MICRONISATION MEANS

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for micronizing an inorganic salt, having a receiving vessel (14) for receiving the salt (46) to be micronized in an interior of the receiving vessel (14); a grinding unit (22) for comminuting the salt (46) to be micronized located in the receiving vessel (14) and for forming micronized salt particles (54); an ascending pipe (24), which is connected fluidically to the receiving vessel (14) and serves to transport the micronized salt particles (54), wherein one end of the ascending pipe (24) has an outlet orifice (38) through which the micronized salt particles (54) can flow out of the apparatus (10); a fan (26) for generating an air stream (40); and a housing (12) with an air outlet (44) and an air duct (42) connecting the fan (26) to the air outlet (44), wherein the air duct (42) is separated by at least one wall from the interior of the receiving vessel (14), such that the air stream (40) generated by the fan (26) does not flow through the interior of the receiving vessel (14), and wherein the air outlet (44) at least partly surrounds the ascending pipe (24) in a region of the outlet orifice (38).

Claims

1. An apparatus for micronizing an inorganic salt, comprising: a receiving vessel for receiving the inorganic salt to be micronized in an interior of the receiving vessel; a grinding unit configured to comminute the inorganic salt to be micronized located in the receiving vessel and to form micronized salt particles; an ascending pipe, which is connected fluidically to the receiving vessel and serves to transport the micronized salt particles, wherein at one end of the ascending pipe an outlet orifice is arranged through which the micronized salt particles can flow out of the apparatus; a fan configured to generate an air stream; and a housing with an air outlet and an air duct connecting the fan to the air outlet, wherein the air duct is separated by at least one wall from the interior of the receiving vessel, such that the air stream generated by the fan does not flow through the interior of the receiving vessel, and wherein the air outlet at least partly surrounds the ascending pipe in a region of the outlet orifice.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air outlet is arranged concentrically with the outlet orifice and completely surrounds it.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the grinding unit comprises a motor, a magnet driven rotationally by the motor, and a ball of magnetizable material, wherein the ball is arranged in the receiving vessel, and wherein the motor and the magnet are arranged outside the receiving vessel.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the grinding unit comprises precisely one ball of magnetizable material.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receiving vessel has a closed, round bottom face.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein a diameter of the bottom face corresponds to at least 5 times, preferably at least 10 times a diameter of the ball.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the motor has a motor shaft on which the magnet is eccentrically arranged.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the grinding unit has a counterweight which corresponds to between 90% and 110% of a weight of the magnet, and is arranged eccentrically on the motor shaft on an opposite side from the magnet.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the apparatus comprises a control unit which is configured to control the motor, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the motor at a first nominal speed, wherein the first nominal speed is selected to be between 1,500 and 2,500 revolutions per minute.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motor to change at regular intervals temporarily from the first nominal speed to a second nominal speed and then in each case to return to the first nominal speed, wherein the second nominal speed is greater than the first nominal speed.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the apparatus has an input device for a user to define the first nominal speed.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises a temperature sensor for generating a temperature signal and a hygrometer for generating a humidity signal, wherein the control unit is configured to regulate the first nominal speed as a function of the temperature signal and of the humidity signal.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ascending pipe is curved.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving vessel is arranged detachably on the housing.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises lighting configured to illuminate the interior of the receiving vessel and/or to illuminate the outlet orifice.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ascending pipe comprises a lower end and an opposing upper end, the upper end being the one end at which the outlet orifice is arranged, wherein the lower end of the ascending pipe is connected to the receiving vessel, and wherein the air outlet at least partly surrounds the upper end of the ascending pipe in the region of the outlet orifice.

Description

[0045] One exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail in the following description and illustrated in the drawings, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a further perspective view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the apparatus according to the invention, wherein, in comparison with FIG. 1, a receiving vessel belonging to the apparatus has been detached from the housing of the apparatus;

[0048] FIG. 3 is a plan view from the front of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the apparatus according to the invention;

[0049] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the apparatus according to the invention;

[0050] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the apparatus according to the invention; and

[0051] FIG. 6 is a perspective internal view of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1 of the apparatus according to the invention, wherein the housing is hidden or only shown schematically.

[0052] FIGS. 1-6 show different views of an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. The apparatus is designated overall therein with reference numeral 10.

[0053] The apparatus 10 comprises a housing 12 and a receiving vessel 14, which may preferably be attached detachably to the housing 12. To this end, a cavity or recess 16 is provided on the front of the housing 12 into which the receiving vessel 14 may be inserted, preferably form-fittingly.

[0054] The receiving vessel 14 serves to receive grains of salt 46, which are to be micronized using the apparatus 10 to produce a salt aerosol. The receiving vessel 14 preferably has a cylindrical shape with a closed, circular bottom face 18. The receiving vessel 14 is preferably open at the top. The salt particles 54 comminuted in the receiving vessel 14 may thus exit through an orifice 20 at the top of the receiving vessel 14 during operation of the apparatus 10.

[0055] The apparatus according to the invention 10 further comprises a grinding unit 22, an ascending pipe 24 and a fan 26, which are preferably all arranged within the housing 12 (see FIGS. 4-6).

[0056] The grinding unit 22 serves in comminuting the salt 46 to be micronized and located in the receiving vessel 14, i.e. to form micronized salt particles 54. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the grinding unit 22 comprises a magnetically driven ball 28, which has been inserted detachably into the receiving vessel 14. The ball 28 is moved on a circular path within the receiving vessel 14 by means of a rotationally driven magnet 30 during operation of the apparatus 10. To this end, the magnet 30 is attached eccentrically to a motor shaft 32 of an electrical drive motor 34. The electric motor 34 is preferably supplied with power via an energy storage means 36 likewise incorporated in the housing 12, which means for example comprises a storage battery.

[0057] The ascending pipe 24 is connected fluidically with the interior of the receiving vessel 14. It serves to transport the salt particles micronized by the grinding unit 22 in the interior of the receiving vessel 14 outwards out of the apparatus 10. When viewed in the direction of flow of the micronized salt particles, the ascending pipe 24 is thus arranged downstream relative to the receiving vessel 14. The lower part of the ascending pipe 24, which is connected to the receiving vessel 14, is preferably arranged coaxially relative to the receiving vessel 14. The upper part of the ascending pipe 24 is preferably curved. Although an uncurved ascending pipe could in principle also be considered, a curved ascending pipe has the advantage, compared with an uncurved ascending pipe, of lower structural height for the same effective length.

[0058] At the end remote from the receiving vessel 14, the ascending pipe 24 comprises an outlet orifice 38 through which the micronized salt particles 54 may flow outwards out of the apparatus 10.

[0059] The fan 26, which preferably takes the form of a ventilating fan, generates an air stream inside the housing 12 which is indicated schematically with arrows 40 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The fan 26 is preferably designed to generate a volumetric flow rate in the range from 10-20 m3/h. An essential feature of this air stream 40 is that it does not, as is generally conventional for such micronizers, flow through the receiving vessel 14, but rather is conveyed inside the housing 12 past the receiving vessel 14 by an air duct 42 not described in any greater detail here. The air duct 42 opens at the opposite end from the fan 26 into an air outlet 44. This air outlet 44 is preferably arranged concentrically with the outlet orifice 38 of the ascending pipe 24. The air outlet 44 preferably completely surrounds the outlet orifice 38. Both the outlet orifice 38 and the air outlet 44 preferably have a round outer contour. The concentric arrangement thereof thus results in a roughly circular ring-shaped cross-section for the air outlet 44.

[0060] The mode of operation of the apparatus 10 is best understood with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0061] First of all, the salt 46 loaded into the receiving vessel 14 before the start of operation is comminuted or micronized by means of the grinding unit 22. To this end, the magnet 30 is rotated by means of the electric motor 34. The motor 34 is in this case controlled by a control unit 48 which regulates the nominal speed of the motor preferably to 1,500 to 2,500 revolutions per minute. Using selector switches 50, which are mounted on the outside of the housing 12 and in this case generally designated input devices, the speed of the motor 34 may be adjusted stepwise by the user. In this way, the current intensity of the generated salt aerosol may be adjusted by the user. Continuous speed adjustment, for example by a rotary knob, is in principle also conceivable.

[0062] The ball 28 located in the receiving vessel 14 is carried along by the rotation of the magnet 30, such that the ball rotates approximately synchronously with the magnet 30 within the receiving vessel 14. To compensate the centrifugal forces arising as a result of movement of the magnet 30, a counterweight 52 is preferably mounted on the motor shaft 32 on the opposite side from the magnet 30. Instead of this counterweight 52, a second magnet may also be arranged at this position.

[0063] The comminution process of the salt crystals 46 caused by movement of the ball 28 is based on multiple effects: on the one hand, the salt crystals 46 are set in motion by the rotation of the ball 28 and tossed around inside the receiving vessel 14. Some salt crystals thereby impact against one another. Others in turn thereby impact against the internal wall of the receiving vessel 14. Still other salt crystals are ground between the ball 28 and the internal wall of the receiving vessel 14. It has been found that, due to these effects taking place together, the salt crystal 46 comminution process is very efficient.

[0064] The comminuted or micronized salt crystals, which are indicated schematically in FIGS. 4 and 5 and are provided with reference numeral 54, are flung upwards by the movement of the ball 28 inside the receiving vessel 14. Provided these are sufficiently small, they may ascend in the receiving vessel 14 and within the adjoining ascending pipe 24 contrary to the effect of the gravitational force. The air stream 40 generated by the fan 26 generates a type of suction flow in the region of the outlet orifice 38 as a result of the above-described flow around the ascending pipe 24. This suction flow is induced inside the ascending pipe 24 in particular in the region of the outlet orifice 38. It is thus ensured that only the micronized salt particles 54 which have ascended inside the receiving vessel 14 and inside the ascending pipe 24 against the effect of the gravitational force are caught up by the suction flow and flow out of the outlet orifice 38 and thus of the apparatus 10. Larger salt particles, on the other hand, which remain on the bottom of the receiving vessel 14 due to their weight or at least do not ascend as far as into the upper region of the ascending pipe 24, are not caught up by the suction generated in the ascending pipe 24 by the air stream 40 and thus remain in the apparatus 10.

[0065] To prevent larger salt crystals which are not caught up by the rotating ball from settling permanently in the middle of the bottom of the receiving vessel 14, provision is preferably made for the control unit 48 to increase the nominal speed of the motor 34 at regular intervals temporarily to above a defined threshold value. If namely a given speed of the motor 34 is exceeded, the force acting between the ball 28 and the magnet 30 is namely no longer sufficient for the ball 28 to be able to follow the rotation of the magnet 30. The ball 28 then begins to prance about on the bottom face 18 of the receiving vessel 14. In the process, it moves over regions of the bottom face 18, in particular also the middle of the bottom face 18, which it does not otherwise reach during its conventional rotation along the outer edge of the bottom face 18. The salt crystals located at these points are then thus likewise caught up. The above-stated temporary increase in speed preferably takes place for just a few seconds.

[0066] The following features may also be provided: an indicator 56 may be provided on the outside of the housing 12 for indicating the storage battery 36 level. In addition, the apparatus 10 may optionally comprise lighting, not shown in the drawings for the sake of simplicity, which serves to illuminate the outlet orifice 38 and/or the interior of the receiving vessel 14. Moreover, the apparatus 10 optionally comprises a temperature sensor and a hygrometer, wherein the control unit 48 is in this case designed to regulate the speed of the motor 34 as a function of the temperature signal generated by the temperature sensor and/or the humidity signal generated by the hygrometer. The control unit 48 is preferably designed to switch off the motor 34 if a predefined temperature and/or humidity threshold value is exceeded. This serves in particular to prevent damage and malfunctions.