for this purpose preferably has a sealing lip 25 that runs around the front, bottom outer edge and, in contrast, projects radially.

The yoke 23 can be used with the cartridge 100 according to 6b be raised so far that the bottom 100a of the cartridge 100 is above the collecting container 2, and be driven down so far that the bottom 100a of the cartridge 100 is seated on the bottom of the collecting container 2.

The piston rod, i.e. the cartridge plunger 15a of the cartridge working cylinder 15, carries a compression head 24 at the lower, free end, the downward-pointing end face of which is adapted to the - in this case plane - contour of the upper side of the bottom of the ejector 101 and in fits this one.

The cartridge working cylinder 15 is dimensioned such that when the piston rod 15a is largely retracted into its cylinder 15b, i.e. raised, the compression head 24 is in a height position completely above the suspended cartridge 100 according to FIG 6b and in the fully extended state near the bottom of the cartridge 100 at its bottom 100a, with only the cup-shaped pusher 101 in between.

In the lower area of the emptying device 200, preferably in the bottom of the collecting container 2, there is also an outlet opening 29 which can be connected to a discharge line 20 which leads to a remote consumer for the material M.

For the supply of material M from the cartridge 100 to the discharge line 20 and thus to the consumer, a cartridge 100 must first be installed in the emptying device 200 as shown in FIG 2a shown.

For this - see the 6a until c - First the cartridge 100 prepared according to 6a by the closure element, such as the cover 102, being removed from its lower end on the emptying side.

First is according to 6b the cartridge plunger 15a is moved back up so far that the press head 24 attached to it and the bell-shaped second vacuum housing 22 placed over it from above are so far above the top of the cartridge carrier 3, in which the cartridge receptacle 16 located that the insertion of the cartridge 100 in the second transverse direction 12 is possible.

For this purpose, the compression head 24 presses from below upwards against the bottom of the bell-shaped vacuum housing 22 and thereby compresses the compression spring 28 above it, between the bottom of the vacuum housing 22 and the bottom of the bell-shaped vacuum housing 22, otherwise the compression spring would 28 press the lower edge of the bell-shaped vacuum housing 22 against the top of the cartridge carrier 3.

The two discharge working cylinders 13, 14 are extended upwards with regard to their piston rods 13a, 14a so far that the base 100a of the cartridge 100 is then at a height above the collecting container 2, but is aligned vertically with it.

The cartridge 100 is then inserted into the cartridge receptacle 16 in the second transverse direction 12 and according to FIG 6c by moving the compression head 24 downwards and lifting it from the bottom of the bell-shaped second vacuum housing 22 - the lower edge of which has such a diameter that it can rest on the outwardly projecting flange 100b1 of the cartridge 100 - this flange 100b1 of the cartridge 100 firmly on the upper side of the cartridge receptacle 16 is pressed open by pressing open the bell-shaped vacuum housing 22 by the force of the spring 28, these parts preferably being sealed from one another by concentrically circumferential O-rings 27 located in between.

According to the 2a until 3b is used to empty the cartridge 100 from this in 6c Start position shown according to 2a the piston rod 15a of the cartridge drive 4, which represents the cartridge working cylinder 15, initially further down according to the method 2a , so that the compression head 24 dips into the cartridge 100 and rests against the top of its ejector 101, as in 2 B shown.

As a result, the cartridge 100 is also positively fixed in the last horizontal direction.

If thereafter the press head 24 would be moved further down with the cartridge 100 in the same position according to FIG 2 B , he would push the ejector 101 down in front of him, as a result of which the material M in the cartridge 100 would be pressed out via the removal openings 100A1 to 100Ax in the form of thin strands S1, S2, S3 and would fall into the collecting container 2, which preferably has such a volume that it can hold the entire filling of a cartridge 100.

However, in this case ambient pressure would prevail in the collection container 2 and air would be present so that the base 100a of the cartridge 100 is located at a distance above the collection container 2 and this is therefore open at the top.

Therefore, the cartridge 100 - with the position of the ejector 101 and the plunger 24 therein remaining unchanged relative to the cartridge 100 - is moved downwards synchronously by retracting the two piston rods 13a, 14a of the two discharge working cylinders 13,14 slightly into the upper opening of the collecting container 2 retracted against this sealing.

The collection container 2 consists of a stable, usually cylindrical or cup-shaped, outer container 2b with an outlet opening 29 in its bottom, in which preferably its sleeve-shaped peripheral wall is screwed tightly opposite the bottom of the outer housing 2b.

In the outer container 2b there is also a pot-shaped inner container 2a, which is not very stable as a plastic part and disposable part and fits exactly into the outer container 2b and is supported by it in the direction radial to the axial direction 10. The inner container 2a also has an outlet opening 29a, in this case at the lower end of an outlet connector 17 extending downwards from the bottom of the inner container 2a.

The peripheral wall of the inner container 2a ends below, ie set back from the upper end, of the outer container 2b.

In the upper end area of the outer container 2b and at a distance above the upper end of the inner container 2a, there is a seal 27, such as an O-ring 27, on the inner circumference of the outer container 2b, which after the bottom of the cartridge 100 has been inserted into the outer container 2b tightly against the outer circumference of the cartridge is present

From the lower edge, i.e. the base 100a of the cartridge 100, a sealing lip 25 protrudes radially outwards, but its radial overhang over the cartridge 100 is preferably so small that it does not reach the inner circumference of the outer container 2b, but does when driving further down of the cartridge 100 fits tightly against the inner circumference of the inner container 2a.

Furthermore, the outer container 2b has a vacuum connection 8, in this case by means of a through opening through the peripheral wall of the outer container 2b just above the upper end of the inner container 2a and at a distance below the seal 27.

According to 3a the cartridge 100 is now moved downwards until its sealing lip 25 has overrun the seal 27 and the seal 27 rests tightly on the outer circumference of the cartridge 100, but the bottom 100a of the cartridge and thus also the sealing lip 25 have not yet reached the vacuum connection 8 Has.

In this state, the now sealed interior of the collection container 2 - the lower outlet opening 29 is of course also tightly closed by a discharge line 20 attached to it and/or a check valve (not shown) in it or in the outlet opening 29 - can be subjected to negative pressure and almost a vacuum can be created in it.

In this position of the cartridge 100, the ejector 101 is then moved further down by means of the plunger 24 by means of the cartridge drive 4 and thereby the material M from the cartridge 100 through the many removal openings 100A1 to 100Ax in the bottom 100a of the cartridge in the form of thin Strands S1, S2, S2 pushed out and filled into the collection container 2.

This is usually continued until the ejector 101 has reached the bottom 100a of the cartridge 100 - which is not being moved during this time - and the entire material M is in the collection container 2, the volume of which is so large that the material level is still below the upper end of the inner container 2a.

It can - as in the 2a and 2 B indicated - the cartridge 100 can be supported radially on the outside by a guide element 7, such as a guide plate 7 or a guide collar 7, which is in contact at several circumferential points or around the entire circumference and is preferably arranged in a stationary manner, for example on the cylinders 13b, 14b can be attached and can prevent bulging of the cartridge 100, which is designed as a disposable part with the thinnest possible walls, due to the internal pressure prevailing during squeezing.

As soon as the ejector 101 has reached the lower end of the cartridge 100 on the removal side and it is empty, according to FIG 3b the piston rods 13a, 14a of the two discharge working cylinders 13. 14 synchronously retracted downwards into the cylinders 13b, 14b, so that the yoke 23 with all parts attached to it, i.e. both the cartridge carrier 3 and the cartridge 100 and the one in their Pressing head 24 located in the lower area move downwards together, as a result of which the cartridge 100 first moves further into the upper open end of the collecting container 2 until the sealing lip 25 rests against the inner circumference of the inner container 2a, whereby the bottom of the cartridge 100 then has the function of a discharge piston 5 receives.

Because as soon as the bottom of the cartridge 100 has reached the top of the material M in the collection container 2 and then moves further down, the bottom 100a of the cartridge 100 as a discharge piston 5 pushes the material M down out of the collection container 2 through the outlet opening 29 in the discharge line 20 and thus to the distant consumer.

If - which is not shown - there are sealing fastening elements at the outlet opening 29a of the inner container 2a for attaching the discharge lines 20, after the collecting container 2 has been emptied and these fastening elements have been loosened, the inner container 2a can be removed from the outer container 2b and disposed of, and the remaining Outer container 2b, which has not come into contact with the material M, does not have to be cleaned or even dismantled for this purpose.

According to the invention, the material M is degassed as follows:

The task of the bottom 1a of the cartridge 100, as in 4c shown in perspective, consists in dividing the exiting material M through the many small removal openings 100A1, 100A2 into a large number of thin strands S1, S2, S3.

In order for the strands S1, S2, S3 to exit straight down from these removal openings 100A1, 100A2, a circumferential sharp tear-off edge 18 is formed around each removal opening 100A1, 100A2, which is achieved, for example, by using the - usually flat - underside of the base 100a around each removal opening 100A1, 100A2 an annular groove 19 is arranged, which, together with the inner circumference of the removal opening 100A1, 100A2, forms the peripheral sharp tear-off edge 18, that is, the sharp-angled cross-section.

As a result, the strands S1, S2 fall side by side parallel into the collection container 2, instead of - as is possible with one-sided adhesion - deflect sideways and very quickly reunite with neighboring strands S2, S3, because these on the thin strands S1, S2, S3 A large surface area maintained as long as possible is required so that gas inclusions in the strand open and allow the gas to escape.

The bottom 100a is still above the inner container 2a, which is why it is also necessary for the strands S1, S2, S3 to fall straight down.

So that when the material M is pressed out and collected in the collection container 2, air from the environment does not get into the material M again, a first vacuum is formed around it.

For this purpose, the first vacuum housing 21 is present, for example in the form of the outer container 2b or the collection container 2 as a whole, which is provided with a vacuum connection 8 and whose inner peripheral seal 27 located near the upper opening lies tightly against the outer periphery of the cartridge 100.

To ensure that no air can be pressed past the seal of the ejector 101 and into the material M in the cartridge 100 when the compression head 24 is moved into the cartridge 100 and rests on the ejector 101, the bell-shaped second vacuum housing 22, which faces downward with its opening, with its peripheral walls sealed on this edge 100b1.

The cartridge plunger 15a of the cartridge working cylinder 15 can be pushed tightly through an opening in the upward-pointing base of the bell-shaped second vacuum housing 22, with O-rings 27 preferably again being able to be used for sealing.

The air contained in the vacuum connection 9, which is also present on this vacuum housing 22, is sucked out as soon as it is seated on the cartridge and even before the compression head 24 enters the cartridge, for which purpose the second vacuum housing 22 is preferably dimensioned such that the press head 24 does not lie tightly against the inner circumference of the cup-shaped second vacuum housing 22 or there is a through opening through the press head 24 from top to bottom.

5 shows a typical dosing unit with a dosing device 300, via the dosing nozzle 301 of which the viscous material M is to be dosed out in precisely specified quantities.

The emptying device 200 according to the invention is connected to the metering device 300 via the discharge line 20, with both the metering device 300 and the emptying device 200 preferably having a similarly designed base plate 1 so that both can be pushed onto the same guide 501 and can be positioned at the right distance from one another.

Reference List

1

base frame, base plate

2

collection container

2a

inner container

2 B

outer container

3

cartridge carrier

3a

fixation device

4

cartridge drive

5

discharge piston

6

discharge drive

7

Guide Plate, Guide Sleeve

8th

vacuum connection

9

vacuum connection

10

pressing direction

11

1. Transverse direction

12

2. Transverse direction

13

discharge working cylinder

13a

piston rod

13b

cylinder

14

discharge working cylinder

14a

piston rod

14b

cylinder

15

cartridge working cylinder

15a

cartridge plunger

15b

cylinder

16

cartridge holder

17

outlet nozzle

18

tear-off edge

19

ring groove

20

discharge line

20A

Connection for discharge line

21

1. Vacuum housing

22

2. Vacuum housing

23

yoke

24

pressing head

25

sealing lip

26

cavity

27

o ring

28

spiral spring

29

exhaust port

100

cartridge

100a

floor

100b

perimeter wall

100b1

edge, flange

100A1

passage opening, removal opening

100Ax

passage opening, removal opening

100B

filling opening

101

pusher

102

Closure element, closure lid

102a

thread, external thread

200

emptying device

300

dispenser

500

dosing unit

501

guide

M

material

S1 - S3

strand

Claims (17)

Method for the bubble-free emptying of viscous material (M) from a cartridge (100) open on both sides, in particular a disposable cartridge (100), which has an ejector (101), in particular a disposable ejector, which fits tightly therein and can be displaced in the pressing direction (10). (101) and at least one closable removal opening (100A) at the other end, in that - the material (M) is pressed out of the removal opening (100A) by pushing the ejector (101) forward, i.e. in the direction of the removal opening (100A), characterized in that - the material (M) is divided into a large number of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) during pressing out, - the strands (S1, S2, S3) are allowed to fall into a collecting container (2) open at the top whose outlet opening (29) is tightly connected in its lower area, in particular to a discharge line (20), - at least the area from the division of the material (M) into the multiplicity of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) to and/or which is kept under negative pressure in the collection container (2) during the emptying process. procedure after claim 1 , characterized in that the negative pressure is a vacuum with an absolute residual pressure of at most 50 mbar, in particular at most 10 mbar, in particular at most 1 mbar. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - at the latest after the material (M) has been completely pressed out of the cartridge (100), the material (M) in the collecting container (2) is pressurized in the direction of its outlet opening (29) , i.e. in particular the connection (20A) for the discharge line (20), - in particular by pushing forward the bottom (100a) of the cartridge (100) guided tightly in the collecting container (2) as discharge piston (5). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the division of the material (M) into a multiplicity of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) is carried out by means of the base (100a) of the cartridge (100), which in particular has a multiplicity of passage openings through the bottom (100a) as removal openings (100A1, 100A2, 100Ax) for one thin strand (S1, S2, S3) each and/or - the bottom (100a) is also used as a discharge piston (5). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - for pressing out of the cartridge (100), a cartridge plunger (15a) of a cartridge drive (4) is attached to the ejector (101) and pushes it forward. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - for pushing the bottom (100a) of the cartridge (100) forward in the collecting container (2), the cartridge (100) is inserted into the collecting container (2) with the bottom (100a) in front and is pushed forwards in the outlet opening (29) and in particular towards the connection (20A) for the discharge line (20). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the area on the outside, i.e. rear, of the ejector (101) up to the exit point of the cartridge plunger (15a) from the cartridge drive (4) during the emptying process of the cartridge (100) is kept under negative pressure. Emptying device (200) for emptying viscous material (M) from a single-use cartridge (100) open on both sides, which has a single-use pusher (101) that fits tightly therein and can be displaced in the pressing direction (10) and at the other end a closable removal opening (100A), in particular for carrying out the method according to one of the preceding claims, with - a base frame (1), - a collecting container (2) for material (M) which is open at the top and is attached thereto, - a cartridge carrier (3 ), which is movably guided in the pressing direction (10) relative to the base frame (1), - a cartridge drive (4) with a cartridge plunger (15a) for pushing the ejector (101) forward in the cartridge (100), - a discharge piston (5) guided tightly in the collecting container (2), - a discharge drive (6) for moving the discharge piston (5), characterized in that - the cartridge carrier (3) has a fixing device (3a). , by means of which the cartridge (100) in and can be fixedly fastened to the cartridge carrier (3) counter to the pressing direction (10), - in the base (100a) of the cartridge (100), a multiplicity of passage openings as removal openings (100A1, 100A2, 100Ax) for the exit of the material (M) in a large number of thin strands (S1, S2, S3), - a first pressure-tight vacuum housing (21) with a vacuum connection (8) is present, which - close to the outer circumference of the cartridge (100), even if this moves relative to the vacuum housing (21), rests and is close to the collecting container (2) or the collecting container (2) is part of the vacuum housing (21). emptying device claim 8 , characterized in that - the collection container (2) is designed in two parts with - a pot-shaped disposable inner container (2a) with an outlet opening in the lower area, - which is surrounded and supported by a pot-shaped outer container (2b) surrounding it on the outside. emptying device claim 9 , characterized in that - the outer container (2b) is part of the vacuum housing (21) and lies tightly against the outer circumference of the cartridge (100), - the inner container (2a) at least with its peripheral wall and its outside as well as with the open Top, unless it is closed, is within the vacuum housing (21). emptying device claim 10 or 9 , characterized in that - the outlet opening (29a) of the inner container (2a) is arranged in an outlet connector (17) pointing downwards from the bottom of the inner container (2a), - the outlet connector (17) has fastening elements for connecting a discharge line ( 20), - the inner container (2a) is sealed off from the outer container (2b) around its outlet opening (29a), - in particular the outlet connector (17) is so long that it at least partially runs through the bottom of the outer container (2b) and in particular protrudes from this below. Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that - there is a second pressure-tight vacuum housing (22) with a vacuum connection (9) which is on the one hand close to the outer circumference of the cartridge (100) above the cartridge receptacle (16 ) rests in the cartridge carrier (3) and on the other hand is passed through tightly by the cartridge plunger (15a). Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that - the discharge drive (6) is arranged between the cartridge carrier (3) and the base frame (1), - in particular one on each side of the cartridge receptacle (16). discharge drive (6) is arranged, - the discharge drive (6) comprises at least one, in particular two, discharge working cylinders (13, 14). Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that - the cartridge drive (4) comprises at least one cartridge working cylinder (15). Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that the cartridge receptacle (16) in the cartridge carrier (3) is open or can be opened to the side for lateral insertion of a cartridge (100). Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that the cartridge plunger (15a) runs through a bell-shaped second vacuum housing (22) and a compression spring, in particular a spiral spring (28), between the yoke (23) and the upper end of the vacuum housing (22) is arranged. Metering unit (500) with a metering device (300) for metering viscous material (M) and an emptying device (200) for emptying viscous material from a cartridge (100) open on both sides, characterized in that the emptying device (200) according to one of the preceding claims.

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