DEVICE FOR SEPARATING BULK MATERIAL

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for separating bulk material, comprising a conveying device in the form of a rotatable drum, which has one or more receptacles for separately conveying the bulk material from a feeding area for bulk material and is designed to convey bulk material by means of the one or more receptacles in a separated manner from the feeding area to a depositing surface during rotation of the drum.

Claims

1. A device for separating bulk material comprising a conveying device in the form of a rotatable drum, which has at least one receptacle for separately conveying the bulk material from a feeding area for bulk material and is designed to convey bulk material by means of the at least one receptacle in a separated manner from the feeding area to a depositing surface during rotation of the drum.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the drum has a plurality of receptacles for separately conveying bulk material from the feeding area.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is designed to convey the bulk material at least in sections in a free-running manner by means of the drum.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein in that the drum has one or more surface structures and wherein the one or more surfaces structures differ in shape from the receptacles(s).

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the one or more surface structures of the drum extend at least partially along the outer circumference of the drum.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one limiting element is provided between the drum and the feeding area, which limits the flow of the bulk material to the drum.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein at least one brush is provided as a limiting element between the drum and the feeding area, which is slidably mounted on another limiting element via at least one resetting element.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein two brushes are provided as limiting elements between the drum and the feeding area, wherein a first of the two brushes is slidably mounted, via at least one resetting element, on a first further limiting element and wherein a second of the two brushes is slidably mounted via at least one resetting element, on a second further limiting element, wherein the first brush limits the movement of bulk material from the feeding area and the second brush limits pick-up of bulk material by the drum.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor in the form of a light barrier is provided, which is directed towards the drum and which is connected to a control unit, wherein the control unit monitors the rotation of the drum by means of a signal from the sensor.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one receptacle of the drum has at least one curved or arched contour, such that a shovel-shaped receptacle is formed.

11. System having A system comprising at least one of the device for separating bulk material according to claim 1 and a feeding area for bulk material in the form of a box or container, which is capable of can be or is connected to this device, and/or a conveying device in the form of a chute or a conveyor belt, which is designed to transport the separated bulk material from the rotatable drum to the depositing surface.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the conveying device is designed in the form of the chute, which at its end facing away from the rotatable drum has a curvature in the form of a slope with which the bulk material conveyed via the chute is guided against the force of gravity.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the chute has, at its end facing away from the rotatable drum in the area of the slope, at least one deflection means in the form of a bevelled edge and/or a bulge, by means of which bulk material conveyed on the chute is capable of being deflected to the left and/or right out of the conveying direction.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of a device is provided, which the plurality are designed to convey bulk material to the feeding surface, wherein the feeding surface is a common feeding surface for the plurality, wherein the device comprising a conveying device in the form of a rotatable drum, which has at least one receptacle for separately conveying the bulk material from a feeding area for bulk material and is designed to convey bulk material by means of the at least one receptacle in a separated manner from the feeding area to a depositing surface during rotation of the drum.

15. The system according to claim 11, further having a pressing unit, wherein the pressing unit is designed downstream of the device for separating bulk material.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the drum has a plurality of four receptacles for separately conveying bulk material from the feeding area.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is designed to convey the bulk material at least in sections in a free-running manner by means of the drum, wherein the device does not have a wall opposite or adjacent to the drum along the areas in which the bulk material is transported during operation, and not at a distance by which the conveying of the bulk material by the drum is influenced.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein in that the drum has one or more surface structures in the form of protrusions and/or depressions, and wherein the one or more surfaces structures differ in shape from the receptacles(s).

19. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one limiting element in the form of a retaining wall is provided between the drum and the feeding area, which limits the flow of the bulk material to the drum.

Description

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention having a drum and a feeding are for bulk material;

[0055] FIGS. 2a and 2b each show a drum according to one embodiment of the invention;

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a system according to the invention according to one embodiment;

[0057] FIG. 4 shows a pressing unit according to the invention according to one embodiment;

[0058] FIG. 5 shows a system according to the invention having a plurality of devices according to the invention;

[0059] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of a device according to the invention;

[0060] FIG. 7 shows a top view of a device according to the invention; and

[0061] FIG. 8 shows a sectional view of a drum, which is installed in a device according to the invention.

[0062] FIG. 1 shows a device 1 for separating bulk material having a conveying device in the form of a rotatable drum 2, which has one or more receptacles 3 for separately conveying the bulk material from a feeding area 4 for bulk material and is designed to convey bulk material by means of the one or more receptacles 3 in a separated manner from the feeding area 4 to a depositing surface during rotation of the drum 2 in the direction of the arrow.

[0063] The inflow of bulk material from the feeding area 4 to the drum 2 is limited or regulated by a retaining wall 5.

[0064] FIG. 2a shows a drum 2 having receptacles 3 for conveying bulk material. As shown in FIG. 2b, the drum 2 can have surface structures 6 on its outer circumferential surface, which enable particularly constant conveying of bulk material. The surface structures 6 can comprise recesses and/or protrusions.

[0065] In this embodiment, the receptacles 3 have a plurality of curved recesses on one contour, forming a plurality of protrusions 8 in the manner of the teeth of an excavator shovel. This design ensures particularly reliable pick-up of the bulk material.

[0066] FIG. 3 shows a system according to the invention with a drum 2, a feeding area 4 for bulk material formed by a container 9 and a conveying device in the form of a chute 10, on which the individual workpieces are guided to a depositing surface.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows a pressing unit 12 according to the invention, which can be designed as part of the system according to the invention. The pressing unit supports an automated pressing step in order to keep both the steps that have to be carried out by an operator and the assembly as standardised as possible.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 4, the pressing unit can have a piston 13, which is moved by means of a linear motor, for example. The now separated workpieces can now be picked up in a defined manner by a robot and placed on a pallet 14. This pallet can be mounted so that it can be moved in a linear manner so that loading takes place outside a pressing chamber of the pressing unit. The workpieces can then be arranged on the pallet and pushed into the pressing chamber for pressing.

[0069] One or more safety mechanisms can be provided to prevent an operator from accidentally entering the pressing chamber or the pressing process from starting before the pallet 14 is fully positioned in the pressing chamber. For example, the pressing unit 12 can have a shielding edge 15 or an elevation on the pallet 14 and/or a protrusion on the housing surrounding the pressing chamber. Additionally or alternatively, a safety mechanism can be designed so that the pressing process can only be started when the pallet 14 is fully accommodated in the pressing chamber.

[0070] This means that relays can only be closed when the pallet is in a predefined position in the pressing chamber. For example, the pallet can have a conductive strip and two contact pins can be formed in the pressing chamber so that the contact circle is only reached in the predefined position of the pallet. Similarly or alternatively, a light barrier can be arranged in such a way that it is only triggered when the pallet is in the defined position. Additionally or alternatively, a light barrier can be provided, which prevents or stops the pressing process in the event of an interruption. This means that the light barrier can be interrupted if an operator intervenes, preventing the pressing process.

[0071] An optical inspection step can also be provided before the pressing process. The arrangement of the workpieces can be recorded by a camera and checked by an evaluation unit. An optical inspection step can also be carried out after the pressing process. This allows the result to be recorded and analysed. For example, image recognition processes using artificial intelligence can be used for this purpose. For example, the images captured by the camera can be fed as data records to a neural network in order to detect deviations between the actual state and a target state.

[0072] FIG. 5 shows a system according to the invention with three devices according to the invention arranged next to each other, each having a container 9, a drum 2, a chute 10 and a pressing unit, which are assigned to a common depositing surface 11.

[0073] FIG. 6 shows a device according to the invention, in which the feeding area 4 for bulk material is enlarged beyond the container 9. A container structure 16 is provided for this purpose, which is preferably detachably connected to the container 9.

[0074] In this embodiment, the movement of bulk material out of the container 9 is limited by a brush 17, which is arranged at one end of the container structure 16 facing the drum 2. The brush 17 is mounted on a retaining wall 18 by means of at least one spring.

[0075] Instead of a combination of a brush and a retaining wall, only one brush can also be used.

[0076] A brush 19 is arranged downstream of the brush 17 in the direction of movement of the bulk material from the container 9 to the drum 2, which is displaceably mounted on the retaining wall 5 by means of at least one spring.

[0077] Instead of a combination of a brush 19 and a retaining wall 5, only one brush 19 can also be used.

[0078] It can also be seen in FIG. 6 that the drum 2 conveys bulk material in a free-running manner, so that the quantity of bulk material picked up in a receptacle 3 is not limited by a wall of the housing 20 surrounding the drum 2. The receptacle 3 of the drum 2 can therefore be filled with bulk material. In addition, an individual element of the bulk material can be accommodated in a receptacle 3 in any orientation and protrude from it, for example.

[0079] In this design, a brush 21 is also provided along the chute 10, which dampens the movement of bulk material on the chute 10 and thus ensures controlled transport of bulk material along the chute 10. Preferably, the brush 21 is not arranged on a retaining wall in order to prevent bulk material from getting caught on the retaining wall.

[0080] At one end facing away from the device 1, the chute 10 has a slope 22, i.e. the chute 10 is curved upwards in the illustration in FIG. 6. This extends the trajectory of bulk material conveyed via the chute due to the steeper departure angle.

[0081] In addition, the chute 10 has a lateral ramp 23 at the slope 22, by means of which bulk material is deflected to the right from a conveying direction along the chute 10. No side wall bounding the side of the chute can be provided opposite the lateral ramp 23. This can have the effect of increas-ing the scattering range.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 7, the chute 10 can have a central bulge 24 instead of the ramp 23 at the slope 22, by means of which bulk material is deflected to the right or left from a conveying direction along the chute 10. The embodiment as shown in FIG. 7 may otherwise have all or some of the features described in connection with FIG. 6. They are not described again here, but reference is made to the explanations relating to FIG. 6.

[0083] In further embodiments, the bulge 24 and/or the lateral ramp 23 may be provided but no slope 22.

[0084] In addition, a catching section 25, which is designed to catch bulk material conveyed by the drum 2, is preferably height-adjustable or movably mounted on the housing 20 and/or an intermediate piece 26.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 8, a motor and/or gear unit 27 is at least partially arranged in the drum 2 or integrated into it. This allows for a particularly compact design. The motor is preferably a stepper motor.

[0086] The housing half 20a shown on the left in the illustration in FIG. 8 is preferably removably or detachably connected to the rest of the housing 20 and thus permits simple maintenance or simple replacement of a drum 2 with integrated motor and/or gear unit 27.