STATIC MIXER FOR CASTING MATERIALS

Abstract

Mixing elements for static mixer utilizing mixing low- to high-viscosity components are provided and comprise a planar central part extending along a longitudinal axis L and having front and rear faces, wherein arranged on the front and/or rear face are at least two flow-influencing elements that each surround at least one through-opening located in the central part and that are each in the form of prism lateral surfaces that are substantially perpendicular to the front and/or rear face, wherein pairs of the elements overlap or are connected to one another at a lateral edge. Static mixers comprising the mixing element and methods for mixing low- to high-viscosity components with the static mixers are also provided.

Claims

1. Mixing element (1) for a static mixer (0), in particular a dental static mixer, for mixing low- to high-viscosity components, comprising a flat middle part (10) extending along a longitudinal axis L and having a front side (10A) and a rear side (10B) opposite the front side (10A), wherein at least two flow influencing elements (101A, 102A, 101B, 102B) are arranged on the front side (10A) and/or on the rear side (10B) of the middle part (10), each of the flow influencing elements (101A, 102A, 101B, 102B) enclosing at least one passage opening (101.1, 101.2, 102.1, 102.2) located in the middle part (10), characterized in that the flow-influencing elements (101A, 102A, 101B, 102B) having the form of prism shells standing substantially perpendicularly on the front side (10A) and/or the rear side (10B), in particular on the basis of an orthodiagonal quadrilateral, which overlap or are connected to one another in pairs at a respective side edge (1011A/1023A, 1011B/1023B).

2. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flow influencing elements (101A, 102A,101B, 102B) each having a common passage (101A.1,101B.1) at their side edges (1011A/1023A, 1011B/1023B), which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs.

3. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the side edges (1011A/1023A, 1011B/1023B) of the at least two flow influencing elements (101A, 102A,101B, 102B), which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs, are arranged on the longitudinal center axis LM of the middle part (10).

4. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the middle part (10) exhibiting at least two flow influencing elements (101A, 102A) arranged on the front side (10A) and at least two flow influencing elements (101B, 102B) arranged on the rear side (10B), which are at least partially offset from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis L.

5. Mixing element (1) according to claim 4, wherein the at least two flow-influencing elements (101A, 102A) arranged on the front side (10A) and the at least two flow-influencing elements (101B, 102B) arranged on the rear side (10B) each include at least two through-openings (101.1, 101.2, 102.1, 102.2) located in the middle part (10), wherein the one through-opening (101.1, 102.1) is arranged in the region of the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges (1011A/1023A) of the flow-influencing elements (101A, 102A) on the front side (10A) and the other passage opening (101.2, 102.2) is arranged in the region of the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges (1011B/1023B) of the flow-influencing elements (101B, 102B) on the rear side (10B).

6. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the middle part (10) is composed of at least two middle part segments (10-1, 10-2) which are alternately inclined at an angle ? to the rear and at an angle ? to the front with respect to the longitudinal axis L, wherein a flow influencing element (101A, 102A,101B, 102B) is arranged on the front side (10-1A, 10-2A) and/or on the rear side (10-1B/10-2B) of each middle part segment (10-1, 10-2).

7. Mixing element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the angle ? is greater than or equal to 1? and less than or equal to 89?, preferably greater than or equal to 25? and less than or equal to 85?, particularly preferably greater than or equal to 50? and less than or equal to 80?, and/or the angle ? is less than or equal to ?1? and greater than or equal to ?89?, preferably less than or equal to ?25? and greater than or equal to ?85?, particularly preferably less than or equal to ?50? and greater than or equal to ?80?, with respect to the longitudinal axis L.

8. Mixing element (1) according to claim 6, wherein the flow influencing elements (101A, 102A, 101B, 102B) on the front side (10-1A, 10-2A) and/or rear side (10-1B, 10-2B) of adjacent middle part segments (10-1, 10-2) alternately meeting each other obtusely or acutely at their side edges (1011A/1023A, 1011B/1023B) overlapping or connected to each other in pairs, wherein the common passage (101A.1) at the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges (1011A/1023A) of two flow influencing elements (101A, 102A) meeting each other acutely is larger than the common passage (101B.1) at the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges (1011B/1023B) of two flow influencing elements (101B, 102B) meeting each other obtusely.

9. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein on the front side (10-1A, 10-2A) and/or on the rear side (10-1B, 10-2B) between two middle part segments (10-1, 10-2) in each case there is arranged a crossbar (101-1A and 101-1B, respectively) oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis L.

10. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the mixing element (1) further comprises a first side part (11) and a second side part (12) arranged at a distance from the first side part (11), and the middle part (10) is connected to the first side part (11) and the second side part (12) in such a way that the front side (10A) and the rear side (10B) are aligned substantially perpendicular to the first side part (11) and/or the second side part (12).

11. Mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the mixing element (1) further comprises a bottom part (13) with at least one inlet opening, in particular with at least two inlet openings, which is oriented substantially perpendicular to the middle part (10) and/or to the first side part (11) as well as to the second side part (12).

12. Static mixer (0), in particular dental static mixer, for mixing low- to high-viscosity components, comprising a mixing element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the static mixer (0) further comprising an elongated mixer sleeve (2) with at least one outlet opening (21) and a mixer lid (3) closing the mixer sleeve (2) and having at least two inlet openings (31, 32) for introducing the components to be mixed, characterized in that the mixer sleeve (2) is provided for receiving the mixing element (1), and the inner walls of the mixer sleeve (2) and the at least two flow-influencing elements (101A, 102A, 101B, 102B) on the front side (10A) and/or the rear side (10B) of the middle part (10) forming at least two interconnected mixing chambers (201A, 202A, 201B, 202B).

13. Static mixer (0) according to claim 12, wherein at least one mixing chamber (201A, 202A) formed on the front side (10A) of the middle part (10), respectively, is further connected to at least one mixing chamber (201B, 202B) formed on the rear side (10B) of the middle part (10), respectively.

14. Use of a mixing element (1) according to claim 1 or a static mixer (0) according to claim 12 for mixing at least two low- to high-viscosity components, in particular at least two low- to high-viscosity dental materials.

15. Use according to claim 14, wherein a low to high viscosity component is introduced on the front side (10A) of the middle part (10) and the other low to high viscosity component is introduced on the rear side (10B) of the middle part (10).

Description

[0057] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the figures, without limiting the invention to these embodiments. Showing:

[0058] FIG. 1a,1b: A static mixer 0 according to the invention with a mixing element 1 according to the invention as well as mixer sleeve 2 and mixer lid 3.

[0059] FIG. 2: A section of the front side 10A and the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 of a mixing element 1 according to the invention.

[0060] FIG. 3: A mixing element 1 according to the invention in a first embodiment.

[0061] FIG. 4a,4b: A schematic representation of a mixing element 1 according to the invention.

[0062] FIG. 5: A mixing element 1 according to the invention in a second embodiment with a middle part composed of middle part segments 10-1, 10-2.

[0063] FIGS. 1a and 1b show a static mixer 0 according to the invention comprising an elongated mixer sleeve 2 and a mixer lid 3 sealingly closing the mixer sleeve 2, as well as a mixing element 1 according to the invention.

[0064] FIG. 1a shows the individual components of the static mixer 0 separately from one another in external view. The mixing element 1 shown here comprises a middle part 10 with flow-influencing elements arranged thereon, which is aligned perpendicularly to a first side part 11 and to a second side part 12 arranged at a distance from the first side part 11 and connected thereto. Furthermore, the mixing element 1 comprises a bottom part 13 aligned substantially perpendicular to the middle part 10 and to the first side part 11 and second side part 12. The mixing element 1 can be inserted into a lower opening of the mixer sleeve 2 and can be completely accommodated by the latter. At its upper end, the mixer sleeve 2 has a cylindrical outlet opening 21, which is designed for discharging the low- to high-viscosity components to be introduced via the inlet openings 31 and 32 of the mixer lid 3 and homogenized after passing through the mixing element 1. On the outside, the inlet openings 31 and 32 are each surrounded by a cylindrical receptacle for fastening the cartridge(s) containing the respective components.

[0065] FIG. 1b shows a cross-section through the static mixer 0 shown in FIG. 1a, in which the mixing element is arranged in the mixer sleeve 2 closed by the mixer lid 3. In this arrangement, the first and second side parts as well as the upper edges of the flow-influencing elements of the mixing element each lie against two opposite inner walls of the mixer sleeve 2. Thereby, the inner walls of the mixer sleeve 2 as well as the flow-influencing elements on the front side 10A as well as on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 respectively form at least two front-side mixing chambers 201A, 202A and at least two rear-side mixing chambers 201B, 202B. The front-side mixing chambers 201A, 202A and the rear-side mixing chambers 201B, 202B are respectively connected to each other as well as to each other. Thus, in the course of the mixing process, a component (cat) introduced through the inlet opening 31 on the front side 10A of the middle part 10 and a component (base) introduced through the inlet opening 32 on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 can be divided, swirled and recombined several times on their way toward the outlet opening 21 and thus optimally homogenized.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows a section of a mixing element according to the invention, looking at the front side 10A (top) and the rear side 10B (bottom) of the middle part 10. The section shows two flow-influencing elements arranged on the front side 10A and on the rear side 10B, respectively.

[0067] Flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B, respectively. The flow influencing elements 101A, 102A, 101B, 102B have the shape of prism shells substantially perpendicular to the front side 10A and the rear side 10B, respectively, based on an orthogonal quadrilateral, in particular a rhombus. Accordingly, each prism shell and thus also each flow-influencing element 101A, 102A, 101B, 102B has four side edges which, in the case illustrated here, are perpendicular to the front side 10A and the rear side 10B, respectively: a respective top first side edge 1011A, 1021A, resp. 1011B, 1021B, a second side edge 1012A, 1022A or 1012B, 1022B lying on the right in each case, a third side edge 1013A, 1023A or 1013B, 1023B lying on the bottom in each case, and a fourth side edge 1014A, 1024A or 1014B, 1024B lying on the left in each case. Thereby, the respective opposite first and third side edges 1011A-1013A, 1021A-1023A and 1011B-1013B, 1021B-1023B, respectively, and thus in particular also the side edges 1011A/1023A and 1011B/1023B, respectively, of the flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B, respectively, which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs, are arranged on the longitudinal center axis L.sub.M of the middle part 10.

[0068] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of a mixing element 1 according to the invention for a static mixer 0. The mixing element comprises a flat middle part 10 extending along a longitudinal axis L and having a front side 10A and a rear side 10B opposite the front side 10A. On both the front side 10A and the rear side 10B, a plurality of flow influencing elements are arranged in the form of prism shells perpendicular to the front side 10A and the rear side 10B, respectively, and composed of rectangular side surfaces on the basis of a rhombus, each of which encloses two triangular passage openings located in the middle part 10. The flow influencing elements 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B on the front side 10A and on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 are connected to each other in pairs at one side edge 1011A/1023A and 1011B/1023B, respectively. In the process, the flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A located on the front side 10A of the middle part 10 and the flow-influencing elements located on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 are arranged offset from each other by half a flow-influencing element in the direction of the longitudinal axis L. In the course of this, one of the passage openings 101.1, 102.1 enclosed by the flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A, 102B is formed in each case in the region, in particular at the narrow point, of the side edges 1011A/1023A, which are connected to one another in pairs, of the flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A on the front side 10A of the middle part 10, and the other of the passage openings 101.2, 102.2 are arranged in the region, in particular at the narrow point, of the side edges 1011B/1023B of the flow-influencing elements 101B, 102B, which are connected to each other in pairs, on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10.

[0069] FIGS. 4a and 4b show schematic representations of each embodiment of a mixing element 1 according to the invention.

[0070] FIG. 4a shows a schematic of a first embodiment of a mixing element 1 according to the invention with a planar shaped middle part 10, wherein a front view is shown on the left side and a sectional view is shown on the right side. In this embodiment, the flow influencing elements 101A, 102A located on the front side 10A of the middle part 10 and the flow influencing elements 101B, 102B located on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 (shown as dashed lines) are offset from each other by half a flow influencing element. That is, the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges 1011A/1023A of the flow influencing elements 101A, 102A on the front side 10A of the middle part 10 are at the level of the respective center of the diamond-shaped flow influencing elements 101B, 102B on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10, and the side edges 1011B/1023B of the flow-influencing elements 101B, 102B, which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs, are arranged on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 at the level of the respective center of the diamond-shaped flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A on the front side 10A of the middle part 10. The passage openings 101.1, 102.1 and 101.2, 102.2 are thus each located at the end of a mixing chamber formed by the corresponding flow-influencing element 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B on the front side 10A and the rear side 10B, respectively, with respect to the flow path of the components to be mixed, which enables a more efficient division of the component flows due to the backpressure occurring at the transitions of the mixing chambers into one another. In addition, (partial forward flow of the component flows is also possible) since both the front-side flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A and the rear-side flow-influencing elements 101B, 102B are connected to each other at their side edges 1011A/1023A and 1011B/1023B, respectively, which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs, by a common passage 101A.1 and 101B.1, respectively.

[0071] FIG. 4b shows a schematic of a second embodiment of a mixing element 1 according to the invention with a central part 10 composed of a plurality of central part segments inclined at an angle ? to the rear and at an angle ? to the front, wherein a front view is shown on the left side and a sectional view is shown on the right side. In this embodiment, a flow influencing member 101A, 102A is arranged on the front side 10-1A, 10-2A of each of a middle part segment 10-1, 10-2, and a flow-influencing element 101B, 102B is arranged on the rear side 10-1B, 10-2B of each of a middle part segment 10-1, 10-2. That is, the flow influencing elements 101A, 102A on the front side 10-1A, 10-2A of the middle part segments 10-1, 10-2 meet each other acutely at their side edges 1011A/1023A which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs, while the flow influencing elements 101B, 102B on the rear side 10-1B, 10-2B of the middle part segments 10-1,10-2 meet each other obtusely at their side edges 1011B/1023B which overlap or are connected to each other in pairs. In this case, the common passage 101A.1 at the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges 1011A/1023A of the flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A meeting pointedly with each other is designed to be twice as large as the common passage 101B.1 at the pairwise overlapping or interconnected side edges 1011B/1023B of the flow-influencing elements 101B, 102B meeting obtusely with each other. This increases the flow resistance of the respective component flow in the rear-side mixing chambers tapering with respect to depth, while at the same time allowing easier forward flow of the respective component flow in the front-side mixing chambers expanding with respect to depth. A separation of the component flows into the respective opposite mixing chambers is ensured by the passage openings 101.1, 101.2, 102.1, 102.2 enclosed by the flow-influencing elements 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B, respectively.

[0072] FIG. 5 shows the second embodiment of a mixing element 1 according to the invention for a static mixer 0, in which the middle part is composed of several middle part segments which are alternately inclined to the rear and to the front. As on the front sides 10-1A, 10-2A of the middle part segments 10-1, 10-2, also on the rear sides 101B, 10-2B of the middle part segments 10-1, 10-2 there is in each case a flow-influencing element 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B, respectively, in the form of a flow-restricting element perpendicular to the front sides 10-1A, 10-2A and the rear sides 101B, 10-2A, respectively. the rear sides 101B, 10-2B, respectively, composed of trapezoidal side faces and arranged on the basis of a rhombus, which in each case encloses two rectangular through-openings 101.1, 101.2, 102.1, 102.2. The flow influencing elements 101A, 102A and 101B, 102B respectively overlap in pairs at one side edge 1011A/1023A and 1011B/1023B respectively, forming a common passage 101A.1 and 101B.1 respectively, which is stabilized by a crossbar 101-1A and 101-1B respectively arranged between the middle part segments 10-1, 10-2 on the front side 10-1A, 10-2A and the rear side 10-1B, 10-2B respectively. Due to the particular course of the middle part segments, every other one of the mixing chambers formed by the flow influencing elements tapers at its transition into the following mixing chamber not only with respect to its width but also with respect to its depth, as a result of which the flow resistance of a corresponding component flow increases in the axial direction in such a way that a partial flow of the component flow passes through the passage openings enclosed by the flow influencing elements into the opposite mixing chamber and mixes with the component flow located there.

REFERENCE SIGN

[0073] 0 Static mixer [0074] 1 Mixing element, in particular for a static mixer [0075] 10 Middle part of mixing element 1 [0076] 10-1,10-2 Middle part segments of the center section 10 [0077] 101.1,101.2, [0078] 102.1,102.2 Passage openings in the middle part 10 [0079] 10A Front side of middle part 10 [0080] 10-1A,10-2A Front side of middle part segments 10-1,10-2 [0081] 101A,102A Flow influencing elements on the front side 10A of the middle part 10 and on the front side 10-1A,10-2A of the middle part segments 10-1,10-2, respectively. [0082] 101A.1 common passage of the flow influencing elements 101A,102A [0083] 1011A,1021A first side edge of flow influencing elements 101A, 102A [0084] 1012A,1022A second side edge of flow influencing elements 101A,102A [0085] 1013A,1023A third side edge of flow influencing elements 101A,102A [0086] 1014A,1024A fourth side edge of flow influencing elements 101A, 102A [0087] 101-1A Crossbar on front side 10-1A, 10-2A of middle part segments 10-1,10-2 [0088] 10B Rear side of middle part 10 [0089] 10-1B,10-2B Rear side of middle part segments 10-1,10-2 [0090] 101B,102B Flow influencing elements on the rear side 10B of the middle part 10 and on the rear side 10-1B,10-2B of the middle part segments 10-1,10-2, respectively. [0091] 101B.1 common passage of the flow influencing elements 101B,102B [0092] 1011B,1021B first side edge of flow influencing elements 101B,102B [0093] 1012B,1022B second side edge of flow influencing elements 101B,102B [0094] 1013B,1023B third side edge of flow influencing elements 101B,102B [0095] 1014B,1024B fourth side edge of flow influencing elements 101B, 102B [0096] 101-1B Crossbar on the rear side 10-1B, 10-2B of the middle part segments 10-1,10-2 [0097] 11 first side part of mixing element 1 [0098] 12 second side part of mixing element 1 [0099] 13 Bottom part of mixing element 1 [0100] 2 Mixer sleeve of the static mixer 0 [0101] 21 Outlet opening in the mixer sleeve 2 [0102] 201A,202A Mixing chambers formed by the inner walls of the mixer sleeve 2 and the front-side flow elements 101A,102A [0103] 201B,202B Mixing chambers formed by the inner walls of the mixer sleeve 2 and the front-side flow elements 101A,102A [0104] 3 Mixer lid closing the mixer sleeve 2 [0105] 31,32 Inlet openings in mixer lid 3 [0106] L Longitudinal axis [0107] L.sub.M Longitudinal center axis of middle part 10 [0108] ? Angle at which a middle part segment 101 or 102 is inclined rearward with respect to the longitudinal axis L. [0109] ? Angle at which a middle part segment 101 or 102 is inclined forward with respect to the longitudinal axis L.