Device for dispensing flowable material components

• US 20040222241A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AZO Holding GmbH
• Original Assignee: Azo-Verwaltungs- GmbH
• Inventors: Link, Otmar, Altrichter, Franz
• Granted Patent: US 6,877,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/185.1
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/24 for feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/60 for feeding, e.g. end guides for the incoming material B29B7/7615 takes precedence; feeding predetermined amounts for mixing in general B01F35/714
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 65/46 using screw conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/005 comprising a screw conveyor

Abstract

A device for dosed dispensing of flowable material components comprises supply containers receiving the material components and having an outlet and with at least one removal means having an inlet. Each material component can be removed from the supply container in dosed charges by means of a screw with controllable drive. The removal means can be docked to the outlet of the supply container, wherein the screw is disposed without drive, but rotatable in the region of the outlet and within the supply container and has an outlet-side coupling means. A controllable drive is disposed in the region of the inlet of the removal means whose drive shaft has a terminal coupling means which can be connected to the coupling means of the screw for secure mutual rotation therewith, and also having a closing piece sealing the outlet of the supply container. The closing piece for the outlet of the supply container is loaded with an axial spring force to hold the closing piece in sealing abutment on the outlet. The coupling means on the drive shaft is provided with an integrated suction gripper for lifting the closing piece from the outlet in opposition to the spring force.

Claims

1. A device for dosed dispensing of flowable material components, the device comprising:

at least one supply container receiving a material component, each supply container having an outlet;

at least one removal means, each removal means having an inlet, wherein said removal means and said supply container can be moved relative to each other to dock said inlet of said removal means with said outlet of said supply container;

a screw means disposed for rotation within said supply container in a region of said outlet, said screw means for removing the material component from said supply container in dosed charges, said screw means having an outlet side screw coupling means, said screw coupling means having a closing piece sealing said outlet of said supply container;

a controllable drive disposed in a region of said inlet of said removal means, said controllable drive having a drive shaft with a drive coupling means structured for connection to said screw coupling means for secure mutual rotation therewith;

means for exerting an axial spring force on said closing piece to hold said closing piece in sealing abutment on said outlet; and

a suction gripper integral with said drive coupling means for lifting said closing piece from said outlet in opposition to said spring force.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said screw means comprises a hollow shaft in which a tension spring is disposed to generate said spring force acting on said closing piece.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said drive has a drive shaft with an axial channel having a first end extending to said drive coupling means and a second opposite end connected to a suction nozzle to constitute said suction gripper.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein one of said drive and said screw coupling means has at least two coupling pins cooperating with corresponding bores in a facing side of the other one of said drive and said screw coupling means, wherein connection for secure mutual rotation is provided through engagement of said coupling pins into said bores.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said screw coupling means and said closing piece are formed as a one-piece, disc-shaped component.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said drive can be displaced together with said drive shaft and said removal means into a docking position in which said inlet of said removal means is connected to said outlet of said supply container.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein after docking of said removal means, said drive can be displaced together with said drive shaft into a coupling position in which said screw and said drive coupling means engage.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said drive can be displaced with said drive shaft into a removing position in which said drive coupling means and said closing piece are removed from said outlet of said supply container under an action of said suction gripper.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said removal means has a docking ring surrounding said inlet and surrounding said outlet of said supply container in a docking position.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said drive can be displaced with said drive shaft by means of a pneumatic cylinder.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising container scales, a transport frame and a flexible connection, wherein said container scales are connected downstream of said removal means for gravimetric detection of a dosed material component, said container scales being displacable to several supply containers along and on said transport frame, wherein said removal means and said drive are disposed on said transport frame to collect different material components, said flexible connection being provided between said removal means and said container scales for decoupling said scales from said drive and said removal means.