ES2357880T3 - APPARATUS FOR DRYING TILES. - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for drying tiles comprises moving means (6) suitable for supporting and moving said tiles (2) on a conveying plane (P) through a drying zone (4) provided with drying means (17); said drying means (17) is movable with respect to said conveying plane (P) so that when one of said tiles (2) to be dried is introduced into said drying zone (4), there is induced a suitable movement of said drying means (17).

Description

The invention refers to an apparatus for drying tiles leaving a wet processing line, such as for example a smoothing, a chamfering, a square, or other lines.

Apparatus for drying tiles are known to comprise roller conveyors on which the tiles to be dried are transported through a drying zone in which air suction ports 5 are provided that are facing each other in a direction that is perpendicular to the surface of the lower face and to the surface of the upper face of the tile and which are capable of sucking water drops that may be present there from the surfaces. In the drying zone, there are also provided skirts made of rubber positioned to rub the surfaces to be dried and thus eliminate a certain amount of water there.

 A drawback of such an apparatus is that the skirts made of rubber wear out very quickly and therefore need to be replaced frequently.

 Another drawback is that the skirts are not effective in tiles that have irregular surfaces, because in such tiles there may be surface irregularities that the skirts are unable to penetrate.

 Also, when the skirts slide on irregular surfaces they tend to wear more quickly. fifteen

 The air intake ports are supported at a fixed distance from the conveyor plane defined by the rollers and are therefore at a distance from the surfaces to be dried which depends on the thickness of the tiles. The ports may be positioned accordingly, for tiles of a certain thickness, at a functionally correct distance from the surface to be dried, while for tiles of smaller thickness this distance may be insufficient to ensure proper drying. twenty

 FR 1 121 791 A shows a drying apparatus having a combination of elements as set forth in the preamble of the appended claim 1.

An object of the invention is to improve apparatus for drying tiles.

Another object of the invention is to make more effective appliances that are capable of drying tiles that have irregular surfaces. 25

Still another object of the invention is to make apparatuses that allow tiles having different thicknesses to be dried in succession.

 According to the invention, an apparatus for drying tiles as defined in claim 1 is provided.

 The invention can be better understood and better implemented with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an exemplary embodiment thereof by means of a non-limiting example, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic front view of the apparatus during an operational configuration;

Figure 2 is a detail of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail of Figure 1 during another operational configuration.

With reference to Figure 1, an apparatus 1 for drying tiles 2 is shown. The apparatus 1 comprises a first movement means 3 arranged to move the tiles 2 towards the drying zone 4. The first movement means 3 comprises a first belt 5 that supports and moves the tiles 2 to the drying zone 4 along a feed direction A1.

 In an exemplary embodiment that is not shown, the first movement means 3 can comprise a roller conveyor provided with a plurality of transmission rollers that allow the tiles 2 to be supported and moved to the drying zone 4.

 The apparatus 1 further comprises a second movement means 43 arranged to move the tiles 2 away from the drying zone 4. The second movement means 43 comprises a second belt 45 which supports and moves the tiles 2 away from the drying zone 4 along the direction of advance A1.

 In an exemplary embodiment that is not shown, the second movement means 43 may comprise a roller conveyor provided with a plurality of transmission rollers that allow the tiles 2 to be supported and moved to the drying zone 4.

 In the drying zone 4 there is a third movement means 6, which receives the tile 2 from the first movement means 3. The third movement means 6 comprises a plurality of rollers 8 rotatably supported by a frame 9 through bars of support, which are not shown. In this way the rollers 8 50 allow the tiles 2 to be supported and moved through the drying zone 4.

 The frame 9 further comprises a first opening 10 placed at the entrance of the drying zone 4 and a second opening 40 placed at the exit of the drying zone 4, further downstream than the first opening 10 according to the direction of travel A1.

 The third movement means 6 is arranged near the first movement means 3 and the second movement means 43. In particular the third movement means 6 is interposed between the first movement means 3 and the second movement means 43 according to the feed direction A1. In this way, the rollers 8 of the third movement means 6, together with the first belt 5 and the second belt 45, define an advance plane P for the tiles 2.

 Initially, the tile 2 is easily transferred from the first movement means 3 to the third movement means 6, and enters the drying zone 4 through the first opening 10. Subsequently the tile 2 10 is transferred from the third means of movement 6 to the second movement means 43 and leaves the drying zone 4 through the second opening 40.

 The third movement means 6 further comprises a belt 11 wound on a pair of pulleys 12. The pair of pulleys 12 supports the belt 11 and the rotation of the pair of pulleys 12 transmits movement to the belt 11. The belt 11 comprises an active part 13 that slides along an A2 direction. fifteen

 With reference to FIG. 2, the active part 13 of the belt 11 interacts with a peripheral portion 14 of the rollers 8. In this way the rollers 8 are rotated according to a direction of rotation R1 and support a lower face 16 of the tiles 2 in a loading area 15. In this way the tiles 2 are supported and moved along the direction of travel A1 due to the rollers 8.

 The apparatus 1 further comprises drying means 17, positioned in the drying zone 4. The drying means 20 comprise a suction unit 18, which faces an upper face 19 of the tiles 2. The drying means 17 they further comprise a blower unit 20 that faces the upper face 19 of the tiles 2 in a position more downstream of the suction unit 18 along the forward direction A1.

 The suction unit 18 extends along a direction that is transverse to the direction of advance A1 by a length that is greater than the extension of the tile 2 in this direction. In this way the suction unit 18 is able to ensure the suction along the entire width of the tile 2.

 With reference to FIG. 2, the suction unit 18 has a section that converges on the advance plane P, which has a distal region 21 with a larger section, an intermediate region 22 with a variable section and a proximal region 23 with a lower section. The proximal region 23 is directly facing the upper face 30 of the tile 2 and ends with a lower end 25.

 The blower unit 20 is structurally formed as the suction unit 18. The blower unit 20 thus extends along a direction that is transverse to the direction of travel A1 by a length that is greater than the extension of the tile 2 in this direction. In this way the blower unit 20 is able to ensure the blowing along the entire width of the tile 2. 35

 The drying means 17 moves together with a positioning means 24. The positioning means 24 allows to maintain a constant distance between the upper face 19 of the tile 2 and the lower end 25 of the drying means 17.

 The positioning means 24 comprises a roller means 26 which is rotatably supported by the drying means 17 by support clamps 27. 40

 The support clamps 27 extend along the forward direction A1 and have a first end 28 fixed near the proximal region 23 and a second end 29 intended to rotatably support the roller means 26. The roller means 26 is thus on both sides of the proximal region 23, along the forward direction A1.

 The roller means 26 defines an interaction zone 30 in which the roller means 26 interacts with the upper face 19 of the tile 2 in transit and is induced to slide there.

 The suction unit 18 is fixed to a support arm 31 by means of elastic connecting means that allows the suction means 18 to remain substantially in the same position with respect to the advance plane P when the support arm 31 performs rotations around an end 32 thereof , which is articulated on the frame 9 by another elastic connector means. The elastic connector means and the other elastic connector means 50 act in this manner as a hinge.

 The support arm 31 rotates around an axis C1, which is perpendicular to the direction of travel A1.

 The blowing unit 20 is fixed to another support arm 33 through hinge means, which are not shown. The other support arm 33 is structurally and functionally formed as the support arm 31.

 The suction unit 18 is connected to a first suction duct 37 and the blowing unit 20 is connected to a first blow duct 38.

 The apparatus 1 further comprises another drying means 67, placed in the drying zone 40 on the side opposite to the drying means 17 with respect to the tiles 2. The other drying means 67 comprises another suction unit 68 which faces the lower face 16 of the tiles 2. The other suction unit 68 is 5 arranged in the suction unit 18 in the space between consecutive rollers 8.

 The other suction unit 68 is structurally and primarily formed as the suction unit 18. The other suction unit 68 then extends along a direction that is transverse to the direction of travel A1 for a length that is greater than the extension of tile 2 in that direction. In this way the other suction unit 68 is able to ensure the suction along the entire width of the tile 2.

 The suction unit 68 has an aspiration that converges on the advance plane P and comprises another distal region 71 with a larger section, another intermediate region 72 with a variable section and another proximal region 73 with a lower section. The other upper region 73 faces the lower face 16 of the tile 2 directly. fifteen

 The drying means 67 further comprises another blowing unit 70 that faces the lower face 16 of the tiles 2 in a more common position below the other suction unit 68 along the forward direction A1.

 The other blowing unit 70 is arranged in the blowing unit 20 at a lower vertical height.

 The other blowing unit 70 is structurally formed as the blowing unit 20. The other blowing unit 20 thus extends along a direction that is transverse to the direction of travel A1 for a length that is greater than the extension of tile 2 in that direction. In this way the blowing unit 70 is able to ensure the blowing along the entire width of the tile 2.

 The other drying means 67 is fixed to the frame 9 by means of a fixing means that is not shown. The other drying means 67 is disposed within the drying zone 40 so that the other upper region 73, which 25 is directly facing the lower face 16, is positioned in the gap left between 2 successive rollers 8. The other suction unit 68 is connected to a second suction duct 87 and the other blowing unit 70 is connected to a second blow duct 88.

 The first suction duct 37 and the second suction duct 87 are connected to a main suction duct, which is not shown, which in turn is connected to the inlet of the filter means 30 89. The filter medium 89 receives from the main air intake duct, in which there is a small amount of water that was removed from the upper face 19 and the lower face 16 of the tiles 2. The filter means 89 in this way separates the air from the water present , which is collected in a collecting container, which is not shown.

 The filter means 89 is connected to ventilation means 90 by an inlet duct, which is not shown. 35

 The ventilation means comprises the inlet duct that is connected to the filter means 89 and a main blow duct, which is not shown.

 The ventilation means 90 further comprises a turbine, which is not shown, which is interposed between the inlet duct and the main connecting duct.

 The main blow duct is connected to the first blow duct 38 and the second blow duct 88.

 By rotating the turbine, the ventilation means 90 creates the pressure that is necessary to receive purified air from any trace of water from the filter medium 89. The ventilation means 90 also blows air to the blowing unit 20 and the other blowing unit 70. Initially, the air passes through the main blow duct and subsequently passes through the first blow duct 38 and the second blow duct 88. 45

 The ventilation means 90 provides high pressure air. This causes the air to heat up, which promotes the completion of the drying of the tiles 2 by the blowing unit 20 and by the other blowing unit 70.

 The ventilation means 90 in this way ensures both the aspiration of the air through the suction unit 18 and the other suction unit 68 and the blowing through the blow unit 20 and the other blow unit 70. 50

 A wear and oxidation resistant coating can be applied on the turbine and the ventilation means 90 to keep the ventilation means 90 in a fully operational state.

 Figure 3 shows an operating configuration X1 of the apparatus 1 in which the tile 2, which is in the drying zone 4, has an irregular surface on the upper face 19. In particular, the upper face 19 shows

flat portions 96 arranged at different vertical heights that alternate randomly and are joined by oblique portions 97.

 The positioning means 24 is in constant contact with the upper face 19 by means of roller 26. Figure 3 shows the suction unit 18 and the blowing unit 20, which are independently moved from each other, along another direction A3 while roller means 26 rolls on upper face 19 following its 5 profile. The suction unit 18 and the blowing unit 20 face the flat portions 96, which are arranged at different vertical heights. In this way the suction unit 18 and the blowing unit 20 ensure complete drying of the upper face 19 of the tile 2.

 In another embodiment of the apparatus 1, which is not shown, the drying means 17 and the other drying means 67 comprise mats made of rubber, mounted instead of the suction means 18 and / or the drying means 20. These mats differ from the mats of the prior art because they are mounted on the support arm 31, 33 and cooperate with the roller means 26. In this way also these mats are kept at a constant distance from the surface of the upper face 19 .

 In operation, initially the wet tile 2 is supported and moved by the first means of movement 3 to the drying zone 4, along the direction of travel A1. When the tile 2 reaches the first opening 10 of the frame 9 it is transferred from the first movement means 3 to the third movement means 6, thus entering the drying zone 4. As shown in Figure 1, the rollers 8 of the third movement means 6 thus support the tile 2 and make the tile 2 proceed along the direction of travel A1.

 Drying begins when the most advanced edge of the tile 2 meets the first roller of the roller means 26 raising the first roller and thus bringing the suction unit 18 to the planned height 20 so that the distance is kept constant D between the upper face 19 and the lower end 25 of the suction unit 18, whatever the flat portion 96 with which the suction unit 18 faces.

In a subsequent step, when the blowing unit 20 is facing the upper face 19 of the tile 2, the positioning means 24 of the blowing unit 20 forces the blowing unit 20 to be positioned at a precise vertical height 25. This vertical height is such as to keep the distance D constant between the upper face 19 and the lower end 25 of the blower unit 20, whatever the flat portion 96 with which the blower unit 20 faces. Simultaneously, the positioning means 24 of the aspiration unit 18 continues to maintain the aspiration unit 18 at a vertical height such as to keep the distance D constant. This also occurs if the vertical height of the flat portion 96 with which the suction unit 18 is facing and the vertical height of the flat portion 96 with which the blower unit 22 is facing are different from each other.

 In this way, while the tile 2 passes through the drying zone 4, the distance D between the upper face 19 and the lower end 25 is kept constant. The optimum drying of the upper face 19 is thus ensured, since the drying means 17 can operate at an optimum distance from the upper face 19.

 In another operating configuration that is not shown, the apparatus 1 is capable of drying successively the tiles 2 having different thicknesses. Also in this configuration the distance D between the upper face 19 and the lower end 25 is kept constant since the positioning means 24 is kept in contact with the upper face 19 whatever the value of the thickness of the tile 2.

Claims (20)

1. An apparatus for drying tiles comprising a movement means (6) suitable for supporting and moving said tiles (2) on a transport plane (P) through a drying zone (4) provided with a drying means ( 17), said drying means (17) being movable with respect to said transport plane (P) so that when one of said tiles (2) to be dried is introduced into said drying zone (4), a movement is induced 5 suitable for said drying means (17), said drying means (17) comprising a blowing means (20) constituted by a blowing unit (20) facing the upper face (19) of the tiles ( 2), the apparatus being characterized by the fact that said drying means (17) further comprises a suction means (18) constituted by a suction unit (18) facing the upper face (19) of the tiles (2), the blowing unit (20) being arranged in a position more downstream of the suction unit n (18) 10 along the direction of advance (A1) of the tiles (2), the blow unit (20) being structurally formed as the suction unit (18), said blow unit (20) and said suction unit (18) both having a section that converges on the advance plane (P) having a distal region (21) with a larger section, an intermediate region (22) with a variable section and a proximal region (23 ) with a lower section in which the proximal region is directly facing the upper face (19) of the tiles (2) and ends with a lower end (25). 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drying means (17) is coupled with a frame means (9) by oscillating means (31, 33). 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said oscillating means comprise arm means (31, 33). 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said arm means (31, 33) are coupled with said frame means (9) by hinge means. 5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said arm means (31, 33) are coupled with said drying means (17) by hinge means. 6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said hinge means are elastic hinge means. 7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said drying means (17) is mounted on a positioning means (24) arranged to position said drying means (17) with respect to said tiles (2). 8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said positioning means (24) is passive and is disposed in the crossing of said tiles (2). An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said positioning means (24) comprises a roller means (26). 10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said drying means (17) comprises mats 30 made of rubber. 11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, and further comprising another drying means (67). 12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said other drying means (67) is fixed relative to said frame means (9) and mounted on an opposite side of said drying means (17) with respect to said plane of advance (P). 35 13. Apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said other drying means (67) comprises another suction means (68). 14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said other drying means (67) comprises another blowing means (70) 15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, and further comprising ventilation means (90) associated with said drying means (17) and with said other drying means (67), if present. 16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said ventilation means (90) comprise a turbine provided with an antioxidant coating. 17. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said ventilation means (90) are common to said suction means (18) and said blowing means (20). Four. Five 18. Apparatus according to claim 15, as annexed to claim 14, wherein said ventilation means (90) are common to said other suction means (68) and said other blowing means (70). 19. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said other suction means (68) is structurally and functionally formed as said suction unit (18) and said other blowing means (70) is structurally formed as said blow unit ( twenty). fifty 20. Apparatus according to any preceding claim 15-18 wherein said ventilation means (90) provide high pressure air that causes the heating of the air to promote the completion of the drying of the tiles.