DE102020107898B4 - Interchangeable adapter, handling unit with interchangeable adapter, method for operating such a handling unit - Google Patents

Abstract

Interchangeable adapter (50) for different positioning and attachment of treatment devices (1, 70, 80) for granules (4) on a granulate consumer (100) with a first and a second granulate inlet opening (50a1, 50a2 ), - a granulate discharge opening (50b), - a granulate removal opening (50c), - at least one carrying part (51) for carrying at least one of the treatment devices (1, 70, 80) on one of several different attachments - Positions of the support part (51), in particular on its upper side and with the granulate outlet opening of the device above the respective granulate inlet opening (50a1, 50a2), namely a defined delivery position (Pab), in which the second granulate -Input opening (50a2), in particular by a chute, with the delivery opening (50b), in particular directly, is connected, - a defined receiving position (Pauf), in which the first granulate input opening (50a1) with a, in particular arranged underneath, between encontainer (52) is connected, in particular is directly connected, which has the removal opening (50c), - a, in particular pneumatically operated, transport device which is able to remove granules (4) from the removal opening (50c) of the intermediate container (52) to be transported into the granulate inlet opening of a device (70, 80) attached to the dispensing position (Pab).

Description

I. Field of application

The invention relates to freeing bulk materials from the dust contained therein, the dust often adhering to the granules by means of electrostatic charging.

II. Technical background

Especially in plastics technology, but also in pharmacy and food technology, raw materials in the form of bulk goods - for example granules or coarse powders or similar - often have to be handled. For the purposes of the present application, all bulk materials are referred to with the abbreviated term "granulate".

Precisely these bulk materials are often transported by means of pneumatic conveyance, in particular by means of flight conveyance, in which the granulate is conveyed to the desired location by means of air and largely flying with it through conveying lines.

For further processing, for example use as raw material in a plastic injection molding machine, the granules should be as clean as possible and should not be contaminated with impurities, in particular not with dusty impurities.

Dust or dust-like impurities in the context of the present description should preferably have a particle size whose diameter is at most 1/10, better at most 1/30, better at most 1/100, better at most 1/1000 of the diameter of a granulate grain.

Another, very undesirable, contamination is so-called angel hair, namely up to 10 cm long, very thin, filamentous contamination that can form, among other things, from dust-like contamination.

These dusty contaminants can consist of foreign material that was unintentionally added to the granules during production or transport, or they can also be dusty particles of the same material as the granules themselves, which, however, can also be undesirable depending on the subsequent use.

When plastic granules are melted in an injection molding machine, dust from the same material as the granules can already burn and result in black dots in the molded part, which is unacceptable for optical products such as molded plastic lenses and leads to high reject rates.

Therefore, the general goal is to separate such granules from the contaminants they contain, in particular the dust they contain, before they are used.

One of the problems that arise is the strong adhesion of dust particles and granulate particles to one another, but also the adhesion of dust particles to parts of the device such as conveyor lines or granulate containers.

This strong adhesion is often caused by electrostatic charging, so that removing the dust with mechanical measures alone is usually not sufficient.

In principle, different techniques are available for dedusting, from simple sieves to separating the transport air from the granules and filtering the transport air to fraction separation using a cyclone. In practice, air separation combined with electrostatic discharge is often used.

Especially the operators of injection molding machines have the additional problem that, depending on the order, a different starting material has to be used for injection, and the different starting materials, i.e. granules, are on the one hand very differently contaminated with dust and also the dedusting of the granules is more or less can be difficult.

With some products, the granules used can already be sufficiently dust-free and can be used without dust removal, or, despite the low dust content, due to long conveying distances from the granulate supply - usually a big bag or an octabin - to the injection molding machine due to abrasion from the The granulate grains themselves contain such a high proportion of dust that they still have to be dedusted, as soon as possible before they enter the injection molding machine.

That there is often little space above the filling opening in a high area of the injection molding machine, especially in height, and often the granulate also has to be dried before it is introduced into the injection molding machine and a granulate needs to be used for this -Dryer has to go through, further complicates the situation.

III. Presentation of the invention

a) Technical task

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a handling unit for granules that can be arranged directly on the consumer, which contains the required treatment devices and an interchangeable adapter with the help of which they can be activated and deactivated as required can be, and a method for operating such a handling unit.

b) Solution of the task

This object is solved by the features of claims 1, 10 and 15. Advantageous embodiments result from the dependent claims.

The heart of the handling unit is an interchangeable adapter, which can be used to activate and deactivate the treatment devices in the handling unit is delivered and must be separated from the air for further handling.

• - ein Tragteil zum Tragen von wenigstens einem der Behandlungs-Geräte an je einer von mehreren unterschiedlichen Befestigungs-Positionen des Tragteiles,
• - eine erste und eine zweite Granulat-Eingangsöffnung,
• - eine Granulat-Abgabeöffnung und
• - eine Granulat-Entnahmeöffnung aufweist.

With regard to the change adapter - hereinafter referred to as adapter - this task is solved by this

• - a carrying part for carrying at least one of the treatment devices at one of several different attachment positions of the carrying part,
• - a first and a second granule inlet opening,
• - a granulate discharge opening and
• - Has a granulate removal opening.

• - eine definierte Abgabe-Position (Pab), in der die zweite Granulat-Eingangsöffnung mit der Abgabe-Öffnung, insbesondere direkt, verbunden ist,
• - einer definierten Aufnahme-Position (Pauf), in der die erste Granulat-Eingangsöffnung mit einem, insbesondere darunter angeordneten, Zwischenbehälter verbunden ist, insbesondere direkt verbunden ist, der die Entnahmeöffnung (50c) aufweist.

Attachment positions are available

• - a defined delivery position (Pab), in which the second granulate inlet opening is connected to the delivery opening, in particular directly,
• - A defined pick-up position (Pauf) in which the first granulate inlet opening is connected, in particular directly connected, to an intermediate container, in particular arranged underneath, which has the removal opening (50c).

Furthermore, a transport device, in particular pneumatically operated, is available - which does not necessarily have to be part of the interchangeable adapter, but can be - which is able to move granules from the removal opening of the intermediate container into the granulate inlet opening of a granulate at the delivery position (Pab) to transport attached treatment device.

As a further fastening position of the support part, there can be a park position (Ppark), in particular on its upper side, which has no opening for granules and in which a device fastened there has neither one of the input openings nor the dispensing opening nor the removal opening fluidically connected.

• - entweder ohne weitere Behandlung des Granulats, wofür dann der Abscheider direkt mit der Ausgangs-Öffnung des Adapters in Verbindung steht, indem er an einer definierten Abgabe-Position des Tragteils des Adapters montiert ist,
• - oder indem an dieser Ausgangs-Position ein anderes Behandlungs-Gerät, z.B. ein Granulat-Entstauber - im Folgenden nur noch Entstauber genannt - montiert ist, während sich der Abscheider an einer davon entfernten Aufnahme-Position des Tragteiles befindet und mittels der vorhandenen Transportvorrichtung das vom Abscheider abgeschiedene Granulat zunächst dem Entstauber zugeführt wird und erst das entstaubte Granulat durch die Auslauföffnung des Entstaubers und die Abgabe-Öffnung des Adapters an den Verbraucher geht.

With this design of the interchangeable adapter, the granules can be separated from the conveying air of the feeder by means of the granulate separator - hereinafter referred to as separator - and delivered from there to the consumer through the granulate discharge opening of the adapter, but optionally

• - either without further treatment of the granules, for which purpose the separator is then directly connected to the outlet opening of the adapter by being mounted at a defined discharge position of the adapter's supporting part,
• - or by having another treatment device, e.g The granulate separated by the separator is first fed to the deduster and only the dedusted granulate goes through the outlet opening of the deduster and the delivery opening of the adapter to the consumer.

In this context, it must also be made clear that there are also combined treatment devices that act as separators and dust extractors, for example.

This transport device preferably also works pneumatically, in particular by means of air transport, such as the transport of the granulate to the separator.

If no dedusting is necessary and the separator is therefore mounted directly at the delivery position, the deduster is located, for example, in a parking position attached to the exchange adapter away from both the receiving position and the delivery position and is inactive, or he can be offside of the interchangeable adapter and thus also be arranged away from both the receiving position and the delivery position.

Instead of a deduster as the treatment device, another treatment device can also be used, such as a granulate dryer, hereinafter referred to simply as a dryer.

Depending on the height available for arranging the handling unit, for example above the granulate inlet of an injection molding machine, the treatment devices can also be arranged one above the other on the adapter, i.e. one treatment device, for example the Dryer, be arranged below the support part and thus below the granulate output opening.

With regard to the dryer within the scope of the present handling unit, it must of course be made clear that, depending on the required granulate throughput, the dryer may be so large that it can no longer be mounted on the change adapter, but as a separate dryer unit away from the Adapter and the consumer must be arranged.

Since the handling unit including the treatment devices is often located at a relatively high level and the treatment devices have a considerable weight, the adapter and in particular the fastening device for the devices on the adapter must be designed in such a way that the staff can easily and safe way to move the devices between the individual positions, i.e. delivery position, pickup position and, if necessary, parking position, can be carried out.

The support part is therefore preferably designed as a support rail which continuously connects the three mounting positions for the devices to one another. This allows the devices to be moved along the mounting rail without having to remove them completely from the mounting rail.

The main advantage of the adapter is that it can also be used to combine treatment devices that come from different manufacturers and are not compatible with one another. For example, an existing separator can continue to be used and, with the help of the adapter, can be combined with a deduster and/or dryer purchased from another manufacturer.

The granulate separated by the separator then first falls into an intermediate container, for which purpose it preferably falls from the outlet opening of the separator through a corresponding passage opening in the support part into the intermediate container arranged underneath, from which the transport device - and thus also independently of the mostly batchwise operation of the separator - always has a reservoir of granulate available, from which it supplies the treatment device mounted on the exit opening, i.e. the delivery position, such as the deduster, with granulate.

The granules are removed from the intermediate container by means of flight conveyance and for this purpose a suction lance is preferably inserted at an angle from above into the intermediate container, for which purpose the intermediate container has a removal tube that rises obliquely upwards from its lower region, in particular the lower third of its height , into the free end of which this suction lance can be inserted, so that its lower suction opening extends into the intermediate container and can suck in granules present there. This suction lance therefore preferably extends close to the bottom of the intermediate container, in particular to less than 2 cm, better still to less than 1 cm, to the bottom of the intermediate container.

The necessary conveying air sucks in the suction lance, in that there is a radial distance between the suction lance and the inner circumference of the removal tube.

The inclined position, in particular at an angle of between 30 and 60° to the horizontal, has proven to be particularly advantageous in order to avoid clogging of the suction opening of the suction lance.

In the case of granules that tend to clump together in particular, it may still be necessary to loosen the granules in the intermediate container before the suction lance is sucked in, which is why the intermediate container has a compressed air inlet, preferably also in the lower area, and in particular its lower third, through which compressed air is injected can be used to separate granules that have clumped together by bridging.

The material sucked in via the suction lance is fed into the next treatment device or treatment device via a flexible connecting hose connected to the suction lance and connected to the granulate inlet opening.

The length of the connecting hose should be such that this device can be adjusted between the dispensing position and the parking position without hindrance when the connecting hose is attached to it.

In addition, the intermediate container has an inspection opening in its lower region, in particular in the lower third, in particular in its base, which is closed by an inspection cover during normal operation and is only used for accessibility to the intermediate container from below, for example at there granules are so strongly stuck together that they can no longer be separated simply by blowing in compressed air, or because no more granules of the old type are to be fed to the device installed at the delivery position due to a material change.

The upper end of the removal tube preferably does not reach up to the level of the upper edge of the support part, but ends below it, so that devices can be mounted on the support part regardless of the size of their lateral projection.

The granulate inlet opening and the granulate outlet opening of the adapter are preferably through openings from top to bottom through the support part, in particular the support rail, so that a device mounted above one of these openings causes its granules to flow downwards due to gravity and thus the adapter also forces the material downwards due to gravity the exit opening can deliver.

For this purpose, the devices have on the side with which they are to be attached to the support part, in particular the support rail - i.e. usually on their underside - a sliding shoe which encompasses the support part, in particular the support rail, laterally and below or above , so that there is a form-fitting connection between the displacement shoe and thus the device on the one hand and the support part on the other hand, which only allows mobility in the direction of extension of the support part, in particular the support rail.

In order to fix it at a specific mounting position, the device or in particular its displacement shoe can be locked there or positioned and fixed manually there with the aid of corresponding markings, preferably by means of clamping.

A corresponding fastening device, in particular a clamping device, is either present on each of the devices, in particular on its displacement shoe, or on the mounting rail, in particular on each of the three mounting positions.

For an even simpler adjustment, two or more treatment devices, for example the separator and the deduster, can be mounted on a common displacement carriage at a distance corresponding to the distance between the receiving position and the delivery position of the adapter and the displacement carriage as a previously described individual shifting shoe can be shifted and fixed along the support rail.

If space is very limited, it can also make sense to design the mounting rail to be variable in length, in particular telescopic, in order to be able to retract lengths of the mounting rail that are not required - such as the area in which the parking position is located - when not required.

Depending on the available overall height, a fastening device for fastening a device, for example a dryer, can also be provided on the underside of the supporting part, with the corresponding treatment device not having to be mounted exactly below the supporting part when viewed from above especially when there is a functional opening in the top of the device through which it must be possible to supply or discharge during operation. In this case, such a device is installed from the height below the support part, in particular the support rail, viewed in plan, but with such an upper function opening offset laterally thereto.

With regard to the entire handling unit, that is to say the adapter with the treatment devices attached to it, this object is initially achieved in that the adapter corresponds to the embodiment described above.

The treatment devices used here always include a granulate separator and, as a further treatment device, a granulate deduster and/or a granulate dryer - when the granulate is conveyed by means of conveying air, i.e. by flight conveyance.

The dust content is removed from the granules by means of the deduster and the moisture content of the granules is reduced by means of the dryer.

1. A) Falls das Granulat nach dem Abscheiden aus der Förderluft ohne weitere Vorbehandlung durch die Ausgangs-Öffnung des Adapters dem nachgeordneten Verbraucher zugeführt werden kann, wird
   • - der Granulat-Abscheider an der Abgabe-Position angeordnet und mit einer Zuförder-Vorrichtung für Granulat verbunden, sowie
   • - ein an der Abgabe-Position bereits eventuell vorhandenes weiteres Gerät, insbesondere ein Granulat-Entstauber, in einer Park-Position angeordnet,
2. B) Falls das Granulat vor der Abgabe an den Verbraucher noch entstaubt werden soll, wird
   • - der Granulat-Entstauber an der Abgabe-Position angeordnet und mit der Transportvorrichtung verbunden, sowie
   • - der mit der Zuförder-Vorrichtung für Granulat verbundene Granulat-Abscheider an der Aufnahme-Position angeordnet.
3. C) Falls die Abgabe-Öffnung des Adapters und eine eventuell damit in Verbindung stehende Durchgangsöffnung oder ein Durchgangskanal gereinigt werden muss, wird
   • - das an der Abgabe-Position befindliche Gerät von diesem entfernt, damit die Abgabe-Öffnung für das Reinigen zugänglich ist.
4. D) Falls die Eingangs-Öffnung des Adapters und eine eventuell damit in Verbindung stehende Durchgangsöffnung oder ein Kanal gereinigt werden muss, wird
   • - das an der entsprechenden Position befindliche Gerät von dieser entfernt, damit die Eingangs-Öffnung für das Reinigen zugänglich ist.
5. E) Falls das Granulat vor der Abgabe durch die Abgabe-Öffnung noch getrocknet werden soll, wird
   • - der Granulat-Trockner an der Abgabe-Position so unter der Abgabe-Öffnung montiert, dass das aus der Abgabe-Öffnung fallende Granulat schwerkraftbedingt in den Granulat-Trockner gelangt,
   • - falls dabei ein vorheriges Entstauben des Granulats nicht notwendig ist, kann der Trockner auch an der Abgabe-Position auf der Oberseite des Tragteiles, insbesondere der Tragschiene, montiert werden.

With regard to the method for operating such a handling unit, the different requirements that arise are each solved by adjusting the devices with regard to their mounting position on the adapter and the activation and deactivation of the devices, which may be associated with this:

1. A) If, after being separated from the conveying air, the granules can be fed through the outlet opening of the adapter to the downstream consumer without further pre-treatment
   • - Arranged the granule separator at the delivery position and connected to a feed device for granules, and
   • - another device that may already be present at the delivery position, in particular a granulate deduster, arranged in a park position,
2. B) If the granules are to be dedusted before delivery to the consumer,
   • - Arranged the granulate deduster at the delivery position and connected to the transport device, and
   • - Arranged the granulate separator connected to the granulate feed device at the pick-up position.
3. C) If the dispensing opening of the adapter and any through-opening or through-channel connected to it must be cleaned
   • - the device located at the dispensing position away from it so that the dispensing opening is accessible for cleaning.
4. D) If the inlet opening of the adapter and any passage opening or channel connected to it has to be cleaned,
   • - the device located in the corresponding position removed from it so that the inlet opening is accessible for cleaning.
5. E) If the granules are to be dried before being discharged through the discharge opening,
   • - the granulate dryer is installed at the discharge position under the discharge opening in such a way that the granulate falling out of the discharge opening reaches the granulate dryer due to gravity,
   • - if it is not necessary to remove dust from the granules beforehand, the dryer can also be installed at the discharge position on the top of the support part, in particular the support rail.

c) exemplary embodiments

• 1a - 1c: den Wechsel-Adapter mit nur einem an dessen Abgabe-Position angeordneten kombinierten Abscheider-Entstauber, in Frontansicht, Seitenansicht und der Aufsicht,
• 2a - 2c: den Wechsel-Adapter mit einem Granulat-Entstauber an der Abgabe-Position angeordneten und einem Granulat-Abscheider an der Aufnahme-Position, in Frontansicht, Seitenansicht und der Aufsicht,
• 3a - 3c: den Wechsel-Adapter mit einem anderen kombinierten Abscheider und Entstauber an der Abgabe-Position und einem Granulat-Trockner an der Park-Position des Wechsel-Adapters in Frontansicht, Seitenansicht und der Aufsicht.
• 4a, b: eine Granulat-Versorgungs-Einheit in 2 verschiedenen Betriebszuständen für einen Granulat-Verbraucher.

Embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail below by way of example. Show it:

• 1a - 1c : the interchangeable adapter with only one combined separator-deduster arranged at its delivery position, in front view, side view and top view,
• 2a - 2c : the interchangeable adapter with a granulate deduster arranged at the delivery position and a granulate separator at the receiving position, in front view, side view and top view,
• 3a - 3c : the change adapter with another combined separator and deduster at the delivery position and a granulate dryer at the park position of the change adapter in front view, side view and top view.
• 4a, b : a granulate supply unit in 2 different operating states for a granulate consumer.

In the 1a,b,c First of all, the interchangeable adapter 50 according to the invention can be seen, which has a support part 51 in the form of a support rail 51 .

This support rail 51, which extends with its greatest extension in its so-called extension direction 51', runs essentially horizontally and with its rectangular cross section - as in FIG 1b easy to recognize - lying, ie with the larger extent of its cross section running horizontally and the smaller extent, the thickness, of its cross section running vertically.

At a first longitudinal position in the direction of extent 51 ′, the support rail 51 has a through opening, the upper side of which is the first granulate inlet opening 50a1 of the interchangeable adapter 50 .

At the bottom of this through-opening is an intermediate container 52 in the form of a first pipe section 52.1, which extends vertically downwards and is closed at the bottom by a removable inspection cover 59, and a second pipe section 52.2 that extends obliquely upwards from its lower region Interior spaces are closely connected.

The freely upwardly protruding end of the second pipe section 52.2 of the intermediate container 52 is designed as an extraction pipe 55 or such an extraction pipe 55 connects to the second pipe section 52.2, which has such a diameter that a suction lance 54 with the appropriate dimensions can be inserted into its free open end, as in the 2a,b,c shown, and the suction lance 54 extends through the straight second piece of pipe 52.2 and the extraction pipe 55 aligned with it when it is inserted into the extraction pipe 55, in particular up to one on the suction Lance 54 existing stop, extends into the deepest area of the intermediate container 52, namely the transition between the interiors of the first pipe section 52.1 and the second pipe section 52.2 and can suck off granules 4 stored there.

The inspection cover 59 is used for accessibility to the interior of the intermediate container 52, for example for cleaning purposes, since clumped granules 4, for example, can get stuck in it.

For the same reason, the intermediate container 52 has, preferably in the lower area, a compressed air connection 58 via which compressed air can be injected into the intermediate container 52 in order to separate clumped granules 4 located therein again.

A second longitudinal position, the discharge position Pab, is spaced from this in the extension direction 51 ′ and has a second granulate inlet opening 50a 2 , again in the form of the upper side of a through-opening extending vertically through the support rail 51 .

Here, too, a pipe socket 53 surrounding the through-opening is tightly attached to the bottom of the through-opening as a drop chute, but its lower end is open and serves as a granulate discharge opening 50b of the interchangeable adapter 50, since granulate falling into this second granulate inlet opening 50a2 can pass through the Pipe socket 53 falls through and falls through its lower opening, the granulate discharge opening 50b, into the consumer 100 usually located below.

The granulate 4 enters the second granulate inlet opening 50a2 from the lower granulate outlet opening of a combined granulate separator 1 and granulate deduster 70 mounted above.

How best 1b shows, this combined device 1 + 70 has a connecting piece through which conveying air 3 with the granules 4 conveyed therein by means of flight conveyance is supplied to it, which passes through the control 70b of the device housed in a box, which can open and close this line. The line for the conveying air 3 leads from the controller 70b and ends in the upper area of the separating area for the granulate 4, where the granulate falls down in its upright cylindrical part and the conveying air is discharged upwards through a sieve (not shown). .

Meanwhile, the granules 4 are dedusted at the same time, so that the conveying air 3 discharged upwards also carries away the dust content.

Ionized air is used for dedusting, which is generated in an ionizer 70a and introduced into the dedusting tank of the combined device 1 + 70, and in this case also into the buffer tank 9, which adjoins the dedusting tank in the lower area and its lower Outlet opening with the granulate input opening 50a2 of the exchangeable adapter 50 is connected.

The connection can be opened and closed with the help of a slide 70c on the lower granulate outlet opening of the combined device 1 + 70.

Slider 70c can release the connection by pulling it out and close it by pushing it in, or vice versa, and is preferably guided in a shifting shoe 57, which can be placed on the top side of support rail 51, but grips it on the sides and the outer areas of the underside of support rail 51 and so that the combined device 1 + 70 leads positively in all directions except the direction of extension 51 'on the support rail 51.

The combined device 1 + 70 can therefore be moved along the support rail 51 by moving the displacement shoe 57 in the direction of extension 51', and can also be fixed at a specific longitudinal position of the support rail 51 by a clamping device 60 as a fastening device 60 of the displacement shoe 57.

By means of this constellation, incoming granules 4 can be separated from the conveying air 3 by means of flight conveyance in the combined device 1 + 70, dedusted and fed to a consumer 100 via the interchangeable adapter 50 and its lower granulate discharge opening 50b at the discharge position Pab. which is sufficient if the granules 4 require no further treatment, in particular no drying.

the 2a,b,c show a solution with separate devices, i.e. a granulate separator 1, which is mounted at the receiving position Pauf, i.e. above the first granulate inlet opening 50a1, and a granulate deduster 70, which is at the delivery position Pab above the second Granulate inlet opening 50a2 is mounted.

In this case, the granulate 4 carried along by means of the conveying air 3 in the form of flight conveyance is fed to the granulate separator 1, which separates the granulate 4 from the conveying air, so that the granulate 4 falls into the first granulate inlet opening 50a1 and thus into the intermediate container 52 .

From there it will - how based on the 2a,b,c can be seen - sucked out of this by means of a suction lance 54 inserted into the extraction pipe 55 and a connecting hose 56 attached to it and fed to the granulate inlet of the deduster 70 mounted next to it on the second granulate inlet opening 50a2 in its upper area.

The granulate 4 that has been dedusted there then falls out of this granulate deduster 70 downwards into the second granulate inlet opening 50a2, through the pipe socket 53 located underneath and out of its lower end as a granulate discharge opening 50b into a consumer 100 for the granulate 4 arranged underneath .

This constellation is used when separate devices, i.e. granulate separator 1 on the one hand and granulate deduster 70 on the other hand, are used, for example because the user already has one of the two devices and only buys and uses the other one due to the need for dedusting.

the 3a,b,c essentially show a constellation according to the 1a,b,c , namely with a combined granulate separator and deduster 1 + 70 mounted on the parking position Pab, which, however, has a different design than that in the 1a,b,c shown device is.

In addition, in the 3a,b,c the support rail 51 is extended so that it not only connects the two granulate inlet openings 50a1 and 50a2 located at a sufficient distance - for mounting the devices to be mounted above it - but is also extended, in this case on the side of the second granulate inlet opening 50a2, i.e. the delivery position Pab, to the extent that another device, in this case a granulate dryer 80, can be kept available as a parking position Ppark in the free end area of the support rail 51 by fastening it, preferably by means of a displacement shoe 57 and in particular its fastening device 60, on the mounting rail 51.

Since the park position Ppark only offers a fastening for a device to be kept ready, the support rail 51 does not have a through opening there.

The support rail 51 could be lengthened just as well and/or additionally on the side of the pick-up position Pauf, ie beyond the pick-up position Pauf in the direction away from the delivery position.

The support rail 51 could also be variable in length, in particular telescopic, to provide a parking position Ppark.

the 4a, b show the integration of the interchangeable adapter 50 according to the invention in a granulate supply unit for a consumer 100, typically an injection molding machine. A combined granulate separator and deduster 1+70 is shown as the treatment device.

The granules 4 are usually separated and dusted off in batches in a treatment container 9.

First, according to 4a the treatment container 9 is filled with a batch 4' of granules 4, with the buffer container 14 arranged under the treatment container 9 and its lower granulate outlet opening 25 designed as an outlet cone 28 being either closed at the top or the one open at the top Buffer container 14 is filled up to the granulate outlet opening 25, so that the batch 4' newly introduced into the treatment container 9 can be deposited on top of the bed of the intermediate container 14 made of granulate 4 and is supported by it.

For this purpose, a suction lance 16 is inserted into a supply of granulate 4, which is located in a storage container 7. The granules are removed from the storage container 7 by means of the in Conveying air 3 flowing in the direction of flow 10, which entrains the granulate grains 4, is conveyed to the treatment container 9, up to the height position of the level sensor 19, which triggers the switching off of the delivery of granulate 4.

Then the supply of compressed air to the ejector compressed air nozzle 21a in the suction lance 16, which causes the negative pressure in the delivery line 15, is terminated.

During the filling process, the conveying air 3 leaves the treatment container 9 via its air outlet opening 18, which is arranged in the cover 27 of the treatment container 9 and which can be spanned by a sieve 5, which may be covered by the conveying air 3 and therein possibly contained dust 11 can flow through, but not by granulate grains 4.

From there, the conveying air 3, now exhaust air 6, flows in the direction of flow 10 along a dust line 20 to a dust collection container 12 and through an exhaust air filter 2, which is preferably in an outlet opening in the cover of the dust collection container 12 is arranged, and for the dust 11 is not permeable.

The treatment vessel 9 is an upstanding, generally cylindrical vessel, the open bottom of which rests on the cone 28 in which the inner cone surface 28' is formed in which turbulence jets orifice through which the pressurized air into the interior of the treatment vessel 9 can be zeroed in, as in 4b shown, for whirling up the granulate 4 located therein, which, like electrical control signals and electrical current, is made available to the individual components by a controller 22 .

• Zu diesem Zweck wird optional zunächst in der Staubleitung 20 ein Unterdruck erzeugt.

The batch located in the granulate treatment container 9 is then dedusted, as in 4b shown:

• For this purpose, a negative pressure is first optionally generated in the dust line 20 .

Ionized air is introduced into the treatment container 9 via a gas inlet opening 36 and is intended to neutralize the static charging of the dust particles 11 and the granulate grains 4 . In order for this to work well, compressed air is injected into the interior of the treatment container 9 from the cone walls 28' via the turbulence nozzles 31.

Below the granulate outlet opening 25 and thus below the treatment container 9 is the buffer container 14, which is also usually essentially an upright cylinder.

This buffer container 14 is arranged on the upper side of the interchangeable adapter 50 according to the invention above its second granulate inlet opening 50a2, from where the granulate 4 flows through the pipe socket 53 and the lower discharge opening 50b of the interchangeable adapter 50 into the supply opening of a consumer 100 , About an injection molding machine, for which the buffer tank 14 serves as an intermediate store.

After this dedusting of the granules has been carried out for a sufficient time, it is terminated so that according to 4 the now dedusted granulate batch 4' again collects in the lower area of the treatment container 9, in particular in the area of the outlet cone 28.

As soon as the fill level in the intermediate container 14 has dropped so much due to the consumption of granules 4 by the consumer 100 that the top of the bed has reached the lower granules outlet opening 25, for example, a batch 4' of granules 4 can again be fed into the treatment Container 9 are introduced and dusted.

A pressure control valve 29 can be present in the respective compressed air line 26 from the controller 22 to the respective gas inlet opening 36 .

• Diese versorgt über Druckluftleitungen 26 gesteuert hinsichtlich Druck und/oder Menge und/oder Zeit mit Druckluft
  • - die wenigstens eine Ejektor-Druckluftdüse 21a in der wenigstens einen Sauglanze 16,
  • - die Gas-Einlassöffnung 36,
  • - die optional vorhandene wenigstens eine Ejektor-Druckluftdüse zwecks Erzeugung von Unterdruck in der Staubleitung 20.

All processes described are controlled by a central controller 22:

• This supplies compressed air controlled in terms of pressure and/or quantity and/or time via compressed air lines 26
  • - the at least one ejector compressed air nozzle 21a in the at least one suction lance 16,
  • - the gas inlet opening 36,
  • - The optionally available at least one ejector compressed air nozzle for the purpose of generating negative pressure in the dust line 20.

In addition, the ionizer is also supplied with electrical power and controlled by the controller 22 .

Reference List

1

Granulate separator

2

exhaust filter

3

conveying air

4

Granules, Granules Aggregate, Granules Grain

5

Sieve

6

closure flap

7

reservoir

8th

Granulate inlet port

9

treatment tank,

10

flow direction

11

Dust

12

dust collection container

13

supply air filter

14

Granulate buffer tank

15

delivery line

16

suction lance

17

compressed air source

18

air outlet opening

19

level sensor

20

dust line

21a

Ejector compressed air nozzle

22

steering

23

pneumatic cylinder

24

inlet port

25

Granulate outlet port

26

compressed air line

27

lid

28

cone

36

gas inlet port

50

interchangeable adapter

50a1,2

Granulate entry port

50b

Granulate Discharge Port

50c

Granulate removal opening

51

support part, support rail

51'

Span Direction

52

intermediate container

52.1, 52.2

piece of pipe

53

pipe socket

54

suction lance

55

sampling tube

56

connecting hose

57

displacement shoe

58

compressed air connection

59

Revision cover

60

Fastening device, clamping device, locking device

70

Granulate deduster

70a

ionizer

70b

steering

70c

locking slider

80

Granulate dryer

100

consumer

pab

delivery position

Puff

recording position

park

park position

Claims (17)

Interchangeable adapter (50) for different positioning and attachment of treatment devices (1, 70, 80) for granules (4) on a granulate consumer (100). - a first and a second granulate inlet opening (50a1, 50a2), - a granulate discharge opening (50b), - a granulate removal opening (50c), - at least one support part (51) for supporting at least one of the treatment devices (1, 70, 80) at one of several different fastening positions of the support part (51), in particular on its upper side and with the granulate outlet opening of the device above the respective granulate input opening (50a1, 50a2), viz - a defined delivery position (Pab), in which the second granulate inlet opening (50a2), in particular through a chute, is connected, in particular directly, to the delivery opening (50b), - a defined pick-up position (Pauf) in which the first granulate inlet opening (50a1) is connected, in particular directly connected, to an intermediate container (52) arranged in particular underneath it, which has the removal opening (50c), - A transport device, in particular pneumatically operated, which is able to transport granules (4) from the removal opening (50c) of the intermediate container (52) into the granulate inlet opening of a device (70, 80 ) to transport. adapter after claim 1 , characterized in that as a further fastening position of the supporting part (51), in particular on its upper side, - a park position (Ppark) is present, which has no opening for granulate and in which a device fastened there has neither one of the input openings (50a1, 50a2) is still fluidly connected to the discharge opening (50b), in particular also not to the removal opening (50c). Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the transport device works by means of flight conveyance of the granules (4), - in particular the transport device - comprises a suction conveyor, in particular a suction lance (54), in particular with a compressed air ejector nozzle, or - comprises a blow conveyor, or - comprises a mechanical conveyor, eg screw conveyor. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - in the lower region, in particular in the lower third of the height, of the intermediate container (52), a removal tube (55) rising obliquely upwards is attached, in particular tightly, - in particular in a piece of pipe (52.2) of the intermediate container (52) that rises obliquely upwards can be inserted and, in particular, fixed in positions that have been pushed in to different extents, - into which a suction lance (54) can be inserted in particular, which - its lower intake opening can reach almost to the bottom of the intermediate container (52), - its upper opening is tightly connected to a connecting element, in particular a flexible connecting hose (56), which, in the dispensing position (Pab ) arranged treatment device can be connected, - with a transport device, in particular a vacuum generator), which is able to suck in granules (4) present in the intermediate container (52) and transport them away by means of flight conveyance through the suction lance (54). . Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the air inlet opening for the conveying air of the transport device at a radial distance between the inner circumference of the extraction pipe (55) and the suction lance (54) inserted therein or between the inner circumference of the extraction Pipe (55) and the piece of pipe (52.2) into which it is inserted, and/or - the intermediate container (52) in the lower area, in particular in the lower third of the height of the intermediate container (52), in operation by an inspection - the cover (59) has a closed inspection opening, and/or - the upper end of the extraction tube (55) ends below the height of the upper edge of the supporting part (51). Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate container (52) has a compressed air connection (58), in particular in the lower region, in particular in the lower third of the height of the intermediate container (52), for connection to a compressed air source. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - the support part (51) is designed as the two or in particular three positions (Pab, Pauf, Ppark) connecting part, in particular as a support rail (51), and/or - the The granulate inlet opening and the granulate discharge opening are connected to one another by a through opening penetrating the support part (51), in particular the support rail (51), from top to bottom. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support part (51), in particular the support rail (51), is designed to be variable in length, in particular telescopic, in the adjustment direction, in particular the direction in which the support rail (51) extends. Adapter according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrying part (51) has at least one fastening device for fastening a device (1, 70, 80) under the carrying part (51), in particular under the dispensing opening (50b) of the carrying part (51), having. Handling unit for granules (4) with an exchangeable adapter (50) and at least one treatment device (1, 70, 80), wherein the exchangeable adapter (50) is designed according to one of the preceding claims. handling unit after claim 10 , characterized in that the handling unit comprises as treatment device - a granulate separator (1) and/or - a granulate deduster (70) and/or - a granulate dryer (80). Handling unit according to one of Claims 10 or 11 , characterized in that - a displacement shoe (57) is arranged on the treatment device, in particular on its lower end, - in particular the displacement shoe (57) the support part (51), in particular the support rail (51), see above encompasses the fact that the displacement shoe (57) and thus the treatment device can only be displaced in the adjustment direction (51'), in particular the direction in which the support rail (51) runs in relation to the latter, - in particular on the displacement shoe (57) one marking each is arranged and a counter-marking is arranged on the mounting rail (51) at each of the positions. Handling unit according to one of Claims 10 until 12 , characterized in that - the fastening device (60) is arranged in the lower area on each treatment device or on the support part (51) in the two or three positions, - the fastening device (60) has a clamping device (60 ) and/or a locking device (60), - in particular the fastening device (60), in particular the clamping device (60), is arranged on the displacement shoe (57). handling unit after claim 12 or 13 , characterized in that the displacement shoes (57) are connected to form a displacement carriage. Method for operating the handling unit according to one of Claims 10 until 14 , by dispensing the granules (4), in particular to a consumer (100), a) without pretreatment: - the granulate separator (1) is arranged at the delivery position (Pab) and connected to a feed device for granulate, and - any further treatment device that may be present , in particular a granulate deduster (70), is preferably arranged in a park position (Ppark), b) on the other hand with dedusting: - the granulate deduster (70) is arranged at the delivery position (Pab) and with one end the transport device is connected, and - the granulate separator (1) is arranged at the pick-up position (Pauf) and is connected to the other end of the transport device. procedure after claim 15 , characterized in that c) for cleaning the granulate delivery opening (50b) and/or the second granulate inlet opening (50a2): - the treatment device located at the delivery position (Pab) is removed from this so that the granulate discharge opening (50b) and/or the granulate inlet opening (50a2) is accessible for cleaning, d) for cleaning the first granulate inlet opening (50a1) and/or the granulate removal opening (50c): - The treatment device located at the recording position (Pauf) and in particular the revision cover (57) is removed, so that the first granulate inlet opening (50a1) and/or the granulate removal opening (50c) for cleaning is accessible. procedure after claim 15 or 16 , characterized in that e) with drying: - the granulate dryer (80) is mounted at the delivery position (Pab) under the granulate delivery opening (50b) in such a way that the material coming out of the granulate delivery opening ( 50b) falling granulate falls into the granulate dryer (80) due to gravity.

Images