MXPA98000999A - Valve for the control of the flow of a fluid that includes solid particles - Google Patents

Abstract

In the drawings the apparatus 1 for operating the lid 2 of an opening of a material storage container 3 is shown, which includes the means 4 for regulating the position of the lid 2 in relation to the opening. The illustrated apparatus is generally referred to as Bulk Container or IBC, which normally consists of a container 3 with an inlet 5 and an outlet (not shown). The container is mounted on a base 6, on which it rests. The base 6 includes the apparatus 1 for operating a valve or cover 2 of the container, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is generally a conical device. The base 6 also has a duct 8, through which the product leaves, and which, preferably, is decentralized and distant, angularly from the vertical, for example by 30 °, as can be seen, so as to reduce to the minimum the damage that may be suffered by friable products, such as tablets, during its passage down the conduit 8. It has adjustment means in the form of a piston and cylinder arrangement that has an extendable part to engage with a retainer of means of elevation for the device (2) so that an annular space through which material is discharged is adjustable across the width, where it is desired to prevent the crushing of material that can be "dotted" in the space

Description

VALVE FOR FLOW CONTROL OF A FLUD3O THAT INCLUDES SOFT PARTICLES DESCRIPTION The invention relates to an apparatus for operating a lid, a material handling system including such an apparatus, and a method for passing a fluid material from a container for storage of material.

The apparatus for handling material usually consists of a storage container or silo, with a discharge opening, and the means for operating it. The product of the silo is discharged mainly by the effect of gravity through the opening that is usually located in the upper part of the device or close to it. The problem that has arisen with devices such as this one is that during the emptying the brittle or crumbly products, such as tablets, can be damaged. Especially when the opening is closed after having emptied a quantity of the product, since the product trapped between the lid and the edge of the opening can be crushed, resulting in a loss of usable product, and its possible contamination with the powder.

One goal of the invention is to reduce problems like this. According to the invention, there is provided an apparatus for operating the lid of an opening of a container for storing material, which includes means for regulating the position of the lid in relation to the opening during closure thereof. The regulating means may include movable stopping means adapted to limit a part of the apparatus in the closed position.

The adjustment means may include adjustment means for adjusting the position of the stopping means relative to the cap. The adjustment means may be operable to move the stopping means, from the operating position to the non-operating position. The stopping means may be mounted on a pivot so that they move between the operating and non-operating positions. The adjustment means may include a cylinder. The stopping means may include a tapered nozzle, with a surface of this nozzle arranged to be in contact with a part of the apparatus in the closed position. The apparatus may include a cylinder to operate the lid. Preferably, the adjustment means are adapted to work together with a part of the cylinder to regulate the position of the lid. The cylinder may include an elongated extension, which moves with the cylinder when it is in operation. According to a second aspect of the invention, it has a material handling system that includes a container for storing material with an opening and the lid for the same, including an apparatus as defined earlier in this document. Preferably, the apparatus is placed on the outside of the container and the lid. According to a third aspect of the invention, this has a method for transferring a fluid product from a material storage container, which includes the steps for the apparatus to open a lid of the container, allowing the material to exit the container and then operate the apparatus to close the lid leaving a space between the lid and the container, so that the material caught between the lid and the container is not crushed.

Next, the apparatuses that make up the invention are described, by way of example, with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a side view of a container for storing and unloading material to be used with the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of a base including the apparatus according to the invention; Figure 3 is a side sectional view of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, in the open position; Figure 4 is a side view of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2 in the closed position; Figure 5 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 2; Figure 6 is a sectional cross-sectional view through the base of the material storage container, including the apparatus according to the invention; and Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the apparatus, according to the invention, in the non-operating position.

In the drawings the apparatus 1 for operating the lid 2 of an opening of a material storage container 3 is shown, which includes the means 4 for regulating the position of the lid 2 in relation to the opening. The illustrated apparatus is generally referred to as Intermediate Bulk Container or IBC, which normally consists of a container 3 with an inlet 5 and an outlet (not shown). The container is mounted on a base 6, on which it rests. The base 6 includes the apparatus 1 for operating a valve or cover 2 of the container, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is generally a conical device. With reference to figures 3 and 4, the device 2 usually includes a stopper with conical shape, whose apex enters the container 3. Around the periphery of the device 2 there are one or several angular joints that hermetically join the mouth of the container opening, to avoid that the material escapes when the device 2 or the valve is in the closed position. The device 2 is moved from the open to the closed position by means of an apparatus, which in the illustrated embodiment has the form of a piston lift cylinder assembly 7, located on the outside (as can be seen) of the device 2 in the base 6. The base 6 also has a duct 8, through which the product exits, and which, preferably, is off-center and distant, angularly from the vertical, for example by 30 °, as can be seen, in order to minimize the damage that may be suffered by friable products, such as tablets, during their passage down the duct 8. With reference to figures 3 and 4, to remove the product from the container, the cylinder 7 is operated by any suitable control means, so as to extend the piston upwards (as can be seen) into the device 2, thus raising it into the IBC. In this way an annular space 9 is created through which the product can flow from the container 3 and exit through the conduit. When a sufficient quantity of product comes out, the cylinder 7 is activated again with the appropriate control means for lowering the device 2, closing the annular space 9 and preventing the discharge of the product from continuing. As it will be appreciated, in the unloading devices of previous inventions, when the device 2 is lowered back to the closed position, the product, for example in the form of tablets, "forms a bridge" and is often trapped between the device 2 and the edge of the opening, and it collapses. The apparatus shown in this specification incorporating the invention overcomes this problem by including a regulating means 4 (figures 2, 5, 6, and 7), which includes the adjustment means 10. The adjustment means 10 is in the form of a device with a cylinder mounted on a part of the base 6, although any suitable device could be used, such as a bellows mechanism. The cylinder 10 is operatively connected to a mobile stopping means 11, consisting of a substantially triangular part having a tapered nozzle. The nozzle 12 has an upper surface (in use) 13. The stopping means 11 is mounted, rotatably, both on an extension or piston 14 of the cylinder 10 with a part of the base 6. As illustrated, the means 4 is mounted so that it can be operated together with an inverted T-shaped extension 15 which leaves the lower part (in use) of the cylinder 7 and moves up and down with the cylinder 7. During operation , the container 3 is filled with a product through the opening 5, with the device 2 in the fully closed position which is illustrated in Figure 4. The cylinder 10 of the adjusting means 4 is operated to extend the extension of the piston 14 , causing the tapered nozzle 12 of the stopping means 11 to rise away from the T-shaped extension., in a clockwise direction as illustrated. At this point, the T-shaped extension 15 is fully extended downward, as shown. When a batch of IBC product is to be emptied, a suitable receptacle is placed communicating with the conduit 8, and then the cylinder 7 is operated to elevate the device 2, as described above. The product flows through the annular space 9, down, through the conduit 8, to reach the receptacle. When the emptying has been completed, the adjusting means 10 is operated to remove the extension 14 to the distance previously established. This causes the tapered nozzle 12 of the stopping means 11 to descend by means of the pivoting movement (counterclockwise as illustrated) to a position lower than the T-shaped extension 15. The stopping means 11 it is thus fixed in its position. Next, cylinder 7 is operated to lower the device 2; however, the device can not descend to the total sealing position because the downward trajectory of the T-shaped extension is blocked by the stopping means 11, and especially the upper surface 13 thereof. In this way, the edge of the device 2 stops at a short distance from the mouth of the opening, at a distance correspog to the position of the stopping means 11. It is convenient to mount the apparatus in such a way that the annular space that remains after of lowering the device is slightly greater than the average particle size of the product contained in the container, so that although the particles form a bridge and do not flow, they do not break. As will be appreciated, the size of the annular space 9 is adjusted by adjusting the mounting position of the stopping means 11. As can be seen, the driving mechanism 7 is below and on the outside of the IBC, whereby, in addition, the cylinder lifting height can be adjusted externally 7, in addition to being able to previously fix the lifting height outside. Although the IBC can be manufactured from any suitable material, it is preferable that it be molded plastic.

The embodiment also includes the central discharge hopper or conduit 8, made of plastic.

It is not necessary to include any kind of vibrator, such as those commonly used with apparatuses of this type, although the cylinder 7 can be oscillated for cohesive products in order to induce the flow without too strong a vibration that can damage the powder. In this way, the apparatus illustrated in the drawings is capable of emptying friable products, such as "green" capsules, free flowing powders, or material constituted by particles and tablets, without causing any damage due to crushing between the lid and the container. This is because the apparatus has the conduit 8, which has a very low inclined outlet, as shown, and allows the product to roll down or pass smoothly through the walls of the hopper and swirl into the discharge pipe at angle. The apparatus 1 can be adjusted to supply different qualities or types of products, and can be modified to work with the existing material emptying systems, if necessary.

It is to be understood that the terms "crush", "crush", "crush" that are employed herein include the terms breaking, peeling, scraping or any other form that physically reduces the material.

Claims (14)

CLAIMS 1. Apparatus for operating the lid of an opening of a container for storing material, which includes means for regulating the position of the lid, in relation to the opening, in the closed position during closing thereof. 2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the regulating means includes movable stopping means adapted to limit a part of the apparatus in the closed position. 3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the adjusting means includes adjustment means for adjusting the position of the stopping means relative to the cap. 4. Apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the adjustment means can be operated to move the stopping means from the operating position to the non-operating position. 5. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the stopping means are rotatably mounted so that there is movement between the operating and non-operating positions. 6. Apparatus according to any of Claims 3 to 5, wherein the adjustment means includes a cylinder means. 7. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 6, wherein the stopping means includes a tapered nozzle, the surface of which is arranged to be brought into contact with a part of the apparatus in the closed position. 8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, which includes a cylinder for operating the lid. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the regulating means are adapted to work together with a part of the cylinder, in order to regulate the position of the lid. 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the cylinder includes an elongated extension, which moves with the cylinder when it is operated. 11. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, which is adapted to be used with a tapered closure device. 12. A material handling system that includes a container for storing material with an opening and a lid for the same, including the apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 11. 13. A material handling system, according to Claim 12, in which the apparatus is placed on the outside of the container and the lid. 14. A method for transferring a fluid product from a material storage container, which includes the steps of providing an apparatus for opening a container lid, allowing material to exit the container, and then operating by operating the apparatus to close the lid , leaving a space between the lid and the container, so that the material caught between the lid and the container does not crush. 15. A method according to Claim 14, which includes the step for pre-fixing the apparatus to leave a predetermined space between the lid and the container. AMENDED CLAIMS

1. Apparatus for operating the lid of an opening of a container for storing material, characterized in that it has means (4) for regulating the position of the lid (2), relative to the opening (9), in the closed position during the closure of it.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the adjustment means (4) include movable stopping means (11) adapted to limit a part of the apparatus (1) in the closed position.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that the adjustment means (4) include adjustment means (10) for adjusting the position of the stopping means (11) relative to the cover.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the adjustment means (10) can be operated to move the stopping means (11), from the operating position to the non-operating position.

5. Apparatus according to any of Claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the stopping means (11) are mounted in a rotatable manner so that there is movement between the operating and non-operating positions.

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the adjustment means (10) includes a cylinder. l l

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the stopping means (11) includes a tapered nozzle (12), and in that a surface of the piece (12) is arranged to be in contact with a part (15). ) of the appliance in the closed position.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that it has a cylinder (7) to operate the lid (2), and because the part (15) that includes part of the cylinder means (7).

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the adjustment means (4) are adapted to work together with the part (15) of the cylinder (7) to regulate the position of the lid (2).

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, characterized in that the cylinder (15) includes an elongated extension, which moves with the cylinder when it is in operation.

11. A material handling system, characterized in that a container for storing material (3) includes an opening and a cover (2) for the same, and because it has an apparatus (1) according to any of claims 1 to 11.

12. A material handling system according to claim 12, characterized in that the apparatus (1) is placed on the outside of the container (3) and the lid (2).

13. A method for transferring a fluid product from the material storage container (3), characterized in that an apparatus (1) is provided for opening a lid (2) of the container (3), allowing the material to leave the container (3) and then operate the apparatus (1) to close the lid (2) leaving a space (9) between the lid (2) and the container (3), so that the material caught between the lid (2) and the container ( 3) Do not crush.

14. A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the step of previously fixing the apparatus (1) to leave a predetermined space (9) between the lid (2) and the container (3).