NL1029463C2 - Bulk material transport device, comprises tube construction surrounded by electric coils for moving magnetic balls along inside of tube - Google Patents

Abstract

The material is transported along a tube construction (2) containing movable parts (6) which are excited from outside the tube in order to move them. The movable parts are magnetic or magnetizable balls which are excited by an electromagnetic field generated by at least one electric coil (5) around the tube. The tube construction has an inlet unit (3) and an outlet unit (4).

Description

i I Transport device

The invention relates to a transport device for particulate material or bulk goods, comprising a tube construction which is provided with an input unit and with an output unit for the material or goods, which tube construction is further provided with drive means for transporting the material or goods between the input unit and the output unit.

A known conveyor device is, for example, a conveyor belt. Further known transport devices are in the form of a bucket elevator and a screw conveyor.

The known transport device is used for moving bulk goods such as powders, rice, medicines, sand and the like. All this can generally be characterized as particle material in which the particles can take a wide range in terms of dimensions. The transport device can thus also be usefully used for particle material at the nanoscale.

The known transport device has a number of after-20 parts. Its use is, for example, tied to transport over limited distances and, depending on the situation, transport is more or less inefficient in energy terms, and capacity is limited.

The invention has for its object to provide an alternative transport device which overcomes one or more of the aforementioned problems.

/ f

The transport device according to the invention is therefore characterized by one or more of the following claims.

In a first aspect, the conveying device according to the invention is characterized in that the drive means are incorporated in the tube construction and comprise elements which are displaceable therein and which can be explained from outside the tube construction for maintaining the movement of these elements.

1029463 2

This offers the advantage that the tube construction can be made entirely smooth internally, so that the elements displaceable therein experience very little friction. The transport can thus be optimally arranged energetically while, moreover, the smooth internal finish of the tubular structure makes it possible to meet the hygiene requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industry.

A suitable and preferred embodiment of the transport device according to the invention is characterized in that the elements are magnetically or magnetizable, and in that the tube construction is provided with at least one electric winding for generating an electromagnetic field in the tube construction.

In this embodiment the elements can be provided without contact with the required driving force, which facilitates an optimum embodiment of the transport device according to the invention.

An accurate and reproducible operation of the transport device according to the invention can in particular be achieved by providing it with electric windings arranged at regular mutual distances along the tube construction.

It is preferable that a control member is further provided to which the electric winding or windings are connected for controlling the speed of movement of the elements to a predetermined value.

The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow on the basis of a non-limiting exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing: Figure 1 shows the transport device according to the invention at rest; Figure 2 shows the transport device according to the invention in operation; and - Figure 3 shows a detail of the transport device according to the invention.

Identical reference numerals 1029463 3 used in the figures refer to the same parts.

In figures 1 and 2 the transport device according to the invention is shown very schematically, wherein figure 1 shows the device at rest while figure 2 shows the device! 5 during operation.

i

The transport device 1 is adapted for transporting particulate material or bulk goods and comprises a tubular construction 2 which is provided with an input unit 3 and with an output unit 4 for the material or goods.

The tubular structure 2 is further provided with drive means 5,6 for transporting the material or goods between the input unit 3 and the output unit 4.

The drive means 5, 6 include elements 6 accommodated in tube construction 2 and elements 6 displaceable therein, for example in the form of balls.

These elements 6 must be excitable from the outside of the tube construction 2 for maintaining a displacement of these elements 6.

Figure 1 shows the transport device 1 at rest, wherein the elements 6 have all collected on the underside of the tube construction 2.

In Figure 2, the transport device 1 is in operation and the elements are regularly distributed over the tube construction 2.

The elements 6 'are preferably magnetically or magnetisable, while the tube structure 2 is externally provided with at least one electric winding 5 for generating in the tube structure 2 an electromagnetic field which serves to drive the elements 6. Figure 30 1 and 2 show that a plurality of electrical windings 5 are provided which are arranged externally along the tube construction at regular intervals.

Figure 3 shows a detail of a single electric winding 5 arranged around the tube construction 2. Figure 3 also shows the spherical element 6 to be driven by the electric winding 5 for which the tube 2 is shown cut-away.

Referring again to Figure 2, it is shown that the transport device 1 is still provided with a control member 7.

The electrical windings 5 are connected to this control member 7 for the purpose of controlling the speed of movement of the elements 6 to a predetermined value.

The displacement of these elements 6 generates an air flow or wake in the tube construction 2, which forms the driving force for the particle material or goods displaced in the tube construction 2.

j 1029463

Claims (4)

A conveying device (1) for particulate material or bulk goods, comprising a tubular structure (2) which is provided with an input unit (3) and with an output unit (4) for the material or goods, which tubular structure (2) furthermore is of drive means (5, 6) for transporting the material or goods between the input unit (3) and the output unit (4), characterized in that the drive means (5, 6) is disposed in the tubular structure (2) taken and movable elements (6) therein which can be excited from outside the tube construction (2) for maintaining the movement of these elements (6). 2. Transport device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the elements (6) are magnetic or magnetizable, and in that the tube construction (2) is provided with at least one electrical winding (5) for tube construction (2) generating an electromagnetic field. 3. Transport device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that electrical windings (5) are arranged at regular mutual distances along the tube construction. 4. Transporting device as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a control member (7) is provided to which the electric winding or windings are connected for controlling the speed of movement of the elements (6) to a predetermined value. 1029463