EP4251879A1

EP4251879A1 - Method for emptying viscous material out of a cartridge which is open on both sides, and emptying device suitable for this purpose

Info

Publication number: EP4251879A1
Application number: EP21815395.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Erich Scheugenpflug
Original assignee: Dosmatix GmbH
Current assignee: Dosmatix GmbH
Priority date: 2020-11-24
Filing date: 2021-11-12
Publication date: 2023-10-04
Also published as: JP2023552709A; DE102020131081B3; US20230294906A1; WO2022112022A1

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to empty a cartridge (100) in a bubble-free manner. This is achieved in that the material (M) is pressed out of the removal opening (100a) of the cartridge (100) into a large-surface distributing head (7) which has a plurality of small outlet openings (17) on the lower face, whereby a plurality of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) are produced, said strands having a very large surface area in comparison to the volume thereof so that gas that is outgassed in the process can be removed via a vacuum applied about the strands. The strands (S1, S2, S3) fall into a collecting container (2) arranged underneath, and after the cartridge (100) is completely emptied, the strands are transported from the collecting container further downwards via the outlet opening (29), which can be found in the base of the collecting container (2), and into the discharge line (20), which is connected thereto and leads to the load, e.g. a metering device (300), by driving the distributing head (7) into the open side of the collecting container (2).

Description

Process for emptying viscous material from a cartridge that is open on both sides and emptying device suitable for this purpose

I. Field of application

The invention relates to the bubble-free emptying of highly viscous, ie pasty, substances from delivered transport containers, in particular cartridges.

II. Technical background

When processing highly viscous substances, e.g. in adhesive technology or the cosmetics industry, these substances or their individual components are delivered in transport containers such as cylindrical cartridges, which are usually made of plastic, with one or more liters and the viscous substance contained therein Material must be delivered from there to a consumer, for example a dosing device or a mixer, free of bubbles, i.e. without air pockets.

In the following, only cartridges are mentioned, which for the purposes of the present description should include all transport containers that are open on both sides but can be closed, in which a pusher can be pushed tightly inside the cartridge - which is usually cylindrical with regard to the inner circumference - and is introduced from the rear end, while the opposite front end has a contrast, generally much smaller removal opening, which is closed during transport and can be opened for removing the material. The removal from the cartridge and the transport via a supply line Versor - the discharge line - to the remote consumer after Be may and automatically be done without extensive manual post-processing, and a residue-free emptying of the mostly expensive materials possible.

In addition, no air should be able to get into the material when it is emptied, or the air contained in the material should even be able to escape.

So far, this has been attempted by opening a degassing nozzle that is interposed between the discharge opening to be closed at the discharge line, usually a hose line, and the discharge, which can be beat with negative pressure. However, this can only gas bubbles that are there after opening the removal opening and then to the discharge line he be removed, but not gas bubbles that are present, for example, finely distributed inside the material.

In general, it is known to degas free-flowing materials using the thin-film process:

The material is passed over a surface in the form of a layer that is as thin as possible, thereby massively increasing the surface of the flowing material, so that the probability that a gas bubble contained in it will come into contact with the surface of the layer and thus outgas from the material is greatly increased is.

Furthermore, when emptying barrels - which are usually only open on one side, namely at the top - with viscous material that is delivered as a transport container, it is known to empty such a barrel by means of a barrel sequence plate placed on the material, but already to apply negative pressure, in particular vacuum, to the space around it before inserting the barrel follower plate into the barrel and placing it on the material, and for this purpose to arrange a pressure-tight housing with a vacuum connection around it.

In the absence of a second opening, however, the material is conveyed out of the only opening on the top of the barrel, namely through the hollow piston rod attached to the barrel follower plate and pushing it down.

For this purpose, the barrel follower plate must be pressed against the material with high pressure, for which the stability of the barrel itself in the radial direction is often not sufficient, but the barrel must be held together radially in a corresponding supporting device. In cartridges, the material should be pushed out through the removal opening in the opposite end face by means of the ejector located therein, which can be displaced along the mostly round internal cross-section that remains the same in the direction of flap extension of the cartridge.

III. Presentation of the invention a) Technical problem

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a method for emptying cartridges without bubbles, with which gas bubbles present inside the material can also be eliminated before they are sent to the consumer. It is also the task to provide an emptying device suitable for this purpose. b) Solution of the task

This object is solved by the features of claims 1, 8 and 15. Before some embodiments result from the dependent claims.

With regard to the method, this object is achieved in that when the material is pressed out of the removal opening, the material is divided into a large number of thin strands by means of an axial displacement of the pusher. Due to this large enlargement of the surface, the probability that a gas bubble present in the material will come into contact with the surface of such a thin strand is much greater, and of course the greater the thinner the strands are. The strands are dropped into an open-topped collection container and mix with the flowable material present there, which is conveyed from this collection container by means of a connected in the lower area NEN main conveying line to the consumer. In order to avoid the formation of new gas pockets when the thin strands are reunited in the material in the collection container, at least the area from where the material is divided into the large number of thin strands, i.e. from the removal opening to the upper open end of the The collecting container is kept under vacuum during the emptying process of the cartridge and preferably also during the removal of the material from the collecting container to the consumer.

The gas contained in an opening gas bubble in the material is then removed from this area and when there is almost a vacuum in the area, no new gas inclusions can form.

In the context of the present description, negative pressure is understood to mean that this is in particular approximately a vacuum with a residual pressure of at most 50 mbar, preferably at most 10 mbar, preferably at most 1 mbar.

For forwarding to the consumer, the material is pressurized at the latest after the cartridge has been completely emptied in the direction of the outlet of the discharge line on the collection container, which is preferably done by pushing forward a discharge piston guided tightly in the collection container from the open side in the direction Mouth of the discharge line takes place, preferably in the direction of the bottom of the mostly pot-shaped collection container, in which this mouth is in the ground.

Since the collection container fills with material in a vacuum environment and such a discharge piston is retracted under vacuum into the upper open side of the collection container, gas pockets no longer form, even if after the introduction of the discharge piston into the open Top of the collection container was still a free distance between the discharge piston and the upper side of the filling of material, since this no longer contains any air.

The distribution of the material emerging from the removal opening in a thick strand into a large number of thin strands is carried out by means of a distributor head which in particular has a large number of outlet openings for each thin strand.

Advantageously, this distributor head, which is preferably arranged at a distance above the open top of the collecting container while the cartridge is being emptied, is then used, particularly after the cartridge has been completely emptied, as a discharge piston and inserted into the collecting container and therein tightly downwards out, for which the distribution head must have a suitable dimensioning.

On the one hand, no separate discharge piston is required for this, on the other hand, this avoids the need for a separately present discharge piston the distribution head and positioned over the opening of the collection container and only then lowered into it, which would be much more expensive. In this case, the distribution head is preferably not pushed axially into the collection container alone, but together with the cartridge, at the front end of which, the removal opening, it is attached, so that the cartridge acts as a plunger that moves the distribution head axially.

The cartridge is preferably moved axially by being fixed in a cartridge carrier with its rear end in both axial directions, i.e. both upwards and downwards, and this cartridge carrier can be moved back and forth in the pressing direction by means of a conveyor drive.

For pressing the bottle out of the cartridge, a cartridge plunger of a cartridge drive is placed on the rear side of the ejector facing away from the material and pushes this ejector further forward in the direction of the removal opening.

In order to ensure that the pusher fits tightly against the inner circumference of the cartridge, the cartridge can also be supported radially on its outer circumference.

Preferably, the area on the outside, ie the back, of the pusher is kept under vacuum up to the point at which the cartridge plunger exits the cartridge drive during the emptying process, so that there is no air on the back of the pusher if there is a leak between the pusher and the inner circumference of the cartridge, it can penetrate the material.

Preferably, instead or in addition, only the area on the rear side of the cartridge ram can be evacuated, not up to its exit point from the cartridge drive, but only up to a front area of the cartridge ram. In order to be able to empty the cartridge, with the distribution head already attached to its removal opening, is inserted in the transverse direction to the pressing direction under the retracted cartridge ram and fixed in the cartridge carrier in alignment with the cartridge ram, with the cartridge carrier being pushed so far is offset away from the collection container, in particular upwards, so that when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge carrier, the distribution head is still above the collection container.

With regard to the emptying device, this initially includes the most well-known components such as

- a base frame to which all other parts are attached,

- a cartridge drive with a cartridge plunger for pushing the cartridge ejector forward,

- a discharge line to the consumer, which can be connected to the emptying device,

- a cartridge carrier to which the cartridge can be attached and

- A first pressure-tight vacuum housing with a vacuum connection, which is present at the transition from the cartridge to the discharge line, in order to suck off gas escaping from the material in this area.

For the procedure according to the invention, there is also a collecting container on the base frame, which is open on one side, usually upwards, and is therefore pot-shaped, in the lower area, in particular in the bottom of which, the discharge line is connected, as well as a distribution head that does the dividing of the thick rod emerging from the removal opening of the cartridge takes over into a multiplicity of thin strands by comprising a multiplicity of small outlet openings on its outlet side.

The dispensing head has an attachment device with which it can be attached to the dispensing opening of the cartridge so that the thick strand emerging therefrom flows into the hollow interior of the dispensing head and from there to the many outlet openings. So that the thin strands emerging from them do not curl up due to adhesion on one side of the circumference of the outlet opening, the outlet openings have a tear-off edge at their free end that surrounds the outlet opening and, in cross-section, a sharp, pointed tear-off edge with an angle of less than 70° °, preferably less than 50°, preferably less than 40°.

So that the distribution head, which is attached directly to the lower front end of the cartridge and has the outlet openings on its underside, can be moved tightly into the collection container, its outer circumference must correspond to the inner circumference of the collection container, and a sealing lip is preferably provided on the outer circumference of the distribution head.

Furthermore, the outside diameter of the distributor head must be larger than the outside diameter of the cartridge, since this partially protrudes into the collection container during operation.

In order to be able to move the cartridge carrier together with the cartridge back and forth in the pressing direction, a discharge drive is provided which can move the cartridge carrier towards and away from the collecting container relative to the base frame, preferably consisting of two discharge Working cylinders on opposite sides of the cartridge carrier.

Furthermore, there is a fixing device on the cartridge carrier, with which the cartridge can be held fixed on the cartridge carrier both in and against the pressing direction.

For maintaining a vacuum in the area of the open side of the collecting container, there is a first vacuum housing, which is designed in the form of a sleeve and rests on the one hand on the outer circumference of the collecting container and on the other hand on the outer circumference of the cartridge aligned with it, with the seal relative to the cartridge relative movement of the cartridge to this Va kuum-housing allows to withdraw the cartridge as far up that their removal opening and especially a distribution head attached to it is at a distance above the collection container.

To insert the cartridge, the cartridge receptacle in the cartridge carrier is open on one side to the side or can at least be opened for inserting the cartridge from the side, for which purpose the cartridge carrier is at such a height is positioned so that the lower removal opening of the cartridge including the distribution head is at a distance above the open top of the collection container.

Then the ring-shaped cover of the sleeve-shaped first vacuum housing is first pushed onto the outer circumference of the cartridge from below and then the distributor head is fixed on the lower end of the cartridge, in particular screwed on, which is only possible after the cover has been pushed on, since this has a larger outer diameter than the cartridge owns.

Preferably, the cover of the first vacuum housing and the distributor head are fastened to the cartridge - or a support sleeve that surrounds the cartridge and is intended to minimize radial expansion of the cartridge when pressure is applied - before the cartridge is hung in the emptying device. The cover can then be pushed down far enough for it to be fastened and sealed against the sleeve-shaped lower part of the first vacuum housing, which is preferably always located on the collection container. After inserting the cartridge and possibly upper edge of the cartridge is seated and sealed at the top against the circumference of the cartridge plunger which passes through it. c) exemplary embodiments

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

Figure 1a: the emptying device according to the invention in a perspective view,

Figure 1b, c: the emptying device of Figure 1a in side views in a first and a second transverse direction, Figure 2a: the emptying device viewed in the second transverse direction in vertical section, with the compression head over the suspended cartridge,

Figure 2b: the emptying device viewed in the first transverse direction and sectioned in the pressing direction, with the pressing head lying against the ejector and inside the cartridge,

Figure 3a: in a vertical section according to Figure 2a, but with the distributor head retracted as a discharge piston in the collection container, Figure 3b: the emptying device in the same operating position, viewed in the same direction as Figure 2b, Figure 4a: a longitudinal section through a full cartridge in the delivery state, Figure 4b: a cartridge in longitudinal section with the distributor head attached to the removal opening,

FIG. 4c: a perspective view of the distribution head, FIG. 5: a schematic representation of a dosing unit, FIG. 6a-c: the insertion of the cartridge into the emptying device.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1a to 3b, the emptying device consists of a base frame 1 in the form of a base plate 1—preferably facing downwards lateral wheels offset against each other on the inside for encompassing sliding ben onto a guide 501 as shown in FIG. Form the drive 6, since they are arranged with their pressing directions 10 parallel to one another and the respective piston rod 13a, 14a can be extended vertically upwards from their respective cylinder 13b, 14b.

The upper free ends of these two piston rods 13a, 14a, which can be moved synchronously, are connected to one another via a yoke 23 on which the cartridge drive 4 in the form of preferably only one cartridge working cylinder 15 rises, this time with the bottom of the cylinder 15b pointing upwards, so that the piston rod 15a extends downwards as a cartridge plunger 15a and protrudes through an opening in the yoke 23, which is formed in the cartridge receptacle 16 of a cartridge carrier 3, into a cartridge 100 suspended therein and with this one aligns.

The cartridge carrier 3 consists of a rectangular profile that is preferably continuously open on at least one side in the second transverse direction 12 and is preferably attached to the underside of the yoke 23 , which is narrow enough in the first transverse direction 11 , to immerse between the two discharge working cylinders 13,14.

It is located in the lower horizontal plate of the rectangular profile in the second transverse direction 12 - see Figure 1a - open, U-shaped, continuous from top to bottom, recess which is dimensioned so that a Kar ink 100 with her The outwardly pointing edge 100b1 surrounding the filling opening 100b can be hung thereon in that the cartridge 100 is pushed in the second transverse direction 12 into the cartridge receptacle 16 such that it has the filling opening 100b pointing upwards with this upper edge 100b1 the cartridge carrier 3, ie its acceptance around the cartridge 16 around the edge region rests and preferably with help a fixing device 3a, as shown in the enlargement of FIG. 2b, is maintained.

The process of inserting a cartridge will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6a to c.

In this suspended state, the cartridge 100 extends through the cartridge receptacle 16 and points downward with its generally smaller removal opening 100a at the opposite end.

As shown in Figure 4a, this removal opening 100a is closed in the transport state by a closure element, usually a closure screw 102 that can be screwed onto the thread, in particular the internal thread 100a1 of the removal opening 100a, and is inserted into the opposite filling opening 100b a pot-shaped ejector 101 lying tightly against the inner circumference of the cartridge 100, the friction of which is so great in comparison that it cannot move out of the filling opening 100b by itself, not even through the material M present between the ejector 101 and the closure element 102.

According to the invention, the closure element 102 is removed for emptying and instead a distributor head 7 is attached to the removal opening 100a, preferably with its own thread, in particular an external thread, as a fastening device 7a screwed onto the thread, in particular an internal thread 100a1 , which will be explained later becomes.

In Figures 1a to 3b, the cartridge is already equipped with such a distribution head 7, which, when viewed from above, has a greater transverse extent, in particular a larger diameter, than the cartridge 100. On the base frame 1, in particular the base plate 1, between the discharge working cylinders 13, 14 and aligned with the - usually also if pneumatically operated - cartridge working cylinder 15 and the cartridge 100 fixed in the cartridge receptacle 16 Collection container 2 installed.

The distributor head 7 fits tightly into the cup-shaped collection container 2, which is open at the top.

The yoke 23 can be raised so far that the distributor head 7 is above the collecting container 2 and lowered so far that the distributor head 7 is seated on the bottom of the collecting container 2 .

The piston rod, ie the cartridge plunger 15a, of the cartridge working cylinder 15 carries a compression head 24 at the lower, free end, the downward-pointing end face of which is adapted to the concave curvature of the upper side of the ejector 101 and fits into it.

The cartridge working cylinder 15 is dimensioned such that when the piston rod 15a is fully retracted into its cylinder 15b, i.e. raised, the compression head 24 is in a height position completely above the suspended cartridge 100 and in the fully extended state near the bottom of the cartridge 100 whose removal opening 100a, with only the pot-shaped pusher 101 in between. In the lower area of the emptying device 200, preferably in the bottom of the collecting container 2, there is also an outlet opening 29 which is connected to a discharge line 20 which leads to a remote consumer for the material M. For the supply of material M from the cartridge 100 to the discharge line 20 and thus to the consumer, a cartridge 100 must first be installed in the emptying device, as shown in FIG. 2a. For this purpose - see Figures 6a to c - the cartridge 100 is first prepared according to Figure 6a by optionally pushing a peripherally closed support sleeve 103 on the outer circumference of the cartridge 100 from its lower end on the discharge side, which is also has an edge projecting radially outwards at the upper end, up to the edge 100b1 of the cartridge 100, in which case the support sleeve 103 preferably extends over the entire cylindrical part of the cartridge 100 downwards.

The ring-shaped cover 21b of a first vacuum housing 21 is then pushed from the emptying end onto the outer circumference of the cartridge 100 or - if present - the support sleeve 103 so far that the distributor head 7 can then be attached to the lower removal opening 100a, in particular in its internal thread 100a1 can be screwed in. This order is necessary because the outer circumference of the distribution head 7 is greater than the outer circumference of the cartridge 100 and also the inner circumference of the cover 21b.

The cartridge 100 - if necessary with the surrounding support sleeve 103 as well as the cover 21b and distribution head 7 - is then pushed into the cartridge receptacle 16 in the second transverse direction 12 and the edge 100b1 and, if applicable, the edge of the support sleeve 103 underneath it are fixed by means of the fixing device 3a firmly pressed onto the upper side of the cartridge receptacle 16, these parts preferably being sealed from one another by concentric, circumferential O-rings 27 located in between.

According to Figure 6b, the cartridge plunger 15a is moved back up so far that the press head attached to it and the bell-shaped second vacuum housing 22 placed over it from above are so far above the top of the cartridge receptacle 16 that the insertion of the Kar ink 100 in the second transverse direction 12 is possible. The two discharge working cylinders 13, 14 are extended with regard to their piston rods 13a, 14a so far that the distributor head 7 attached to the cartridge 100 is at a height above, but aligned vertically with, the collection container 2.

According to FIG. 6c, the cover 21b is then pushed down and tightly connected to the upper side of the sleeve-shaped lower part 21a of the first vacuum housing 21, with the cover 21b still being sealed on the outer circumference of the cartridge 100 or support feet 103, for example by means of a O-ring 27 is tight.

Alternatively, the sleeve-shaped lower part 21a can be pushed upwards along the outer circumference of the receptacle 2 until it reaches the cover 21b and then be tightly connected to it.

Starting from this hanging position shown in Figure 6c, the piston rod 15a of the cartridge drive 4, which represents the cartridge working cylinder, is first moved down far enough for the compression head 24 to dip into the cartridge 100 and to the upper side of the Pusher 101 is present.

As a result, the cartridge 100 is fixed in all horizontal directions, so that this represents a first part of the fixing device 3a, and at the latest when the compression head 24 enters the cartridge 100, the compression piston is released from the bottom of the second, pot-shaped vacuum housing 22, so that this is now with its lower annular edge - which represents the second part of the fixing device 3a - by means of a spiral spring 28, which is concentric around the piston rod 15a between this second vacuum housing 22 and the yoke 23, more precisely the upper side of the cartridge, which is rectangular in side view -Trägers 3 is arranged, presses down on the laterally projecting edge 100b1

If the pressing head 24 is then moved further down according to FIG the distribution head 7 attached to it is pressed down and falls into the catch container 2, which preferably has such a volume that it can hold the entire filling of a cartridge 100. As soon as the ejector 101 has reached the lower end of the cartridge 100 on the removal side and it is empty, according to FIGS. 3a, b the piston rods 13a, 14a of the two discharge working cylinders 13. 14 synchronously move downwards into the cylinders 13b, 14b retracted, so that the yoke 23 with all parts attached to it, i.e. both the cartridge carrier 3 and the cartridge 100 and the pressing head 24 located in the lower area, move down together, whereby first the distribution head 7 into the upper open end of the collecting container 2 - whose inner circumference widens conically upwards at the upper end to facilitate retraction - retracts and moves further down with its circumferential sealing lip 25 tightly fitting against the inner circumference, initially until the distributor head 7 sits on the sensitive be in the collecting container 2 Materials M

By moving even further down, the distributor head 7 as a discharge piston 5 pushes the material down out of the collection container 2 into the discharge line 20 and thus to the distant consumer.

According to the invention, the material M is degassed as follows:

The task of the distributor head, as shown in perspective in FIG. 4c, is that material M exiting through the removal opening 100a in a single thick strand and entering the upper side of the distributor head 7, which is hollow on the inside, is divided into a large number of thin strands S1, S2, S3, in that a plurality of outlet openings 17 with a comparatively small diameter are arranged in the underside of the distributor head 7 .

So that the strands S1, S2, S3 exit straight down from these outlet openings 17, a peripheral sharp tear-off edge 18 is formed around each outlet opening 17, which is achieved, for example, by in the - Usually flat - Underside of the distribution head 7 around each outlet opening 18 around an annular groove 19 is arranged, which together with the inner circumference of the outlet opening 17, the peripheral sharp, so in cross section spitzwinke lige, tear-off edge 18 forms.

As a result, the strands S1, S2 fall parallel to each other downwards into the collecting container 2, instead of deflecting sideways, as is possible with one-sided adhesion, and very quickly reuniting with adjacent strands S2, S3, because these are on the thin strands S1, S2 , S3 Maintaining a large surface area for as long as possible is required in order to open gas pockets in the strand and allow the gas to escape.

The distribution head 7 is located above the collection container 2, which is why it is also necessary for the strands S1, S2, S3 to fall straight down.

So that when the material is pressed out and collected in the collection container 2, air from the environment does not get into the material M again, a first vacuum is formed around it. For this purpose, the first vacuum housing 21 is present, which is provided with a vacuum connection 8 and whose upper, ring-shaped cover 21b with its upper through-opening lies tightly against the outer circumference of the cartridge 100 and whose sleeve-shaped lower part 21a with its lower through-opening is tight rests against the outer circumference of the collection container 2, in each case sealed, for example via O-rings 27.

To ensure that no air can be pressed past the seal of the ejector 101 and into the material M in the cartridge even when the compression head 24 is moved into the cartridge 100 and rests on the ejector 101, the upper edge 100b1 of the suspended cartridge 100 sits on the bell-shaped second vacuum housing 22, which faces downward with its opening, with its peripheral walls on this edge 100b1. The cartridge plunger 15a of the cartridge working cylinder 15 can be pushed tightly through an opening in the upward-pointing base of the cup-shaped second vacuum housing 22, with O-rings 27 preferably being used again for sealing.

The air contained therein is sucked out via the vacuum connection 9, which is also present on this vacuum housing 22, as soon as it sits on the cartridge and even before the compression head 24 enters the cartridge, for which purpose the second vacuum housing 22 is preferably dimensioned in this way is that the pressing head 24 does not lie tightly against the inner circumference of the cup-shaped second vacuum housing 22 .

So that even when the distributor head 7 is retracted into the collection container 2, any residual air present between the distributor head 7 and the surface of the material is not pressed into the material M, despite the 1st vacuum, but is instead discharged from the material, i.e. from the bottom of the collecting container 2, the rear side, the top side, of the distribution head 7 should have a ventilation valve 30 which, via the lower outlet openings 17 into the hollow interior of the distribution head 7, bleeds air upwards into the 1st Va- would give kuum into it.

This vent valve 29 can be a simple membrane which is permeable to air but not to the material M to be conveyed.

In this way, any air pockets still present in the material M located in the cartridge 100 can be removed before the material M reaches the consumer via the discharge line 20 . FIG. 5 shows a typical dosing unit with a dosing device 300, via the dosing nozzle 301 of which the viscous material M is to be dispensed in precisely specified amounts. The emptying device 200 according to the invention is connected to the metering device 300 via the discharge line 20, with both the metering device 300 and the emptying device 200 preferably having a similarly designed base plate 1, so that both are pushed onto the same guide 501 and can be positioned at the right distance from each other.

REFERENCE LIST

1 base frame, base plate 2 collection containers

3 cartridge holders

3a fixation device

4 cartridge drive

5 discharge piston 6 discharge drive

7 distribution head

7a fastening device

8 Vacuum connection 9 Vacuum connection 10 Direction of pressing

11 1. Transverse direction

12 2nd transverse direction

13 discharge working cylinder 13a piston rod 13b cylinder

14 discharge working cylinder 14a piston rod 14b cylinder

15 cartridge working cylinder 15a cartridge plunger

15b cylinder

16 cartridge holder

17 exit port

18 tear-off edge 19 annular groove

20 discharge line

21 1. Vacuum housing

22 2. Vacuum Housing 23 yoke

24 pressing head

25 sealing lip

26 cavity 27 o-ring

28 spiral spring

29 outlet port

30 vent valve, diaphragm

100 cartridge

100a removal opening

100a1 internal thread

100b filling opening

100b1 edge, flange

101 Pusher

102 locking element, locking screw

200 emptying device

300 dispensers

500 dosing unit

501 leadership

m material

S1 - S3 strand

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

1. Method for bubble-free emptying of viscous material (M) from a cartridge (100) which is open on both sides and has an ejector (101) which fits tightly therein and can be displaced in the pressing direction (10) and at the other end a closable removal opening (100a) has by

- By pushing the ejector (101) forward, i.e. in the direction of the removal opening (100a), the material (M) is pressed out of the removal opening (100a), characterized in that

- When pressing out the material (M) is divided into a large number of thin strands (S1, S2, S3),

- the strands (S1, S2, S3) are dropped into a collecting container (2) open at the top, to the outlet opening (29) of which, in its lower area, a discharge line (20) in particular is tightly connected,

- At least the area from the division of the material (M) into the multiplicity of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) up to the upper open end of the collection container (2) is kept under vacuum during the emptying process.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the negative pressure is a vacuum with a residual pressure of at most 50 mbar, in particular special at most 10 mbar, in particular at most 1 mbar.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

- At the latest after the material (M) has been completely pressed out of the cartridge (100), the material (M) in the collection container (2) is pressurized in the direction of the outlet opening (29), i.e. the mouth of the discharge line (20), - In particular by pushing forward a discharge piston (5) guided tightly in the collecting container 12).

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

- the material (M) is divided into a large number of thin strands (S1, S2, S3) by means of a distribution head (7), which in particular has a large number of outlet openings (17) for each thin strand (S1, S2, S3 ) has, - the distribution head (7) is also used as a discharge piston (5).

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that

- For pressing out of the cartridge (100), a cartridge ram (15a) of a cartridge drive (4) is attached to the ejector (101) and pushes it forward.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that - for the forward pushing of the discharge piston (5) in the collecting container (2), this is inserted into the collecting container (2) and forward in the outlet opening (29) and in particular in the direction of discharge - line (20) is pushed,

- In particular, the entire cartridge (100) with the delivery piston (5) attached thereto is pushed forward in the direction of the outlet opening (29).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the area on the outside, i.e. rear, of the ejector (101) up to the exit point of the cartridge plunger (15a) from the cartridge drive (4) during the emptying process is kept under suppression.

8. Emptying device (200) for emptying viscous material from a cartridge (100) which is open on both sides and which has an ejector (101) which fits tightly therein and can be displaced in the pressing direction (10) and at the other end has a closable removal opening (100a ) has, in particular for carrying out the method according to any one of the preceding claims, with

- a base frame (1),

- an attached collection container (2) for material (M),

- A cartridge carrier (3) which is movably guided in the pressing direction (10) relative to the base frame (1),

- a cartridge drive (4) with a cartridge plunger (15a) for pushing the ejector (101) of the cartridge (100) forward,

- a discharge piston (5) guided tightly in the collection container (2),

- A discharge drive (6) for moving the discharge piston (5), characterized in that

- the cartridge carrier (3) has a fixing device (3a), by means of which the cartridge (100) can be fixedly fastened to the cartridge carrier (3) in and against the pressing direction (10),

- a distribution head (7) for dividing the strand of material (M) emerging from the removal opening (100a) into a plurality of thin strands (S1, S2, S3), which has a fastening device (7a) for fastening to the removal opening (100a ),

- the distributor head (7) fits tightly and movably in the pressing direction (10) into the collection container (2) and can be used as a discharge piston (5),

- A first pressure-tight vacuum housing (21) with a vacuum connection (8) is present, which is close to the collection container (2) and close to the outer circumference of the cartridge (100), even if this is relative to the vacuum housing ( 21) moves, is present.

9. Emptying device according to claim 8, characterized in that

- A second pressure-tight vacuum housing (22) with a vacuum connection (9) is present, which on the one hand is close to the outer circumference of the cartridge (100) rests above the cartridge receptacle (16) in the cartridge carrier (3) and on the other hand is tightly passed through by the cartridge plunger (15a).

10. Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims, characterized in that the distribution head (7) is designed such that it can be fastened in the pressing direction (10) at a fixed distance from the removal opening (100a) of the cartridge (100).

11. Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims surface, characterized in that

- The discharge drive (6) is arranged between the cartridge carrier (3) and the base frame (1).

- In particular, a discharge drive (6) is arranged on both sides of the cartridge holder (16),

- The discharge drive (6) comprises at least one, in particular two, discharge working cylinders (13, 14).

12. Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims surface, characterized in that

- The cartridge drive (4) comprises at least one cartridge working cylinder (15).

13. Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims surface, characterized in that the cartridge receptacle (16) in the cartridge carrier (3) is open to the side or can be opened for the lateral insertion of a cartridge (100).

14. Emptying device according to one of the preceding device claims surface, characterized in that the cartridge plunger (15a) passes through a bell-shaped second vacuum housing (22) and acting as a compression spring coil spring (28) between the

Yoke (23) and the upper end of the vacuum housing (22) is arranged.

15. Metering unit (500) with a metering device (300) for metering viscous material and an emptying device (200) for emptying viscous material from a cartridge open on both sides (100), characterized in that the emptying device (200) is formed according to one of the preceding claims.