Static mixer, method of assembling a static mixer and dispensing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020716-B2
Application number	US-201615755786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2016
Priority date	Aug 28, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A static mixer for mixing together at least two components includes a mixer housing, a mixing element arranged at least partly within the mixer housing, and a mixer inlet section having at least two inlets at an input side and at least two outlets at an output surface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A static mixer for mixing together at least two components, comprising:
a mixer housing;
a mixing element arranged at least partly within the mixer housing; and
a mixer inlet section having at least two inlets disposed at an input side and at least two outlets disposed at an output surface, the at least two outlets being in fluid communication with the at least two inlets, the mixer inlet section including first and second aligners configured to enable the mixer inlet section to detachably connect to outlets of a cartridge in an aligned manner, and the mixer housing, the mixing element and the mixer inlet section being separate elements,
the mixing element including a plug element and the mixer inlet section including a counter plug element engaging the plug element, the plug element and the counter plug element forming a plugged connection when the plug element engages the counter plug element, and
the mixing element and the mixer inlet section being configured to be plugged together in a rotationally fixed manner by the plugged connection.

2. The static mixer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixing element and the mixer inlet section are held together in an axial direction by the plugged connection that is formed by the plug element and the counter plug element or by at least one element of the mixer inlet section cooperating with at least one element of the mixer housing.

3. The static mixer according to claim 2 ,
wherein the plugged connection comprises a clamping connection or a frictional connection, the clamping connection or the frictional connection being at least one nose frictionally engaging one of the mixer inlet section and the mixing element, or a latching connection of the plug element and the counter plug element.

4. The static mixer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mixing element and the mixer inlet section are aligned in a fixed predefined rotational angular relationship by the plug element and the counter plug element.

5. The static mixer according to claim 4 ,
wherein the plug element and the counter plug element comprise a coding element cooperating with a corresponding recess or groove, enabling the mixing element and the mixer inlet section to be plugged together only in the predefined rotational angular relationship.

6. The static mixer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plug element comprises a wall section disposed at an input end of the mixing element and the counter plug element comprises a groove disposed at the output surface.

7. The static mixer according to claim 6 ,
wherein the wall section is arranged between the at least two outlets so as to separate the at least two components when the at least two components leave the at least two outlets before entering inlets of the mixing element.

8. The static mixer according to claim 6 ,
wherein the wall section has a straight planar shape, or comprises a thickened end, or has at least partially a U-shaped cross section, or has at least partially a T-shaped cross section.

9. The static mixer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least two inlets have respective inlet openings and the at least two outlets have outlet openings, with the outlet openings being formed in the output surface of the mixing inlet section, and a surface area of at least one of the inlet openings is smaller than a surface area of a corresponding outlet opening.

10. The static mixer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the output surface of the mixer inlet section has an at least substantially slanted contour at an outlet side of the mixer inlet section with respect to a longitudinal axis of the static mixer, with the outlet side being disposed remote from the inlet side, with the at least substantially slanted contour of the output surface being adapted to a shape of an inlet surface of the mixer housing.

11. The static mixer according to claim 9 ,
wherein the static mixer has a longitudinal axis and at least two flow paths extend between the at least two inlet and outlet openings, and each inlet and outlet opening has a geometric center, with the geometric center of at least one of the at least two outlet openings being spaced less far apart from the longitudinal axis than the geometric center of at least one of the at least two inlet openings.

12. The static mixer according to claim 11 ,
wherein, in a region of the at least two outlets, the at least two flow paths are configured to cooperate with the mixer housing, to provide a component flow guide region at inlets of the mixing element, and the at least two outlets of the mixer inlet section are arranged to at least partly overlap with inlets of the mixing element.

13. The static mixer in accordance with claim 11 ,
wherein at least one region of at least one of the at least two outlets adjacent to the corresponding outlet opening is configured such that a cross-section thereof perpendicular to a respective one of the at least two flow paths is enlarged in comparison to the corresponding inlet, such that the flow path extending between the inlet opening and the outlet opening is directed and enlarged in a direction towards at least one inlet of the mixer element.

14. The static mixer in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein at least one recess is disposed at an outlet side of the mixer inlet section, one of the at least two outlets opens into a base of the at least one recess and a cross-sectional area of the at least one recess is larger than a cross-sectional area of the one of the at least two outlets, and the depth of the recess in an axial direction amounts to at least a third of the diameter of the outlet, or is equal to or larger than the diameter of the outlet, with the at least one recess having a cross-sectional shape that deviates from a circle such that the at least one recess has an elongate shape that extends towards a longitudinal axis, or the at least one recess is connected to the other one of the at least two outlets or to a further recess in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis.

15. The static mixer in accordance with claim 1 ,
wherein the mixing element comprises a plurality of mixer elements arranged one after another for a repeated separation and re-combination of streams of the at least two components,
either the mixing element comprises mixer elements for separating the at least two components into a plurality of streams, as well as a structure for layered merging of the at least two components, the structure including a transverse edge and guide walls that extend at an angle to the transverse edge, as well as guide elements arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis and including openings, and the mixing element comprises a transverse edge and a following transverse guide wall and at least two guide walls ending in a separating edge each with lateral end sections and with at least one bottom section disposed between the guide walls, thereby defining at least one opening on one side of the transverse edge of the mixing element and at least two openings on the other side of the transverse edge of the mixing element, or
the mixing element comprises mixer elements for separating the at least two components into a plurality of streams, as well as the structure for the layered merging of the at least two components, including separating edges and the transverse edge that extends at an angle to the separating edges, as well as deflecting elements arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis and including openings, and the mixing element comprises at least two separating edges with following guide walls with the lateral end sections and w

Assignees

• Sulzer Mixpac Ag

Inventors

• Grünenfelder Ralf

Classifications

• B01F35/561

  the mixer being built-up from a plurality of modules or stacked plates comprising complete or partial elements of the mixer · CPC title

• B01F2101/2305

  Mixers of the two-component package type, i.e. where at least two components are separately stored, and are mixed in the moment of application · CPC title

• B01F25/4321 Primary

  the subflows consisting of at least two flat layers which are recombined, e.g. using means having restriction or expansion zones · CPC title

• B01F5/0641 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2215/0039

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic