Mixer

Abstract

A mixer (1) having a measuring device (5) for determining a torque which can be applied using a mixing device drive (3) of the mixer to a medium to be mixed. The mixing device drive (3) is mounted to pivot within the housing (2) of the mixer (1) and is supported at least indirectly against at least one rotational direction of its two rotational directions. With the aid of the measuring device (5), a reaction force of this at least one support can be detected and from this, the torque applied by the mixing device drive can be determined.

Claims

1. A mixer (1), comprising: a housing (2); a mixing device drive (3) arranged in the housing (2), the mixing device drive (3) being configured for measuring a torque introduced into a medium to be mixed by said mixing device drive (3) being mounted to pivot about a pivot axis (4) within the housing (2); a support that at least indirectly supports the mixing device drive (3) against at least one of first and second rotational directions (Pf 1) of the mixing device drive (3); a measuring device (5) configured to detect a reaction force of said support; and a holding arm (7) on which the mixing device drive (3) is arranged, the holding arm (7) being mounted to pivot within the housing (2).

2. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a first contact surface (12) that at least indirectly supports the mixing drive device (3) against the first rotational direction and a second contact surface (13) that at least indirectly supports the mixing device drive (3) against the second rotational direction.

3. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measuring device (5) comprises at least one force sensor (6) configured to measure the reaction force.

4. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mixing device drive (3) is at least indirectly connected to the measuring device (5) such that the reaction force resulting from support against both the first and second rotational directions is detectable by the measuring device (5).

5. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot axis (4) is one of: (i) congruent with a rotational axis (19) of an output shaft (18) of the mixer (1), (ii) spaced apart from the rotational axis (19) of the output shaft (18), or (iii) intersecting the rotational axis (19) of the output shaft (18).

6. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivot axis (4) is one of: (i) running through the mixing device drive (3), (ii) congruent with a rotational axis of a driven shaft (17) of the mixing device drive (3), (iii) spaced apart from the rotational axis of the driven shaft (17), or (iv) intersecting the rotational axis of the driven shaft (17).

7. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one force sensor (6) of the measuring device (5) is arranged such that at least one of the mixing device drive (3), a holding arm (7), or a force transmission element (14) connected at least temporarily to the mixing device drive (3) is supported at least indirectly against the at least one force sensor (6).

8. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a mounting (9) with at least one bearing (10) for the pivotable mounting of the mixing device drive (3) about the pivot axis (4).

9. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the support comprises a sensor arm (11), and the at least one force sensor (6) of the measuring device (5) is connected to the sensor arm (11).

10. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the measuring device (5) comprises at least one force sensor (6), and at least one of the first contact surface (12) or the second contact surface (13) is associated with the at least one force sensor (6).

11. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mixing device drive (3) comprises a force transmission element (14) that is configured to contact at least one of the first contact surface (12) or the second contact surface (13) for at least indirectly supporting the mixing device drive (3) against at least one of the first and second rotational directions.

12. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the mixing device drive (3), the holding arm (7), or a force transmission element (14) comprises at least one support surface (15).

13. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one force sensor (6) is a strain gauge, a pressure sensor, a piezoelectric force sensor, a piezo-resistive force sensor, a piezoelectric pressure sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, an oscillating wire transducer, or an electromagnetic pressure converter.

14. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mixer (1) comprises an overhead stirrer, a viscosimeter, or a disperser.

15. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the measuring device (5) comprises at least one force sensor (6) configured to measure the reaction force generated from support of the mixing device drive (3) by both the first contact surface (12) and the second contact surface (13).

16. The mixer (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the mounting (9) is further configured to support an output shaft (18) of the mixer (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in greater detail with the help of an exemplary embodiment, but it is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments result by combining features of individual, or multiple, protection claims with one another and/or combining individual, or multiple, features of the exemplary embodiment. The drawings show, as a partially highly schematized representation:

(2) FIG. 1: shows a side view of a mixer with a mixing device drive which is arranged in a housing of the mixer and pivotably mounted there,

(3) FIG. 2: shows a sectional view of the mixer with the mixing device drive arranged in a rotatably mounted manner therein along the line shown in FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3: shows a highly schematized representation of the mixing device drive, with possible support surfaces depicted in hatched lines in this case, via which support surfaces the mixing device drive for detecting the reaction forces can be supported at least indirectly against a force sensor of the measuring device of the mixer, and

(5) FIG. 4: shows a highly schematized side view of the mixing device drive with its mounting, wherein in this case possible positions of a force sensor connected to a sensor arm are depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) All the figures show at least parts of a mixer designated as a whole as 1. The mixer 1 has a housing 2 and a mixing device drive 3 arranged within the housing 2. The mixing device drive 3 is pivotably mounted about a pivot axis 4 within the housing 2, in order to determine a torque introduced by the mixing device drive 3 into a medium to be mixed.

(7) The mixing device drive 3 is supported within the housing 2 against its two rotational directions (cf. double arrow PF 1). In order to detect reaction forces of these two supports, the mixer 1 has a measuring device 5. The measuring device 5 is set up to detect reaction forces of both supports.

(8) For this purpose, the measuring device 5 has a force sensor 6. The force sensor 6 is used to receive and measure the reaction forces of both supports. For this purpose, the pivotably mounted mixing device drive 3 is supported within the housing 2 against the force sensor 6.

(9) The mixing device drive 3 is connected to the measuring device 5 and its force sensor 6 at least indirectly in such a manner that reaction forces of the supports of the mixing device drive 3 can be detected against both of its rotational directions.

(10) The mixing device drive 3 is arranged within the housing 2 on a pivotably mounted holding arm 7. A gear mechanism 8 with which an output speed delivered by the mixing device drive 3 can be increased or reduced by an increasing or a reducing ratio may be arranged within the holding arm 7, for example. The mixer 1 comprises a mounting 9 with a total of two bearings 10, which are designed as rolling bearings in the exemplary embodiment shown in the figures. The mounting 9 is used for the pivot mounting of the mixing device drive 3 within the housing 2 of the mixer 1.

(11) The force sensor 6 of the measuring device 5 is, for its part, connected to a sensor arm 11. The sensor arm 11 has two contact surfaces 12 and 13 which are provided to support the pivotably mounted mixing drive 3 against its two rotational directions. The contact surfaces 12 and 13 are arranged on opposite sides of the sensor arm 11 in this case.

(12) The mixer 1 further comprises a force transmission element 14 which is connected to the mixing device drive 3. The force transmission element 14 is used for contacting the contact surfaces 12 and 13 of the sensor arm 11 for support against its two rotational directions of the mixing device drive 3, thereby to support the pivotably mounted mixing device drive 3 at least indirectly on the force sensor 6, and to transmit the reaction forces thereby generated for determining a torque to the force sensor 6.

(13) A strain gauge, a pressure sensor, a piezoelectric force sensor, a piezo-resistive force sensor, a piezoelectric pressure sensor, a capacitive pressure sensor, a oscillating wire transducer, or an electromagnetic pressure converter can be used as the force sensor. The mixer may be designed as an overhead stirrer, as a viscosimeter or also as a disperser, for example.

(14) FIG. 3 illustrates potential support surfaces 15 on the mixing device drive 3 and the holding arm 7, which can be used to support the mixing device drive 3 at least indirectly. The support surfaces 15 are depicted in hatched lines. FIG. 4 shows a small selection of possible arrangements of the force sensor 6 and the sensor arm 11 thereof relative to the pivotably mounted mixing device drive 3.

(15) In the exemplary embodiment shown, the mixing device drive 3 is designed as an electric motor 16 which is connected to an output shaft 18 of the mixer with its driven shaft 17 via the gear mechanism 8. The output shaft 18 of the mixer 1 is mounted by the two bearings 10 of the mounting 9. Consequently, the mounting 9 is used both for the pivot mounting of the mixing device drive 3 and for the swivel mounting of the output shaft 18 of the mixer 1. A rotational axis 19 of the output shaft 18 is thereby mounted congruently with the pivot axis 4, about which the mixing device drive 3 is pivotably mounted within the housing 2.

(16) In the case of an embodiment of the mixer 1 not shown in the figures, the pivot axis 4 about which the mixing device drive 3 is pivotably mounted within the housing 2 is not congruent with a rotational axis of an output shaft of the mixer 1. With an embodiment of the mixer of this kind, the pivot axis 4 may be spaced apart, in particular spaced apart in a parallel manner or skewed, from the rotational axis 19 of the output shaft 18, or it may intersect the rotational axis 19 of the output shaft 18.

(17) The mixing device drive 3 in this case has its own mounting, which can then be designed as a pivot mounting and referred to as such. In an embodiment of the mixer 1 not shown in the figures, the pivot axis 4 about which the mixing device drive 3 is pivotably mounted within the housing 2 may run through the mixing device drive 3 and/or be congruent with a rotational axis of the driven shaft 17 of the mixing device drive 3.

(18) The mixer 1 may be designed as an overhead stirrer, as a viscosimeter, or as a disperser, for example.

(19) The invention relates to a mixer 1. In order to determine a torque that can be introduced into a medium to be mixed using a mixing device drive 3 of the mixer, said mixer 1 has a measuring device 5. The mixing device drive 3 is pivotably mounted within the housing 2 of the mixer 1, and is supported at least indirectly against at least one rotational direction of its two rotational directions. With the help of the measuring device 5, a reaction force of this at least one support can be detected, and the torque of the mixing device drive which is applied determined from this.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(20) 1 mixer 2 housing 3 mixing device drive 4 pivot axis 5 measuring device 6 force sensor 7 holding arm 8 gear mechanism 9 mounting 10 bearing 11 sensor arm 12 contact surface at 11 13 contact surface at 11 14 force transmission element 15 supporting surface at 3 and 7 16 electric motor 17 driven shaft of 3 18 output shaft of 1 19 rotational axis of 18