SHREDDING DEVICE WITH VENTILATION MECHANISM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shredding device comprising: a machine housing in which a drive compartment and a material-receiving chamber are formed, a movable device for shredding material, which is arranged at least in part in the material-receiving chamber of the machine housing, a drive device which is configured to drive the movable device for shredding material and is arranged at least in part in the drive compartment of the machine housing, and a motor-operated ventilation mechanism which is configured to ventilate the drive compartment and comprises a cleaning device for purifying air provided for ventilating the drive compartment.

Claims

1. A shredding device comprising: a machine housing in which a drive compartment and a material-receiving chamber are formed; a movable device for shredding material which is arranged at least in part in said material-receiving chamber of said machine housing; a drive device which is configured to drive said movable device for shredding material and is arranged at least in part in said drive compartment of said machine housing; and a motor-operated ventilation mechanism which is configured to ventilate said drive compartment and comprises a cleaning device for purifying air provided for ventilating said drive compartment.

2. The shredding device according to claim 1 in which said motor-operated ventilation mechanism comprises a blower.

3. The shredding device according to claim 1 in which said cleaning device of said motor-operated ventilation mechanism comprises an air pre-separator for separating dust from the air prior to said drive compartment being ventilated with the air.

4. The shredding device according to claim 1 in which said cleaning device of said motor-operated ventilation mechanism comprises a perforated plate for coarse separation of impurities from the air prior to said drive compartment being ventilated with the air.

5. The shredding device according to claim 1 in which said motor-operated ventilation mechanism is structured to generate an overpressure in said drive compartment as compared to at least one selected from the group consisting of (ii) the surroundings of said machine housing and (ii) said material-receiving chamber of said machine housing.

6. The shredding device according to claim 1 in which said movable device for shredding material comprises at least rotor shaft.

7. The shredding device according to claim 1 in which said movable device for shredding material comprises a pusher.

8. The shredding device according to claim 1 which furthermore comprises a cooling device for cooling air supplied into said drive compartment by said motor-operated ventilation mechanism.

9. The shredding device according to claim 1, where said drive compartment is not in communication with the surroundings of said machine housing by way of ventilation slits that are configured to allow ambient air to enter into said drive compartment.

10. The shredding device according to claim 1, where said drive compartment comprises an outlet for letting out air supplied by said ventilation mechanism and wherein said outlet comprises an open-loop controlled or closed-loop controlled outlet.

11. The shredding device according to claim 1, where said shredding device is a single-shaft or a multi-shaft shredder.

12. A method for ventilating a drive compartment which is formed in a machine housing of a shredding device and in which a drive device for a movable device for shredding material is arranged, the method comprising: purifying air from outside said machine housing; and supplying the purified air into said drive compartment of said shredding device with the aid of a motor-operated ventilation mechanism.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising generating an overpressure in said drive compartment of said shredding device as compared to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the surroundings of said machine housing of said shredding device (ii) a material-receiving chamber formed in said machine housing.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising dissipating heat generated by said drive device by forcing air heated in said drive compartment out from said drive compartment with the aid of said motor-operated ventilation mechanism.

15. A shredding device according to claim 3 in which said cleaning device of said motor-operated ventilation mechanism comprises a perforated plate for coarse separation of impurities from the air prior to said drive compartment being ventilated with the air.

16. The shredding device according to claim 3 in which said motor-operated ventilation mechanism is structured to generate an overpressure in said drive compartment as compared to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the surroundings of said machine housing and (ii) said material-receiving chamber of said machine housing.

17. The shredding device according to claim 4 in which said motor-operated ventilation mechanism is structured to generate an overpressure in said drive compartment as compared to at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) the surroundings of said machine housing and (ii) said material-receiving chamber of said machine housing.

18. The shredding device according to claim 3 which furthermore comprises a cooling device for cooling air supplied into said drive compartment by said motor-operated ventilation mechanism.

19. The shredding device according to claim 4 which furthermore comprises a cooling device for cooling air supplied into said drive compartment by said motor-operated ventilation mechanism.

20. The shredding device according to claim 5 which furthermore comprises a cooling device for cooling air supplied into said drive compartment by said motor-operated ventilation mechanism.

Description

[0020] Further features and exemplary embodiments of the present invention shall be illustrated in more detail hereafter using the drawings. It is understood that the embodiments do not exhaust the scope of the present invention. It is furthermore understood that some or all features described hereafter can also be combined with each other in different ways.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a shredding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a motor-operated ventilation mechanism for a shredding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The present invention provides a shredding device comprising a motor-operated ventilation mechanism that is used to supply fresh air to a drive compartment that is formed in a machine housing of the shredding device for keeping dust out of the drive compartment and for cooling a drive device that is arranged at least in part in the drive compartment.

[0024] An exemplary embodiment of such a shredding device 100 is shown in FIG. 1. Shredding device 100 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a machine housing 10 with a drive compartment 11 and a material-receiving chamber 12 which form an inner space of shredding device 100 that is defined at least in part by walls. Drive compartment 11 is separated from material-receiving chamber 12 substantially by a (steel) wall. This inner space can be in particular such a space which can be or is enlarged by superstructures of any type, for example, funnel-shaped structures 12 for material feed. The material to be shredded is introduced into material-receiving chamber 12, and a movable device 20 for shredding material is present within this material-receiving chamber 12 and comprises a rotor 21 on which knives 23 are attached in knife mounts 22.

[0025] Furthermore, movable device 20 for shredding material can comprise a pusher 24 for pressing the material to be shredded against rotor 21. Movable device 20 for shredding material is driven, for example, by way of respective drive belts, by a drive device 30 arranged at least in part in drive compartment 11.

[0026] According to the invention, shredding device 100 comprises a motor-operated ventilation mechanism 40 which is connected to drive compartment 11 in an airtight manner by way of a connection 50. Purified air is provided from the surroundings of machine housing 10 and supplied with the aid of motor-operated ventilation mechanism 40 into drive compartment 11.

[0027] In particular, drive compartment 11 can be pressurized with the aid of motor-operated ventilation mechanism 40. Purified air under overpressure in drive compartment 11 prevents the ingress of dust-contaminated air. Air that again escapes from the drive compartment can dissipate heat from drive compartment 11 which is generated by drive device 30 during the operation of shredding device 100. The air is let out from drive compartment 11, for example, via an outlet 60 that is provided in a wall of drive compartment 11 and can be open-loop controlled or closed-loop controlled. A cooling device 70 can be provided in or at motor-operated ventilation mechanism 40 and can be used to cool the air that is to be supplied to drive compartment 11.

[0028] An example of a motor-operated ventilation mechanism for a shredding device, for example, motor-operated ventilation mechanism 40 of shredding device 100 shown in FIG. 1, is illustrated in FIG. 2. Motor-operated ventilation mechanism 200 shown in FIG. 2 has a blower 210 for the aspiration of air, for example, from the surroundings of machine housing 10 shown in FIG. 1. Blower 210 can be configured as a radial blower. Furthermore, motor-operated ventilation mechanism 200 comprises an air pre-separator 220 which is used to separate dust from the air prior to drive compartment 11 being ventilated with the air. The dust leaves air pre-separator 220 via a respective dust outlet 221. Furthermore, a perforated plate 230 (made, for example, from a metal or plastic material) is provided at the air inlet of motor-operated ventilation mechanism 200. Larger particles (in particular larger than dust in the ambient air) can be collected at this perforated plate 230. Perforated plate 230 can be attached to the body of motor-operated ventilation mechanism 200, for example, using edge sealing strips.

[0029] According to the invention, a shredding device improved over prior art can thus be provided in which a motor-operated ventilation mechanism is used to ventilate a drive compartment or to generate an overpressure in the drive compartment in order to prevent contamination of the drive compartment and to cool components of a drive device disposed in the drive compartment.