DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MIXING AT LEAST TWO CHEMICALLY REACTIVE PLASTICS COMPONENTS

Abstract

Device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components under pressure, having a mixing chamber, into which the plastics components are injected in each case by way of a component-feeding opening, wherein a reversible control piston is provided for opening and closing the component-feeding openings and for discharging plastics mixture remaining within the mixing chamber, wherein the control piston is connected to an electric drive. Alternatively, in the case of a transfer mixing head, the cleaning piston may be coupled to an electric drive. A method for operating such a mixing head is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components under pressure, having a mixing chamber, into which the plastics components are injected in each case by way of a component-feeding opening, wherein a reversible control piston is provided for opening and closing the component-feeding openings and for discharging plastics mixture remaining within the mixing chamber, characterized in that the control piston is mechanically connected to an electric drive, wherein a movement of the electric drive brings about a linear movement of the control piston.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electric drive is configured to generate a rotation movement, and the electric drive is connected to the control piston via a coupling device, wherein the coupling device is configured to convert the rotation movement of the electric drive into a linear movement of the control piston.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electric drive is configured as a servo motor and/or stepping motor.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the electric drive is connected to a spindle, which drives a spindle nut, which in turn is connected to a thrust tube which is coupled to the control piston.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein a bearing device, supporting the spindle, is arranged between the coupling and the spindle nut.

6. The device according to claim 4, in which the spindle is formed as an inverted spindle.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the electric drive is connected to a spindle nut, which drives the spindle, which in turn is connected to a thrust tube which is coupled to the control piston.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein a bearing device is provided, which supports the spindle nut.

9. The device according to claim 1, which is configured as a transfer mixing head and has a cleaning piston, wherein an outlet chamber adjoins the mixing chamber, and the cleaning piston is arranged reversibly in the outlet chamber for discharging the reactive plastics mixture from the outlet chamber, and the cleaning piston is coupled to a further electric drive.

10. A device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components under pressure, with a mixing chamber into which the plastics components are injected via respectively a component-feeding opening, wherein a reversible control piston is arranged for opening and closing the component-feeding openings and for discharging plastics mixture remaining within the mixing chamber, wherein the device is configured as a transfer mixing head and has a cleaning piston, wherein an outlet chamber adjoins the mixing chamber, and in the outlet chamber the cleaning piston is reversibly arranged for discharging the reactive plastics mixture from the outlet chamber, characterized in that the cleaning piston is coupled to a further electric drive.

11. The device according to claim 10, in which the control piston and the cleaning piston are arranged transversely with respect to one another, wherein the outlet chamber runs at an angle of 90° to the longitudinal axis of the mixing chamber.

12. The device according to claim 10, with respectively an anti-rotation device per thrust tube, which prevents a co-rotating of the thrust tube with the spindle.

13. A method for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components under pressure, wherein a reversible control piston is arranged in a cylindrical mixing chamber, into which the plastics components are injected via respectively a component-feeding opening, for opening and closing the component-feeding openings and for discharging plastics mixture remaining within the mixing chamber, characterized in that the control piston is connected to an electric drive and is driven by the latter, wherein a movement of the electric drive brings about a linear movement of the control piston.

14. The method according to claim 13, in which a cleaning piston is provided with an outlet chamber, which adjoins the mixing chamber, wherein in the outlet chamber a reversible cleaning piston is arranged for discharging the reactive plastics mixture from the outlet chamber, wherein additionally or alternatively to the control piston, the cleaning piston is connected to an electric drive and is driven by the latter.

15. The method according to claim 13, in which a current position of the cleaning piston and/or a current position of the control piston is determined and a control of the cleaning piston and/or of the control piston takes place using the respective determined current position.

16. The method according to claim 13, in which a throttle position of the cleaning piston is varied via an actuation of the electric drive which is associated with the cleaning piston.

17. The method according to claim 13, in which a speed profile of the cleaning piston and/or a speed profile of the control piston are/is varied as a function of the produced part.

18. The method according to claim 13, in which the electric drive which is associated with the control piston is actuated in such a way that the control piston approaches an intermediate position, in order to flush rerouting grooves in the control piston.

19. The method according to claim 13, in which a torque and/or a rotation speed and/or an electric current consumption of the electric drive of the cleaning piston and/or of the electric drive of the control piston are/is monitored, and a wear parameter for prospective maintenance is determined using the rotation speed and/or the torque and/or the electric current consumption.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0033] Such a device and such a method for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components are to be described more closely in the following with reference to the figures. The following description is, however, to be regarded as purely by way of example. The invention is determined solely through the subject of the claims. An advantageous example embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the accompanying figures. There are shown:

[0034] FIG. 1a sectional illustration of a device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components according to a first example embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 2a sectional illustration of a device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components along the section line CC of FIG. 1 according to the first example embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 3a sectional illustration of a device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components according to a second example embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 4a sectional illustration of a device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components according to a third example embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 5a sectional illustration of the third example embodiment in a closed position; and

[0039] FIG. 6a detail enlargement of the sectional illustration of FIG. 5.

[0040] The figures are only schematic illustrations and serve only to explain the invention. Elements which are identical or equivalent are provided with the same reference numbers throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a sectional illustration of a device 100 for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components according to a first example embodiment of the present invention. The device 100 can also be designated as a mixing head device for a reaction casting machine. In the present example embodiment, the device 100 is illustrated as a transfer mixing head 134 with a control piston 101 and with a cleaning piston 102. A (first) spindle (104), a (first) spindle nut 106, a (first) coupling 108, a (first) bearing device 110, a (first) sealing flange 114, a (first) anti-rotation device 116 and a (first) housing 120 are associated with the control piston 101. This part of the device is completed by a (first) electric drive (122). The “first” is respectively put in brackets, since, as becomes clear in the third example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in a linear mixing head—without cleaning piston and without associated outlet chamber also all the named elements are present only once, so that a division into first and second is superfluous.

[0042] The device 100 is set up for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components. The two different plastics components are injected under pressure into the substantially cylindrical mixing chamber 124 via two component-feeding openings 126, 126′ which are not illustrated in FIG. 1. For opening, on the one hand, and on the other hand for closing the component-feeding openings 126, 126′, the control piston 101 is arranged in the mixing chamber 124. The control piston 101 also serves for the discharging of remaining plastics mixture from the mixing chamber 101. The control piston 101 is movable linearly within the mixing chamber 124. For this, the control piston 101 is coupled with the electric drive 122.

[0043] In the example embodiment, the electric drive 122 is formed as a servo motor 128. The latter generates a rotation movement. The servo motor 128 is connected to the control piston 101 via a coupling device 130 and moves the latter linearly on a rotation movement of the servo motor 128. The coupling device 130 is therefore configured to convert the rotation movement of the electric drive 122 into a linear movement of the control piston 101. A direction reversal of the rotation brings about a direction reversal of the linear movement. For this, the coupling device 130 comprises the spindle 104 and spindle nut 106 acting together in a spindle-nut combination. The servo motor 128 is connected to the spindle 104 via the coupling 108. In an example embodiment which is not illustrated, a gearing is additionally arranged between spindle 104 and servo motor 128. By the rotation of the spindle 104, brought about by the servo motor 128, the non-rotating spindle nut 106 is moved linearly relative to the spindle 104. The spindle nut 106 is coupled to the control piston 101 via the thrust tube 114.

[0044] The bearing device 110, supporting the spindle 104, is arranged between the coupling 108 and the spindle nut 106. In the example embodiment, the bearing device 110 is configured as an angular ball bearing receiving both axial and also radial forces. Depending on the length of the spindle, the number of bearings can be increased. Thus, in the illustrated example embodiment, two bearings are used.

[0045] The sealing flange 112 is arranged on the outer circumference of the thrust tube, which sealing flange seals towards the housing 120.

[0046] The mixing chamber 124, in which the control piston 101 is arranged in a reversible manner, is arranged in a head piece 132. The example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 concerns a transfer mixing head 134. In the head piece 132 an outlet chamber 136 is formed. This is aligned transversely to the mixing chamber 124. The cleaning piston 102 is arranged in the outlet chamber 136 in a reversible manner.

[0047] The structure of the cleaning piston 102 is completed by a (second) spindle 144, a (second) spindle nut 146, a (second) coupling 148, a (second) bearing device 150, a (second) sealing flange 152, a (second) thrust tube 154, a (second) anti-rotation device 156 and a (second) housing 160. Furthermore, this part of the device has a (second) electric drive 162. The structure of the further, or respectively second, elements associated with the cleaning piston 102 is analogous to the control piston 101, as already described above.

[0048] The cleaning piston 102 also serves for the discharging of remaining plastics mixture from the outlet chamber 136. The cleaning piston 102 is linearly movable within the outlet chamber 136. For this, the cleaning piston 102 is connected to the further or second electric drive 162.

[0049] In the example embodiment, the electric drive 162 is configured as a servo motor 164. The latter generates a rotation movement. The servo motor 164 is connected via a coupling device 166 to the cleaning piston 102 and moves the latter linearly on a rotation movement of the servo motor 164. The coupling device 166 is therefore configured to convert the rotation movement of the electric drive 162 into a linear movement of the cleaning piston 102. A direction reversal of the rotation brings about a direction reversal of the linear movement. For this, the coupling device 166 comprises the spindle 144 and spindle nut 146, acting together in a spindle-nut combination. The servo motor 164 is connected via the coupling 148 with that of the spindle 144. In an example embodiment which is not illustrated, a gearing is additionally arranged between spindle 144 and servo motor 164. By the rotation of the spindle 144 brought about by the servo motor 164, the non-rotating spindle nut 146 is moved linearly relative to the spindle 144. The spindle nut 146 is coupled to the cleaning piston 102 via the thrust tube 154.

[0050] The bearing device 150, supporting the spindle 144, is arranged between the coupling 148 and the spindle nut 146. In the example embodiment, the bearing device 150 is configured as an angular ball bearing receiving both axial and also radial forces.

[0051] On the outer circumference of the anti-rotation device 156, the sealing flange 152 is arranged, which seals towards the housing 160.

[0052] A mixing head outlet 168 is formed at the end of the outlet chamber 136.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows both the control piston 101 and also the cleaning piston 102 in the closed state, so that remaining plastics mixture was discharged both from the mixing chamber 124 and also from the outlet chamber 136.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a sectional illustration of a device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components along the section line CC of FIG. 1 according to the first example embodiment of the present invention. The interaction of housing 120 and anti-rotation device 116 can be readily seen.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a sectional illustration of a device for mixing at least two chemically reactive plastics components according to a second example embodiment of the present invention. The second example embodiment differs from the first example embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 by the embodiment with an inverted spindle 104, 144. The first electric drive 122 is coupled to the first spindle nut 106 via the first coupling 108. The rotating first spindle nut 106 drives the first spindle 104 (linearly). The first spindle 104 drives the control piston 101 via the first thrust tube 114. Likewise, the second electric drive 162 is coupled to the second spindle nut 146 via the second coupling 148. The rotating second spindle nut 146 drives the second spindle 144 (linearly). The second spindle 144 drives the cleaning piston 102 via the second thrust tube 154. The thrust tube can also be formed as a thrust rod, as illustrated in the example embodiment.

[0056] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a device 100 according to a third example embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows here a linear mixing head 470. In contrast to the transfer mixing heads illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, an outlet chamber and the associated cleaning piston are dispensed with here. The component-feeding openings 126, 126′, standing perpendicularly to the plane of the image in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 and therefore not depicted there, and a respectively associated return channel 472, 472′ are in the head piece 132. Together with the rerouting grooves 474, 474′ formed in the control piston 101, also designated as redirecting grooves, a circuit is produced for the respective chemically reactive plastics component. The first chemically reactive plastics component is directed via the first component-feeding opening 126 with closed control piston 101 via the first rerouting groove 474 to the first return channel 472. A pump, which is not illustrated, delivers the set quantity of the first chemically reactive plastics component with the predefined pressure. On opening of the control piston 101, the component-feeding openings 126, 126′ are opened and the chemically reactive plastics components flow with the already existing pressure into the mixing chamber. In the chamber upstream of the component-feeding opening 126, additionally a (controllable) nozzle or component-feeding nozzle can be arranged.

[0057] The configuration of the rerouting grooves 474,474′ can be seen better in the detail enlargement of this region in FIG. 6.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0058] 100 device, mixing head [0059] 101 control piston [0060] 102 cleaning piston [0061] 104 (first) spindle [0062] 104′ inverted spindle [0063] 106 (first) spindle nut [0064] 108 (first) coupling [0065] 110 (first) bearing device [0066] 112 (first) sealing flange [0067] 114 (first) thrust tube [0068] 116 (first) anti-rotation device [0069] 120 (first) housing [0070] 122 (first) electric drive [0071] 124 mixing chamber [0072] 126,126′ component-feeding opening [0073] 128 (first) servo motor [0074] 130 (first) coupling device [0075] 132 head piece [0076] 134 transfer mixing head [0077] 136 outlet chamber [0078] 144 (further/second) spindle [0079] 146 (further/second) spindle nut [0080] 148 (further/second) coupling [0081] 150 (further/second) bearing device [0082] 152 (further/second) sealing flange [0083] 154 (further/second) thrust tube [0084] 156 (further/second) anti-rotation device [0085] 160 (further/second) housing [0086] 162 (further/second) electric drive [0087] 164 (further/second) servo motor [0088] 166 (further/second) coupling device [0089] 168 mixing head outlet [0090] 470 linear mixing head [0091] 472,472′ return channel [0092] 474,474′ rerouting grooves