Process for the extrusion of plastics tending to adherence

Abstract

A process for the extrusion of plastics, such as plastics that tend to adhere or stick to parts of an extruder, using a planetary roller extruder in the feed part.

Claims

1. A material extruder, comprising: a housing comprising an internal toothing formed by a plurality of housing teeth which extend along an axial extension of the housing, each housing tooth of the internal toothing extending radially from a root at a root circle inwardly to a top; a central spindle disposed within said housing; planetary spindles configured and disposed to rotate about said central spindle between said central spindle and said housing; each of said planetary spindles comprising an external toothing configured to mesh with said internal toothing of said housing; said housing comprising an inlet opening configured to permit feeding of material to be extruded into an interior of said housing; and a feed guide being disposed at said inlet opening to guide material to be extruded into said inlet opening, wherein at least one housing tooth extends axially along a regular height portion and a shortened height portion, and wherein a regular height of the at least one housing tooth, defined by a radial distance from the root circle to the top of the at least one housing tooth at the regular height portion, is greater than a shortened height of the least one housing tooth, defined by a radial distance from the root circle to the top of the at least one housing tooth at the shortened height portion.

2. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of shortened housing teeth each have a shortened height portion and a regular height portion, the plurality of shortened housing teeth including housing teeth which are disposed within a circumferential distance from said inlet opening along an interior circumference of said housing in a direction of rotation of said central spindle.

3. The material extruder according to claim 2, wherein the circumferential distance within which said plurality of shortened housing teeth extends along the interior of said housing in the direction of rotation of said central spindle is one of (C), (D), (E), and (F): (C) at least 10% of the interior circumference of said housing; (D) at least 20% of the interior circumference of said housing; (E) at least 50% of the interior circumference of said housing; and (F) at least 75% of the interior circumference of said housing.

4. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein one of (A) and (B): (A) the shortened height is at most 10% of the regular height; and (B) the shortened height is at most 20% of the regular height.

5. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein an axial extension of the shortened height portion is one of (G), (H), and (I): (G) in a range of 30% less to 30% greater than a width of said inlet opening; (H) in a range of 20% less to 20% greater than a width of said inlet opening; and (I) in a range of 10% less to 10% greater than a width of said inlet opening.

6. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein flanks or sides of the at least one housing tooth have a lesser inclination along its shortened height portion, when viewed in cross section, than along its regular height portion.

7. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein: the at least one housing tooth has a rounded top at the shortened height portion having a radius of curvature, when viewed in cross section, that is one of (J) and (K): (J) at least 25% of a height of the at least one housing tooth; and (K) at least 50% of a height of the least one housing tooth.

8. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises heating and cooling channels disposed inside said housing.

9. The material extruder according to claim 8, wherein: said heating and cooling channels have a diameter that is less than or equal to half the diameter of a pitch circle of said internal toothing.

10. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein each of said planetary spindles comprises a transport spindle or a transport spindle section having fewer planetary spindle teeth and/or greater space between adjacent planetary spindle teeth than another section of each of said planetary spindles and/or an additional set of planetary spindles in said material extruder.

11. The material extruder according to claim 10, wherein each of said transport spindles or said transport spindle sections comprises at least one fewer planetary spindle teeth than another section of each of said planetary spindles and/or said additional set of planetary spindles.

12. The material extruder according to claim 10, wherein each of said transport spindles or said transport spindle sections comprises one of (O), (P), (Q), and (R): (O) four planetary spindle teeth; (P) three planetary spindle teeth; (Q) two planetary spindle teeth; and (R) one planetary spindle tooth.

13. The material extruder according to claim 12, wherein one of (S) and (T): (S) said transport spindles or said transport spindle sections comprise an even number of planetary spindle teeth; and each of said internal toothing and said central spindle comprise an odd number of teeth; and (T) said transport spindles or said transport spindle sections comprise an odd number of planetary spindle teeth; and each of said internal toothing and said central spindle comprise an even number of teeth.

14. The material extruder according to claim 13, wherein each of said planetary spindles comprises said transport spindle section and another planetary spindle section which comprises a different type of toothing.

15. The material extruder according to claim 14, wherein said different type of toothing comprises teeth that are spaced apart at a different distance than said teeth of said transport spindle section, and/or have a different shape or cross-sectional profile.

16. The material extruder according to claim 15, wherein said transport spindle section extends over one of (U), (V), and (W): (U) at least 50% of the length of each of said planetary spindles; (V) at least 70% of the length of each of said planetary spindles; and (W) at least 90% of the length of each of said planetary spindles.

17. The material extruder according to claim 16, wherein each of said planetary spindles is spaced apart from one another at the same interval.

18. The material extruder according to claim 17, wherein each of said transport spindle sections is configured such that at least one planetary tooth meshes with each space between the teeth of said internal toothing and with each space between the teeth of said central spindle, which meshing with each space occurs within one of (aa), (bb), (cc), and (dd): (aa) ten rotations of the planetary spindles around the central spindle; (bb) seven rotations of the planetary spindles around the central spindle; (cc) four rotations of the planetary spindles around the central spindle; and (dd) one rotation of the planetary spindles around the central spindle.

19. The material extruder according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of shortened housing teeth, each having a shortened height portion and a regular height portion, the shortened height portions being arranged downstream of the inlet opening.

20. The material extruder according to claim 19, wherein the internal toothing comprises a plurality of housing teeth, at least 10% of which have a shortened height portion.

21. The material extruder according to claim 19, wherein the shortened housing teeth each have a shortened height along their shortened height portions, and wherein the shortened heights of the shortened housing teeth which are circumferentially further from the inlet opening exceed the shortened heights of the shortened housing teeth which are circumferentially closer to the inlet opening.

22. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein the shortened height portion of the at least one housing tooth is axially aligned with the inlet opening.

23. The material extruder according to claim 1, wherein an axial extension of the shortened height portion is at most 90% of a width of the inlet opening.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows an extruder according to the present application;

(2) FIG. 1A shows an execution example;

(3) FIG. 2 shows further planetary spindles;

(4) FIG. 3 shows schematic conventional planetary spindles for planetary roller extruders;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the known planetary spindles which have on the one hand the same screw flights as the screws/spindles as per FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows another execution example;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a planetary spindle in the drying station of an EPDM compounding line;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a distribution of teeth;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a planetary spindle in the drying station of an EPDM compounding line;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a planetary spindle;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a planetary spindle;

(12) FIG. 11 shows a feed;

(13) FIG. 12 also shows a feed;

(14) FIG. 13 shows the feed with an opened shell;

(15) FIG. 14 shows yet another execution example;

(16) FIG. 15 shows still another execution example; and

(17) FIG. 16 shows an original tooth between the tooth spaces.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OR EMBODIMENTS

(18) In the drawings there are depicted different execution examples of the present application.

(19) FIG. 1 shows an extruder with the following components/sections: drive 1, feed 2 with feed guide 2.1, planetary roller extruder sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, 4 and round, discharge die 24.

(20) A dosing 8 ends in the feed 2. From the container of the dosing 8 leads a dosing line into the feed 2.

(21) The dosing will be filled with thermoplastic EPDM granulate for its processing and then closed (not shown).

(22) The EPDM granulate gets into the feed 2 and is conveyed from there in an extrusion direction. In the drawing, the extrusion direction points from the left to the right. The feed 2 is designed in a building-block design. This module is designed as a planetary roller extruder.

(23) In the feed 2 a first heating takes place. For the heating of the EPDM granulate a heating-cooling circuit 15 is intended. The heating-cooling circuits acts together with the housing shell of the module. Via the housing shell the heat is transferred onto the EPDM granulate filled into the feed part 2. Additionally the screw rotating in the feed part 2 creates a heating of the EPDM granulate.

(24) In the execution example the EPDM granulate arrives with a preheating temperature of 140 degrees Celsius in the next extruder section/module 3.1. The extruder sections/modules 3.2 and 3.3, 4 follow the extruder section/module 3.1. The modules 3.1 to 4 are designed as planetary roller extruders. The modules 2, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, 4 have coordinated housings and non-depicted connection flanges at which they are connected with each other. The connection is a screw connection.

(25) In the planetary roller extruder sections/modules 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, 4 the EPDM granulate will be kneaded very often between the rotating planetary spindles, the central spindle and the internally toothed extruder housing so that always or substantially always new surfaces are available which can be used for the heat transfer.

(26) Heat can be transferred from the housing shell onto the EPDM or drawn off of the EPDM and discharged via the housing shell.

(27) Like in module 2, the modules 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 as well as 4 are equipped with heating-cooling circuits 16, 17, 19, 20.

(28) In the extruder sections/modules 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 the EPDM is heated up to a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius, while in extruder section/module 4 the EPDM is heated to a temperature of 220 degree Celsius. The heating-cooling circuits 16, 17, 19, 20 secure the maintenance of the requested temperature. Thereby, due to the deformation work of the extruder sections/modules, heat will be applied into the EPDM. If the application of heat is insufficient for the achievement of the requested temperature, the missing heat will be transferred onto the EPDM from the heating-cooling circuits via the respective housing shells of the modules. If the heat quantity created by the deformation work exceeds the requested temperature for the necessary and/or desired heat quantity, the surplus quantity will be drawn-off via the heating-cooling circuits.

(29) The EPDM will be molten in the extruder sections. Simultaneously or substantially simultaneously the molecular chains will be cross-linked with each other. The achieved and maintained temperature profile complies with the specifications of the EPDM producer.

(30) In other examples of use, another temperature can be adjusted and maintained.

(31) Additionally, there is intended in the execution example an oil addition for the processing of the EPDM. The oil addition takes place via the injection ring 21. The injection ring 21 is located between the modules 3.1 and 3.2. The injection ring 21 is connected with a pump and an oil container via a feed line.

(32) In the execution example, the injection ring 21 forms the stop ring for the rotating planetary spindles of module 3.1.

(33) Moreover, openings are located at the injection ring 21 in which pressure measuring devices and temperature measuring devices are located. These devices are integrated into the control system of the heating-cooling circuits.

(34) The details of the injection ring 21 and its alignment in the housing are known.

(35) Also at the modules 3.2 and 3.3, stop rings 22 and 23 are located, by means of which pressure measurements and temperature measurements can be executed like at module 3.1.

(36) The EPDM will be discharged out of the extrusion line with a temperature of 220 degrees Celsius. Therefore module 4 is equipped at the outlet side with a round die 24 of 20 millimeter diameter. The discharged EPDM will be cooled down between cooling rolls 25.

(37) The execution sample as per FIG. 1A differs from the execution example as per FIG. 1 by another cooling at the discharge. In the execution example, the cooling for the EPDM comprises a simple water container 26.

(38) The execution example as per FIG. 5 differs from the execution example as per FIG. 1A by a degassing unit 27 and by an additional dosing 28.

(39) The degassing unit 27 comprises a laterally flanged twin-screw extruder by which the melt discharge can be avoided and/or minimized, but a gas release is allowed. The gas release is effected by an ID fan lying against the twin-screw extruder.

(40) The additional dosing 28 serves for the admixing of a further polymer into the EPDM.

(41) FIG. 3 shows in a schematic view conventional planetary spindles 321 for planetary roller extruders. These planetary spindles 321 form multiple thread screws that extend with a constant or substantially constant inclination over the whole spindle length.

(42) In the drawing, the screw flights are depicted by lines running diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the spindle.

(43) The screw flights are running in the side view from the right right-handed in clockwise directions. The screws have a toothing on the outside. The corresponding mirror-inverted toothing is arranged at the central spindle of the planetary roller extruder section and the internally toothed surrounding housing, so that the planetary spindles 321 can cog with the toothing of the housing as well as with the central spindle.

(44) FIG. 4 shows the known planetary spindles 322 which have on the one hand the same screw flights as the screws/spindles as per FIG. 3. On the other hand, the spindles have at the same time left-handed running slots which are crossing the right-handed running screw flights. In FIG. 4 the left-handed running slots are depicted by lines which cross rectangularly the screw flights known from FIG. 3. This is depicted by crossing lines. The lands between the screw flights, which in the cross section form the teeth of the toothing, will be interrupted by the crossing slots. The teeth remaining between two interruptions form a barb-like/nap-like tooth.

(45) The many barbs/naps arising side by side are why this toothing is called a nap toothing. The interruptions are designated in the following as tooth spaces.

(46) FIG. 2 shows further planetary spindles 23 with a part 25, which is designed according to the toothing as per FIG. 3, and with a part 24, which is designed according to the toothing as per FIG. 4.

(47) FIGS. 6 and 8 show, for the application of a planetary roller extruder in the drying station of an EPDM compounding line, a planetary spindle 60 as per the present application.

(48) The planetary spindle 60 comprises two parts 61 and 62. The part 61 corresponds to a conventional planetary spindle with full tooth trimming. In the execution example, a planetary spindle has a pitch diameter of thirty-four millimeters and an outer diameter of forty-two millimeters and a diameter of twenty-six millimeters at the tooth root of the spindle trimming. In the execution example the part 61 has a length of 200 millimeters. The total length of the planetary spindle 60 amounts to 1000 millimeters.

(49) This results in a length of 800 millimeters for the part 62. The part 62 defines the range of formation of the planetary spindle as per the present application, part 61 defines the remaining range. In part 61 the spindle 7 has 64 teeth which are running similar to the threads, but with a very high inclination at the outside. This is depicted in FIG. 8.

(50) In part 62 there have been milled off three teeth 64. This has been effected before a hardening of the surface of the teeth 64. The distribution of the remaining teeth is depicted in FIG. 7. Thereby still two teeth 64 are lying side by side. With regard to the remaining teeth there is resulting a tooth space.

(51) The planetary spindles as per FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 are called transport spindles, because they have, contrary to the nap spindles, a higher transport effect.

(52) However, it also appears that the deformation work performed by the transport spindles is surprisingly low. The energy supply into the EPDM is accordingly low. This facilitates the maintenance of the temperature control which is necessary and/or desired for the EPDM.

(53) In the execution samples as per 1, 1a and 5 an extruder is concerned with a housing diameter of seventy millimeters (referred to the pitch diameter of the internal housing toothing). The maximum number of spindles for the trimming of the modules 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 4 is seven. There are located in each module 6 planetary spindles each of the design shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 for the processing of EPDM.

(54) In the other execution examples there can be different planetary spindles for the different modules. The differences can thereby refer to the number of missing teeth. The differences can also result from the combination of spindles of another type of construction. The differences can also result from the combination of spindles with different toothing at individual or at all or most planetary spindles. At least one planetary spindle designed as a transport spindle is included in the extrusion line.

(55) FIG. 9 shows a planetary spindle with a conventional toothing 80 at one end, then a range 81 with a nap toothing, and then a range 82 with a reduced toothing as described above.

(56) FIG. 10 shows a planetary spindle with a conventional toothing 85 at one end, then a range 86 with a nap toothing, then a range 87 with a reduced toothing, and again a conventional toothing 88 at the other end.

(57) In the execution examples the length of the modules amounts to millimeters. The planetary spindles have a shorter length in the execution example, partly a different length.

(58) As per FIGS. 11 and 12 the feed 2 is designed as a planetary roller extruder module.

(59) To the planetary roller extruder module belongs a housing 100, which is equipped at each end with a flange 101. Moreover, the housing has a liner 109 which is equipped with an internal toothing 110. Outside there are introduced heating-cooling channels 108 into the liner. In the assembled state, the heating-cooling channels 108 are closed to the outside by the housing. At the ends of the heating-cooling channels 108 there are feed lines/discharge lines designed to receive a heating-cooling agent. In FIG. 12 there is depicted a connection 103 for the both feed lines/discharge lines.

(60) Centric in the housing 100 there is arranged a central spindle 107. At the driving side the central spindle 107 is designed as a spline shaft 105 in order to correspond with a gear motor.

(61) Between the internal toothing 110 and the central spindle 107 planetary spindles 106 can be located. The planetary spindles 106 are designed to cog or mesh with the toothing of the central spindle 107 and the internal toothing 110.

(62) In the drawing the planetary spindles 106 show a normal/conventional toothing like the central spindle and the liner 109. Other than those depicted, however, transport spindles can be used.

(63) Moreover, above on the housing 100 a flange 102 with an inlet opening 104 can be located for the material to be extruded. A feed hopper will be fixed at the flange 102.

(64) FIG. 13 shows the feed with an opened shell 100, so that there is a clear view to the transport spindles 106.

(65) During operation, the extrusion material runs pressure-less out of the non-depicted feed hopper into the inlet opening 104 of the shell 100. Pressure-less means that, in excess of the weight of the column of material standing above the inlet opening 104, no pressure in the direction of the inlet opening will be carried out on the material.

(66) The extrusion material gets between the transport spindles 106 and is cached by the transport spindles and brought extremely gently into the blend and conveyed in the direction of the other planetary roller extruder sections/modules in order to be processed further there.

(67) FIGS. 14 and 15 show a further execution example.

(68) The further execution example differs from the execution example as per FIGS. 11 to 13 by another housing shell 119. The housing shell 119 also has an inlet opening 120 for the raw material. Furthermore, the housing shell 119 is equipped with an internal toothing which is suited like the internal toothing as per FIGS. 11 to 13 to work together with the planetary spindles 106. The internal toothing 121 is formed by a plurality of housing teeth 134 which extend axially along the housing and radially from a root 145 at a root circle inwardly to a top 136,137. Contrary to the internal toothing of the housing as per FIGS. 11 to 13, however, the internal toothing 121 as shown in FIG. 14 includes housing teeth with a flattened or shortened height portion 133 in an area 122 downstream of the inlet opening 120. The area 122 in which housing teeth are flattened or shortened extends circumferentially in the rotation direction of the central spindle. In the depiction as per FIG. 14 the rotation direction of the central spindle is clockwise. As shown, the radial distance from the root circle 144 to the tops 137 of the housing teeth at their shortened height portion 133 is shorter than the radial distance from the root circle 144 to the tops 136 of the housing teeth 134 at their regular height portion 147.

(69) At the area 122 downstream of the inlet opening the shortened height portion 133 of the teeth are reduced in their height by three-fourths due to flattening. This flattening diminishes in the execution example in rotation direction of the central spindle. In the execution example the flattening ranges over one-tenth of the circumference of the pitch circle of the internal toothing of the housing. In other execution examples shortened teeth can be disposed over at least one-fourth of the circumference of the pitch circle or minimum one-half of the circumference of the pitch circle or minimum three-fourth of the circumference of the pitch circle. The area 122 within which housing teeth having a shortened height are disposed is axially aligned with the inlet opening 120. The inlet opening has a circular cross section.

(70) The extension direction of the zone 122 runs in the depiction as per FIG. 14 in the rotation direction. In other execution examples the extension direction depicted in FIG. 14 can also run in the direction of the circumference and simultaneously or substantially simultaneously declined towards the longitudinal direction of the housing.

(71) FIG. 15 shows that the shortened height portion 133 of the housing teeth extends axially in the execution example over the whole opening width 146 of the inlet opening. In other execution examples the shortened height portion 133 reaches at the utmost over ninety percent of the opening width 146 of the inlet opening, in still further execution examples at the utmost over eighty percent of the opening width 146 of the inlet opening and still other execution examples at the utmost over seventy percent of the opening width 146 of the inlet opening.

(72) The axial extension of the shortened height portion 133 depicted in FIG. 15 can also exceed the opening width of the inlet opening, e.g. at the utmost by further ten percent of the opening width or at the utmost by further twenty percent of the opening width or at the utmost by thirty percent of the opening width.

(73) The flattening depicted in FIGS. 14 and 15 forms a feed hopper which facilitates the feed of the raw material into the extrusion line.

(74) FIG. 16 shows a cross sectional view of a housing tooth 134 in the in the area downstream of the inlet opening. The tooth is shown cut at its shortened height portion 133. A shortened height 141 of the housing tooth 134 is defined by the radial distance from the root circle 144 to the tip 137 of the tooth 134. The tooth assumes its regular height 142 in an area away from the inlet opening. The top 137 of the shortened tooth is shown in front of the top 136 of the tooth 134 at its regular height 142. The tooth 134 extends radially inward between the roots 135 of the tooth 134. The depiction comprises a section of an internal toothing of a housing.

(75) The top 137 of a tooth at its shortened height portion 133 proximal to the inlet opening may be formed by spark erosion. Proximal to the inlet opening flanks 139 of the shortened tooth show a minor inclination towards the pitch diameter of the internal toothing of the housing lesser than the tooth flanks 140 of the regular size tooth. As shown, the rounded top 137 of the shortened tooth has a radius 143 which is more than one-fourth of the tooth height 141.

(76) As per the present application, a material supply for a pressure-less material inlet is designed as a planetary roller extruder section whereat whose planetary spindles are designed as transport spindles.

(77) The following patents, patent publications, patent applications, and patent documents are incorporated herein except for the exceptions indicated herein: DE 19939075A1, CA 698518, DE19653790A, DE 19638094A1, DE 19548136A1, DE1954214A, DE3908415A, DE19939077A, EP1078968A1, EP1067352A, EP854178A1, JP3017176, JP11080690, JP9326731, JP11-216754, JP11-216764, JP10-235713, WO2007/0874465A2, WO2004/101627A1, WO2004/101626A1, WO 2004/037941A2, EP1056584, PCT/EP99/00968, WO 94/11175, U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,271B1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,416, DE 102005007952A1, DE102004061068A1, DE102004038875A1, DE102004048794A1, DE102004048773A1, DE102004048440A1, DE102004046228A1, DE102004044086A1, DE102004044085A1, DE102004038774A1, DE102004034039A1, DE102004032694A1, DE102004026799B4, DE102004023085A1, DE102004004230A1, DE102004002159A1, DE19962886A1, DE19962883A1, DE19962859A1, DE19960494A1, DE19958398A1, DE19956803A1, DE19956802A1, DE19953796A1, DE19953793A1, DE69937111, DE69808332, DE19939078, DE19939077, DE19939076, DE19939075, DE19939074, DE19939073, 19824071, DE19806609, DE19730854, DE19638094, DE19819349, DE19749443, DE19653790, DE19548136, DE19534239, DE10334363, DE10137620, DE10059875, DE10050295, DE10036707, DE10036706, DE10036705, DE4308098, DE4111217, DE3908415, DE2719095, DE235613, DE2303366, DE1954214, EP1080865, EP1078968, EP1067352, EP0854178, U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,271, U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,458, U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,462, U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,176, U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,967, WO2007/87465, WO2004/10162 WO2004/101627, WO2004/101626, WO2004/037941, WO94/11175, DE102007050466, DE102007041486, DE20003297, DE19930970, DE, DE102008058048, DE102007059299, DE102007049505, DE102006054204, DE102006033089, DE102004026799, DE19726415, DE10334363, DE10201000253, DE102009060881, DE102009060851, DE102009060813, DE60124269, DE 3738335, DD 141975, DE 1964834, U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,025, DE 2059570, DE 2447368, EP 1167017, DE 69829695, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,760, U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,325, U.S. Pat. No. 4,555,366, DE 102006033089A1, EP1844917A2, DE2702390A, EP1833101A1, DE10142890A1, U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,711, GB2175513A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,593, DE2719095, DE102004061185A1, DE102004060966A1, DE102004053929A1, DE102004005058, DE102004004237A1, DE69908565T2, DE69827497T2, DE69807708T2, DE69725985T2, DE69715781T2, DE69715082T2, DE69711597T2, DE69710878T2, DE69709015T2, DE69707763T2, DE69630762T2, DE69628188T2, DE69622375T2, DE69428309T2, DE69427539T2, DE69419146T2, DE69312852T2, DE69312246T2, DE69306874T2, DE69207369T2, DE68928567T2, DE68915788T3, DE60206271T2, DE60012108T2, DE19956483A1, DE19954313A1, DE10257377A1, DE10356821A1, DE10354546A1, DE10354379A1, DE10352444A1. DE10352440A1, DE10352439A1, DE10352432A1, DE10352431A1, DE10352430A1, DE10351463A1, DE10349144A1 DE10345043A1, DE10343964A1, DE10342822A1, DE1034097764, DE10340976B4, DE10333927A1, DE EP2098354, DE19856235.

(78) One feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders whereat the raw material will be supplied into the extruder via a feed part, whereat the material feed is formed by a planetary roller extruder section of a central spindle which rotates within a housing and planetary spindles, whereat the housing is internally toothed and surrounds the central spindle in a distance and the planetary spindles rotate around the central spindle in the clear spacing between the central spindle and the housing and are thereby cogging with the central spindle as well as also with the internal toothing of the housing, thereby marked that the planetary spindles in the inlet zone of the extrusion material are designed at least for a pressure-less material supply and are at least partly designed as transport spindles and/or that the internal toothing of the housing for the formation of the feed hopper is at least flattened in the toothing in that zone which is following the inlet opening of the housing shell and is extending to the rotation direction of the central spindle.

(79) Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that the inlet zone is the annular surface at the housing shell in which the opening for the material supply is lying, plus/minus a deviation of the annular surface width of fifty percent, in one possible embodiment of plus/minis thirty percent and in still another embodiment of plus/minus ten percent of a deviation of the annular surface width.

(80) Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, marked by: a) the use of planetary spindles at which at least one tooth, but not all or most teeth have been removed later totally or partly and/or, b) the toothing which has been produced as per a defined tooth outline whereat the tooth outline is equal a toothing with teeth which have been removed later totally or partly.

(81) Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked by the use of planetary spindles with at the utmost four remaining teeth, in one possible embodiment at the utmost three remaining teeth, in yet another possible embodiment at the utmost two remaining teeth and in still another possible embodiment one remaining tooth at the circumference of the planetary spindles.

(82) A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, marked by the use of planetary spindles which either have an even number of teeth in the range of the reduced tooth trimming whereas to toothing at the corresponding planetary roller part has an uneven number of teeth; or have an uneven number of teeth in the range of the reduced tooth trimming, whereas the toothing at the corresponding planetary roller part has an even number of teeth.

(83) Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked thereby that the planetary spindles are equipped with another toothing outside of the inlet zone.

(84) Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, marked thereby that the other toothing is a conventional toothing and/or a hedgehog toothing and/or a nap toothing.

(85) Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, marked by the use of one-piece or segmented planetary spindles and/or central spindles and/or toothings of the housings.

(86) A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, thereby marked that the portion of planetary spindles with transport spindle toothing amounts to at least fifty percent, in one possible embodiment at least seventy percent and still a further possible embodiment at least ninety percent of the spindle trimming of the planetary roller extruder section forming the feed.

(87) Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, marked thereby that the planetary spindles with transport spindle toothing are distributed evenly in the planetary spindle trimming.

(88) Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, thereby marked that the number of teeth in the planetary spindle trimming in chosen in that way that within ten rotations, in one possible embodiment at least within seven rotations and still in a further possible embodiment at least within four rotations and in yet another possible embodiment at every rotation of the planetary spindles around the central spindle one planetary tooth meshes every tooth space of the toothing of the central spindle and every tooth space of the internal toothing of the housing.

(89) Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that the teeth of the internal toothing of the housing in the range forming a hopper are flattened maximum till the tooth ground, in one possible embodiment have been flattened by maximum ninety percent of the original tooth height, in another possible embodiment have been flattened by maximum eighty percent of the original tooth height.

(90) A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked thereby that the flattening diminishes with increasing distance from the inlet opening.

(91) One feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked thereby that the flattening reaches over minimum one-tenth, in one possible embodiment over minimum one-fifth, in another possible embodiment over minimum one-half and in yet another possible embodiment over minimum three-fourths of the circumference of the pitch circle on the internal toothing of the housing.

(92) Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that the zone of the flattening of the internal toothing of the housing has a width being at the utmost equal seventy percent of opening width of the inlet opening, in one possible embodiment at the utmost equal eighty percent of the opening width, in another possible embodiment at the utmost equal ninety percent of the opening width and in another possible embodiment at the utmost equal the opening width of the inlet opening.

(93) Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked thereby that the flattened teeth are equipped with tooth flanks the inclination of which is smaller than the tooth flanks of the teeth in the non-flattened zone and/or the flattened teeth are equipped above with a rounding.

(94) Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that the zone of the flattening of the internal toothing of the housing has a width which is at the utmost thirty percent larger than the opening width of the inlet opening, in another possible embodiment at the utmost twenty percent larger than the openings width of the inlet opening and in yet another possible embodiment at the utmost ten percent larger than the opening width of the inlet opening.

(95) A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that the flattened teeth, opposite to the original teeth, have tooth flanks which show towards the pitch circle of the internal toothing of the housing a lower inclination and end in a rounded tooth point.

(96) Another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that at least the edge of the inlet opening at the changeover to the internal toothing of the housing shows a rounding whereat in one possible embodiment the radius of the rounding is at least equal one-fourth of the tooth height, in another possible embodiment at least equal one-half of the tooth height.

(97) Yet another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders thereby marked that the feed part designed as planetary extruder roller section is equipped in a per se known manner with a heating-cooling, that the heating-cooling at least starts already at the inlet opening.

(98) Still another feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked by a length of smaller/equal two D of the feed part designed as planetary roller extruder section, whereat the dimension is referring to the distance of the end of the inlet pointing in conveying direction and whereat D is the pitch diameter of the internal toothing of the housing.

(99) A further feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders marked by a length of larger two D of the feed part designed as planetary roller extruder section whereat the dimension is referring to the distance of the end of the inlet pointing into conveying direction and whereat D is the pitch diameter of the internal toothing of the housing, and thereby marked that the heating-cooling comprises minimum two sections of which the section at the inlet side has a length of smaller/equal one-half D, whereat D is the pitch diameter of the internal toothing of the housing.

(100) One feature or aspect of an embodiment is believed at the time of the filing of this patent application to possibly reside broadly in extruders, thereby marked that the center axis of the inlet opening is crosses as secant the pitch diameter of the internal toothing of the housing or follows as tangent the pitch circle of the internal toothing of the housing or follows in a distance of the pitch circle of the internal toothing of the housing whereat the distance is at the utmost equal the thickness of the housing shell.

(101) The components disclosed in the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents disclosed or incorporated by reference herein, may possibly be used in possible embodiments of the present invention, as well as equivalents thereof.

(102) The purpose of the statements about the technical field is generally to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public to determine quickly, from a cursory inspection, the nature of this patent application. The description of the technical field is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately describe the technical field of this patent application. However, the description of the technical field may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the technical field are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(103) The appended drawings in their entirety, including all dimensions, proportions and/or shapes in at least one embodiment of the invention, are accurate and are hereby included by reference into this specification.

(104) The background information is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately provide background information for this patent application. However, the background information may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the background information are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(105) All, or substantially all, of the components and methods of the various embodiments may be used with at least one embodiment or all of the embodiments, if more than one embodiment is described herein.

(106) The purpose of the statements about the object or objects is generally to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public to determine quickly, from a cursory inspection, the nature of this patent application. The description of the object or objects is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately describe the object or objects of this patent application. However, the description of the object or objects may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the object or objects are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(107) All of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited herein, and in the Declaration attached hereto, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein except for the exceptions indicated herein.

(108) The summary is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately summarize this patent application. However, portions or all of the information contained in the summary may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the summary are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(109) It will be understood that the examples of patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents which are included in this application and which are referred to in paragraphs which state Some examples of . . . which may possibly be used in at least one possible embodiment of the present application . . . may possibly not be used or useable in any one or more embodiments of the application.

(110) The sentence immediately above relates to patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents either incorporated by reference or not incorporated by reference.

(111) All of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents, except for the exceptions indicated herein, which were cited in the International Search Report dated Jul. 24, 2014, and/or cited elsewhere, as well as the International Search Report document itself, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein except for the exceptions indicated herein, as follows: EP 2 098 654, having the title Heating or cooling ceiling with corrugated steel sheet, published on Sep. 9, 2009; DE 198 56 235, having the title Extrusion line for plastics, foodstuffs and other extrudable materials uses a back venting system, published on May 31, 2000; DE 39 37 612, having the title Planetary extruder screw arrangement for PVChaving tapered outlet ends of planetary screw spindles and have domed supporting pivot having bevelled edge inlet end, published on Aug. 30, 1990; DE 10 2010 026535, having the title Planetary roller extruder module for use in extrusion equipment, for processing plastics, has housing set together between flanges along axial direction from pieces, where housing is releasably held together with tie rods, published on Jan. 12, 2012; DE 88 12 244, to Applicant ENTEX RUST & MITSCHKE GMBH, published on Feb. 23, 1989; GB 2 175 513, having the title An apparatus for homogenising and working ingredients for food- and feed-stuffs such as dough, published on Dec. 3, 1986; and DE 195 08 125, having the title Induction cylinder for planet roller extruder, published on Feb. 29, 1996.

(112) The corresponding foreign and international patent publication applications, namely, Federal Republic of Germany Patent Application No. 10 2012 019 727.6, filed on Oct. 11, 2012, having inventor Harald RUST, and DE-OS 10 2012 019 727.6 and DE-PS 10 2012 019 727.6, and International Application No. PCT/EP2013/000132, filed on, having WIPO Publication No. WO 2014/056553 and inventor Harald RUST, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein, except for the exceptions indicated herein, for the purpose of correcting and explaining any possible misinterpretations of the English translation thereof. In addition, the published equivalents of the above corresponding foreign and international patent publication applications, and other equivalents or corresponding applications, if any, in corresponding cases in the Federal Republic of Germany and elsewhere, and the references and documents cited in any of the documents cited herein, such as the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents, except for the exceptions indicated herein, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein except for the exceptions indicated herein.

(113) The purpose of incorporating the corresponding foreign equivalent patent application(s), that is, PCT/EP2013/000132 and German Patent Application 10 2012 019 727.6, is solely for the purposes of providing a basis of correction of any wording in the pages of the present application, which may have been mistranslated or misinterpreted by the translator, and to provide additional information relating to technical features of one or more embodiments, which information may not be completely disclosed in the wording in the pages of this application.

(114) Statements made in the original foreign patent applications PCT/EP2013/000132 and DE 10 2012 019 727.6 from which this patent application claims priority which do not have to do with the correction of the translation in this patent application are not to be included in this patent application in the incorporation by reference.

(115) Any statements about admissions of prior art in the original foreign patent applications PCT/EP2013/000132 and DE 10 2012 019 727.6 are not to be included in this patent application in the incorporation by reference, since the laws relating to prior art in non-U.S. Patent Offices and courts may be substantially different from the Patent Laws of the United States.

(116) All of the references and documents cited in any of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited herein, except for the exceptions indicated herein, are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein except for the exceptions indicated herein. All of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited herein, referred to in the immediately preceding sentence, include all of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited anywhere in the present application.

(117) Words relating to the opinions and judgments of the author of all patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited herein and not directly relating to the technical details of the description of the embodiments therein are not incorporated by reference.

(118) The words all, always, absolutely, consistently, preferably, guarantee, particularly, constantly, ensure, necessarily, immediately, endlessly, avoid, exactly, continually, expediently, ideal, need, must, only, perpetual, precise, perfect, require, requisite, simultaneous, total, unavoidable, and unnecessary, or words substantially equivalent to the above-mentioned words in this sentence, when not used to describe technical features of one or more embodiments of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents, are not considered to be incorporated by reference herein for any of the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited herein.

(119) The description of the embodiment or embodiments is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately describe the embodiment or embodiments of this patent application. However, portions of the description of the embodiment or embodiments may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the embodiment or embodiments are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(120) The details in the patents, patent applications, patent publications, and other documents cited herein may be considered to be incorporable, at applicant's option, into the claims during prosecution as further limitations in the claims to patentably distinguish any amended claims from any applied prior art.

(121) The purpose of the title of this patent application is generally to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public to determine quickly, from a cursory inspection, the nature of this patent application. The title is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately reflect the general nature of this patent application. However, the title may not be completely applicable to the technical field, the object or objects, the summary, the description of the embodiment or embodiments, and the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, the title is not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(122) The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading Abstract of the Disclosure. The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.
Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.

(123) The embodiments of the invention described herein above in the context of the preferred embodiments are not to be taken as limiting the embodiments of the invention to all of the provided details thereof, since modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the invention.