DE20211752U1 - Apparatus for measured filling of containers with powdery, granular or similar materials comprises a material receptacle which is movable relative to closable filler pipes, and has a flexurally soft bottom - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus (10) for measured filling of containers (36) with powdery, granular or similar materials, comprises a material receptacle (12) which is vertically movable relative to the closable filler pipes (26), and has a flexurally soft bottom (18). This allows the material level in the receptacle to be raised above and lowered below the inlet level of the filler pipes.

Description

Device for the dosed filling of powder, pellets, granules and similar filling materials

TECHNICAL AREA

The invention relates to a device with which powders, pellets, granules and similar filling materials can be dosed into containers. The filling materials can be foodstuffs and luxury items, such as coffee powder, cocoa powder or even medicines.

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STATE OF THE ART

A dosing machine for filling granular material is known from US 5,971,037. A cylindrical drum with dosing holes distributed around the circumference slides with its flat upper side along the flat lower side of a chamber that temporarily stores the material. The material can flow freely from the chamber into the respective dosing hole, which represents a single dosing chamber, by gravity if the outlet opening in the bottom of the chamber is located exactly above the inlet opening of the respective dosing hole to be filled. When the drum moves, the flat upper side of the drum slides along the flat lower side of the chamber. This causes shear forces to act on the material to be filled in the area of the sliding joint, which can damage it.

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HAHÖ-56gDE
July 30, 2002

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Based on this previously known state of the art, the invention is based on the object of providing a possibility for the gentle and as non-destructive as possible dosed filling of powder, pellets, granules and similar filling materials.

This invention is defined by the features of the main claim. Useful developments of the invention are the subject of further claims.

The device according to the invention consists of a few, easy-to-handle components. Nevertheless, it is possible to fill the respective filling material into one or more existing dosing chambers in an extremely gentle manner.

The device according to the invention is characterized in particular by the fact that the filling material container, from which the one or more dosing chambers are filled with filling material, has a flexible, pliable base. By lifting the filling material container, this flexible base can be deformed in such a way that the filling material on the base can flow into the one or more dosing chambers or, in very general terms, can move into them. The dosing chambers are tubular nozzles that are connected to outlet openings arranged in the base of the filling material container. By lowering the filling material container, the filling material on the base is lowered to a level below the one or more outlet openings in the base of the filling material container. When the filling material container is raised and lowered in this way, the one or more dosing nozzles that are connected to corresponding outlet openings in the base of the filling material container remain unchanged in terms of position. It would also be

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It is possible to leave the filling container in its original position and to raise or lower the dosing nozzles accordingly relative to the filling container. After filling the dosing nozzles, the nozzle that was closed at the bottom during the filling process can be opened and its contents emptied into a waiting container.

The nozzle can have a mouth cross-section in the area of the outlet opening of the base to which it is connected, the inclination of which to the longitudinal axis of the nozzle is greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees, in particular equal to or greater than the angle of repose of the filling material to be filled. When the filling material container is lowered and thus when the base is lowered relative to the nozzle, a cone of repose will form above the outlet opening of the base. Depending on the filling material to be filled, this cone of repose will always have the same angle of repose, so that the remaining filling material volume "on" the outlet opening is constantly large during repeated filling processes. If the mouth cross-section is designed to correspond to the angle of inclination of the angle of repose that forms depending on the type of bulk material, this cone of repose can be prevented from forming. It is also possible to scrape the mouth cross-section using a soft, horizontally movable squeegee.

The dosing nozzle can be designed as a telescopic tube and thus with 0 variable interior volume in order to be able to dose different volumes in a comparable manner.

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HAHÖ-56gDE 30 July 2002

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The dosing nozzle is closed in the bottom area by a closure device during filling. This closure device is opened to empty the dosing nozzle. Such a closure device can be provided by a slide which is adjustable in position so that in a first position it closes the end of the dosing nozzle and in another position it does not close the end of the dosing nozzle. For this purpose, the dosing nozzle can be mounted and guided in a holding device which holds the lower end of the dosing nozzle.

In order to prevent filling material particles from working their way into the gap between the slide and the dosing nozzle, the lower end of the dosing nozzle can be pressurized with sealing air, which is directed into the gap between the slide and the dosing nozzle and prevents filling material particles from forcing their way into the gap there. This gaseous medium, such as sealing air, prevents the filling material particles from being ground up and thus destroyed in the area of the slide as it moves back and forth.

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The flowability of the filling material flowing freely from the filling material container into the one or more dosing nozzles can be improved by devices for generating vibrations, ultrasound, overpressure or underpressure, stamps, doctor blades and the like with respect to the powder receiving or forwarding components.

Further embodiments and advantages of the invention can be taken from the features further listed in the claims and the embodiments shown in the drawings.

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SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawing and
explained. They show:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a first

Embodiment of a dosing device according to the invention,
10

Fig. 2 a cross-section through the device according to Fig. 1, in the lowered state of the filling container,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, with
emptied dosing nozzle,

Fig. 4 a cross-section through the device according to Fig. 1 with raised filling container,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with the filling container lowered again,

Fig. 6 a cross section through a

modified dosing device in which several

Dosing nozzle in non-aligned mutual

Alignment on the filling material container and in which the dosing nozzles in the area of the outlet openings of the filling material container have a mouth cross-section whose angle of inclination to the

Longitudinal axis of the nozzle in question is greater than zero and less than 90 degrees,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the slide valve closing or not closing the dosing nozzles, with an air supply in the area between

Slide and metering nozzle formed gap. :··.:··· .··..··..*·. .: .: ···::·"..". : : .: -6-

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WAYS TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

In the present example, a dosing device 10 consists of a container 12 that is open at the top and is fed with filling material 16 from above by means of a feeder 14 that is tubular in the present example, such that neither too much nor too little filling material is present in the container 12, as will be described in more detail below.

The bottom 18 of the container is designed to be flexible, which in the present example is ensured by a type of roller membrane 20.

In the middle area of the base 18 of the container 12, which in this case is elongated, there are several outlet openings 22 arranged one behind the other. The upper nozzle 24 of a telescopic nozzle 26 is connected in a gas-tight manner to each outlet opening 22. The upper end of the nozzle 24 is thus tightly connected to the roller membrane 20 and thus to the base 18. The upper nozzle 24 ends in a lower nozzle 28 of the telescopic nozzle 26. By mutually moving the two nozzles 24, 28, the internal volume of the telescopic nozzle 26 can be set to different sizes.

The lower nozzles 28 of the telescopic nozzles 26 arranged in a row are each inserted into a bore 30 of a holding device 32. In this holding device 32, a slide 34 is held and guided so that it can be moved longitudinally that it can close or not close the lower end of the lower nozzles 28 (Fig. 1, 2) (Fig. 3). Depending on the respective position of the slide 34, the filling material present in the telescopic nozzle 26 can be emptied together into containers 36 provided below the telescopic nozzles 26. The

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Containers 3 6 are arranged in the same way as the telescopic nozzles 26 during their filling.

In the present example, further nozzles 38 are placed below the slide 34, the respective longitudinal axis 40 of which is aligned with the corresponding longitudinal axis of the telescopic nozzle.

The dosed filling and emptying of one container 3 6 or the corresponding number of containers 3 is carried out in the following manner.

The container 12 only contains enough filling material, in the present example powder, to allow a cone of material 44 to form above the outlet opening 22 in the container 12.2, which is displaced extremely far downwards, when the telescopic nozzle 26 is full, as shown in Fig. 2. The telescopic nozzle 26, which is completely filled with filling material, therefore has a cone of material 44 above the outlet opening 22.

During the filling process, the slide 34 is in its position closing the telescopic nozzle 26 at the bottom. In the extremely low position of the container 12.2, the base 18 or the roller membrane 2 has been moved so far downwards that the filling material 16 (surface 50) still remaining on the roller membrane 20 cannot settle above the level 52 of the outlet opening 22. This is the only way in which the formation of the pouring cone 44 in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and 2 is possible. In an extreme case, the surface 50 of the filling material 16 could be at level 52. If, in contrast, there were more filling material 16 in the container 12.2 or if the container 12.2 was not lowered as much, a larger volume of filling material would settle above the outlet opening 22 than would correspond to the volume of the pouring cone 44.

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The angle of repose 56 of the repose cone 44 relative to the horizontal 60 depends on the type of filling material and always occurs at the same angle 56 for a certain free-flowing bulk material.

Following the situation shown in Fig. 2, the slide 34 is moved to the left in the present example so that it releases the lower end of the telescopic nozzle 26 (Fig. 3). The filling material 16.2 (Fig. 2) located in the telescopic nozzle 26, including its pouring cone 44, can now flow into the container 36 located below.

If the volume of the pouring cone 44 is not to be part of the filling material 16.2 to be filled into a container 36, the pouring cone 44 can be removed from the outlet opening 22 before filling a container 36, for example by means of a cross slide 72, which can be moved back and forth with its lower edge at the level 52 (double arrow 74).

After the telescopic nozzle 26 has been completely emptied, the slide 34 is moved back to the right into its position closing the telescopic nozzle 26 at the bottom (Fig.

4) . The container 12 is now raised extremely high into its position 12.4. At the same time, filling material is added from the feeder 14 in order to compensate for the amount of filling material that was previously emptied into the container 36.

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In its extremely raised position 12.4, the bottom 18 or the roller membrane 20 forming it is stretched accordingly, so that the filling material 16 located on the bottom 18 is located above the outlet opening 22. Filling material 16 can now again be discharged from the

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Container 12.4 into the telescopic nozzle 26. After the telescopic nozzle 26 has been completely filled - as shown in Fig. 4 - the container 12 is lowered back into its lower position 12.2, as shown in Fig. 5. This lowered position corresponds again to the position shown in Fig. 2. The pouring cone 44 is again formed above the outlet opening 22. The slide 34 is then moved from its position closing the telescopic nozzle 26 to its OPEN position and the container 36 located below the telescopic nozzle 26 is filled. In this way, the same amount of filling material 16 is always filled into the container 36. In the same way, several containers 36 can be filled simultaneously. These containers 36 are then positioned in a corresponding mutual arrangement as the telescopic nozzles 26 below the telescopic nozzles 26, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The dosing device 10.6 shown in Fig. 6 functions in the same way as the dosing device 10 described above. As a deviation, the telescopic nozzles 26.6 are not arranged in line with one another but are offset laterally. As a further deviation, the mouth cross-section 62 of each telescopic nozzle 26.6 runs transversely to the horizontal 60. The mouth cross-section 62 forms an angle 64 with the horizontal 60 that is greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees. In the present example, the angle of inclination 64 corresponds to the angle of repose 56. As a result, no repose cone is formed on the mouth cross-section 62, as is the case with the device 10 with the horizontal mouth cross-section of the telescopic nozzles 26 there.

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In order to ensure that the bulk material is treated as gently as possible in the area of the slide 34 and to keep the shear stress on the bulk material caused by the back and forth movement of the slide 34 as low as possible, an annular channel 66 is incorporated in the holding device 32.7, which surrounds the bore 3 0 in a ring shape. The lower nozzle 28 of the respective telescopic nozzle 26.6 is located in the bore 3 0. Compressed air 68 can be introduced into the gap 70 between the holding device 32.7 and the slide 34 through the annular channel 66. This compressed air 68 prevents filling material, such as fine powder in particular, from working its way into this gap 7 0.

By mutually moving the upper and lower nozzles 24, 28 of the respective telescopic nozzle 26, the dosing quantity of filling material can be variably adjusted.

The dosing devices shown above allow extremely gentle handling of the filling material during its dosed filling into containers.

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Claims (13)

1. Device ( 10 , 10.6 ) for the metered filling of powder, pellets, granules and similar filling material ( 16 ) into containers ( 36 ), - with a dosing device ( 26 ) for the filling material ( 16 ) to be filled into the containers ( 36 ), - with a device ( 12 , 14 ) for feeding filling material ( 16 ) into the dosing device ( 26 ), characterized in that - the dosing device has a container ( 12 ) for the filling material ( 16 ), - at least one outlet opening ( 22 ) is provided in the bottom ( 18 , 20 ) of the container ( 12 ), - a tubular outlet nozzle ( 26 ) is provided as a dosing chamber and is attached to an outlet opening ( 22 ), - a device ( 34 ) for selectively closing the outlet nozzle ( 26 ) is provided, - the bottom ( 18 , 20 ) of the container ( 12 ) is designed to be flexible such that - the container ( 12 ) and nozzle ( 26 ) can be changed in position relative to one another and can thus be brought into two mutually different positions ( 12.2 , 12.4 , 26 ), whereby - in a first, extremely close mutual position of the container ( 12.2 ) and the nozzle ( 26 ), the flexible base ( 18 , 20 ) is at least partially below the level ( 52 ) of the outlet opening ( 22 ), so that the level of the filling material ( 16 ) located on the base ( 18 , 20 ) is at least partially not above the level ( 52 ) of the outlet opening ( 22 ) and - in a second, extremely wide mutual position of the container ( 12.4 ) and the nozzle ( 26 ), the flexible bottom ( 18 , 20 ) is such that the filling material ( 16 ) located on the bottom ( 18 , 20 ) is at a level above the level ( 52 ) of the outlet opening ( 22 ). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that - the at least one outlet opening ( 22 ) is present in the base ( 18 , 20 ) in such a way that in the first, extremely close mutual position of the container ( 12.2 ) and the nozzle ( 26 ) there is a partial region of the base ( 18 , 20 ) which circumferentially surrounds the outlet opening ( 22 ) and which is not below the level ( 52 ) of the outlet opening ( 22 ). 3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the nozzle ( 26.6 ) in the region of the outlet opening ( 22 ) has an outlet cross-section ( 62 ) whose angle of inclination ( 64 ) to the horizontal is greater than zero degrees and less than 90 degrees. 4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that - the inclination of the mouth cross-section ( 62 ) to the horizontal is greater than or equal to the angle of repose ( 56 ) of the filling material ( 16 ) to be filled. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the tubular outlet nozzle ( 26 ) is designed as a telescopic tube and thus with a variable interior volume. 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the lower end of the nozzle ( 26 , 28 ) is inserted into a through hole ( 30 ) of a holding device ( 32 ), - a slide ( 34 ) is provided on the holding device ( 32 ) and is positionally adjustable such that in a first position it closes the end of the nozzle ( 26 , 28 ) and in another position it does not close the end of the nozzle ( 26 , 28 ). 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - a gaseous medium ( 68 ) can be introduced into the gap ( 70 ) between the slide ( 34 ) and the nozzle ( 26.6 ). 8. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that - a further nozzle part ( 38 ) is provided on the holding device ( 32 ) in such a way that when the nozzle ( 26 , 28 ) is not closed, filling material ( 16 ) present in the nozzle can flow through the nozzle part ( 38 ). 9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - a container ( 36 ) can be positioned under a nozzle part ( 38 ) or under a nozzle ( 26 , 28 ) in such a way that the filling material ( 16 ) present in the nozzle can flow into the container ( 36 ) in question when the slide valve ( 34 ) is open or not present. 10) Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the mutual arrangement of containers to be filled ( 36 ) corresponds to the mutual arrangement of outlet nozzles ( 26 ). 11. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - Devices for generating vibrations, ultrasound, compressed air and/or stamps, squeegees to improve the flowability of the filling material to be filled ( 16 ) are present. 12. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - a device is provided for moving away the pouring cone ( 44 ) present in the region of an outlet opening ( 22 ). 13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that - the device is a cross slide ( 72 ) which can be moved back and forth ( 74 ) from the outlet opening.