Patent Publication Number: US-8109310-B2

Title: Rotational vacuum press with a membrane

Description:
THE TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention, looked at in a broader sense, is pertaining to the area of timber industry specifically to the press with pressing elements that are set in a form of an elastic element started under the pressure of a fluid, created for the purpose of veneering of profiled surfaces and laminating of lumber elements according to a model therein facilitated with the vacuum formed pressure applied on the surface by the membrane. 
     According to the International Patent Classification, the inventory subject is classified and marked with classifying symbols (7) B30B 5/02, B29C 51/28 and B29C 51/16. 
     TECHNICAL PROBLEM 
     Technical problem resolved by this invention is consisted of the following: how to constructionally resolve the vacuum press with a membrane for veneering of profiled surfaces and laminating of elements according to a model for achieving a greater capacity, a very small spending of energy and reduction of maintenance cost, and the aforementioned has been attained by the proposed construction with four or several working tables with membrane that rotate around the central axis. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Presently it is known that the vacuum technology is applied in the way that the pressure created by vacuum is passed on from the membrane onto the working piece, and heating of the material i.e. thermal part of the procedure is done by the membrane from above downwards. This technique requires multiple energy to make the heat go into the adhesive layer through the membrane and veneer thus shortening the effective living time of the membrane which needed to be a silicone one in that case. It is also known that the currently applied presses for this purpose have only operated in one drive i.e. with one working table. 
     In patent and non-patent literature there are many solutions that resolve this problem and only some of the constructions from significant producers will be mentioned in the further text like: companies COLUMBUS, DE; ELKOM, DE specialized for sanitary devices and kitchen accessories; NABUURS, ES who has registered the patent No. W0 02/094546: WEMNOENER HEINRICH GMBH; DE who registered the patent No. DE 102004033540 for door coating and three-dimensional contours; ORMAMACCHINE SPA, IT who registered the patent No. EP 1790464 with a press for door coating and window coating and PROGETTO ABITARE, IT with a press for veneering who registered the patent No. EP 1437204. All the aforementioned solutions are with one drive i.e. one working table and are characterized with a larger energy spending, smaller capacity and longer operating time per a production unit. This invention applies the method which is to preheat the material that is to be veneered or laminated on 65° C. in the chamber which quickens the adhesive processes and brings it to the same time like already known presses operate with and which presses for their methods need to use temperature of 120° C. because they heat up through the 3 mm thick membrane including the material it is coated with. Also this invention applies several working tables that rotate around the central axis thus increasing the capacity of work proportionally. 
     Searching for the patent documentation and going through the relevant literature from this area, no similar resolution of the technical problem has been come across. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The purpose of the invention is to facilitate a sizable veneering and laminating capacity of wood and other materials (one cycle 1.5 minutes, until today the known maximum speed is 5 minutes), and at the same time to reduce spending of energy and maintenance cost in comparison with the already known solutions. The aforementioned has been achieved in the manner that 4 or more working tables with membrane rotate around the central axis. The needed pressure, that is realized through the membrane made of natural rubber with 600% elasticity, helped with 900 mbar vacuum is around 0.9 kg/cm2. Such a released pressure is well enough to enable a quality adhesion of the veneer or bending of the elements when laminating 4 centimeters. Different then the flat, hydraulic and pneumatic presses, regardless of the shape, the membrane facilitates an equal pressure all over the surface of the working piece which is a guarantee for a good adhesion. 
     A faster adhesion process is realized by means of preheating of the working piece in the chamber with the help of infrared heaters of 1.8 kW with achieved temperature of 65° C. for 4.5 minutes. Since the elements preheating chamber can take 3 times more of the number of pieces then a working table, the total preheating time in the cycle involving 4 working tables goes down to 1.5 minutes. 
     The so far known models of the 70/280 cm dimension vacuum presses for the 5 minute veneering cycle use minimum 10 kW heaters. For adhesion of laminating pieces it takes several hours. using these methods and heating, the adhesion and laminating of elements process last equally long which is 5 minutes for one working table. Using such a rotational press that cycle would practically be brought to 1.5 minutes with accessorized with 1.8 KW heater. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is described in detail on the illustration shown in the draft in which&gt; 
         FIG. 1  represents the characteristic cross section of the press 
         FIG. 2  represents the side view of the press from the control cabinet side 
         FIG. 3  represents the side view of the press from the opposite side from the control cabinet side 
         FIG. 4  represents the front appearance of the press 
         FIG. 5  represents the front part of the heating chamber 
         FIG. 6  represents the length along section of the heating chamber 
         FIG. 7  represents the cross section of the heating chamber 
         FIG. 8  represents the appearance of the control board of the control cabinet of the press 
         FIG. 9  represents the appearance of the control board of the heating chamber 
         FIG. 10  represents the oblique projection of the press and heating chamber 
         FIG. 11  represents heating chamber 
         FIG. 12  represents the initial position of the working piece beneath the membrane and 
         FIG. 13  represents the final working piece after the vacuuming. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As presented in the drawing  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  and  10  the press is consisted of: 
     the main construction  21 , steel pipes with turning wheels  25 , working tables  12  that is consisted of the frame  14  that holds the membrane  13  made of natural rubber and has appropriate elasticity and solidness, working surfaces made of impermeable material with canals  11  for vacuum that go to the connector  18  vacuum, vacuum lead  17  that links the connector with the central axis  16  through the irreversible valve  8  and further on by the rotating junction  9  towards the key vacuum lead  10 , that makes a link to the vacuum pump through the irreversible vent  4  and entry filter  2  whereas the pump has the exit filter  3  and is located on the pump carrier  27 , with the working table of the press. Rotating of the working tables that are installed on the central axis  16  accessorized with the rim part  20  is operating when the axis goes around in the bearing box  19  and locking of the working table is done by the auxiliary mechanism  22  for locking by pulling the handle  24  over the lever  23 . 
     Procedure management is achieved by the control cabinet  26  which is consisted of the switch  39  in case of danger—not aus, main switch  40  turned on induced voltage into the control board. Turning on the switch  42  the vacuum pump gets started  1  its further operating is ran by the digital instrument  41  which operates in the capacity of pressure gauge and vacuum meter. 
     One can see from the drawings  5 ,  6 ,  7  that the heating chamber is consisted of the following: 
     main construction  31  which is made of steel pipes, drawer  35  chamber which is also made of steel pipes with a sliding mechanism  34  which sliding down the sliding rail  33  facilitates drawing out of ⅔ of its length. The whole chamber is on the rotating wheels  25  as well as the press is. 
     Handling of the operating chamber is achieved through the control cabinet drawing  9  which is consisted of the main switch  44 , not aus switch  43 , digital unit  45  that is in function of the thermo regulation switch and also thermometer function and switch  46  that operates switching on and switching off functions. 
     WAYS OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION 
     The operating modus of the heating chamber: 
     The element that is coated with the veneer, further in text working piece  15 , is put in the heating chamber by opening the door of the chamber  30  sliding out the drawer on the sliding mechanism  34  and laying the working piece  15  onto the drawer  35 . After that the drawer  35  is set back into the chamber and the door  30  is closed thus exposing the working piece  15  to direct heating by the heater  36 . The procedure of heating up of the working piece is done through the control cabinet of the heating chamber, drawing  9 . By turning on the main switch  40  the control board gets voltage supply, after that turning one the switch  42  the heaters are started  36 . The digital instrument  45  does reading the current temperature and maintaining of the temperature within the set scale. Measuring of current temperature is done by the sound  38  placed inside the chamber. When the heating cycle on the working piece  15  is finished, the working piece is taken out from the chamber by opening the door on the chamber  30  and then sliding out the drawer  35 . The heated working piece  15  is taken off from it and the next working piece is put inside. The working piece  15  is put onto surface  28  when veneer is put on it and also other coating material that is in prior pasted with adhesive glue. 
     Operating modus of the vacuum press with the membrane: 
     Such a prepared working piece with veneer is put on the working table of the press  12 , and then the rim  14  is put down with the membrane  13  and gets locked by the clench  6 . Turning the working valve  5  in the vacuuming position a void is formed for the air vent between the membrane  13  and the working table  12  with the working piece  15  that leads through the vacuum connector  18  through the vacuum lead  17  through the irreversible valve  5  up to the central axis  16  and from the axis through the junction  9  into the main vacuum conduit  10  towards the vacuum pump  1 . In this way the membrane  13  is made contact with the working piece  15  i.e. surface of the working piece which is to be coated forming pressure of 0.9 kg/cm2. When this operation is done the working table gets unlocked by the unlocking mechanism  22  by handle  24  through the lever  23  and after that the working table gets manually rotated for 90% and gets locked again. By doing so the working table is set to its operational position, and the procedure is repeating. As one can see from drawing  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  10  the press is consisted of four working tables (6 is possible) which rotating around the central axis  16  facilitates a continuous work. When a full cycle is done 360° the working piece is taken out from the first working table by turning the valve  5  for 180° thus forming space between the membrane  13  and working table  12  through the connector and the outlet on the operating valve  5  towards the atmosphere. In this way the pressure is equalized to the atmosphere pressure and with clench  6  it makes possible unlocking the frame rim  14  with the membrane  13  and facilitated with the gas spring  7  it opens under 40° so the working piece  15  can be taken out. This enables putting the prepared working piece  15  into the press and the procedure is repeating. Operating time for such four matches the gluing and adhesion time, which enables the already mentioned: the procedure is progressing continuously. Usage of the heating chamber; drawing of  5 ,  6  and  7  double shortens the cycle time. 
     The main purpose of the press is coating—veneering of the rounded surfaces in production of the construction carpentry—door frames, batten, freeze, add-on-board and production of the furniture—kitchen fronts, cabinets, profiles laces etc. 
     The press has several makes that differ for their industrial dimensions, installed power and adjustments and needs of small and medium small carpentry workshops.