EP3538729B1

EP3538729B1 - Closing group for a machine for treating objects, food or suchlike, and machine for treating objects, food or suchlike comprising said closing group

Info

Publication number: EP3538729B1
Application number: EP17797344.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ivone CAPOVILLA
Original assignee: Steelco SpA
Current assignee: Steelco SpA
Priority date: 2016-11-10
Filing date: 2017-11-10
Publication date: 2023-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 2037-11-10
Also published as: EP3538729A1; WO2018087320A1; IT201600113717A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a closing group provided with a rotatable door, for example a motorized rotatable door, for example a swing door, flap door or suchlike, and able to rotate open or closed to allow or prevent access to a compartment, for example the compartment or chamber of a machine for treating food, objects or suchlike, for example, objects in the health or medical field or suchlike.
The present invention also concerns a treating machine for food, objects or suchlike.
The term treatment can comprise "in their entirety" both operations to pre-treat the objects, such as pre-washing, with hot or cold water and/or with detergents or other chemical products, as well as washing operations proper, and also drying operations. The term "treatment" also comprises thermal disinfection, sterilization, generally in autoclaves, and decontamination by means of particularly aggressive and dangerous decontamination substances, detergents and/or chemical agents such as for example peracetic acid.
By way of example, the objects that can be treated in the treatment machine in question can be instruments used in the medical field, in the laboratory, for analysis or research, instruments used in the pharmaceutical field, or medical instruments, surgical instruments or similar or comparable instruments, but does not exclude the application of the present invention to the treatment of objects in general.
The term treatment can also comprise "in their entirety" operations for painting or cooking articles, objects, products or suchlike, so in this case the treatment machine could be a painting oven, a cooking oven or suchlike.
In the case of food, the term treatment can be understood, for example, as the heating or cooking of food or suchlike. So in this case the treatment machine can be a domestic or industrial cooking oven, or suchlike.
The invention will now be described with particular reference to the treatment of objects, but, as will be apparent from the description, the characteristic aspects of the invention could be applied to any treatment machine, including for food or suchlike, that is, any treatment machine provided with a treatment chamber and a rotatable door to access the treatment chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to produce machines for treating objects, such as washing, thermal disinfection and/or sterilization of objects, which are provided with a treatment chamber access to which, in order to allow the loading of the objects to be treated and the unloading of the treated objects, can be by means of rotatable doors, for example flap doors, swing doors or suchlike. For example, document EP 2623 127 A1 describes a washing machine with rotatable swing door.
These rotatable doors can be motorized and generally comprise a pair of switches, for example "micro switches", that is, a first micro switch to stop the door opening, and a second micro switch to stop the door closing.
Certain machines for treating objects, for example thermal disinfection machines for objects, are also provided with at least one gasket which is put in correspondence with the perimeter of the access opening to the chamber. For its correct functioning, the gasket requires a certain pressure from the door during closing, so as to guarantee the necessary sealing of the treatment chamber.
Therefore, the motorized rotatable doors must be equipped with a sufficiently powerful motor to guarantee effective closing of the treatment chamber, and thus to guarantee adequate pressure of the gasket during closing.
Motorized rotatable doors, however, are normally not equipped with safety systems, which for example automatically stop the door closing if, for example, the operator in charge of loading the objects inadvertently puts a limb or part of a limb, between the panel of the closing door and the access opening during the closing of the door.
This situation could be extremely dangerous for the operator, given the type of motorization discussed above, with which the door is equipped so as to guarantee the proper sealing to the treatment chamber.
The lack of safety systems that in some way stop the door closing and therefore stop the drive motor can also be harmful to any objects that, inadvertently, come between the panel of the door closing and the access opening, and can be detrimental also to the motor itself, which continues to drive the closing door despite the presence of an obstacle or, in general, an interference.
Document AU 40327 78 A describes a known and complex mechanism to guide a door, which comprises means of protection against any overload that should occur during the opening and closing rotation of the door.
Other limitations and disadvantages of conventional solutions and technologies will be clear to a person of skill after reading the remaining part of the present description with reference to the drawings and the description of the embodiments that follow, although it is clear that the description of the state of the art connected to the present description must not be considered an admission that what is described here is already known from the state of the prior art.
There is therefore a need to obtain a closing group for a machine for treating objects, food, or suchlike, and a machine for treating objects, food, or suchlike comprising the closing group, which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art.
In particular therefore, one purpose of the present invention is to obtain a closing group provided with an effective and automatic safety device which guarantees at least to stop the motor associated with the rotatable door, for example a flap door, in the event that there is an interference between the panel of the closing door and the opening accessible through the rotatable door.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a closing group that is particularly suitable for use in machines for treating objects in the health, medical, or similar fields, for example for washing, thermal disinfection and/or sterilization of objects.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a closing group which in any case guarantees that a certain closing force of the rotatable door is maintained, so that the door itself, in particular, exerts a suitable pressure on the peripheral frame of the aperture with which it is associated.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a machine for treating objects, food or suchlike, provided with an effective and safe closing group with a rotatable door.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.
In accordance with the above purposes, some embodiments concern a closing group for a machine for treating objects, food or suchlike. The closing group according to annexed claim 1 comprises a rotatable door, automatic drive means to open and close the rotatable door, said automatic drive means comprising a motor associated with an actuator provided with a cylinder and a stem which is mobile in the cylinder, and at least a command element configured to determine the start and stop of the drive means. The closing group comprises a safety device connected to the rotatable door by means of at least a removable attachment element; the safety device is configured to cooperate with the command element of the drive means and is configured to automatically separate the attachment element from the rotatable door at least if there is an interference or obstacle to the closing rotation of the rotatable door, that is, during the closing rotation of the rotatable door, and to vary the condition of the command element so as to control the drive means and effect at least the interruption or the inversion of the closing rotation of the rotatable door.
According to a characteristic aspect of the invention, the closing group comprises a blocking element to block the functioning of the safety device and the safety device comprises at least a mobile arm on which the attachment element is made, and provided with a rotation pin to pass from the connection position with the rotatable door to the interaction position with the command element and vice versa.
The safety device is provided with at least an elastic element configured to act in contrast with the removable attachment element and configured to allow the interaction of the safety device with the command element.
The attachment element is configured to engage, at least for the closing step of the rotatable door, with a rotation pin associated with the rotatable door and housable in at least a corresponding seating made in the safety device.
The safety device comprises another arm to house the rotation pin, the other arm and the mobile arm of the safety device can be distanced from each other in a variable way by means of the elastic element.
The angle of closing is comprised between about 0° and about 10° with respect to a direction of closing of the rotatable door.
The blocking element is configured to be inserted between the other arm and the mobile arm of the safety device and to block the reciprocal distance thereof.
In possible embodiments, the closing group can comprise a guide to insert the rotation pin.
The invention also concerns a machine for treating objects, food or suchlike, comprising a treatment chamber, provided with an access aperture, and a closing group of the aperture, comprising a rotatable door, automatic drive means of the rotatable door and at least a command element configured to determine the start and stop of the drive means. The machine comprises a closing group of said aperture as defined above.
These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood with reference to the following description, drawings and attached claims. The drawings, which are integrated and form part of the present description, show some forms of embodiment of the present invention, and together with the description, are intended to describe the principles of the disclosure.
The various aspects and characteristics described in the present description can be applied individually where possible. These individual aspects, for example aspects and characteristics described in the attached dependent claims, can be the object of divisional applications.
It is understood that any aspect or characteristic that is discovered, during the patenting process, to be already known, shall not be claimed and shall be the object of a disclaimer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

fig. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic view of a treatment machine for objects, food or suchlike, with a closing group with a rotatable door according to embodiments described here.
fig. 2 is a lateral elevation view of the closing group with the rotatable door motorized, shown in a first closing position;
fig. 3 is a lateral elevation view of the closing group with the rotatable door in a second closing position;
fig. 4 is a lateral elevation view of the closing group with the rotatable door at the end of the closing step.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

We shall now refer in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one embodiment can be adopted on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall comprise all such modifications Z falling under the appended claims.
Before describing these embodiments, we must also clarify that the present description is not limited in its application to details of the construction and disposition of the components as described in the following description using the attached drawings. The present description can provide other embodiments and can be obtained or executed in various other ways. We must also clarify that the phraseology and terminology used here is for the purposes of description only, and cannot be considered as limitative.
With reference to the attached drawings, embodiments described here concern a closing group 10 and a treatment machine 40 for objects, for example washing, thermal disinfection, sterilization or other, that comprises a treatment chamber 11 provided with an access aperture 12, which can be opened or closed by a closing group 10 provided with a rotatable door 13, for example a flap door, as shown here by way of example. However, the description that will follow can also concern the use of a rotatable door of another type, such as a swing door or suchlike.
As we said before, the treatment machine 40 could be any machine for treating objects, food, or suchlike, a cooking machine, painting machine or other.
The rotatable door 13 is typically configured to perform a closing rotation movement R1 or an opening rotation movement R2 (see, for example, figs. 2 and 3).
In correspondence with the access aperture 12, along the edge, a sealing gasket, not visible in the drawings, is normally positioned to seal the treatment chamber 11 and is able to cooperate with the rotatable door 13 once the latter has been correctly closed. The gasket can be inflatable with air or other compressed fluid, that is, a pressurized gasket, which can generally be disposed along the perimeter frame of the aperture 12 against which the rotatable door 13 abuts when closed.
The closing group 10 comprises suitable automatic drive means 14, 15 to allow the passage of the rotatable door 13 from an open position to a closed position and vice versa.
A completely open position of the rotatable door 13 is shown, for example, by the completely open plane A, shown in figs. 2, 3 and 4 by a line of dashes.
A completely closed position of the rotatable door 13, as in fig. 1, is shown, for example, by the completely closed plane C, shown by a line of dots in figs. 2, 3 and 4,
In the example shown, the rotatable door 13 is a flap door, hence with a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, the completely open plane A will be substantially horizontal, while the completely closed plane C will be substantially vertical.
If the rotatable door 13 were a swing door, or in any case with a substantially vertical axis of rotation, both the completely open plane A and the completely closed plane C would be substantially vertical and disposed, for example, at about 90° with respect to each other.
The closing group 10 comprises at least one command element, for example a switch 37, configured to determine the start and stop of the drive means 14, 15.
The closing group 10 also comprises a safety device 27 connected to the rotatable door 13 by means of at least one removable attachment element 33.
The safety device 27 is configured to cooperate with the command element or switch 37 of the drive means 14 and 15 and is configured to automatically separate the attachment element 33 from the rotatable door 13 at least in the event that an interference or obstacle M, such as a hand of an operator, appears during the closing rotation R1 of the rotatable door 13 and to vary the condition of the command element or switch 37 so as to control the drive means 14, 15 and to at least interrupt or invert the closing rotation R1 of the rotatable door 13.
The drive means 14, 15 for determining the opening or closing of the rotatable door 13 is a motor 14, or gear motor, associated with an actuator 15 provided with a cylinder 16 and a stem 17 which is mobile in the cylinder 16.
In possible implementations, the motor 14 and the actuator 15 are rotatably supported by means of a rotation pin 18 housed in a support plate 19.
In possible implementations, the support plate 19 is attached to the surface 20 of a service compartment 21 positioned under the treatment chamber 11.
In possible implementations, the rotatable door 13 comprises a pin 22 connected to a lever 23 associated with the stem 17 of the actuator 15 by means of a rotation pin 25.
In possible implementations, elastic elements, not shown in the drawings and connected near the base of the actuator 15, can be associated with the lever 23.
On the opposite side to the lever 23, the pin 22 can be connected to another lever 26, able to cooperate with two end-of-travel switches, not visible in the drawings: a first switch to stop the opening of the rotatable door 13 and a second switch to stop the closing of the rotatable door 13. For example, the pin 25 can be associated with the safety device 27.
The safety device 27 comprises at least one mobile arm 29 on which the attachment element 33 is made, and is provided with a rotation pin 31 to pass from the position of connection to the rotatable door 13 to the position of interaction with the command element 37 and vice versa.
The safety device 27 comprises another arm 28, for example a fixed arm.
The arm 28 can substantially be aligned with the actuator 15 and comprises a housing seating 34 for the pin 25.
The arm 28 comprises another guide 30 to possibly house the pin 25, in the event of opening the rotatable door 13.
The guide 30 for housing the pin 25 is located in sequence to the seating 34.
The mobile arm 29 is configured to co-operate in abutment with the command element or switch 37, in particular with a mobile element 36 of the latter, as described in detail hereafter.
Furthermore, the mobile arm 29 comprises an elastic element 32 positioned between it and the first arm 28.
The elastic element 32, in the situation of fig. 2 is subjected to a certain tension and would tend to move the mobile arm 29 toward the arm 28, which can be fixed, by means of a rotation of the mobile arm 29 around the rotation pin 31.
This moving into proximity of the arms 28 and 29 and the consequent relaxation of the elastic element 32 is prevented by the fact that the mobile arm 29 has the attachment element 33, which is able to engage with the pin 25 so as to maintain itself in the positions shown in fig. 2 and fig. 4, that is, the normal functioning positions of the rotatable door 13.
The moving nearer of the arms 28 and 29 as a result of the action of the elastic element 32 would cause the automatic separation of the attachment element 33 from the pin 25 associated with the rotatable door 13.
The attachment element 33, therefore, substantially allows a removable connection of the safety device 27 with the rotatable door 13.
In possible implementations, the mobile arm 29 also comprises a portion 35 which is able to abut against the mobile element 36 of the command element or switch 37.
This portion 35 is positioned in a position of the mobile arm 29 diametrically opposite the engagement portion of the mobile arm 29 with the elastic element 32.
The command element or switch 37 is associated with the motor 14 and thus, as we shall see, can cause the motor 14 to stop and possibly reverse its motion.
The actuator 15 also comprises a blocking element 24 to block the reciprocal position of the arms 28 and 29.
Let us suppose that the rotatable door 13 has to be moved from an open position, line A, to a closed position, line C.
By driving the motor 14, the actuator 15 recalls the stem 17 inside the cylinder 16, see fig. 2.
The return of the stem 17 of the actuator 15 causes a rotation R1 of the rotatable door 13 to the closed position, by means of a rotation of the levers 23 and 26 associated around the pin 25, correctly housed in the seating 34 of the arm 28.
The lowering of the pin 25 causes a rotation of the lever 23 and indirectly of the lever 26 on the opposite side to the aperture 12, and thus causes the rotation R1 of the rotatable door 13 around the pin 22, so as to move to the closed position (see, for example, figs. 1 and 2).
Furthermore, during a normal closing operation, the attachment element 33 is correctly positioned on the pin 25, so as to keep the arms 28 and 29 of the safety device 27 distanced, and therefore so that the command element or switch 37 remains, correctly, in the initial condition, for example in the open position.
During the normal closing operation, moreover, the motor unit 14 and actuator 15 also rotate in the direction R1 around the pin 18.
If there are no interferences during the closing operation, the rotatable door 13 comes into the completely closed position of fig. 4, in which, as can be seen, the rotation pin 25 has remained normally positioned in the seating 34 of the arm 28 and the attachment element 33 is correctly engaged with the pin 25.
If, however, during the closing operation of the rotatable door 13, there is an interference or obstacle M that comes between the panel of the rotatable door 13 and the aperture 12 of the chamber 11, for example the hand or part of a hand of an operator, see fig. 3, the rotatable door 13 finds an impediment in continuing the rotation R1, while the actuator 15 continues rotation R1 around the pin 18.
The interference, even if substantially instantaneous or of extremely limited duration, therefore causes at least a temporary stop of the rotation R1 of the rotatable door 13, so that the pin 25 associated with the lever 23 abandons the seating 34 and, above all, disengages from the attachment element 33 of the mobile arm 29.
As previously stated, the elastic element 32 is under tension and tends to move the two arms 28 and 29 reciprocally toward each other; therefore, as soon as the attachment element 33 is released by the pin 25, the mobile arm 29 rotates around the pin 31 until the elastic element 32 moves into the inactive position, that is, in the configuration of fig. 3.
The rotation of the mobile arm 29 around the pin 31 causes the portion 35 of the mobile arm 29 cooperating with the mobile element 36 of the command element or switch 37 to change the condition of the command element or switch 37, moving it for example to a closed position.
The actuation, in particular, for example, the closing of the command element or switch 37, or in any case its change of condition with respect to the normal functioning of the rotatable door 13, determines the control of the motor 14 and therefore of the actuator 15 for the purposes of stopping or inverting the closing rotation R1 of the rotatable door 13.
As we said, the command element or switch 37 could command the motor 14 to stop or even reverse its motion, and therefore, in short, a motorized opening of the rotatable door 13, that is, a rotation R2.
In this example, the mobile element 36 is configured to interact directly with the portion 35 of the mobile arm 29, but naturally, a different disposition of the mobile element 36 could be provided, for example, it could be provided that in the normal functioning of the rotatable door 13, the mobile element 36 and the portion 35 are not in reciprocal contact.
Similarly, it would be possible to provide that the command element or switch 37 is normally closed and that the mobile arm 29 of the security device 27, through the portion 35, cooperates with the command element or switch 37 to move it into an open position, therefore to cause a change of condition that commands the motor 14 to stop and possibly invert its motion.
The interference or obstacle M with the panel of the rotatable door 13 could be another type, so instead of a hand or part of an operator's hand, the interference or obstruction could be, for example, any object or other.
As we said above, the rotatable door 13 is preferably configured to exert a certain force on the pressurized gasket, not shown in the drawings, located for example along the perimeter frame of the aperture 12 against which the rotatable door 13 abuts when closed, to counterbalance the pressure exerted by the gasket itself.
To this end, when the rotatable door 13 has reached a certain degree of closure, that is, when the rotatable door 13 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction by an angle α comprised between about 0° and about 10°, fig. 4, the lowering of the stem 17 determines the engagement of the arms 28 and 29 in the blocking element 24, which prevents any reciprocal movement of the arms 28 and 29 toward each other.
Therefore, when the rotatable door 13 is closing, after a certain inclination has been exceeded, the arms 28 and 29 will be substantially engaged in the blocking element 24, and therefore the safety device 27 in this step is prevented from entering into action, since, for said angle α, it is assumed that no interference with the closing of the rotatable door 13 is possible.
The function of the blocking element 24 is therefore substantially to prevent the safety device 27 from entering into action in the final closing step of the rotatable door 13, in which the motor 14 has to guarantee, by means of the actuator 15, a certain closing thrust so that the rotatable door 13 exerts a suitable pressure on the aperture 12.
Indeed, as we said, the present closing group 10 provided with a rotatable door 13 and safety device 27 is particularly advantageous applied to a treatment machine for objects in the health or medical field or suchlike, such as for example a machine for washing, thermal disinfection and/or sterilization of objects.
However, as we said above, the closing group 10 can advantageously be applied to any treatment machine that requires a rotatable door for access to a treatment chamber, and therefore for example a machine for treating objects, food or other.
It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts can be made to the closing group as described heretofore, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of closing group, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.
In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate reading: they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection claimed in the specific claims.

Claims

Closing group for a machine for treating objects, food or suchlike, comprising:
a rotatable door (13),

automatic drive means (14, 15) to open and close said rotatable door (13), said drive means (14, 15) comprising a motor (14) associated with an actuator (15) provided with a cylinder (16) and a stem (17) which is mobile in the cylinder (16),

at least a command element (37) configured to determine the start and stop of said drive means (14, 15), and

a safety device (27) removably connected to said rotatable door (13) by means of at least a removable attachment element (33), in order to pass from a position of connection to the rotatable door (13) to a position of interaction with the command element (37) and vice versa, said safety device (27) being configured to cooperate with said command element (37) of said drive means (14, 15) and being configured to automatically separate said attachment element (33) from said rotatable door (13) at least if there is an interference or obstacle (M) to the closing rotation (R1) of the rotatable door (13) and to vary the condition of said command element (37) so as to control said drive means (14, 15) and effect at least the interruption or the inversion of the closing rotation (R1) of said rotatable door (13), characterized in that said closing group comprises a blocking element (24) to block the functioning of said safety device (27) and said safety device (27) comprises:
at least a mobile arm (29) on which said attachment element (33) is made, the mobile arm (29) being provided with a rotation pin (31) to allow the mobile arm (29) to pass from the connection position with said rotatable door (13) to the interaction position with said command element (37) and vice versa;

at least an elastic element (32) configured to act in contrast with said removable attachment element (33) and configured to allow the interaction of said safety device (27) with said command element (37), wherein said attachment element (33) is configured to engage, at least for the closing step of said rotatable door (13), with a rotation pin (25) associated with said rotatable door (13) and housable in at least a corresponding seating (34) made in said safety device (27);

another arm (28) comprising said seating (34) to house said rotation pin (25), said other arm (28) and said mobile arm (29) of said safety device (27) being distanced from each other in a variable way by means of said elastic element (32),

wherein said blocking element (24) is configured to enter into action after a certain angle (α) of closing of said rotatable door (13), due to the lowering of the stem (17) that determines the engagement of the arms (28, 29) in the blocking element (24), which prevents any reciprocal movement of the arms (28, 29) toward each other, and to block the rotation movement of said mobile arm (29) around said rotation pin (31), and wherein said angle (α) of closing is comprised between about 0° and about 10° with respect to a direction (C) of closing of the rotatable door (13).
Closing group as in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a guide (30) to insert said rotation pin (25).
Machine for treating objects, food or suchlike, characterized in that said treatment machine comprises a treatment chamber (11), provided with an access aperture (12), and a closing group (10) of said aperture (12) as in any claim hereinbefore.