WO2018020340A1 - Apparatus for chopping dried plants - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for chopping dried plants, more particularly for chopping dried tea leaves, herbs and other dryable plants and their constituents. The aim of the invention is to achieve a simple, gentle comminution of said product. To achieve this aim the invention proposes an apparatus comprising a housing (1) with an inlet (8) at the top for the product to be comminuted and an outlet (7) at the bottom for the comminuted product, in addition to at least two rotatable, driven rollers (2, 3) positioned on at least two planes (4, 5) which lie one above the other and which have at least one roller (2, 3) per plane (4, 5). To carry out a comminution process, the rollers (2, 3) are equipped with cams (24) that correspond with at least one cog (15). The cogs (15) can be adjusted in a vertical direction by manipulation from above. To achieve this, an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the cog (15) with respect to the distance between said cog (15) and the roller (2, 3) is provided on or above the upper plane (4).

Description

 Device for shredding dry plants

The invention relates to a device for shredding dry plants,

in particular for the comminution of dried tea leaves, herbs and other dry plants and their constituents, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Generic facilities for crushing or cutting tea leaves are already known from the prior art. Here, in a housing rotatably arranged rollers are used, which with cams, cutting edges o. are occupied. Ais counterpart may be associated with another such roller or a comb-like element, wherein the tea leaves in the cavities resp. Gap between roller and counterpart are crushed or cut. The tea leaves are supplied from a Vorratsbe container, which is located above the roller. The crushed tea leaves are detected and removed below the roller, for example in a collecting and discharging device. Frequently, several columns are arranged in the vertical direction, with the crushing of coarse to fine. The rollers and combs thus have different geometries and / or will be operated with different parameters, as z. In GB 2158338 A, GB 132765, GB 282147 or EP 2660161 A1. As a result of intensive crushing and cell structures of the tea leaves are destroyed and ingredients resp. Flavors are lost. In addition, flavor-reducing dusts or the like can accumulate.

Also known is a comminution of tea leaves in the nip of a pair of rollers with cutting rollers, u. a. according to GB 820726 A, GB 559937 A, SU 454020 A1 or SU 400305 Al

Another such device is disclosed in EP 2660161 A1. Here are three rollers in a housing above or below each other. Above the top roller is a hopper for the supply of tea leaves arranged and below the bottom roller a funnel-shaped discharge device for the crushed tea leaves. By means of V-shaped inclined baffles, which at the, the roller facing

Passing face in a comb, the tea leaves are passed to the rollers, where they are crushed between cutting cams of the roller and cutting elements of the comb. The shredded tea leaves fall in the direction of the underlying roller resp. after the third roll in the discharge, wherein the crushing takes place again from coarse to fine. The crushing takes place in a protective gas atmosphere by blowing nitrogen into the housing. As in the rest of the prior art, an adjustment resp. Setting the

 Shredding parameters horizontally from the side and in particular from the front by adjusting mechanisms arranged on the housing.

The invention is an object of the invention to provide a device for crushing dry plants, especially for crushing dried tea leaves, herbs and other dry plants and their constituents, which allows easy and gentle comminution of the said Guts.

The object is solved with the features of claim 1.

The device comprises a housing with an overhead inlet for the product to be shredded and a bottom outlet for the shredded material.

In the housing at least two rotatable and driven rollers are arranged above the inlet at least two levels (crushing chambers) as single roller passages on top of each other, at least one roller per level.

The rolls and their comminuting parameters can be different or identical per level. Different here means a comminution from coarse to fine with appropriate roll configuration. Identical here means that the dimensions and configuration of the rolls, and preferably also the comminuting parameters of each roll, are the same.

Each roller corresponds to at least one adjustable comb. A setting of the comb resp. the distance between roller and comb takes place in the vertical direction and under handling from above by adjusting mechanisms from above, wherein the adjusting mechanisms are arranged above the upper level. This allows at the same time a compact, modular arrangement of several devices next to each other and / or behind each other (package arrangement), for an increase in

Crushing capacity. Preferably, left and right of each roller to the side wall of the housing directed obliquely directed to the rollers baffles are arranged at the level of the rollers

structured, form-related combs are provided.

The crushing of the Guts takes place by the collection of the supplied Guts between the roller and comb, with cams and grooves or grooves of the rotating rollers entrainment and

Discharge of the crushed Guts cause, if not already done by gravity.

The device according to the invention makes it possible, in particular, to gently comminute dried tea leaves or other dried plants or plant constituents in such a way that the desirable properties are retained. Ie. Cell walls are preserved or minimally damaged, and the preparation of tea becomes optimal

Taste development achieved. This also makes it possible with tea o. A. which is portioned in capsules, despite short contact time with hot water to extract enough flavors from the tea material.

Preferred embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims.

In a preferred embodiment, four rollers are arranged in two levels one above the other in the housing, two individual rollers per level as single roller passages.

In the upper level, the individual rollers have a greater distance from each other than in the lower level, with the feed of the lower roller (s) being effected by means of gravity. The rollers should not be arranged one above the other in the solder.

This roller arrangement allows adjustment of the distance between the roller and comb respectively. an adjustment of the comb in the vertical direction and from above with handling of stiffening mechanisms, wherein the adjusting mechanisms are arranged in or above the upper level, taking into account an adjustability of the combs of the lower level. This also allows a compact, modular arrangement of several devices side by side in series and / or one behind the other as a package arrangement, for an increase of the crushing capacity.

The rollers in each plane may be arranged in pairs in another embodiment, wherein each pair of rollers is arranged so that the rollers rotate against each other, respectively. engage each other, the speed, analogous to

Arrangement of individual rollers, is variable. The cams preferably have a height P (or the grooves a corresponding depth) of at least 3.5 mm and a width W of up to 6mm. The distance L between two cams (or the width of the groove) in the axial and radial directions is smaller or at most equal to the width W of the cams.

On both levels is between the rollers a partial and feed sheet for that too

crushing Good arranged, which is formed between the rollers triangular with the top up.

In a further preferred embodiment, the device is provided with means for aspiration, in particular for a continuous operation of the device and a dust extraction system becoming necessary.

The device according to the invention can furthermore be designed to be stationary or movable.

The process of comminution preferably takes place in an oxidative normal atmosphere in the housing of the device.

The comminuted material can also be subsequently bottled under a nitrogen atmosphere in capsules, analogous to coffee capsules.

The invention will be described in more detail in exemplary embodiments with reference to a drawing. 1 shows a device according to the invention in a simplified representation,

2 shows the device of FIG. 1 in side view,

3 shows the device according to the invention in another design,

4 shows a roller (FIG. 4a) and details of the roller (FIG. 4b), FIG.

Fig. 5: a paired arrangement of rollers, Fig. 6: an aspiration of the inventive device and

7 shows an inventive adjusting device for a comb,

An apparatus according to the invention (FIG. 1) for comminuting dry plants, for example dried tea leaves, comprises a housing 1 in which four rollers 2, 3 are made Steel in two planes 4, 5 are arranged one above the other, two rollers 2, 3 per level 4, 5. In the upper level 4, the rollers 2 have a greater distance from each other than in the lower level 5. The rollers 2, 3 within However, the planes 4, 5 can be equipped with rollers 2, 3 of identical or different parameters. If the planes 4, 5 have differently configured rollers 2, 3, the rollers 3 of the lower plane 5 allow a finer size reduction than that the upper level 4.

Above the upper level 4, a funnel-shaped inlet 6 is provided for uncut tea leaves, from which they reach the upper rollers 2 in free fall, wherein the

Feeding of the lower roller (s) is done by gravity. Below the lower rollers 3, an outlet 7 for crushed tea leaves is provided in the housing 1. From this outlet 7 the crushed tea leaves reach in free fall on a device for removing the same, for example a conveyor belt 8.

Inlet 6 and outlet 7 can extend over the entire length of the rollers 2, 3.

The inlet 6 is associated with a feed device 9 for uncut tea leaves (FIG. 2), from which the inlet 6 is loaded. The feeder 9 is controllable and controllable in terms of the amount of tea leaves to be supplied per unit time.

The rollers 2, 3 have a length of about 530mm, but could also be up to about 800mm long. They are provided on the peripheral surface 12 continuously with cams 24 and grooves or grooves 25, as they are well known in the prior art. Two adjacent cams 24 are each spaced apart in the axial and radial directions by a groove 25. In the axial direction of the roller 2, 3, the cams 24 are at the same distance from each other, analogously in the radial direction on the circumference. The axial and the radial size of the distance between two cams 24 may be equal or

be chosen differently. The cams 24 have a height P of at least 3.5mm and a width W of up to 6mm. The distance L between two cams, resp. the width of the groove 25 is smaller than the width W of the cams 24 in the axial and radial directions.

Aligemein should be W> L and W <2L.

The rollers 2, 3 can be operated at variable speed, wherein the speed of the individual rollers 2, 3 may also be different from each other. The rollers 2, 3 are further obliquely directed to the rollers baffles 13, 14 associated with the flow of tea leaves fed through the roller length

 uniform and the tea leaves to the rollers 2, 3 feed (Fig. 1, 3).

At the height of the rollers 2, 3, the guide plates 13, 14 are comb-like and also have cams and grooves which mesh with the cams 24 and grooves 25 of the rollers 2, 3 / interact. The combs 15 may also be formed as separate elements, which are arranged on the guide plates 13, 14.

To increase the crushing capacity per roller 2, 3, two combs 15 may be associated with each roller 2, 3, shown in simplified form in FIG. 4a. The combs 15 are approximately parallel or slightly angled to each other. Such an embodiment doubles the capacity per roller 2, 3 with comparatively little extra effort for the second comb

15th

On both levels, a guide plate 14 (partial and feed plate) for the material to be comminuted is arranged between the rollers, which is shaped triangularly with the tip upwards (FIG. 7). The guide plate 14 is an adjusting device 23 for adjusting the combs resp. assigned to the distance between roller and comb.

The rollers 2, 3 can in another embodiment instead of

Single-roller passages also, in at least one plane in pairs, be arranged with a nip 16 between them (Fig. 5). They run relative to each other, cam 24 and grooves 25 of both rollers 2, 3 are interlocked. The distance between the rollers resp. the Waizenspait 16 is also adjustable from above, by means not shown in Fig. 5 explicitly illustrated adjusting devices. Also in this embodiment, the roller pairs of both planes can be configured identically or differently. In differently configured rollers 2, 3, the pair of rollers of the lower level 5 allows a finer size reduction than the roller pair of the upper level. 4

This design also allows a very compact design and a higher

Capacity per roller 2, 3, since the speed can be increased compared to single roller passages.

The setting of the rollers 2, 3 and in particular the combs 15 respectively. the distance between roller (2, 3) and comb (15) takes place in the vertical direction and with handling from above by means of an adjusting device 23 at least in the upper level 4, but preferably in both planes (Fig. 7). This allows a very compact design of the inventive device with a small footprint and thus also a very dense arrangement of several facilities next to and / or behind each other.

The comminution of the tea leaves is carried out in an oxidative normal atmosphere in the inventive device.

For continuous operation, the device according to the invention may be provided with aspiration in order to prevent the deposition of tea dust or the like. Prevent particles. For this purpose, a perforated tube 17 made of stainless steel is preferably provided per level 4, 5, which is arranged by means of a food approved flange seal 18 on one side in the housing 1 (Fig. 6). One end of the tube 17 protrudes from the housing 1 and the other end is exposed and open in the housing. 1 The tube 17 extends substantially over the length of the rollers 2, 3. Via a flange 19, which is provided with a throttle 22, and a tube 20, the tube 17 is connected to a suction device 21 shown in simplified form. The suction device 21 may in turn be coupled to an exhaust air filter, preferably an explosion-proof exhaust air fiiter.

All Versteil- and control operations are preferably carried out electronically, but also a manual control is possible.

The inventive device, as well as the feed device 9 may be arranged stationary, or as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, be mounted on mobile racks 10, 1 1. Here, the frame 10 for the inventive device and the conveyor belt 8 record.

In a very simple way of the device, only a single roller 2 can be provided. Here, the roller 2 is also arranged downstream of the inlet 6 in the vertical direction, but corresponds with two ridges 15, as shown in FIG. .

An adjustment of the combs 15 is again provided in the vertical direction and with handling of at least one adjusting mechanism from above, wherein the

Adjusting mechanism is arranged in or above the upper level 4. List of reference numbers

1 housing

 2 roller

 3 roller

 4 upper level

 5 lower level

6 inlet

 7 outlet

 8 conveyor belt

 9 food facility

10 frame

 1 1 rack

 12 Primary focus

13 baffle

 14 baffle

 15 comb

 16 nip

17 pipe

 18 flange gasket

19 flange connection

20 hose

 21 suction device

22 throttle

23 Verstelieinrichtung 24 cams

25 groove

 L width of a groove

P height of a cam

W width of a cam

Claims

claims 1. A device for crushing dry plants, in particular for crushing dried tea leaves, herbs and other dry plants and their components by comminution by means of rotatably arranged rollers which are occupied with cams (24) or cutting edges, characterized in that the device Housing (1) having an overhead inlet (6) for the material to be shredded and a bottom outlet (7) for the comminuted material and at least two or more rotatable and driven rollers (2, 3), in at least two or more Layers (4, 5) one above the other, with at least one roller (2, 3) per level (4, 5), which corresponds to at least one comb (15) are arranged, wherein at least in or above the upper level (4) an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the distance between the roller (2, 3) and comb (15), respectively. is provided for adjusting the comb (15) in the vertical direction and under handling from above. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rollers (2, 3) are identically configured and operable. 3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rollers (2, 3) are configured differently and operable. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that left or right of each roller (2, 3) to the side wall of the housing (1) towards obliquely rising and on the rollers (2, 3) directed baffles 13) are arranged, which are provided at the level of the rollers (2, 3) with at least one structured comb (15). 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the Speed of the rollers (2, 3) is variable. 6 Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least one or each roller (2, 3) are associated with two combs (15). 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is provided with an aspiration, with and without aspiration a normal atmosphere in the housing (1) prevails. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is designed to be stationary or movable. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that two rollers (2, 3) per level (4, 5) are arranged, wherein the Waizen (2) of the upper level (4) have a greater distance from one another the rollers (3) in the lower level (5). 10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it can be arranged in units, modular and compact side by side and / or one behind the other, 1 1. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the cams (24) have a height (P) of at least 3.5mm and a width (W) of up to 6mm. 12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 1 1, characterized in that the rollers (2, 3) are arranged in pairs, wherein each pair of rollers is arranged so that the Waizen rotate against each other, in a nip (16) interlocking.