Abstract
A mixer insert for a static mixer, includes mixing elements that are arranged behind one another along a longitudinal central axis. The mixing elements have a web arrangement including a plurality of intersecting or mutually adjoining webs. The mixing elements have web arrangements that are rotated by an angle of rotation with respect to one another. The mixer insert is configured as a single-part component.
Claims
1. A mixer insert for a static mixer, the mixer insert comprising: a plurality of mixing elements arranged behind one another along a longitudinal central axis, each of the mixing elements having a web arrangement comprising a plurality of intersecting or mutually adjoining webs, at least two mixing elements of the plurality of mixing elements being arranged behind one another along the longitudinal central axis have web arrangements that are rotated by an angle of rotation with respect to one another, the mixer insert configured as a single-part component.
2. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first group of the mutually adjoining webs of the web arrangement have a longitudinal extent extending in parallel with a grid plane that comprises the longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert.
3. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first group of the mutually adjoining webs comprises a web structure close to a center that has webs at both sides of the grid plane.
4. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 3, wherein the webs of the web structure close to the center have widened portions at one or both ends, the widened portions penetrating the grid plane configured to stabilize the mutually adjoining webs of the web structure close to the center.
5. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first group of the mutually adjoining webs comprises a web structure far from a center that has webs at both sides of the grid plane.
6. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the webs of the mutually adjoining web structure far from the center form a cross, and are connected to one another or transition into one another at transitions of the mixer elements.
7. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 5, wherein the webs of the mutually adjoining web structure far from the center of the grid plane form a rhombus or a rectangle, and have a sectionally reduced width in a direction perpendicular to the grid plane.
8. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 2, wherein a second group of webs of the web arrangement have a longitudinal extent extending perpendicular to a leaf plane that comprises a longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert and that is arranged perpendicular to the grid plane.
9. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second group of the mutually adjoining webs has a web structure arranged at an end side in a longitudinal direction of the mixing element or a web structure arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction of the mixing element.
10. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 5, wherein a second group of the mutually adjoining webs of the web arrangement has a longitudinal extent extending perpendicular to a leaf plane that comprises a longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert and that is arranged perpendicular to the grid plane, the second group of the mutually adjoining webs has a web structure arranged at an end side in a longitudinal direction of the mixing element or a web structure arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction of the mixing element, and the webs of the web structure far from the center of the grid plane form a rhombus or a rectangle, and are connected to the second group of the mutually adjoining webs at the end side or transition into the second group of the mutually adjoining webs at transitions of the mixing elements.
11. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 9, wherein a first group of the mutually adjoining webs of the web arrangement have a longitudinal extent extending in parallel with a grid plane that comprises the longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert, the first group of the mutually adjoining webs comprising a web structure far from a center that has webs at both sides of the grid plane, and the second group of webs of the web structure arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction of the mixing element is connected to the webs of the web structure close to the center of the grid plane or transition into the webs of the web structure close to the center of the grid plane.
12. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 5, wherein a second group of webs of the web arrangement have a longitudinal extent extending perpendicular to a leaf plane that comprises a longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert and that is arranged perpendicular to the grid plane the webs of the web structure far from the center and the second group of have a curved surface at outer ends facing away from the longitudinal central axis, with the curvatures being having an oval cross-section.
13. A static mixer for mixing multi-component material systems, the static mixer comprising: a mixing sleeve; and the mixer insert in accordance with claim 1 configured to be received in the mixing sleeve.
14. A method of manufacturing a mixer insert in accordance with claim 1, comprising: producing the mixer insert by a single injection molding process.
15. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first group of the mutually adjoining webs comprises a web structure close to a center that has webs at both sides of the grid plane with the webs forming a shape of an eight lying on a side or of two rhombuses or parallelograms arranged next to one another along the longitudinal central axis, and mutually adjoining webs each being arranged at different sides of the grid plane.
16. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first group of the mutually adjoining webs comprises a web structure far from a center that has webs at both sides of the grid plane forming the shape of a cross and of a rhombus or rectangle arranged concentrically with respect to the cross with three webs being arranged at each side of the grid plane and each extending in parallel with one another.
17. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 5, wherein the webs of the mutually adjoining web structure far from the center of the grid plane form a rhombus or a rectangle, and have a sectionally reduced width in a direction perpendicular to the grid plane in end regions that are centrally arranged in the mixing element.
18. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second group of the mutually adjoining webs has a web structure arranged at an end side in a longitudinal direction of the mixing element or a web structure arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction of the mixing element the web structure having webs at both sides of the leaf plane with the web structure forming the shape of a roof or of an angle.
19. The mixer insert in accordance with claim 5, wherein a second group of webs of the web arrangement have a longitudinal extent extending perpendicular to a leaf plane that comprises a longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert and that is arranged perpendicular to the grid plane the webs of the web structure far from the center and the second group of have a curved surface at outer ends facing away from the longitudinal central axis, with the curvatures having elliptical cross-section or a circular cross-section.
20. A static mixer for mixing multi-component material systems, the static mixer comprising a mixing sleeve having a connection device arranged at one end to connect to a dispensing apparatus of the multi-component material system and a dispensing device arranged at an other end; and the mixer insert in accordance with claim 1 configured to be received in the mixing sleeve.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0032] The invention will be explainer in more detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings.
[0033] FIG. 1 is a mixer insert in accordance with the disclosure in a plan view in a first embodiment;
[0034] FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of the mixer insert in a plan view in accordance with FIG. 1;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the enlarged section in accordance with FIG. 2;
[0036] FIGS. 4A-4C show a highly schematized representation of individual web structures of a mixer insert in accordance with the invention in accordance with a first embodiment;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a perspective representation of a mixer insert in accordance with the invention in accordance with a first embodiment;
[0038] FIG. 6 is a perspective representation of a mixer insert in accordance with the invention in accordance with a second embodiment;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a section of the mixer insert in accordance with FIG. 6 in an enlarged plan view; and
[0040] FIG. 8 is a perspective representation of the enlarged section in accordance with FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a mixer insert 01 in accordance with the invention, for a static mixer, comprising a plurality of mixing elements 02 that are arranged behind one another along a longitudinal central axis L, and indeed directly adjoining one another. The mixing elements 02 comprise a web arrangement 03 comprising a plurality of intersecting and/or mutually adjoining webs 04. In the example of FIG. 1, the mixer insert 01 comprises thirteen mixing elements 02 arranged directly adjoining one another. However, more, in particular up to 48, mixing elements can also be provided in a mixer insert formed in one piece. Alternatively, fewer mixing elements can also be provided. The adjacent mixing elements are each rotated by 90° with respect to one another, whereby an alternating view of individual mixing elements 02 can be recognized in the representation selected in FIG. 1. The mixer insert 01 is overall formed in one part, wherein the web arrangements 03 of the mixing elements 02 of two mixing elements, preferably of all the mixing elements arranged behind one another along the longitudinal axis, are rotated by an angle of rotation, preferably 90°, with respect to one another and are otherwise designed with an identical web arrangement. A particular advantage of the mixer insert 01 in accordance with FIG. 1 is the fact that it is configured as a single-piece injection-molded component, in particular as a single-piece plastic injection-molded component, and can be produced by a simple, single-stage injection molding process in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In this respect, the web arrangements of the respective mixing elements per se and due to the arrangement of the respective consecutive mixing elements 02 rotated or turned with respect to one another provide a particularly good and efficient mixing as part of a static mixing process.
[0042] FIG. 2 shows a section of a mixer insert 01 in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1. The boundaries G between mutually adjoining mixing elements 02 are marked even more clearly therein. In FIG. 2, a mixing element 02 is shown in the central region and it can be seen from the mixing element 02 that the majority of the webs 04 extending along the plane of representation form webs 04 that intersect perpendicular to the plane of representation. The webs 04.1 are to be associated with the first group of webs, wherein the grid plane E.sub.G, in particular the grid plane E.sub.G of the central mixing element in accordance with FIG. 2, then extends in parallel with the plane of representation of FIG. 2 and moreover comprises the longitudinal central axis, not shown in FIG. 2, of the mixer insert. As will be explained in more detail with reference to subsequent Figures, the first group of webs 04.1 comprises a web structure close to the center that has webs 04.2 at both sides of the grid plane E.sub.G, with preferably the webs 04.2 forming the shape of an eight lying on its side or of two rhombuses or parallelograms arranged next to one another along the longitudinal central axis, and with, further preferably, mutually adjoining webs 04.2 each being arranged at different sides of the grid plane.
[0043] Furthermore, the first group of webs 04.1 comprises a web structure far from the center whose webs 04.3 are arranged at both sides of the grid plane, and with the webs 04.3 preferably forming the shape of a cross and of a rhombus or rectangle arranged concentrically with respect to the cross, with, further preferably, three webs 04.3 being arranged at each side of the grid plane E.sub.G and each extending in parallel with one another. In the example of FIG. 2, the three parallel webs 04.3 can be recognized at this side of the grid plane E.sub.G. The webs 04.3 arranged at the other side of the grid plane E.sub.G are concealed by the webs 04.3 and webs of the leaf plane due to the selection of the representation perspective with the drawing plane in parallel with the grid plane E.sub.G.
[0044] The outer mixing elements 02 in the representation of FIG. 2 are thus rotated by 90° with respect to the central mixing element 02 such that the viewing direction here extends in parallel with a leaf plane E.sub.F that is perpendicular to the grid plane E.sub.G of the mixing elements and likewise comprises the longitudinal central axis of the mixer insert. In the view in which the leaf plane E.sub.F extends in parallel with the drawing plane for the outer mixing elements 02, both properties of the first group of webs 04.1 and features and properties of the second group of webs 04.4 can be recognized.
[0045] On the one hand, it can be seen that the webs 04.1 of the first group form a total of four rows of which the two inner rows form the web structure 05 close to the center, with the outwardly disposed webs forming the web structure 06 far from the center. It can be seen that the webs 04.2 of the web structure 05 close to the center have widened portions 07 at the ends, the widened portions 07 penetrating the grid plane E.sub.G and improving the stability of the mutually adjoining webs. It can likewise be seen that the webs 04.1 of the first group, which are associated with the web structure 06 far from the center, have a width B that is sectionally reduced in a direction perpendicular to the grid plane E.sub.G, in particular in end regions of the webs 04.3 that are centrally arranged in the mixing element 02.
[0046] It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the webs 04.3 of the web structure 06 far from the center, which form the cross, are connected to one another at the transitions or boundaries Ci of the mixing elements 02. In this respect, the connection extends approximately over a height H of the webs 04.3 of the web structure 06 far from the center. As shown in FIG. 2, the connection or the transition between the webs 04.3 can also be smaller than the height H of the corresponding webs 04.3.
[0047] Likewise, between the central mixing element 02 and the left mixing element 02, it can also be seen within the framework of the representation of FIG. 2 that the webs 04.3 of the web structure 06 far from the center, which form the eight lying on its side, the rhombuses or parallelograms arranged next to one another, transition into or are connected to webs 04.4 whose longitudinal extents extend substantially perpendicular to the leaf plane E.sub.F.
[0048] In the central mixing element 02, it can also be seen that the webs 04.4 of the second group of webs, namely the webs that extend perpendicular to the leaf plane E.sub.F, transition into the webs 04.1, 04.2 of the grid plane or are connected to one another in the region of the web structure 05 close to the center.
[0049] Accordingly, in the perspective representation of FIG. 3, three mixing elements 02 are likewise shown at least in part, wherein the properties, which were already explained with reference to FIG. 2, become more comprehensible again with reference to FIG. 3, for which purpose FIG. 3 has the same reference numerals as FIG. 2. On the one hand, the webs 04.3 of the web structure far from the center that are arranged at both sides of the grid plane and the transition of the webs 04.3 at the boundary or at the transition of the mixing elements 02, on the one hand, and into webs 04.4 perpendicular to the leaf plane can be recognized. The webs 04.2 of the web structure 05 close to the center are somewhat less easily recognizable and moreover transition into or are connected to the webs 04.4 perpendicular to the leaf plane and furthermore have the widened portions 07.
[0050] Based on the representation of FIG. 4A-FIG. 4C, the shape of the webs of the first group and the shape of the webs of the second group are again also explained by way of example with reference to a simplified representation in which in each case the representation of some of the webs, in particular a representation of some of the webs of the respective other group, is omitted.
[0051] In the representation of FIG. 4A, only the webs 04.2 of the web structure 05 close to the center are shown in a representation analogous to the central mixing element of FIG. 2, i.e. in a view in which the grid plane E.sub.G extends in parallel with the plane of representation. In this respect, webs 04.2 that are arranged at one side of the grid plane E.sub.G are shown with solid lines and webs 04.2 that are arranged at the oppositely disposed side of the grid plane E.sub.G are shown with dotted lines. In the representation of FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the leaf plane E.sub.F extends perpendicular to the plane of representation and comprises the longitudinal central axis L. As can be seen therefrom, the webs 04.2 form, in each case in an alternating arrangement with respect to the grid plane E.sub.G, an eight lying on its side or two rhombuses arranged next to one another in the direction of the longitudinal central axis L of the mixing element 02.
[0052] In the representation of FIG. 4B, which corresponds to the representation of FIG. 4A in terms of the representation perspective, only the webs 04.3 of the web structure 06 far from the center of the first group of webs 04.1 are shown. Here, too, analogously to FIG. 4A, the webs at one side of the grid plane E.sub.G are shown solid, whereas webs 04.3 at the oppositely disposed side of the grid plane E.sub.G are shown with dotted contours. In the exemplary representation of FIG. 4B, it can be seen that the webs 04.3 form a cross, on the one hand, with the respective webs 04.3 being arranged at different sides of the grid plane. Similarly, it can be seen that the remaining webs 04.3 form a rhombus formed concentrically with respect to the cross, wherein the webs 04.3 are likewise arranged at different sides of the grid plane E.sub.G to form the contour of the rhombus.
[0053] Finally, in the representation of FIG. 4C, a simplified or filtered view is shown in which only the webs 4.4 of the second group of webs are shown. The selection of the view or representation is chosen such that the drawing plane coincides with the leaf plane E or extends in parallel with the leaf plane E.sub.F. In the representation of FIG. 4C, analogously to the representation of FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, webs that are arranged at the one side of the leaf plane E.sub.F are shown with solid contours, whereas webs 4.4 that are arranged at the oppositely disposed side of the leaf plane E.sub.F are shown with dotted contours. Based on the representation of FIG. 4C, it can be relatively easily understood that the webs 04.4 of the second group comprise a web structure arranged at an end side in the longitudinal direction L of the mixing element 02 and a web structure arranged centrally in the longitudinal direction L of the mixing element 02, the web structure in each case comprising webs 04.4 at both sides of the leaf plane E.sub.F, with preferably the web structure in each case forming the shape of a roof or of an angle. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the angular structures are identically oriented.
[0054] A mixer insert 01 in accordance with the first embodiment is again shown in FIG. 5. The webs 04.3 of the web structure far from the center of the webs 04.1 of the first group can also be particularly easily recognized in the perspective representation of FIG. 5. Furthermore, the webs 04.4 of the second group of webs can also be clearly recognized. It is also shown that the total mixer insert 01 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape, in particular a square cross-sectional shape.
[0055] An alternative embodiment of a mixer insert 01 can be seen from FIG. 6 in which the webs 04.3 of the web structure far from the center and the webs 04.4 of the leaf plane have a curved surface O at the outer ends facing away from the longitudinal central axis L, with the curvature being selected such that a cross-section, for example a circular cross-section, of the mixer insert 01 is achieved along the longitudinal central axis L. Otherwise, the arrangement and orientation of the webs 04.1 to 04.4 correspond to the systematics of the first embodiment. Only the transitions of the central webs of the web structure 04.3 far from the center are omitted due to the rounding or curvature of the outer ends of the webs.
[0056] The fact that the connection or the transition, as shown in FIG. 2, is not present in the circular design of the total surface or of the cross-section of the mixer insert 01, as shown in 6, can also be easily seen with reference to the detailed representation of FIG. 7 that substantially corresponds to the representation perspective and the arrangement of the mixing elements in accordance with FIG. 2. It can be seen that the transition between the webs 04.3 and the webs 04.4 arranged at the end side in the adjoining mixing elements 02 is maintained, whereas the transition between the central webs 04.3 and the central webs 04.3 of the adjoining or next mixing element 02 is omitted due to the rounding or curvature of the surface or web ends. However, it can equally be seen that there is substantial agreement with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, in particular with respect to the arrangement of the webs per se and also with respect to the design of the webs 04.1 to 04.4.
[0057] For the sake of completeness, a perspective representation of the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, which is similar to FIG. 3 in the selection of the view, is shown in FIG. 8. The features of the webs 04.1 to 04.4 can also be seen from FIG. 7 even if the perspective representation of FIG. 8 makes the representation appear comparatively complex. However, what is still worth mentioning with respect to FIG. 7 is the fact that the reduced width B of the webs 04.3 of the web structure 06 far from the center is not constant, as can be seen in FIG. 2, but steadily decreases due to the curved surface O and is tapered towards a pointed end of the web. However, the transitions between the webs 04.3 and the webs 04.4 are also recognizable in other respects. Similarly, the transitions between the webs 04.4 and the webs 04.2 close to the center are recognizable.
[0058] In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 8, 90° angles of the intersecting webs are provided in each case. However, this is not absolutely necessary. In a correspondingly modified design of the webs and web arrangements, larger or smaller intersecting angles can also be implemented.
