BLOWER UNIT FOR PNEUMATIC MIXERS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PNEUMATIC MIXING OF GRANULES, POWDERS AND/OR LIQUIDS COMPRISING SAID BLOWER UNIT

• US 20200129940A1
• Filed: 06/14/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nol-Tec Europe S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: NTE Holding S.r.l.
• Inventors: CONGEDI, Massimo, FRATTO, Emanuele, NOVELLI, Fabio
• Granted Patent: US 11,325,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/50 Mixing liquids with solids displacing one liquid by another in dispersions of solids in liquids B01D12/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/59 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/60 Mixing solids with solids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/69 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams; Arrangements, e.g. comprising controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/4061 through orifices arranged around a central cone B01F33/4062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/4062 with means for modifying the gas pressure or for supplying gas at different pressures or in different volumes at different parts of the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/409 Parts, e.g. diffusion elements; Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/04 with non-movable mixing or kneading devices
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/28 for measuring, controlling or regulating, e.g. viscosity control B29B7/242 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/72 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/78 by gravity, e.g. falling particle mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/801 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/88 Adding charges , i.e. additives
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/94 Liquid charges
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/385 contacting in the closed position, over a substantial axial length, a seat surface having the same inclination
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0254 with conical shaped valve members

Abstract

A blower unit for pneumatic mixers, comprising: a hollow element internally defining a duct, extending between an input section and an output section, for the passage of an air flow between said sections, wherein said input section can be connected to a source of pressurised air and said output section can be connected to a manifold of a pneumatic mixer; a shutter suitable to shut off said airflow through said output section in a controlled manner; an actuator connected to the shutter and configured to regulate the position of the shutter; the hollow element has a first end portion, at said output section, that can be reversibly coupled to a corresponding end portion of the manifold and wherein the blower unit further comprises first reversible connecting means to establish a reciprocal connection between the end portions.

Claims

1. A blower unit for pneumatic mixers, comprising:

a hollow element internally defining a duct, extending between an input section and an output section, for the passage of an air flow between said sections (6,7), wherein said input section can be connected to a source of pressurised air and said output section can be connected to a manifold of a pneumatic mixer;

a shutter suitable to shut off said airflow through said output section in a controlled manner;

an actuator connected to the shutter and configured to regulate the position of said shutter;

wherein said hollow element has a first end portion, at said output section, that can be reversibly coupled to a corresponding end portion of said manifold;

said blower unit further comprising first reversible connecting means to establish a reciprocal connection between said end portions (16a, C1); and

wherein said actuator comprises means for adjusting the travel of the shutter for defining the width of the output section.

2. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first end portion of said hollow element is provided with a first seat for housing a first gasket, said first reversible connecting means being configured to cause said end portions to move towards one another so as to compress said first gasket.

3. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said actuator can be reversibly connected to a second end portion of said hollow element, and wherein said blower unit comprises second reversible connecting means to establish a reciprocal connection between the hollow element and the actuator.

4. The blower unit as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one from among said actuator and second end portion of the hollow element is provided with a second seat for housing a second gasket, said second reversible connecting means (15b) being configured to cause said actuator and second end portion of the hollow element to move towards one another so as to compress said second gasket.

5. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and/or second reversible connecting means (15a, 15b) comprise tightening rings.

6. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator can be reversibly connected to the shutter.

7. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator is linear and of the pneumatic type.

8. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said blower unit comprises an abutment element that contrasts the movable shutter and has at least one internal stop surface, with a truncated cone or convergent shape, counter-shaped with respect to a head portion of the shutter to define at least one hermetically closed configuration of the output section, said abutment element being removable.

9. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shutter has the shape of a piston with a truncated cone-shaped head portion and a rod extending from said head portion in the direction of the actuator.

10. The blower unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hollow element is a monolithic block extending between said first end portion and said second end portion, wherein said first end portion and said second end portion are arranged in a reciprocally opposite position along an axis of translation of said shutter, and wherein said hollow element also has a lateral delivery duct extending from said input section in a direction incident to the axis of translation of said shutter.

11. The unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for adjusting the travel of the shutter can be manually and/or automatically actuated to define a control parameter representative of the fluid passage section and controllable independently of parameters of pressure and opening time of the output section.

12. An apparatus for the pneumatic mixing of granules, or granules and liquids, comprising:

a hopper suitable to contain granules and/or liquids and provided, on an outer surface thereof, with a plurality of manifolds defining respective ducts in fluid connection with the inside of said hopper;

a plurality of blower units as claimed in claim 8, each reversibly connected to a respective one of said manifolds;

at least one pressurised air supply system that can be connected to said blower units.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said abutment element has an outer surface that is counter-shaped with respect to the internal duct of the manifold and/or to said output section, and fluid-sealing means to define a fluid-tight housing inside said internal duct of the manifold and/or of said output section.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the abutment element has a segment with an increased radial dimension, said segment being configured to be inserted in a corresponding segment of the internal duct of the manifold and/or of the duct inside the hollow element having an increased inside diameter, preferably delimited on one side by an internal shoulder of the manifold and on the other side by an internal projection of the hollow element, so as to bring about an axial locking of said increased diameter segment between said internal shoulder of the manifold and said internal projection of the hollow element.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said plurality of blower units comprises at least two types of blower units which differ from one another, preferably having different hollow elements and/or shutters and/or actuators.