DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE JOINT FEEDING OF PLASTIC PARTICLES AND A LIQUID INTO A PURIFICATION DEVICE

Abstract

A device for jointly delivering plastic particles and a liquid to a cleaning device to remove impurities from the plastic particles comprises a delivery funnel comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is configured to connect to a supply for the plastic particles, and the outlet is configured to connect to the cleaning device. At least one delivery nozzle is positioned on the delivery funnel and is configure to connect to a liquid supply. The at least one delivery nozzle is configured to discharge at least one liquid jet into the delivery funnel, wherein a position of the at least one delivery nozzle promotes mixing of the supplied plastic particles and the liquid in the delivery funnel.

Claims

1-23. (canceled)

24. A device for jointly delivering plastic particles and a liquid to a cleaning device to remove impurities from the plastic particles, the device comprising: a delivery funnel comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is configured to connect to a supply for the plastic particles, and the outlet is configured to connect to the cleaning device; and at least one delivery nozzle positioned on the delivery funnel that is configured to connect to a liquid supply, the at least one delivery nozzle is configured to discharge at least one liquid jet into the delivery funnel, wherein a position of the at least one delivery nozzle promotes mixing of the supplied plastic particles and the liquid in the delivery funnel.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein the at least one delivery nozzle is positioned on the delivery funnel to create a swirl of liquid that mixes the plastic particles supplied to the delivery funnel, wherein the swirl of liquid is located in a region of the outlet of the delivery funnel.

26. The device according to claim 24, wherein the at least one liquid jet is directed toward an inner wall of the delivery funnel at an angle relative to an axial direction of the delivery funnel.

27. The device according to claim 24, wherein the at least one delivery nozzle is positioned on an edge of the inlet of the delivery funnel.

28. The device according to claim 24, wherein the at least one delivery nozzle is configured to be adjustable to change a direction of the at least one liquid jet.

29. The device according to claim 24, wherein the at least one liquid jet is discharged by the at least one delivery nozzle directly into the outlet of the delivery funnel.

30. The device according to claim 24, wherein the inlet of the delivery funnel comprises an elliptical edge.

31. The device according to claim 24, wherein the supply for the plastic particles comprises a supply reservoir connected to the inlet of the delivery funnel, and wherein rotatably driven supply brushes are positioned within the supply reservoir and are configured to push plastic particles to the inlet of the delivery funnel.

32. The device according to claim 31, further comprising a control apparatus configured to control the supply of at least one of the plastic particles and the liquid.

33. The device according to claim 32, further comprising at least one measuring device configured to measure and transmit data for at least one parameter of the device.

34. The device according to claim 33, further comprising a regulating apparatus configured to receive measured data from the at least one measuring device and control the supply of at least one of the plastic particles and the liquid based on the measured data.

35. The device according to claim 33, wherein the at least one measuring device comprises a fill level sensor configured to measure a fill level in the outlet of the delivery funnel.

36. A cleaning device for removing impurities from plastic particles and having an inlet for jointly delivering plastic particles and a liquid, the cleaning device comprising: a delivery funnel comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is configured to connect to a supply for the plastic particles, and the outlet is configured to connect to the inlet of the cleaning device; and at least one delivery nozzle positioned on the delivery funnel that is configure to connect to a liquid supply, the at least one delivery nozzle is configured to discharge at least one liquid jet into the delivery funnel, wherein a position of the at least one delivery nozzle promotes mixing of the supplied plastic particles and the liquid in the delivery funnel

37. The cleaning device according to claim 36, wherein the cleaning device is one of a refiner and a drum.

38. A method for jointly delivering plastic particles and a liquid into a cleaning device for removing impurities from the plastic particles, the method comprising: supplying plastic particles to an inlet of a delivery funnel; supplying liquid to at least one delivery nozzle; discharging at least one liquid jet from the at least one delivery nozzle into the delivery funnel to mix the supplied plastic particles with the liquid, wherein the mixing occurs in the delivery funnel; discharging the mixture of the plastic particles and the liquid from an outlet of the delivery funnel and into an inlet of the cleaning device.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the at least one liquid jet is discharged into the delivery funnel to create a swirl of liquid that mixes the supplied plastic particles with the liquid in a region of the outlet of the delivery funnel.

40. The method according to claim 38, wherein the at least one liquid jet is directed toward an inner wall of the delivery funnel at an angle relative to an axial direction of the delivery funnel.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the at least one liquid jet is discharged directly into the outlet of the delivery funnel.

42. The method according to claim 38, wherein the plastic particles are supplied from a supply reservoir containing plastic particles, and wherein the supply reservoir is configured to connect to the inlet of the delivery funnel and further comprises rotatably driven supply brushes configured to guide the plastic particles into the inlet of the delivery funnel.

43. The method according to claim 38, further comprising at least one measuring device configured to measure data pertaining to at least one parameter of the method, wherein the supply of at least one of the plastic particles and the liquid of the at least one delivery nozzle is controlled based on the measured data.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein the at least one measuring device is configured to measure a fill level in the outlet of the delivery funnel.

45. A device configured to perform the method according to claim 38.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] One exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained below in greater detail with reference to figures. Schematically:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of a cleaning device for removing impurities from plastic particles configured to jointly deliver plastic particles and a liquid;

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a delivery funnel of the device shown in FIG. 1;

[0028] FIG. 3 shows a first side view of the delivery funnel from FIG. 2;

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a second side view of the delivery funnel from FIG. 2; and

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the delivery funnel from FIG. 2.

[0031] If not otherwise specified, the same reference numbers indicate the same objects in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] In FIG. 1, a cleaning device is shown at reference sign 10 for removing impurities from plastic particles, such as from plastic flakes. In the shown example, the cleaning device is a disk refiner whose cleaning discs are represented at reference signs 12 and 14. At least one of the cleaning discs 12, 14 is rotatably driven by a motor 16. Such a device is known per se and can for example be designed as shown in WO 2013/010654 A2. Although a disk refiner is portrayed in FIG. 1, other cleaning devices are also possible, such as a drum, or respectively ball refiner.

[0033] A pipeline 20 is connected to the inlet 18 of the cleaning device 10 and is joined to the outlet of a delivery funnel 22. A supply funnel 24 is arranged above the inlet of the delivery funnel 22 and forms a supply reservoir 26 into which plastic particles to be cleaned are added as illustrated by the arrow 28. In the portrayed example, two different size supply brushes 30, 32 that are rotatably driven about parallel rotary axes are located in the supply funnel 24. The plastic particles are supplied under gravity from the supply reservoir 26 via guide walls 34, 36 to the supply brushes 30, 32 and are guided between these into the inlet of the delivery funnel 22. In so doing, the plastic particles are separated and fall curtain-like evenly into the delivery funnel 22. A plurality of delivery nozzles 38 are arranged in the delivery funnel 22 as will be explained in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. The delivery nozzles 38 are connected by a supply line 39 and a pump 41 to a liquid supply (not shown), in the present case a water supply. Water supplied from this water supply is discharged by the delivery nozzles 38 into the delivery funnel 22.

[0034] As in particular discernible in FIGS. 2 to 5, the delivery nozzles 38 are arranged distributed at regular intervals on the edge 40 of the inlet of the delivery funnel 22. In this case, a liquid connection 42 of the delivery nozzles 38 extends outwardly through the wall of the delivery funnel 22. The supply line 39 is connected to these liquid connections 42. The liquid jet discharged by the delivery nozzles 38 is directed toward the inner wall of the delivery funnel 22, in the present case at an angle relative to the axial direction of the delivery funnel that for example runs vertically from top to bottom in FIG. 3. The angle can for example lie within a range of 60 to 70 to the axial direction. In addition, the liquid jets discharged by the delivery nozzles 38 are each at a slight angle, for example less than 20, to an imaginary tangent touching the opening edge 40 of the funnel inlet in the region of the attachment of the delivery nozzles 38. By means of this arrangement of the delivery nozzles 28, the sprayed-in water runs down helically on the inner wall of the delivery funnel 22 toward the outlet 44 of the delivery funnel 22, and a vortex, or respectively a swirling of the sprayed-in water occurs in the region of the outlet 44. This in turn leads to the formation of a mixing zone in the region of the outlet 44 in which the plastic particles falling under gravity over the supply brushes 30, 32 into the delivery funnel 22 are homogeneously mixed with the water and with a precisely defined solid component. The suspension of water and plastic particles formed in this manner is supplied via the supply line 20 to the inlet 18 of the cleaning device 10, and the plastic particles are freed of impurities in the cleaning device 10. In particular in FIGS. 2 and 5, it is moreover discernible that the edge 40 of the inlet of the delivery funnel 22 is designed elliptically.

[0035] Although not portrayed in the figures, at least one rinsing nozzle can also be arranged on the delivery funnel 22, alternatively or in addition to the shown delivery nozzles 38, through which a directed liquid jet can be discharged directly into the outlet 44 of the delivery funnel 22. Also, the device according to the invention can comprise a regulating apparatus that, on the basis of measured data from a measuring device, controls the supply for the plastic particles, in particular the rotary speed of the supply brushes 30, 32, and/or the supply of liquid, in particular the pump 41. The measuring device can for example measure the fill level in the outlet 44 of the delivery funnel 22.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0036] 10 Cleaning device [0037] 12 Cleaning disk [0038] 14 Cleaning disk [0039] 16 Motor [0040] 18 Inlet [0041] 20 Pipeline [0042] 22 Delivery funnel [0043] 24 Supply funnel [0044] 26 Supply reservoir [0045] 28 Arrow [0046] 30 Supply brush [0047] 32 Supply brush [0048] 34 Guide wall [0049] 36 Guide wall [0050] 38 Delivery nozzle [0051] 39 Supply line [0052] 40 Edge [0053] 41 Pump [0054] 42 Liquid connection [0055] 44 Outlet