DE19600061A1 - Feed equipment for a plasticising unit, especially of an extruder - Google Patents

Abstract

Equipment for feeding raw materials to a plasticising unit, especially for an extruder or injection moulding machine includes a feed opening (21) in the machine housing (22) surmounted by a feed hopper (1) which can move parallel to the plane of the feed opening for opening up the latter.

Description

The invention relates to a device for feeding Raw material in a plasticizer, such as an injection unit an injection molding machine or extruder an extrusion machine with housing, cylinder and screw, comprising one Filling funnel with an outlet opening that matches his Outlet opening on a filling opening in the housing of the Plasticizer sits on.

The hopper serves as a buffer to keep one uniform feed of the raw material into the filling opening to ensure the housing.

For cleaning the hopper and / or the Plasticizing device, for example when changing colors or Standstill, the fill opening in the housing must be accessible be made. This is done in known devices by removing and lifting the funnel. The weight loosing of the filling funnel from the filling opening in the housing is designed due to the high weight of the Funnel difficult. You can also use this if necessary Dosing devices on the hopper easily to be damaged.

Furthermore, when removed from the housing Filling funnel the great danger that the filling opening of the  Housing is freely accessible, especially if the Plasticizer is in operation and significant There is a risk of injury if a person cleans the Plasticizing device or the filling opening in the housing of the rotating screw inside the cylinder becomes.

The object of the invention is therefore a device for Feeding raw material into a plasticizer to propose, in particular at the hopper Cleaning the plasticizing device is no longer cumbersome must be removed and secondly a risk of injury is avoided by the open filler opening of the housing. This object is achieved with a device according to the invention solved according to the characterizing features of claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the Removable subclaims.

According to the invention, the hopper is proposed parallel to the level of the filler opening of the housing move to reveal the filler opening. That's how it is Avoid lifting the heavy funnel. Is preferred a sliding guide in the area of the filler opening of the housing provided and the hopper is in the sliding guide slidably guided.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the Such a length proposed according to the invention that the hopper from its position over the Filling opening of the housing is so far that the Filling opening at least completely for cleaning purposes is released and thus the filling opening is accessible.

In a preferred embodiment, it is proposed that that the sliding guide from one attached to the housing Base plate and attached to the base plate Side guide rails is formed, and on the base plate  a sliding plate rests in the sliding guide is movable. The hopper is on the Sliding plate attached and slidable with this and will guided laterally by the side guide rails. To the Feeding the raw material into the plasticizing device the base plate one with the filling opening of the housing Corresponding opening and the sliding plate has one with the outlet opening of the hopper corresponding opening on, so that with a shift of the funnel connected to the slide plate the opening in the base plate is a continuous opening for Feeding the raw material from the hopper to the Filling opening is formed in the housing. Such Sliding guide with a sliding plate that can be moved in it the funnel is attached, can be done with little Effort on almost all usual filling openings from Attach housings of plasticizers, if necessary, retrofitting is also a Housing possible.

To further increase security against reaching in a person in the fill opening of the housing and The invention proposes simplifying the cleaning process continue to provide a second hopper, which is also in the sliding guide is slidably arranged to provide. This second hopper can, after the first and commonly used to feed the raw material Filling funnel completely from the filling opening of the Housing moved to a remote location has been pushed over the filler opening of the housing and so the filling of cleaning granules or enable the same and at the same time reaching the Prevent the filling opening of the housing by one person. It it is envisaged that the two hopper independently from each other, d. H. can be moved individually.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention also suggested each hopper with a  Signal transmitter for determining the position of the hopper in with respect to the filling opening of the housing. Thereby it is possible to indicate the presence of a hopper the filling opening of the housing in the filling position determine and a corresponding signal from the signal generator surrender the control of the plasticizer and the To enable operation of the plasticizing device. When a Filling funnel due to sliding in the sliding guide from is moved away from the filler opening, this signal remains Signal generator and the operation of the plasticizing device is interrupted so that the dangerous operation of the Plasticizing device with freely accessible - d. H. exposed - filling opening is avoided. Only if a hopper in the correct position, d. H. completely over the fill opening of the housing, the signal generator emits a signal which enables the Put the plasticizer into operation.

It is also possible to use two funnels the sliding plates of the two funnels on their mutually facing sides with the parts of a Equip safety contact, such that at The safety contacts lie side by side with the sliding plates is closed and when the sliding plates are moved apart the safety contact is inevitably opened. This is it is easily possible to operate the Interrupt plasticizer when the two Filling funnel in the slide guide are moved apart and consequently the filler opening in the housing is free is accessible. Only if the sliding plates are next to each other the safety contact is closed, whereby the Filling opening in the housing of the plasticizer from is inaccessible from the outside and therefore an operation of Plasticizer over the closed Safety contact is enabled.

Furthermore, the invention proposes the displacement movement especially the hopper for the raw material in the  Sliding through a hydraulic, pneumatic or electronic actuating means, such as one Pneumatic cylinder or the like. To this In this way it is possible to also use particularly large filling funnels a correspondingly large weight in the invention to move the proposed sliding guide.

It is also possible in the sense of the invention to be guided by rails Rolls or the like as a means of displacement for Filling funnel to use.

The invention is based on Embodiments of an injection unit Injection molding machine explained in more detail in the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of the side view of a device according to the invention

FIG. 2 shows a section through the device according to the invention according to arrow B in FIG. 1

Fig. 3 shows a schematic representation of another embodiment of the device according to the invention.

In FIG. 1, an injection unit 2 with the screw 20 and the housing 22 is shown. A filling opening 21 for feeding raw material to the screw 20 is formed on the top of the injection unit 2 in the housing 22 . The device for supplying raw material includes a feed hopper 1, which with its outlet opening 1b is positioned over the filling opening 21 of the housing 22nd A sliding guide 5 for the hopper 1 is arranged between the housing 22 and the hopper 1 .

As can be seen from FIG. 2, the sliding guide 5 consists of a base plate 51 , which is fastened in the area of the filling opening of the injection unit 2 to it, here on the housing 22 of the injection unit 2 by means of screws 10 , and two along two parallel sides of the Base plate 51 arranged side guide rails 52 which are fastened to the base plate 51 , for example by means of screws 9 . The sliding plane S is thus formed on the base plate 51 between the side guide rails 52 and runs parallel to the plane defined by the filling opening 21 of the injection unit 2 . On the base plate 51 is a sliding plate 3 , on which the hopper 1 is placed and fastened with its connecting flange 1 a, for example screwed or welded. The sliding plate 3 can thus be displaced in the sliding guide 5 on the base plate 51 along the sliding plane 5 , as illustrated by the arrow A in FIG. 1. The side guide rails 52 are used for the lateral guidance of the sliding plate 3 along the displacement path on the base plate 51 . Viewed in cross section, the side guide rails have, for example, an approximately L-shaped shape and encompass the sliding plate 3 for the purpose of guidance, while leaving a small space which is required for the displacement movement. In this way, the side guide rails 52 serve both for lateral guidance and for preventing the sliding plate 3 from lifting off from the base plate 51 .

For supplying raw material from the outlet opening 1 1 b of the hopper into the filling opening 21 of the injection unit 2, the sliding plate 3 has an opening 35 which b with the outlet opening of the hopper 1 1 corresponds. Likewise, the base plate 51 of the slide guide 5 has an opening 55 which corresponds to the filling opening 21 in the housing 22 of the injection unit 2 , so that by means of the openings 1 b, 35 , 55 a through opening from the filling funnel 1 via the sliding plate 3 and the base plate 51 is formed in the filling opening 21 of the injection unit 2 when the filling funnel 1 with the sliding plate 3 is positioned above the corresponding opening 55 in the base plate 51 . This continuous opening extends within the housing to the screw 20 which can be rotated in the cylinder 22 , so that the screw 20 can be loaded with raw material.

With the device according to the invention, it is possible to move the filling funnel 1 together with the sliding plate 3 in the sliding guide 5 , for example for cleaning purposes, as indicated by the arrow A to the right in FIG. 1. The sliding guide 5 is advantageously designed for the displacement of the filling funnel 1 in such a length that the filling funnel 1 can be pushed completely away from the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 and the filling opening 21 is freely accessible through the opening 55 in the base plate 51 .

However, there is a considerable risk of accidents due to the screw 20 that can be reached inside the injection unit through the filling opening 21, which is now freely accessible.

For this reason, in addition to the hopper 1 for feeding the raw material, a second hopper 8 , also referred to as a cleaning hopper, is provided in the slide guide 5 , for example for feeding cleaning granules or the like. This hopper 8 is also fastened to a further sliding plate 30 lying in the sliding guide and can be displaced by means of the sliding plate 30 within the sliding guide 5 in the side guides 52 in the sliding plane S analogously to the sliding plate 3 . In this way it is possible to push the filling funnel 1 with its sliding plate 3 away from the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 and subsequently to push the second filling funnel 8 over the opening 55 of the base plate 51 and the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 for cleaning the injection unit 2 . Cleaning granulate, for example, can then be fed manually through this hopper 8 without the otherwise used hopper 1 having to be removed from the injection unit 2 . This also prevents damage to other devices, such as dosing devices and scales, which may be present on the hopper 1 . After the cleaning process has ended, the initial state according to FIG. 1 can be quickly and easily restored by reversing the respective displacement movements of sliding plate 30 and sliding plate 3 and the injection unit can be operated as usual with the filling funnel 1 . The sliding plates 3, 30 of the hopper 1 and 8 runs in such a length that they form for the respective other pushing plate a stop which b proper alignment present in the slide plates openings 1, 8 b of the filling opening 21 of the are advantageous Ensure the injection unit or the opening 55 of the base plate 51 .

To further increase safety, the parts 7 a, 7 b of a safety contact are arranged on the two sliding plates 3 , 30 of the two filling funnels 1 , 8 on their mutually facing sides, so that when the sliding plates 3 , 30 lie side by side, as in FIG. 1 shown, the safety contact is closed. However, if the two individual funnels 1 , 8 are moved apart with their sliding plates 3 , 30, for cleaning purposes, for example, the filling opening 21 in the housing 22 then being freely accessible via the opening 55 in the base plate 51 , the safety switch with its parts 7 a, 7 b opened. In this way it is possible, by incorporating this safety switch into the control of the injection unit 2, to ensure that only when the safety switch is closed, that is to say when the sliding plates 3 , 30 lie next to one another as a result, the filling opening 21 in the housing 22 is not accessible, a rotation of the screw 20 is possible. If the safety switch with its parts 7 a, 7 b is open, as a result of which the filling opening 21 in the housing 22 is accessible, the drive and thus the rotation of the screw 20 is interrupted, so that a risk to persons through the freely accessible filling opening 21 in the housing 22 of the injection unit 2 is reliably prevented.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. A pneumatic cylinder 11 , which is fastened at a suitable location on the housing 22 , engages with its piston rod 11 on the filling funnel 1 in the region of the flange 1 a of the filling funnel 1 , so that the Displacement of the hopper 1 in the sliding guide 5 by means of the pneumatic cylinder 11 . In this way, it is also possible to move large filling funnels 1 with a corresponding capacity for raw material and a corresponding weight within the sliding guide 5 in a simple manner. If necessary, the pneumatic cylinder 11 is actuated in such a way that it moves the filling funnel 1 towards it according to arrow C in FIG. 3, so that the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 is opened. The safety switch with its parts 7 a, 7 b is inevitably opened and brings the injection unit to a standstill, so that there is no longer any danger from the rotating screw 20 . Then the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 can be easily cleaned manually. If necessary, the second hopper 8 can be moved in the direction D, for example manually, since it is much smaller and therefore lighter than the hopper 1 , via the opening 55 and the filling opening 21 , the part 7 a arranged on the sliding plate 30 then the safety switch with the portion 7 b on the sliding plate 3 closes again and operation of the spray unit 2 to the second hopper 8 is possible. It is not necessary to move it by means of a drive, since the cleaning funnel can also be moved by hand due to its small size and weight. To stabilize the sliding guide 5 , it is designed to rest on the housing 22 , for example in the area of the worm drive 22 a, so that a correspondingly heavy filling funnel 1 finds a corresponding support on the housing 22 in a position displaced from the filling opening 21 . Additional supports can also be provided. It is also possible to provide on the sliding plates 3 , 30 of the hopper 1 , 8 fastening means, such as screws or the like, with which the position of the sliding plate can be secured by clamping on the slide guide 5 during operation.

After completion of a cleaning process by feeding cleaning granules into the injection unit 2 via the smaller filling funnel 8 , the filling funnel 8 is moved back into its initial and rest position against the arrow direction D. If the rotary movement of the screw 20 has not been switched off beforehand, it is switched off at the latest when the cleaning funnel 8 is moved by means of a corresponding signal - signal failure - of the safety switch. After opening the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 by pushing the filling funnel 8 aside, the filling funnel 1 can then be pushed back into its operating position via the filling opening 21 of the housing 22 , the safety switch with its parts 7 a, 7 b again closing when the operating position is reached and triggers a signal to release the turning movement of the screw 20 .

The inventive device for feeding raw material in a plasticizer can be used on almost all Use conventional injection molding machines and is in particular also for retrofitting existing ones Plasticizing devices suitable and enables much easier cleaning and at the same time considerably increased safety of the entire plasticizing device, because an operation of the plasticizing device with open Filling opening through the proposed safety switch is reliably prevented and therefore one of the most common The cause of the accident on plasticizing equipment is switched off.

Claims (9)

1. Device for feeding raw material into a plasticizing device, such as an injection unit of an injection molding machine or extruder of an extrusion machine with housing, cylinder and screw, comprising a filling funnel with an outlet opening, which sits with its outlet opening on a filling opening in the housing of the plasticizing device, characterized in that the Filling funnel ( 1 ) in the area of the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing can be displaced parallel to the plane defined by the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing to release the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that in the region of the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing a slide guide ( 5 ) is provided with an opening opening the filler opening ( 55 ) and the filling funnel ( 1 ) in the sliding guide ( 5 ) guided is. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sliding guide ( 5 ) has such a length that the filling funnel ( 1 ) from its position over the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing ( 2 ) is so far that the Filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing can be released at least completely. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sliding guide (5) (51) side guide rail fastened is formed by a chassis-mounted base plate (51) and to the base plate and on the base plate (51) a sliding plate ( 3 ) rests, which is displaceably guided in the sliding guide, and the filling funnel ( 1 ) is fastened on the sliding plate ( 3 ) and the base plate ( 51 ) has an opening ( 55 ) corresponding to the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing and the sliding plate (3) has a corresponding with the opening (1 b) of the hopper (1) opening (35). 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a second hopper ( 8 ) is provided for supplying cleaning granules and is arranged displaceably in the sliding guide ( 5 ). 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each hopper ( 1,8 ) with a signal transmitter for determining the position of the hopper in relation to the filling opening ( 21 ) of the housing or the opening ( 55 ) of the base plate ( 51st ) is equipped. 7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the sliding plates ( 3 , 30 ) of the two funnels ( 1,8 ) are equipped on their mutually facing sides with the parts of a safety contact, such that the safety contact is closed when the sliding plates are next to each other and the safety contact is inevitably opened when the sliding plates are moved apart. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the two filling funnels ( 1 , 8 ) are independently displaceable independently. 9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a hydraulic, pneumatic or electrically driven actuating means ( 11 ) is provided for displacing the feed hopper ( 1 ) serving to feed the raw material.