Mixing device comprising at least four outlet arms having diverse vertical angles

Abstract

The invention relates to a mixing device for mixing a fluid in a container, in particular of a fluid system, comprising a fluid supply and at least one outlet arm with an outlet opening, the fluid supply being connected to the at least one outlet arm in a fluid-communicating fashion. According to the invention, the outlet opening, for an outlet of the fluid, is oriented towards an outlet direction in order to set the fluid in the container rotating at least in sections thereof.

Claims

1. A fluid system for a dye in a printing machine, comprising: a mixing device for mixing a fluid in at least one container, a flow pump; a return flow pump for a conveyance of the fluid, a print roller; and a fluid tank for provision and/or collection of the fluid for and/or from a fluid receptor; wherein the flow pump is formed for a conveyance of the fluid from the container to the fluid receptor and the return flow pump is formed for a conveyance of the fluid from the fluid tank back to the container, wherein the mixing device comprises a fluid supply connected to at least four outlet arms, each of the at least four outlet arms having an outlet opening connected to the fluid supply in a fluid communicating way, wherein the fluid supply comprises at least one additional opening in an area of connection to the at least four outlet arms so that eventually formed clearance volumes below an area between the fluid supply and the at least four outlet arms are avoided or reduced, wherein an outlet opening is aligned with an outlet direction (A) for the outlet of the fluid, in order to at least partially set the fluid in the at least one container in rotation, wherein said at least one additional opening has an outlet direction alongside an axis of said rotation and toward a bottom of said container, wherein the at least four outlet arms are at least partially curved, wherein the fluid supply of the mixing device is connected with a pressure side of the return flow pump in a fluid communicating way, and wherein the outlet openings of the at least four outlet arms have diverse vertical angles with different signs toward the horizontal level.

2. The fluid system according to claim 1, wherein the at least four outlet arms are arranged in a common level, and wherein each of the diverse vertical angles is in a range between 2 and 7.

3. The fluid system according to claim 1, wherein a pressure side of the flow pump is connected with a suction side of the return flow pump via a bypass in a fluid communicating way.

4. The fluid system according to claim 1, wherein the outlet opening of the at least four outlet arms is assembled between 20% and 80% of the radial distance between the fluid supply and an encircling wall of the container.

5. The fluid system according to claim 1, wherein the mixing device is assembled towards the container in a rotation stable way.

6. The fluid system according to claim 1, wherein the at least four outlet arms are located within a distance of less than a third of a height of said container from a bottom of said container and are at least one of: arranged in a common level, and are adjusted upwards and downwards, and wherein each of the diverse vertical angles is in a range between 10 and 20.

7. The fluid system according to claim 1, wherein the at least four au arms are fixed in relation to one another.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is described in more detail according to the corresponding drawings. Thereby used terms left, right, up and down are referring to an adjustment of the drawings with normally readable references. It is shown schematically:

(2) FIG. 1 an embodiment of a fluid system according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 another embodiment of a fluid system according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 an embodiment of a mixing device according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 another embodiment of a mixing device according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 another embodiment of a mixing device according to the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 another embodiment of a mixing device according to the invention,

(8) FIG. 7 another embodiment of a mixing device according to the invention and

(9) FIG. 8 another embodiment of a mixing device according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(10) In FIG. 1 a first embodiment of the fluid system 100 according to the invention is shown. Thereby it is preferably a part of a printing machine. Thereby a fluid receptor 140 is intended which for example can be shaped as a printing roller or a pattern roller of a printing machine, particularly a flexographic printing press or a rotary printing press. Via a flow pump 120 fluid, particularly a dye composition is conveyed from a container 110 to a fluid receptor 140. Via a now shown extractor device in form of a doctor the excessive fluid is drawn from the fluid receptor 140, and collected in a fluid tank 150. Via the return flow pump 130 the collected fluid from the fluid tank 150 is recycled in the container 110. Thereby it is a normal fluid circuit or a working circuit of the fluid.

(11) In the fluid system 100 according to FIG. 1 the whole performance as well as the performance of a mixing device 10 according to the invention occurs. Thereby a mixing device 10 is supplied with a fluid supply 20 which is connected to a plurality of outlet arms 30 in a fluid communicating way. Each of the outlet arms 30 comprises an outlet opening 32 which comprises an outlet direction A (not shown in FIG. 1), in order to set the fluid in the container 110 in rotation. Thereby the subsequently described circuit in a fluid system 100 according to the invention is enabled.

(12) In the beginning of the printing method the fluid receptor 140 is supplied with a dye. This enabled by operating the flow pump 120, and the generation of a low pressure at the pump pit 170 on the sucking side 122. The fluid is thereby sucked at the pump pit 170 via the flow pump 120 and conveyed in direction of the pressure side 124 towards the fluid receptor 140. There, the printing procedure occurs. Excessive fluid or excessive dye is collected in the fluid tank 150 and is sucked by the return flow pump 130 via the suction side 132. Via the pressure side 134 which is in a fluid communicating connection with the fluid supply 20, dye or fluid is inserted in the mixing device 10 and radially distributed towards the outside via the outlet arm 30. The outlet occurs via the outlet openings 32 so that the fluid within the container 110 is set into rotation. The whole mixing device, particularly the outlet arms 30 are assembled rotation stable relative towards the container 110. By rotation of the fluid in the container 110 a stirring of the fluid occurs, so that during the dye composition with thixotropic characteristics the viscosity is reduced by the insertion of these shear forces. Additional installations as for example stirring units are not necessary.

(13) Besides the execution of the printing procedure itself and the corresponding stirring according to the invention, a pre-conditioning can occur independent from an application of fluid of the fluid receptor 140. Thereby three valves 120a, 130a and 160a are intended. For the pre-conditioning the valves 120a (flow valve) and 130a (return flow valve) are shut and the bypass valve 160a is opened for example after filling of the container 110 with fluid and previously to the start of the printing procedure. Both pumps 120 and 130 thereby ensuring a small circuit, which ensures a circulation of the fluid independently from the fluid receptor 140. Thereby a stirring according to the invention can occur as a pre-conditioning. If during this pre-conditioning additionally for example intermittently, the return flow valve 130a is opened, air is sucked from the empty fluid tank 150. This intermittent sucking can occur with for example with a pulsing of approximately 2 seconds to approximately 10 seconds so that beneath the fluid also air packages are intermittently delivered from the outlet openings 32 of the outlet arms 30. These air packages are rising upwards in a vertical direction and thereby further ensure a vertical stirring.

(14) Moreover the mixing device 10 of FIG. 1 is formed in a way that the lower closure of the fluid supply 20 is provided with an additional opening 22. This is particularly adjusted with an outlet direction alongside the container axis 114 so that eventually formed clearance volumes below the closure area between the fluid supply 20 and the outlet arms 30 are avoided or reduced.

(15) In FIG. 2 another embodiment of the fluid system 100 according to the invention is shown. These connections serve for a fluid communicating connection with the suction side 122 of the flow pump 120 and the pressure side 134 of the return flow pump 130. In this embodiment the container 110 has a container bottom and a container wall 112, which are overall shaped in a mainly cylindrical formation of the container 110. The single outlet arms 30 are assembled with outlet directions A for the outlet opening 32 which are assembled mainly tangential alongside the mutual coverage U via a curving of the outlet arms 30. Moreover the container bottom of the container 110 is tapered at least one side, so that an application of the fluid in the direction of the pump pit 170 occurs.

(16) FIGS. 3 and 4 show another embodiment of the mixing device 10 according to the invention. Therefore FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with four outlet arms 30, wherein the single outlet openings 32 comprise each an outlet direction A which is assembled tangential or mainly tangential towards the mutual coverage U. Thereby all outlet arms 30 extend radially from the fluid supply 20 away by mainly the same amount, so that a mutual coverage U is produced.

(17) FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the mixing device 10 by which two outlet arms 30 are intended. This also comprises a mainly equal radial extension, so that a mutual coverage U is formed. However, with this embodiment a horizontal angled positioning via a horizontal angle H of the outlet direction A of both outlet openings 32 is intended. His horizontal angle H lays in the layer which is clamped by the outlet arms 30, between a tangent T to the mutual coverage U and the respective outlet direction A.

(18) In FIG. 5 an embodiment is shown, which comprises a vertical positioning with a vertical angle V. According to FIG. 5 the vertical angle V can be defined in a similar way as the horizontal angle H. Thereby by way of example a tangent T is intended at a mutual coverage U, wherein a downwards tilting of the outlet direction A occurs in a vertical direction. It can be easily seen, that a formation of the outlet arm 30 is intended with a mainly round external cross section and a freely round inner cross section.

(19) FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show three different embodiments of a mixing device 10 according to the invention. For better clarity these three figures show the mixing device 10 in the processing alongside the coverage. FIG. 6 shows an alternative with alternatingly assembled outlet openings 32. The outlet directions A point in different directions according to the horizontal level (shown as a dashed line). The amount of vertical angles V is thereby particularly identical. Each outlet opening 32 is thus adjusted to the bottom layer of the container 110, while each alternating outlet opening 32 points away from the bottom area of the container 110. Thereby a foam forming on the surface of the stored fluid in the container 110 can be effectively avoided. The variation of this embodiment is shown in FIG. 7. A dual alternation is shown. Two outlet openings 32 are each alternatingly pointing in the same direction. FIG. 8 shows an embodiment by which each second outlet opening 32 points upwards. Thereby a minimal embodiment is shown in order to achieve a reduction of the foam forming.

(20) The subsequent explanation of the embodiments describes the present invention exclusively within the scope of examples. Naturally single features of the embodiments in case they are technically reasonable can be freely combined with one another, without leaving the scope of the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(21) 10 mixing device 20 fluid supply 22 additional opening 30 outlet arm 32 outlet opening 100 fluid system 110 container 112 container wall 114 container axis 120 flow pump 120a flow valve 122 suction side of the flow pump 124 pressure side of the flow pump 130 return flow pump 130a return flow valve 132 suction side of the return flow pump 134 pressure side of the return flow pump 140 fluid receptor 150 fluid tank 160 bypass 160a bypass valve 170 pump pit A outlet direction V vertical angle H horizontal angle U mutual coverage T tangent