Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Separating Drum
The invention relates to a rotatable separating drum suitable for separating
different kinds
of parts, in particular for separating injection molded and molded parts.
A device for the mechanical separation of individual parts of different shape
and size is
known, for example, from DE 26 37 851 C2. This device consists of a drum
cylinder open
at both ends, rotatably and obliquely mounted, the outer surface of which
consists of
spaced longitudinal rods which are mounted in two side rings so as to be
rotatable about
the longitudinal axis thereof. Here the longitudinal bars are designed as
sleeve rollers ro-
tating in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the drum
cylinder.
Another device for separating parts of different shapes and sizes, especially
injection
molded and molded parts, is presented in EP 0 265 543 Al. This separating
device has a
first group of longitudinal bars attached to two circular blanks, i.e., side
rings. In addition,
the separating device has a second group of longitudinal bars the positioning
of which
can be adjusted relative to the circular blanks, unlike that of the first
group. When circulat-
ing in the separating drum, all longitudinal bars rotate in the opposite
direction to the
overall direction of rotation of the drum. The longitudinal bars of the second
group are
coupled to the longitudinal bars of the first group through planetary plates.
By means of
an endless chain, the positioning of the longitudinal bars of the second group
can be
changed relative to the longitudinal bars of the first group. This allows a
rapid adjustment
of the distance between the longitudinal bars.
Another separating drum with cylindrical separation elements arranged in
parallel to the
drum axis is described in EP 0 332 195 B1. An adjustable separating gap is
formed be-
tween a swiveling separating element and a separating lamella attached to the
drum.
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EP 2 415 531 B1 discloses a separating device which contains a clearing
device. The
clearing device is used for clearing a free cross-section of a separating gate
in at least
one position during rotation of the separating drum. The separating gate is
formed by
step-form walls, such that at least one wall of the separating gate is
designed to be mov-
able.
The object of the invention is to specify a separating drum which has been
further devel-
oped compared to the state of the art, is of simple construction and easy to
handle, is
versatile and is particularly suitable for use in injection molding machines.
According to the invention, this object is attained by a separating drum with
the features
of claim 1. The separating drum consists of an essentially cylindrical
separation main
frame that can rotate around an axis. A number of change segments can be
connected to
or disconnected from the separation main frame without destroying it. Once the
change
segments are fixed to the separation main frame, there is no relative movement
between
the change segments and the separation main frame. Openings for separating the
differ-
ent kinds of parts, especially for separating injection molded parts and
molded parts, are
formed solely by the change segments. An adjustment mechanism of the
separation main
frame is therefore not necessary. To switch the separating drum from a first
separation
task to a second separation task, only the change segments need to be
exchanged,
which is possible without tools in the preferred embodiment. The change
segments are
very light in weight compared to the basic separation unit, which makes it
easier to con-
vert the separating drum compared to a complete drum exchange.
The separation main frame, which can be used for a wide variety of separation
tasks,
preferably has a polygonal cross-section. The separation main frame describes,
for ex-
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ample, in cross-section a polygon with at least six and at most sixteen
corners, for exam-
ple a 12-corner. The number of change segments preferably corresponds to the
number
of sides of the polygon. In theory, it is also possible to realize designs in
which it is not
possible to fix a change segment on each side of the polygon-form separation
main
frame, so that the number of change segments is less than the number of sides
of the
polygon. In such cases, the remaining sides of the polygon can either be
designed from
the outset as closed walls or to be closed by covers so that they have no
separating func-
tion.
The individual change segments preferably each have an elongated, rectangular
basic
shape, such that they are to rest on a strip-form wall section of the
separation main frame
with an elongated opening. Outside the oblong opening, the change segment
preferably
lies flat on the wall section, so that no parts can get caught in the
corresponding areas. In
one possible configuration, the change segments are designed as insert
segments in-
tended for fixing to the separation main frame, such that the connection
between main
frame and insert segment can be established and released by at least slight
displacement
of the insert segment in the longitudinal direction of the main frame.
Various joining technologies, which either require the use of a tool or are
designed as a
tool-free mechanism, are suitable for making the secured connections between
the sepa-
ration main frame and the individual change segments and for releasing these
connec-
tions. Examples are closures with magnets, ball locks and snap locks.
In contrast to the wall sections of the separation main frame, which in the
preferred con-
figuration each have only one single, elongated opening, each change segment,
espe-
cially the insert segment, preferably has several openings, e.g., in the form
of circular re-
cesses. For example, the openings in the change segment are arranged in a
single row
or in several rows aligned in parallel to the central axis of the separation
main frame.
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The advantage of the invention lies in particular in the fact that a single
separating drum
can remain in a separating device, which is assigned in particular to an
injection molding
machine, over a long period of time and for the most varied, changing
separating tasks.
Only with the separation main frame, i.e., the rotatable drum, is it possible
to combine dif-
ferent sets of change segments, especially in the form of insert segments,
which can be
stored in a very small space and are easy to handle.
In the following an exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more
detail by
means of a drawing. Legend:
Fig. 1 shows a separating drum in an incompletely assembled state,
Fig. 2 shows an insert segment suitable for use with the separator
drum as shown
in Fig. 1.
A separating drum, marked with reference mark 1, is used to separate molded
parts and
goods parts ejected from an injection molding machine. With regard to the
principle func-
tion of the separating drum 1, reference is made to the state of the art cited
at the begin-
ning. The separating drum 1 has a cylindrical basic shape and can be rotated
around its
own longitudinal axis. Two connecting areas 2, 3 at the front sides of the
separating drum
1 serve to embed the separating drum 1 in a surrounding construction not
shown. The
connecting areas 2, 3 are connected through the rings 4, 5 with a central drum
area 6,
which performs the intended separating function.
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The central drum area 6 is formed by strip-form wall sections 7, each of which
has an
elongated opening 8 that extends over almost the entire drum area 6. In the
exemplary
embodiment outlined, there are twelve strip-form wall sections 7 in total,
which together
describe a 12-corner. The 12-cornered basic shape of drum 1 is continued in
the connec-
.. tion areas 2, 3. The connecting areas 2, 3 together with the rings 4, 5 and
the central
drum area 6 form a rigid separation main frame 10. If the goods parts are so
large that
they cannot fall through the openings 8 in the strip-form wall sections 7, the
separation
main frame 10 can already be used as separating drum I. In practice, however,
in most
cases it is necessary to use additional insert segments 9, each of which is
placed on a
.. strip-form wall section 7 and fixed thereto. In the arrangement outlined in
Fig. 1, only a
single insert segment 9, generally referred to as a change segment, is placed
on one of
the total of twelve strip-form wall sections 7. In order to ensure the
functionality of separa-
tor drum 1, the eleven other wall sections 7 must also be covered with one
insert seg-
ment 9 each.
An insulated insert segment 9 is shown in Fig. 2. Individual circular openings
11, which
fulfill the desired separating function, are arranged within the insert
segment 9 in a single
row, which is aligned in parallel to the central axis, i.e., the axis of
rotation, of the separa-
tion main frame 10. Depending on the separation task, several rows of openings
11 can
also be present in the insert segment 9.
Irrespective of the number and arrangement of the openings 11, each insert
segment has
9 fixing contours 12 which correspond to the counter contours on the sides of
the separa-
tion main frame 10 and enable simple and at the same time stable mounting of
the insert
segments 9 on the separation main frame 10. To remove the insert segments 9
from the
separation main frame 10, it is sufficient to move each insert segment 9 on
the central
drum area 6 slightly in the longitudinal direction of the separation main
frame 10. Accord-
ing to a modified variant, the insert segments 9 are advanced from one end
face of the
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separation main frame 10 through a slot-form opening in one of the rings 4.5
to the cen-
tral drum area 6 and secured there. In this case the insert segment 9 can be
removed
from the separation main frame 10 in a corresponding manner. In both cases,
different
sets of insert segments 9 can be stored with low space requirements near the
injection
molding machine to which the separating drum 1 is assigned.
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List of Reference Symbols
1 Separating drum
2 Connection area
3 Connection area
4 Ring
5 Ring
6 Central drum area
7 Strip-form wall section
8 Opening in the strip-form wall section
9 Change segment, insert segment
10 Separation main frame
11 Change segment opening
12 Fixing contour
