Sieve and frame with improved connectability

Abstract

A sieve, comprising outer bars and inner bars and sieving areas with sieving fabric being formed between the outer bars and the inner bars, wherein at least a portion of the outer bars is provided as elastomeric part and at least a portion of the inner bars is provided as elastomeric part, wherein said elastomeric parts can be transferred from a first untensioned state into a second tensioned state. The present invention is furthermore related to a sieve frame to which the sieve can be fixed in a tensioned state, as well as to a sieving device such as a plansifter comprising said sieve and/or sieve frame.

Claims

1. A sieve detachably securable to a sieve frame, the sieve comprising: at least one outer bar; at least one inner bar; and, a sieving fabric, wherein, a portion of the sieving fabric is disposed between the at least one outer bar and the at least one inner bar to form at least one sieving area; wherein at least a portion of the at least one outer bar comprises an elastomeric part and at least a portion of the at least one inner bar comprises an elastomeric part; and, wherein the elastomeric parts are transitionable between a first untensioned state and a second tensioned state.

2. The sieve according to claim 1, wherein the sieve comprises four outer bars that are connected so as to form a rectangle or a square, wherein the sieving fabric is disposed between the four outer bars, and wherein the at least one inner bar is arranged within said rectangle or a square, such that a plurality of sieving areas are formed.

3. The sieve according to claim 1, wherein the sieving fabric is integrally connected with the at least one outer bar and the at least one inner bar.

4. The sieve according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric part of the at least one outer bar comprises a protrusion having a nose-like shape.

5. The sieve according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric part of the at least one inner bar comprises a protrusion having a clip-like shape with two separate elongated portions extending away from each other.

6. The sieve according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric part of the at least one outer bar extends along an entire length of the at least one outer bar.

7. The sieve according to claim 1, wherein the elastomeric part of the at least one inner bar extends along an entire length of the at least one inner bar.

8. A sieve frame configured to detachably receive a sieve: the sieve frame comprising a side outlet area and a bottom plate, at least one outer profile, and at least one inner profile, wherein the at least one outer profile and at least one inner profile each comprise a respective groove proximate respective upper surfaces thereof, the sieve comprising at least one outer bar, at least one inner bar, and a sieving fabric, wherein, a portion of the sieving fabric is disposed between the at least one outer bar and the at least one inner bar to form at least one sieving area, wherein at least a portion of the at least one outer bar comprises an elastomeric part and at least a portion of the at least one inner bar comprises an elastomeric part, and wherein the elastomeric parts are transitionable between a first untensioned state and a second tensioned state, wherein, the sieve is detachably securable to the sieve frame by inserting the elastomeric parts of the sieve into the respective grooves of the at least one outer profile and the at least one inner profile of the sieve frame.

9. The sieve frame according to claim 8 comprising a plurality of outer profiles, wherein the plurality of outer profiles are connected to each other via edges having an upper end and a lower end.

10. The sieve frame according to claim 8, wherein the sieve frame is made of stainless steel.

11. A sieving device, comprising: a sieve frame comprising a side outlet area and a bottom plate, at least one outer profile, and at least one inner profile, wherein the at least one outer profile and at least one inner profile each comprise a respective groove proximate respective upper surfaces thereof, the sieve comprising at least one outer bar, at least one inner bar, and a sieving fabric, wherein, a portion of the sieving fabric is disposed between the at least one outer bar and the at least one inner bar to form at least one sieving area, wherein at least a portion of the at least one outer bar comprises an elastomeric part and at least a portion of the at least one inner bar comprises an elastomeric part, and wherein the elastomeric parts are transitionable between a first untensioned state and a second tensioned state, wherein, the sieve is detachably securable to the sieve frame by inserting the elastomeric parts of the sieve into the respective grooves of the at least one outer profile and the at least one inner profile of the sieve frame.

12. The sieving device according to claim 11, wherein more than one sieve frame is provided.

13. The sieving device according to claim 11, comprising a plan sifter of at least one of a food, an animal feed mill, a purifier, or a cleaning machine.

14. The sieve according to claim 1, comprising at least two inner bars that intersect one another, wherein the elastomeric parts of the at least two inner bars extend along a length of each of the plurality of each inner bar, except those portions of the plurality of the inner bars that one another.

Description

(1) FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of a sieve according to the present invention

(2) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view along the line A-A of the embodiment of the sieve of FIG. 1

(3) FIG. 3a is an enlarged view of the section z of the sieve of FIG. 2

(4) FIG. 3b is an enlarged view of the section y of the sieve of FIG. 2

(5) FIG. 3c is an enlarged view of the section x of the sieve of FIG. 2

(6) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a sieve according to the present invention

(7) FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the section w of the sieve of FIG. 4

(8) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a sieve frame according to the present invention

(9) FIG. 7 shows a top view of the embodiment of the sieve frame according to FIG. 6

(10) FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a plansifter according to the present invention

(11) In the figures, same references numbers denote the same parts.

(12) FIG. 1 shows a top view of an embodiment of a sieve 1 according to the present invention. The sieve 1 comprises four outer bars 2 and four inner bars 3. The outer bars 2 form a rectangle having a width of 60-70 cm and a length of 70-80 cm. The inner bars 3 are arranged such between the outer bars 2 that nine sieving areas 4 of the same area are formed. In the sieving areas 4 there is provided a sieving fabric 6. The sieve 1 has a height of 1 cm to 1.5 cm.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the sieve 1 of FIG. 1 along the line A-A in FIG. 1. It can be seen that in the sections denoted with x, y, z there are provided elastomeric parts 5a, 5b, 5c.

(14) The sections x, y, z are shown in more detail in FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c.

(15) In sections x and z shown in FIGS. 3a and 3c, a cross-section of outer bars 2 is shown. The sieved fabric 6 is embedded within the outer bars 2. As described herein, this can be achieved by back-injection moulding of material forming the outer bars 2, such as a thermoplastic polyurethane, onto fabric 6. The region of the outer bars 2 below said fabric 6 has a nose-like shape on one side and a recess on the other side, for clicking the elastomeric parts 5a, 5c into appropriate counter-parts (for example the grooves 11a shown in FIG. 6 below).

(16) In section y shown in FIG. 3b, a cross-section of inner bar 3 is shown. The sieved fabric 6 is embedded within the inner bar 3. As described herein, this can be achieved by back-injection moulding of material forming the inner bars 3, such as a thermoplastic polyurethane, onto fabric 6. The region of the inner bar 3 below said fabric 6 has a click-like shape, for clicking the elastomeric part 5b into appropriate counter-parts (for example the grooves 11b shown in FIG. 6 below). Said clip-like shape comprises two separate elongated portions extending away from each other. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3b, said separate elongated portions extend away from each other enclosing between them an angle from 5 to 10.

(17) FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the sieve 1 according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, the surface of the sieve 1 is shown where the elastomeric parts 5a, 5b, 5c are provided.

(18) FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the section w of the sieve of FIG. 4. It can be seen that the elastomeric parts 5b of the inner bars 3 are not provided in cross-section areas 7 of said inner bars 3, i.e. areas where inner bars 2 intersect.

(19) FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a sieve frame 8 according to the present invention. The sieve frame 8 of the embodiment of FIG. 6 is made of stainless steel and comprises four outer profiles 11a and edges 12. The outer profiles 11a comprise a groove on their upper surface, respectively. The edges 12 comprise a lower end 12b and an upper end 12a.

(20) In the embodiment of FIG. 6, an additional outlet is provided in one outer profile 11a, at a side indicated by an arrow.

(21) Inner profiles 11b are arranged such between the outer profiles 11a that nine bottom areas 10 of the same area, as well as a side outlet 9 are formed in the area enclosed by the outer profiles 11a. Also the inner profiles 11b comprise a groove on their upper surface, respectively.

(22) The grooves on the upper surface of the outer profiles 11a and inner profiles 11b are counter-parts for the elastomeric parts 5a, 5b, 5c of the outer bars 2 and inner bars 3 of the sieve 1. Said elastomeric parts 5a, 5b, 5c can be inserted into said grooves while said elastomeric parts 5a, 5b, 5c are in a second tensioned state. As a result, the fabric 6 of the sieve 1 is tensioned when the sieve 1 is fixed to the sieve frame 8.

(23) FIG. 7 shows a top view of the embodiment of the sieve frame 8 according to FIG. 6.

(24) In FIG. 8, an entire plansifter 13 is shown with a door 18 removed from a sieve compartment, so that an entire sieve stack 16 is visible. In the plansifter 13, the sieve stack 16 comprises sieve frames 8 to which the sieves 1 are fixed, as described above. With the sieves 1 and sieve frames 8 according to the present invention, the number of sieves 1 and sieve frames 8 that can be provided over the height h of the plansifter 13 can be increased while maintaining the spaces for product conveying above the sieve stack 16. The entire plansifter 13 has a swing drive (not shown) which imposes a circular motion on all the sieves 1; for this purpose, the plansifter 13 is suspended as a cantilever on rods 17. The material is fed to the sieve stacks 16 via inlet ports 14, and the sorted material is discharged via outlet ports 15. The plansifter 13 is also equipped with a discharge conveyor (not shown).