VIBRATING ROUND DEVICE

Abstract

A vibratory round dryer comprises a container that is resiliently supported; and a working passage. A heating device, which is installed at the container, is provided for heating the drying agent and workpieces.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A vibrating round dryer, comprising a container that is resiliently supported on a base frame and that can be set into vibration by an oscillation unit; a working passage provided in the container; and a heating device for heating drying agent and workpieces that are located in the working passage, wherein the heating device is thermally conductively installed at the container.

14. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device is installed at the lower side of a planar base plate of the working passage.

15. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the working passage has a planar section and a helically rising section, and wherein the heating device is only provided in the region of the planar section.

16. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device has at least one thermally conductive block in which at least one heating rod is embedded.

17. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 16, wherein a temperature sensor is embedded in the thermally conductive block.

18. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 16, wherein the thermally conductive block has a recess which passes through it and in which a bearing part of the container is arranged.

19. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device is thermally conductively connected to the container over an area of at least 150 cm.sup.2.

20. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device is thermally conductively connected to the container over an area of at least 300 cm.sup.2.

21. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device is thermally conductively connected to the container over an area of at least 500 cm.sup.2.

22. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein at least one temperature sensor is provided in the working passage.

23. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device comprises a plurality of heating modules that are controlled and monitored independently of one another.

24. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the heating device comprises a plurality of heating modules that are controlled and monitored independently of one another by a control.

25. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the container is provided with a thermal insulation in the region of the working passage.

26. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the working passage is provided with a cover at its upper side.

27. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 13, wherein the container is at least partly provided with a thermal insulating wear protection layer in the region of the working passage.

28. The vibrating round dryer in accordance with claim 27, wherein the thermal insulating wear protection layer comprises a coating composed of one of a ceramic material and polytetrafluoroethylene.

Description

[0019] The present invention will be described in the following purely by way of example with reference to an advantageous embodiment and to the enclosed drawings. There are shown:

[0020] FIG. 1 a perspective plan view of a vibrating round dryer;

[0021] FIG. 2 a view from below of the vibrating round dryer of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 3 a section along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

[0023] FIG. 4 a plan view of a heating device; and

[0024] FIG. 5 a perspective view of the heating device of FIG. 4.

[0025] The vibrating round dryer shown in FIG. 1 has a generally circular cylindrical container 10 that is resiliently supported on a base frame not shown in the Figures. The container 10 can be set into vibration by an oscillation unit, for example an electric motor having an eccentric member, arranged in an inner space 12 of the container 1 such that the total container vibrates or oscillates with respect to the base frame.

[0026] A generally annular working passage 14 is provided in the interior of the container and has a planar section 16 and a helically rising section 18 in the embodiment shown. However, the working passage could also be planar as a whole. Drying agent and workpieces can be introduced into the start of the planar section 16 of the working passage 18 via a laterally attached feed. Due to the vibration of the container 10, drying agent and workpieces then move clockwise in the direction of the helically rising section 18 and are conveyed up to the end of this helical section 18. At the end of this section 18, drying agent and/or workpieces fall back down over a step 22 onto the planar section 16 of the working passage. Alternatively, the workpieces can be discharged again through an outlet 24 by inserting a discharge screen, a magnet, a linear vibrator or the like. The reference numeral 26 designates an opening into which a screen can be inserted.

[0027] As FIG. 3 illustrates, in the embodiment example shown, the working passage 14 is trapezoidal in cross-section in its lower region. In this respect, the base plate 28 is planar in the planar section 16 of the working passage. In contrast, the base plate is curved in the helically rising section 18 of the working passage. However, the working passage could also be round, oval, or rectangular in cross-section, or helically rising as a whole.

[0028] As FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 further illustrate, a heating device 32 is thermally conductively installed at the lower side of the container 10, as shown in more detail in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. In the illustrated embodiment example, only one heating device 32 is shown. However, a plurality of heating devices 32 can also be installed, in particular at the lower side of the planar base plate 28 of the working passage 14.

[0029] The heating device 32 is configured as a module and, in the embodiment example shown, has a thermally conductive block 34 which is curved in plan view, which is composed of material with good thermal conductivity, for example aluminum, and in which a serpentine heating rod 36 is embedded. For this purpose, a groove is worked into or a channel is milled into the thermally conductive block 34, into which groove or channel the heating rod 36 is inserted. To improve the heat transfer, the groove can additionally be filled with a thermally conductive paste. The thermally conductive surface of the thermally conductive block can also be provided with an agent that increases the thermal conductance, for example with a thermally conductive paste, a copper foil, a fleece or the like.

[0030] The heat transfer from the heating device to the container therefore takes place by means of thermal conductance, i.e. by a heat transfer between solid bodies, namely from the thermally conductive block 34 to the base plate of the working passage, and not by radiation or convection, which makes a high degree of efficiency possible.

[0031] A temperature sensor 38 is embedded in a further groove of the thermally conductive block 34, wherein the supply line of the temperature sensor 38 and the two ends of the heating rod 36 are led out of the thermally conductive block 34 by means of a leadthrough 40. An electrical connection plug 42 serves for an electrical connection of the heating rod 36 and the temperature sensor 38.

[0032] As FIG. 4 further illustrates, a plurality of installation bores 44 are provided in the thermally conductive block 34 and make it possible to thermally conductively fasten the thermally conductive block or the heating module to the lower side of the base 28 of the working passage 14 over a large area with good thermal contact by means of stud bolts, for example. Furthermore, the thermally conductive block 34 has a circular recess 46 passing through it. This recess 46 enables the installation of the heating device 32 such that a bearing part of the container 10 for receiving the bearing springs (not shown) can be arranged in the region of the recess.

[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates that the heating rod 36 is arranged in a serpentine manner within the thermally conductive block 34, taking into account the installation bores 44 and the recess 46, in order to achieve a large-area and optimized heat transfer. Furthermore, the thermally conductive block has a comparatively large surface area of at least 150 cm.sup.2, in particular of at least 300 cm.sup.2, and in particular of at least 500 cm.sup.2, via which the heating device 32 is thermally conductively connected to the container 10.

[0034] For an optimized process control, at least one temperature sensor 50 (FIG. 2) can be provided in the working passage to monitor the actual temperature in the drying medium. Furthermore, a control can be provided that controls and monitors a plurality of the heating modules shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 independently of one another.