Diverter assembly for a pneumatic transport system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10889454-B2
Application number	US-201716311698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 4, 2016
Publication date	Jan 12, 2021
Grant date	Jan 12, 2021

Abstract

Diverter assembly for pneumatic transport of a substance using a fluid flow, e.g. for transporting whey powder. A diverter main body is provided with an input pipe connection having an input flow direction, and at least one output pipe connection having an output flow direction perpendicular to the input flow direction. The diverter main body further comprises a collision wall part arranged remote and opposite from the input pipe connection and having a collision surface arranged perpendicular to the input flow direction, and a narrowing flow part shaped and arranged to provide a flow path from the collision wall part to the at least one output pipe connection.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A diverter assembly which pneumatically transports a substance with bulk material using a fluid flow, comprising
a diverter main body provided with an input pipe connection having an input flow direction, and at least one output pipe connection having an output flow direction perpendicular to the input flow direction, wherein the diverter main body further comprises
a collision wall part arranged remote and opposite from the input pipe connection and having a substantially rigid collision surface arranged perpendicular to the input flow direction,
a narrowing flow part shaped and arranged to provide a flow path from the collision wall part to the at least one output pipe connection,
wherein the diverter main body further comprises a curved wall part extending between the collision wall part and the input pipe connection, and
wherein the curved wall part, narrowing flow part and collision wall part form a fluid tight enclosure between the input pipe connection and the at least one output pipe connection.

2. The diverter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the collision wall part has a surface area larger than a cross sectional surface area of the input pipe connection.

3. Diverter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one output pipe connection comprises two, three or four output pipe connections.

4. The diverter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional pipe connection with an additional input or output flow direction substantially aligned with the input flow direction, the additional pipe connection comprising a valve assembly, wherein the valve assembly is arranged to function as the collision wall part of the diverter main body in a closed position.

5. The diverter assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the valve assembly is a sliding type of valve assembly or a butterfly type of valve.

6. The diverter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one output connection is provided with a further valve assembly.

7. The diverter assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the further valve assembly is a sliding type of valve assembly, or a butterfly type of valve.

8. The diverter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the input pipe connection further comprises an input valve assembly.

9. The diverter assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the input valve assembly comprises a further collision wall part of the diverter main body.

10. The diverter assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the input valve assembly is a sliding type, gate type or a butterfly type of valve assembly.

11. The diverter assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an output pipe part provided at least partly with a turbulence enhancing inner surface connected to the at least one output pipe connection.

12. The diverter assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the diverter main body further comprises one or more reinforcement ribs on an outer surface of the diverter main body.

13. A method of providing a pneumatic transport system comprising
connecting at least one diverter assembly according to claim 1 to an upstream pipe using the input pipe connection, and to at least one downstream pipe using the at least one output pipe connection, wherein the at least one downstream pipe is positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular or orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the upstream pipe.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising connecting at least one further downstream pipe to the additional pipe connection.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the upstream pipe and the at least one downstream pipe are straight pipes.

16. The diverter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the curved wall part has smooth curvature extending from the input pipe connection.

Assignees

• Frieslandcampina Nederland Bv

Inventors

• Gilsing Frans

Classifications

• B65G53/528 Primary

  Flux combining or dividing arrangements (B65G53/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G53/521

  means for preventing the accumulation or for removal of deposits (preventing accumulation in pipes in general F16L55/24) · CPC title