DE102014211460B4 - Press cushion for a press plunger of a laundry press with a swellable sealing element - Google Patents

Abstract

Elastomeric component (1) of a laundry press, in particular a press pad (1) for a press ram of a laundry press, with at least one sealing element (16a, 16b) for liquid sealing of the elastomeric component (1) in relation to at least one other component of the laundry press, characterized in that the sealing element (16a, 16b) is designed to increase its volume on contact with liquids.

Description

The invention relates to an elastomer component of a laundry press, in particular a press pad for a press ram of a laundry press, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Laundry presses are used to dewater washed laundry. The washed laundry is transferred from the washing machine, for example a tunnel washer, into the press container of the laundry press. In the laundry press, the press ram with the press pad attached to it then moves into the press container and exerts pressure on the laundry so that the liquid bound in the laundry, the so-called liquor, is pressed out of it. The bottom area of the press pad is designed in such a way that the press pad can partially adapt to the laundry. The squeezed-out liquor then usually runs off through a perforated drainage plate or a perforated drainage belt into the drainage device arranged underneath or through lateral drainage holes, see eg DE 10 2006 030 629 B4 .

During the dewatering process, the press cushion is used on the one hand to protect the laundry from mechanical damage by the press plunger. On the other hand, the press cushion can also adapt to a certain extent to the distribution of the laundry in the press container and thus improve the dewatering performance. For this purpose, the press pad can be made of an elastomeric material in order to have a corresponding elastic deformability, see for example DE 10 2012 101 493 A1 and DE 102 37 067 A1 .

The press pad is generally attached mechanically, i.e. positively and/or non-positively, to the press ram, e.g. by means of a clamping ring, which exerts a force radially from the outside on a fastening area of the press pad running in the circumferential direction and thus holds it on the inner press ram.

To avoid leaks, i.e. the ingress of liquid, here the liquor, from the press container into the interior between the press pad and the press ram, one or more seals are usually provided in the fastening area. As an alternative or in addition, sealing lips can also be provided in the fastening area, which act in relation to the press container and thus keep the liquor already there.

Seals of this type in the fastening area generally work quite well in new laundry presses, since the combination of press pad and press ram and the seal in between are offered together by the manufacturer and are accordingly designed and executed from a single source.

However, the press pad is a wearing part which, in contrast to the press ram and the other machine parts, has to be replaced regularly. Therefore, there are suppliers who only serve this market, i.e. offer press pads for various laundry presses. These suppliers lack the knowledge of the exact construction of the various laundry presses, so that the replacement press rams offered do not match the press rams as precisely as the original parts of the laundry press manufacturers. This results in non-100% matched replacement rams that are more likely to leak than the original rams. Furthermore, manufacturing tolerances can always occur, which favor leaks. Likewise, spare parts suppliers may want to offer individual replacement press rams for different laundry presses in order to reduce the variety of spare parts, whereby at least minor fitting inaccuracies in the fastening area are accepted, which can also promote leaks. This also applies to other elastomer components of such laundry presses.

An object of the present invention is to provide an elastomer component of a laundry press, in particular a press pad for a press plunger of a laundry press of the type described above, that ensures improved fluid tightness, in particular in a simple and cost-effective manner.

The object is achieved according to the invention by an elastomer component of a laundry press, in particular a press pad for a press ram of a laundry press, having the features according to claim 1 . Advantageous developments are described in the dependent claims.

The present invention thus relates to an elastomer component of a laundry press, in particular a press pad for a press ram of a laundry press, with at least one sealing element for liquid sealing of the elastomer component against at least one other component of the laundry press. The elastomer component is characterized in that the sealing element is designed to increase its volume when it comes into contact with liquids.

This increase in volume can preferably be achieved by swelling of the material of the sealing element when it comes into contact with a liquid, such as the liquor. As a result, the sealing function of the sealing element is supported and improved according to the invention, because by the Volume increase on the one hand gaps in the attachment area, for example of the press pad, can be filled and on the other hand the contact force between the press pad and the press ram can be increased. In both cases, the tightness between the press cushion and the press ram is increased and the probability of leaks occurring is reduced, or an existing leak is sealed and thus eliminated, which can be caused in particular by manufacturing tolerances or inaccuracies. This also reduces a pressure loss in the press pad that can occur due to the leakage.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the sealing element is closed, preferably ring-shaped. In this way, a continuous seal can be achieved, i.e. an uninterrupted seal over the entire circumference of the press pad, for example, to be sealed. The ring shape is advantageous for cylindrical press pads because these two shapes correspond to each other.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sealing element is open, preferably ring-shaped. In this way, the assembly can be facilitated or made possible, in particular the replacement of such a seal if no closed sealing element can be used in the area of the press ram.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the increase in volume of the sealing element exerts a direct and/or indirect force on the other component of the laundry press. A direct force between e.g. the press pad and press ram can be achieved in that the sealing element is arranged between these elements and is in direct contact with both. If the sealing element now increases its volume, this increase in volume acts directly on this intermediate space, which is thereby better filled. As a result, the sealing element can also exert a force on these two elements. As an alternative or in addition, the press pad can also be pressed more strongly against the press ram due to the increase in volume, so that the intermediate space between these elements thereby closes further.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sealing element is arranged in such a way that it is in direct contact with the other component of the laundry press. This direct contact can exist radially and/or axially between the two elements. This achieves improved sealing against leaks by filling the space between the two elements.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sealing element is arranged in such a way that it can press the elastomer component against the other component of the laundry press in a sealing manner, at least in sections. For this purpose, the sealing element can be arranged radially inside the e.g. press pad, so that in the event of a liquid-related increase in volume, the sealing element presses radially from the inside onto the press pad and this thereby presses more strongly against the radially outer press ram. This achieves an improved seal against leaks due to the stronger compression of the intermediate space between the two elements.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sealing element has a liquid-swellable plastic. The increase in volume can be achieved by the swelling of this material when it comes into contact with liquid. For example, this can be a compressed and dry material which, when it comes into contact with liquid, absorbs it and thereby increases its volume. The increase in volume caused by the liquid can also be achieved by a chemical reaction. Hygroscopic materials can be used for this.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the sealing element has a circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, square and/or polygonal cross section, at least in sections. These different cross-sections can be selected depending on the geometries and contours of the counterparts to be sealed, such as press pads and press stamps, in order to achieve an optimal sealing effect both in the normal state of the sealing element and after its volume increase.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the elastomeric component also has at least one sealing seat for receiving the sealing element. As a result, the sealing element can be positioned and held, in particular during its assembly.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the elastomeric component also has a clamping ring receptacle for receiving a clamping ring of the laundry press. This recording allows the clamping ring to be positioned and held, in particular during its assembly.

• 1 eine schematische Schnittdarstellung eines Presspolsters;
• 2 eine Detailansicht des Befestigungsbereichs des Presspolsters der 1 mit einem Dichtungselement gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung;
• 3 eine Detailansicht des Befestigungsbereichs des Presspolsters der 1 mit einem Dichtungselement gemäß einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung; und
• 4 eine Detailansicht des Befestigungsbereichs des Presspolsters der 1 mit zwei Dichtungselementen gemäß einem dritten Ausführungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung.

Exemplary embodiments and further advantages of the invention are explained below in connection with the following figures. It shows:

• 1 a schematic sectional view of a press pad;
• 2 a detailed view of the attachment area of the press pad of FIG 1 with a sealing element according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
• 3 a detailed view of the attachment area of the press pad of FIG 1 with a sealing element according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and
• 4 a detailed view of the attachment area of the press pad of FIG 1 with two sealing elements according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

1 shows a schematic sectional view of a press pad 1. The press pad 1 is a cylindrical and rotationally symmetrical body with a central or longitudinal axis L and a radial direction R. The press pad 1 has an elastomer body 10, which with its circumferential sealing edge 11 on the Inner surface of a press container of a laundry press can be moved along the longitudinal axis L in order to press the liquor from the laundry with its press area 12 (not shown). The press pad 1 is connected to the press plunger of the laundry press (not shown) via a fastening area 13, which can be done, for example, via a clamping ring (not shown). In order to support this connection, the press pad 1 has a clamping ring mount 14 (see FIG 2 until 4 ).

2 shows a detailed view A of the fastening area 13 of the press pad 1 of FIG 1 with a (first) sealing element 16a according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The sealing element 16a is closed in the circumferential direction in the form of a ring and has a circular cross section. The sealing element 16a is arranged in a corresponding (first) sealing receptacle 15a, which is designed to be open in the longitudinal direction L and runs in the circumferential direction. If a surface of the ram (not shown) is arranged opposite the sealing element 16a in the longitudinal direction L, the sealing element 16a can increase its volume in the event of liquid contact, e.g. by swelling, which occurs due to the shape of the seal receptacle 15a in the longitudinal direction L towards the ram, so that the space between the press cushion 1 and the press ram in this area can be sealed again against the penetrating liquor.

3 shows a detailed view A of the fastening area 13 of the press pad of FIG 1 with a (second) sealing element 16b according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The corresponding seal receptacle 15b runs as a groove that is open radially inward, so that the sealing element 16b has no direct contact with the ram. Rather, the improvement in the sealing function is achieved in this case in that the sealing element 16b presses the elastomer body 10 radially outwards in the fastening area 13 and thus against the press ram (not shown) when it comes into contact with liquid due to its increase in volume.

4 a detailed view A of the fastening area 13 of the press pad of FIG 1 with two sealing elements 16a, 16b according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this third exemplary embodiment, the direct and indirect sealing function of the inventive sealing elements 16a, 16b of the first two exemplary embodiments are combined, with the two sealing elements 16a, 16b here only being arranged half in the sealing receptacles 15a, 15b. This keeps them securely positioned and held.

Reference List

A

section of the 1

L

central axis, longitudinal axis

R

radial direction or radius, perpendicular to the central or longitudinal axis

1

Elastomer component, press pad

10

elastomer body

11

sealing edge

12

pressing area

13

mounting area

14

clamping ring mount

15a

(first) seal mount

15b

(second) seal seat

16a

(first) sealing element

16b

(second) sealing element

Claims (10)

Elastomeric component (1) of a laundry press, in particular a press pad (1) for a press ram of a laundry press, with at least one sealing element (16a, 16b) for liquid sealing of the elastomeric component (1) in relation to at least one other component of the laundry press, characterized in that the sealing element (16a, 16b) is designed to increase its volume on contact with liquids. Elastomer component (1) after claim 1 , wherein the sealing element (16a, 16b) is closed, preferably ring-shaped. Elastomer component (1) after claim 1 , wherein the sealing element (16a, 16b) is open, preferably ring-shaped. Elastomer component (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (16a, 16b) exerts a direct and/or indirect force on the other component of the laundry press due to its increase in volume. Elastomeric component (1) according to one of the preceding claims, in which the sealing element (16a) is arranged in such a way that it is in direct contact with the other component of the laundry press. Elastomer component (1) according to one of Claims 1 until 4 , wherein the sealing element (16b) is arranged in such a way that it can press the elastomer component (1) at least in sections in a sealing manner against the other component of the laundry press. Elastomer component (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (16a, 16b) has a liquid-swellable plastic. Elastomer component (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sealing element (16a, 16b) has a circular, elliptical, triangular, rectangular, square and/or polygonal cross section, at least in sections. Elastomeric component (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further having at least one sealing receptacle (15a, 15b) for receiving the sealing element (16a, 16b). Elastomer component (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further having a clamping ring receptacle (14) for receiving a clamping ring of the laundry press.

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