Mixer comprising cleaning nozzle

Abstract

A mixer includes a mixing container having an outlet opening; a closure cover, which can be moved back and forth between a closed position, in which the closure cover closes the outlet opening, and an open position, in which the closure cover uncovers the outlet opening so that mixture can be removed from the mixing container via the outlet opening; at least one cleaning nozzle to clean the closure opening and/or a mixture outflow region arranged outside the mixing container; and a liquid feed to feed cleaning fluid to the at least one cleaning nozzle. To provide a mixer and a method for enabling cost-effective, efficient, simple and operationally reliable cleaning of the mixture outflow region and of the closure opening, at least one cleaning nozzle is fastened to the closure cover such that it is moved together with the closure cover.

Claims

1. A mixer comprising a mixing container having an outlet opening, a closure cover which can be moved back and forth between a closed position in which the closure cover closes the outlet opening and an open position in which the closure cover uncovers the outlet opening so that mixture can be removed from the mixing container via the outlet opening, at least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning the closure opening and/or a mixture outflow region arranged outside of the mixing container, and a liquid feed to feed cleaning fluid to the at least one cleaning nozzle, wherein the at least one cleaning nozzle is fastened to the closure cover, so that this can be moved together with the closure cover, wherein the closure cover has a swivel arm which is mounted rotatably around a swivel axis so that the closure cover can be swivelled around a swivel axis, wherein the liquid feed runs through the swivel axis.

2. The mixer according to claim 1, wherein the mixer has a mixture outflow region with an outflow wall which at least partially surrounds the outlet opening.

3. The mixer according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of cleaning nozzles is provided which are fastened to the closure cover, wherein the cleaning nozzles are configured such that in operation they produce a widening spray jet pattern.

4. The mixer according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of cleaning nozzles are arranged such that together they create a partially annular or annular sprayed area around the central point of the arrangement.

5. The mixer according to claim 3, wherein at least one cleaning nozzle is oriented in the direction of the swivel arm and/or the swivel axis.

6. The mixer according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning nozzle can be moved in a linear manner, swiveled or rotated relative to the closure cover.

Description

(1) Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention are made clear with reference to the following description of preferred embodiments as well as the associated figures, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a mixer of the prior art,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment according to the invention with a closure cover in a closed position,

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the embodiment from FIG. 2 with the closure cover in the open position and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the invention.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a mixer of the prior art, which has already been described in detail above.

(7) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the invention. Where possible, the same reference symbols were used for the same elements. In contrast to the embodiment of the prior art shown in FIG. 1, cleaning nozzles 13 are fastened to the closure cover 4 or to its swivel arm 5. For this purpose, the swivel arm 5 has a distributor 12 on which a plurality of cleaning nozzles 13 are arranged. In the embodiment shown, the distributor 12 has a circular cross section and has on its circumferential outer edge a plurality of openings sealed by cleaning nozzles 13. The liquid feed is supplied via the line 15, which extends through the swivel axis 6. The distributor 12 and thus all the cleaning nozzles 13 arranged thereon can be supplied with cleaning fluid via the line 15. The spray jets which can be generated by the cleaning nozzles 13 are indicated by way of example by the dot-dashed lines.

(8) In the illustrated embodiment, a further cleaning nozzle 14 which is supplied with cleaning fluid via the line 16, which is connected to the distributor 12, is arranged such that it is directed at the swivel arm 5 or the swivel axis 6.

(9) FIG. 2 shows the embodiment according to the invention with closed closure cover, i.e. the closure cover is in the closed position. In order to remove mixture from the mixing container 2, the closure cover 4 can be swivelled around the swivel axis 6 and moved back and forth between the closed position shown in FIG. 2 and the open position shown in FIG. 3. As a result of the back-and-forth movement, not only is the closure cover 4 moved from the closed position into the open position, in addition the cleaning nozzles arranged on the closure cover or on the swivel arm 5 are moved back and forth, as a result of which the spray jets indicated by the dot-dashed lines pass over and clean a large surface area of the mixture outflow region.

(10) A second embodiment of the mixer according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4. This only differs from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in showing an alternative liquid feed 15. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the liquid feed 15 no longer runs through the swivel axis 6, but is connected with the machine frame via a stationary line 17. This means that the line 15 must be of flexible design, since the swivel arm 5 moves relative to the stationary line 17. For example, the line 15 can be designed as a hose. It is advantageous in this embodiment that no rotary feedthrough, for example in the swivel axis of the swivel arm, is necessary in order to feed the cleaning fluid to the spray nozzles.

(11) In all the embodiments shown, in order to achieve as complete as possible a cleaning of the outflow region, in addition to the nozzles 13 arranged in an annular manner on the distributor 12, further nozzles 14 are illustrated which clean the swivel arm itself or the space behind the axis of rotation of the swivel arm. One of the further nozzles is not visible in the figures, but its corresponding spray jet is also illustrated as a dot-dashed line. This nozzle is used to clean the wall behind the swivel axis 6 as far up as the upper corner of the mixture outflow region.

(12) Naturally, as shown in the prior art, additional fixed nozzles can be arranged in the mixture outflow region 9, in the enclosing walls, in order for example to clean the outer edge and surface of the closure cover 4 or the sides of the swivel arms 5 during the swivelling movement.

(13) Obviously, the nozzles do not necessarily need to be arranged in an annular manner, but can for example also be arranged distributed on a hemispherical distributor, in several rings, freely rotating or in any other form. Nor do the nozzles need to be connected with the swivel arm or the closure cover in a fixed position, but could also be fastened to a mounting which can in addition be moved kinematically around one or more spatial axes. The nozzles themselves can produce a constant spray pattern or also a rotating or pulsing spray pattern.

(14) Fundamentally, each nozzle or a plurality of groups of nozzles could have separate liquid feeds and these could, via a control system, achieve a predetermined spray pattern through alternating opening and closing of the liquid feeds.

(15) In order to clean the outflow region, the mixer is first completely emptied. It is not necessary and frequently also not desirable to feed cleaning fluid during the emptying process. Only after the mixer has been completely emptied and the mixture removed from the outflow region are the nozzles actuated in order to carry out the cleaning. During the cleaning cycle, the seal can be opened and closed several times or also only swivelled over partial regions with particularly heavy soiling. Since, as a rule, the mixture does not come into contact with and soil the outflow region evenly during the emptying process, in this way a targeted cleaning effect can be achieved.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(16) 1 mixer 2 mixing container 3 outlet opening 3 closure cover 4 swivel arm 6 swivel axis 7 axis of rotation 8 bearings 9 mixture outflow region 10 cleaning nozzles 11 liquid feed 12 distributor 13 cleaning nozzles 14 cleaning nozzle 15, 15 liquid feed 16 line 17 stationary line