Patent Description:
Typical insulating materials are fibrous materials comprising glass fibers, mineral fibers, cellulose fibers or other synthetic or natural fibers. Installed insulating materials are usually in a form which includes a significant amount of air within the material, i.e. a relatively small amount of material fills a relatively large volume. This is advantageous for installed insulating materials but a disadvantage when storing and transporting the materials. Therefore, insulating materials are usually compressed in volume during storage and transportation, and then decompressed at an installation site.

This aspect is especially important when handling loose fill insulation, such as blowing wool insulation or blown-in insulation, or even saw dust insulation. The loose insulation is usually tightly wrapped in plastic bags during transport. These bags are opened at an installation site and the contents poured into a blower unit which then transfer the insulation to a desired location through a hose. This requires an operator at both ends of the hose and use of the bags is slow and produces excess waste.

<CIT> discloses a feeder assembly for insulation blowing machines. A device disclosed in the patent includes a hopper for receiving fibrous insulation material fed from compressed bags of insulation material. Various shredding shafts loosen the fibers before the loose material is blown out from the device through a hose.

The object of the invention is an unloading device and an unloading system which alleviate the drawbacks of the prior art.

Object of the invention is achieved with an unloading device having a number of different type of mixers for opening up the compressed loose fibers and feeding them loosely to a rotary airlock feeder to be blown through a hose. An unloading system of the present disclosure further discloses a container with reciprocating feeders for feeding fibrous material to the unloading device.

The invention is now described in more detail in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

<FIG> illustrate different views of an embodiment of an unloading device <NUM> of the present disclosure. The unloading device <NUM> comprises a body <NUM> preferably made of a sheet metal and having side walls <NUM>, <NUM>. The side walls are preferably planar but can also be bent or curved. The body further comprises a back wall <NUM> extending between the side walls. The back wall <NUM> is preferably curved at least on a part. A curved back wall <NUM> may also form top and bottom parts of the body as best shown in <FIG>. The body further comprises a front opening <NUM> between the side walls. The front opening is facing on a side of the unloading device, not on top of the unloading device. The opening can be delimited by the back wall <NUM> from the top and/or the bottom.

The unloading device comprises a rotatable mixer <NUM> extending between the side walls <NUM>, <NUM> of the body. The purpose of the mixer is to mix the fibrous material with air, i.e. open up the fibers or decompress the fibrous material. Another function is to prevent clogging of the unloading device by moving the fibrous material within a space defined by the body <NUM>. The mixer <NUM> preferably comprises a rotatable shaft <NUM> and a set of protrusions <NUM> attached to said shaft <NUM>. The rotatable shaft can have e.g. a round or a rectangular cross-section. A motor <NUM> is arranged for rotating the shaft <NUM> via a gear <NUM>, such as a worm gear. The motor and the gear are preferably located outside the body <NUM> and the motor can be controlled in terms of rotation speed and direction. Said protrusions <NUM> of the set of protrusions preferably comprise two non-parallel sections <NUM>, <NUM>. In an embodiment one of these sections <NUM> can be a curved plate or a planar plate made out of metal and the other section <NUM> can be a straight or curved rod or tube or plate. These sections being non-parallel can, for example, mean that at least one axis or plane of symmetry of a section is non-parallel to at least one axis or plane of symmetry of another section. In an embodiment, the mixer <NUM> comprises <NUM>-<NUM> protrusions or <NUM>-<NUM> protrusions.

The unloading device also comprises one or more rotatable pre-mixers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> extending between the side walls <NUM>, <NUM> of the body. The one or more pre-mixers are located next to the front opening <NUM> so the one or more pre-mixers are the first rotating parts to get in contact with the fibrous material being unloaded. The purpose of the one or more pre-mixers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> is to pull the fibrous material into the unloading device and mix the fibrous material with air, i.e. open up the fibers or decompress the fibrous material. There may be one, two, three, four or more pre-mixers depending on the size of the front opening <NUM> and the size of the pre-mixers. The pre-mixers preferable cover more than <NUM> %, or preferably more than <NUM> % of the area of the front opening.

Each of the pre-mixers preferably comprises a rotatable shaft <NUM> and a set of protrusions <NUM> attached to said shaft <NUM>. The rotatable shaft can have e.g. a round or a rectangular cross-section. Preferably, one or more motors <NUM>, <NUM> is arranged for rotating each of the shafts <NUM> via a gear <NUM>, <NUM> such as a worm gear. Preferably, each shaft has its own motor and each of the motors can be controlled in terms of rotation speed and direction, separately and independently form the other motors. In <FIG>, there are two motors <NUM>, <NUM> and two worm gears <NUM>, <NUM> for rotating three pre-mixer shafts. Two pre-mixers <NUM>, <NUM> of the three pre-mixers shown in <FIG> are mechanically connected via drivetrain <NUM> using a belt drive or gears such that rotation of pre-mixer <NUM> is transmitted to rotation of pre-mixer <NUM>. Alternatively, a single motor and a gear assembly can used to rotate all the pre-mixers. Also in this case, the motor can be controlled separately and independently from all other motors of the unloading device. The motors and the gears are preferably located outside the body <NUM>. Said protrusions <NUM> of the set of protrusions preferably comprise two non-parallel sections <NUM>, <NUM>. In an embodiment one of these sections <NUM> can be a planar plate or a curved plate made out of metal and the other section <NUM> can be a straight or curved rod or tube or plate. In an embodiment, the both sections are made out of a single plate and separated by a bend on the plate defining a <NUM>°-<NUM>° angle between the two sections. These sections being non-parallel can, for example, mean that at least one axis or plane of symmetry of a section is non-parallel to at least one axis or plane of symmetry of another section. In an embodiment, each of the one or more pre-mixers comprises <NUM>-<NUM> protrusions or <NUM>-<NUM> protrusions.

Shown in <FIG> below the pre-mixers and the mixer, is a rotatable feeder screw <NUM>. Preferably, a motor <NUM> is arranged for rotating the feeder screw <NUM> via a gear <NUM>, such as a worm gear. The feeder screw of this embodiment has two helical protrusions <NUM>, <NUM> in opposing directions along a shaft <NUM>. Rotation of the feeder screw collects and moves fibrous material, loosened by the pre-mixers and the mixer, to a post-mixer <NUM> located below the feeder screw <NUM> in <FIG>. A channel <NUM> between the feeder screw <NUM> and the post-mixer <NUM> is located in the middle line between the side walls <NUM>, <NUM> which is why the feeder screw has two helical protrusions in opposing directions. This way a single feeder screw can be used for moving the fibrous material from sides of the body to the center of the body in horizontal direction. Alternatively, two separate feeder screws could be used for the same effect. If the channel <NUM> to the post-mixer was located next to a side wall, then a single helical protrusion on the feeder screw would be enough. A part of the feeder screw <NUM> is preferably covered with a cover <NUM> which prevents the fibrous material from entering the feeder screw from certain directions, mostly from the topside in this embodiment. The cover prevents fibrous material from falling to the channel between the feeder screw <NUM> and the post-mixer <NUM> on its own, due to the gravity. With the cover <NUM>, the amount of fibrous material entering the post-mixer <NUM> in a given time period can be controlled by controlling rotation speed of the feeder screw. This can be achieved by controlling rotation speed of the motor <NUM>. The cover preferably covers a part or a portion of the feeder screw and the cover is preferably located between the feeder screw <NUM> and the mixer <NUM>, but also between the feeder screw and the one or more pre-mixers. In an embodiment, the cover <NUM> covers an area above the feeder screw <NUM>, said area being on top of an opening to the channel <NUM> between the feeder screw and the post-mixer.

In order to prevent overfilling and clogging of the unloading device, it can be provided with an overfill sensor <NUM>. The overfill sensor can be used for controlling an input to the unloading device <NUM>. The overfill sensor can function in various ways as long as a signal is generated when density of the fibrous material reaches a predetermined threshold inside the unloading device. The overfill sensor <NUM> is preferably located within the same space as the one or more pre-mixers. The overfill sensor can e.g. control the rotation of the pre-mixers such that in an event of an overfill, the rotation of the pre-mixers is stopped by stopping the one or more motors <NUM>, <NUM> connected to the shafts of the pre-mixers. The signal from the overfill sensor can also be used for controlling transfer of the fibrous material within reach of the one or more pre-mixers so that the pre-mixers will continue rotating but cannot pull in anymore fibrous material as long as the overfilled state persists. Preferably, each of the pre-mixers can be controlled separately and independently of other pre-mixers. This separate control allows for processing of various different fibrous materials with the same device. It also enables a user of the device to resolve an overfilling situation by simply operating the rotation speeds of the motors or by reversing the direction of rotation of the motors.

The post-mixer <NUM> of the unloading device <NUM> is located between said rotatable feeder screw <NUM> and a rotary feeder <NUM>. The fibrous material fed by the feeder screw enters the post-mixer <NUM> which again loosens, opens up and/or decompresses the fibrous material which may have experienced some compressing in the feeder screw <NUM>. Preferably, a motor <NUM> is arranged for rotating a shaft or shafts of the post-mixer via a gear <NUM>, such as a worm gear. The rotation speed of the post-mixer <NUM>, together with the rotation speed of the feeder screw <NUM> control the amount of fibrous material which enters the rotary feeder <NUM>, shown below the post-mixer <NUM> in <FIG>. Both these rotation speeds can be controlled independently of each other.

The unloading device further comprises the rotary feeder <NUM>. In an embodiment, the rotary feeder <NUM> is a rotary airlock feeder which has in input channel for air and an output channel for air and loose fibrous material which is being fed to the rotary airlock feeder <NUM> by the post-mixer <NUM>. Thus, the fibrous material is transferred with the air flow, i.e. pneumatically. Preferably, a motor <NUM> is arranged for rotating a shaft of the rotary airlock feeder via a gear <NUM>, such as a worm gear. Preferably, the motor <NUM> can be controlled separately and independently for e.g. changing its rotation speed. The rotary airlock feeder prevents the input of air from entering the post-mixer <NUM> and channel <NUM>. A hose can be attached to the output channel of the rotary airlock feeder so that the output of the decompressed fibrous material can be directed to a desired place, e.g. inside a building. In an embodiment, a hose reel <NUM> is provided on the unloading device to store the hose when it's not being used.

In an embodiment where the loose fibrous material is not transported pneumatically, the rotary feeder <NUM> does not have to be rotary airlock feeder because there is no air flow to be blocked. The unloading device <NUM> can also be used with other means of transporting the unloaded material. For example, a conveyor belt or another screw feeder can be used below the rotary feeder <NUM> to move the unloaded material further away from the unloading device.

We have now described parts and functions of the unloading device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The unloading device <NUM> is intended to be used with a container into which loose, fibrous material has been tightly packed or compressed. The container has an opening through which the fibrous material can be unloaded and the unloading device is installed or attached so that the front opening <NUM> faces the opening of the container. To be able to unload directly from a container on a lorry, the opening of the container must be on a side of the container, preferably on a short side of the container. This feature enables the unloading device to be integrated into a feeder system of the container which can be set to input material automatically in to the unloading device. For this reason, the front opening <NUM> of the unloading device is also facing sideways and thus the fibrous material will not fall into the unloading device by means of gravity. The fibrous material must be provided into contact with the pre-mixers by e.g. pushing the fibrous material towards the unloading device. In other words, the front opening <NUM> faces to a direction normal to the direction of gravity of the Earth when the unloading device is in operation.

The compressed fibrous material inside the container can come into contact with the pre-mixers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the unloading device by means of manual pushing of the fibrous material towards the unloading device, and/or by means of one or more feeders or feeding devices operating within the container. As the fibrous material inside the container comes into contact with the rotating pre-mixers of the unloading device, the fibrous material is being pulled into the unloading device and at the same time the fibers of the material are being loosened and decompressed. The fibrous material inside the unloading device is being processed by the rotating mixer <NUM> which further decompresses and loosens the fibers. A portion of the loosened fibrous material inside the unloading device enters the feeder screw near the side walls <NUM>, <NUM>. The rotation of the feeder screw <NUM> moves the fibrous material into the channel <NUM> and from there the material enters the post-mixer <NUM>. The post-mixer again loosens and decompresses the fibrous material and outputs it to the rotary airlock feeder <NUM>. As the rotary airlock feeder rotates, it delivers the loosened fibrous material into a space between input and output channels. Air blown through the input channel moves the loosened fibrous material along with the air flow and into the output channel. A hose connected to the output channel of the rotary airlock feeder transports the loosened fibrous material to a desired place with the air flow.

Another aspect of the invention is an unloading system, parts of which are illustrated in <FIG>. <FIG> shows a cross-section of an embodiment of the unloading system. The unloading system comprises a container <NUM> into which a horizontal feeder <NUM> and a vertical feeder <NUM> have been installed. In another embodiment, the container comprises only one feeder, the horizontal feeder <NUM> or the vertical feeder <NUM>. The container has an opening and facing that opening, an unloading device according to any embodiment of the present disclosure, has been attached. The front opening <NUM> of the unloading device <NUM> is aligned with the opening of the container such that fibrous material can be transferred from the container <NUM> to the unloading device <NUM>. The container has the horizontal feeder <NUM> installed onto a floor of the container <NUM> and the vertical feeder <NUM> is installed onto inside wall above the opening of the container. Both the horizontal feeder and the vertical feeder are provided for moving the fibrous material towards the opening of the container to be in reach of the one or more pre-mixers <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the unloading device. The container <NUM> preferably has a tapering top part <NUM> tapering towards the highest point of the top part <NUM>. The top part may have for example a cross-section in longitudinal direction of half of a circle or ellipse. This shape prevents the fibrous material from being clogged or stuck on top part <NUM> of the container <NUM>.

<FIG> show details of the horizontal feeder <NUM> shown also in <FIG>. The horizontal feeder of this embodiment comprises an actuator for generating reciprocating movement. In an embodiment, the actuator is a piston <NUM> operated by fluid pressure, i.e. a pneumatic or hydraulic piston. A first end of the piston <NUM> is attached to a base plate <NUM> or configured to be attached directly to the container <NUM>. A second end of the piston <NUM>, movable relative to the first end of the piston, is attached to a frame <NUM>. The frame <NUM> is movable in relation to the base plate <NUM> and the container <NUM>. Movement of the frame is restricted by guides <NUM> attached to the base plate <NUM> or directly to the container in absence of a base plate. The guides <NUM> ensure substantially reciprocating motion of the frame <NUM> when the piston <NUM> is operated. And finally, the horizontal feeder comprises wedges <NUM> extending in direction normal to the direction of the reciprocating movement caused by the piston. The wedges <NUM> have a thick end and a tapering to a thin end wherein the tapering is in the direction of the reciprocating movement caused by the piston. The thick end of the wedges faces towards the unloading device <NUM> and the opening of the container. The reciprocating movement caused by operation of the piston <NUM> moves the wedges back and forth inside the container <NUM> and the tapering of the wedges allows movement of the wedges away from the unloading device without significantly moving the fibrous material inside the container. However, the movement in opposite direction moves the fibrous material towards the unloading device <NUM> inside the container due to the shape of the wedges. The horizontal feeder could also be e.g. a conveyor belt or some other feeding device which can move material in horizontal, or substantially horizontal, direction.

<FIG> shows details of the vertical feeder <NUM> shown also in <FIG>. The vertical feeder of this embodiment comprises an actuator for generating reciprocating movement. In an embodiment, the actuator is a piston <NUM> operated by fluid pressure, i.e. a pneumatic or hydraulic piston. A first end of the piston <NUM> is attached to a base plate <NUM> or configured to be attached directly to the container <NUM>. A second end of the piston <NUM>, movable relative to the first end of the piston, is attached to a frame <NUM>. The frame <NUM> is movable in relation to the base plate <NUM> and the container <NUM>. Movement of the frame is restricted by guides <NUM> attached to the base plate <NUM> or directly to the container in absence of a base plate. The guides <NUM> ensure substantially reciprocating motion of the frame <NUM> when the piston <NUM> is operated. And finally, the vertical feeder comprises wedges <NUM> extending in direction normal to the direction of the reciprocating movement caused by the piston. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the length of the wedges has been adapted to a curved cross-section of the top part <NUM> of the container <NUM>. The wedges <NUM> have a thick end and a tapering to a thin end wherein the tapering is in the direction of the reciprocating movement caused by the piston. The thick end of the wedges faces towards the unloading device <NUM> and the opening of the container, i.e. typically downwards. The reciprocating movement caused by operation of the piston <NUM> moves the wedges back and forth inside the container <NUM> and the tapering of the wedges allows movement of the wedges away from the unloading device without significantly moving the fibrous material inside the container. However, the movement in opposite direction moves the fibrous material towards the unloading device <NUM> inside the container due to the shape of the wedges.

<FIG> illustrates an unloading system of an embodiment installed to a vehicle, such as a truck. The unloading system of this embodiment comprises a container <NUM> having a tapered top part <NUM>. The truck is preferably equipped with a typical tilting mechanism for the container whereby the container can be tilted. A horizontal feeder <NUM> and a vertical feeder <NUM> have been installed inside the container <NUM> as shown in cross-section in <FIG>. The container has on opening in lower part of the wall in right-hand side of the container (in <FIG>), i.e. the bottom part of the back wall of the container. The unloading device <NUM> has been attached to the container in such a way that the front opening <NUM> faces the opening of the container <NUM>. The truck comprises a control unit <NUM> which operates a generator unit <NUM>, an electric motor unit <NUM> and a compressor unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> can be used remotely with a remote controller <NUM>. The remote controller can also operate the unloading device and its motors.

An embodiment of the remote controller is illustrated in <FIG>. The remote controller <NUM> may be a wired or a wireless device for controlling the motors of the unloading device. Preferably, the remote controller has a selection panel <NUM> where each motor of the unloading device can be controlled separately and independently. Preferably, each rotatable shaft of the unloading device comprises a dedicated motor that can be controlled separately and independently with the remote controller. Alternatively, the motors of the unloading device can be arranged in groups of motors wherein each group of motors is associated with a certain function. For example, one group of motors is configured to perform premixing, one group is configured to perform mixing, one group is configured to perform post-mixing, and so on. Each of these groups of motors for a certain function can be controlled separately and independently of other groups of motors.

In an embodiment, the remote controller comprises a speed control panel <NUM> for adjusting speed of a selected motor or function or group of motors. The speed control panel <NUM> preferably comprises option to run a selected motor in reverse for opening up a blockage or a congestion within the unloading device. The remote controller also comprises a main switch panel <NUM> for turning the unloading device on and off.

The separate and independent controlling of motors or groups of motors is important for facilitating remote use of the device. A user of the unloading device is most of the time holding and directing the far end of an unloading hose in a location that is distant from the unloading device itself and often difficult to reach. A typical location is an attic or a roof of a house where insulation is installed. The user must be able to control the operation of the unloading device remotely in order to use the unloading device without assistance from another user. The user can only see the output from the hose and it's highly preferable that the user could solve overfilling/congestion issues remotely without accessing the unloading device itself. All this can be achieved with the independent controlling of motors or motor groups of the unloading device.

One further advantage of being able to control the motors independently of other motors is that the unloading device can be quickly set to work with different kinds of materials. The operator is able to change the settings even on-site if needed. The unloading device can be used to unload materials like mineral wool, glass wool, stone wool, saw dust, loose insulation material consisting of wood fiber batts, or other loose fibrous material. There is no need to change parts and in a preferred embodiment, settings for different materials are stored as presets to the remote controller <NUM>.

The generator unit <NUM> generates electricity which can be used for powering the unloading device <NUM>, the electric motor unit <NUM> and the compressor unit <NUM> for producing compressed air. The compressed air can be used for operating the pistons of the horizontal feeder <NUM> and the vertical feeder <NUM> - as well as for blowing air through the rotary airlock feeder <NUM> of the unloading device <NUM>. The overfill sensor <NUM> of the unloading device <NUM> is preferably configured to transmit signals to the control unit <NUM> whereby the horizontal feeder <NUM> and the vertical feeder <NUM> are controllable based on the signal of the overfill sensor <NUM>. When an overfilled state is detected, the overfill sensor transmits a signal to the control unit <NUM> which stops the operation of the horizontal feeder <NUM> and the vertical feeder <NUM>. The signal from the overfill sensor can also be used for controlling tilting of the container <NUM>. In an embodiment, the described sensor and related action can be the opposite, i.e. a sensor detecting empty room inside the unloading device and activating the horizontal feeder and the vertical feeder based on that.

The described embodiments of the unloading system can be used by a single operator. The unloading system can independently unload, decompress and blow the fibrous material stored in the container. The operator is needed at the far end of an output hose to direct the flow of fibrous material from the hose and observe the process. Using the remote controller, the operator is able to switch the unloading system on and off as needed. The user is also able to control the flow of the fibrous material by controlling rotation speeds of the motors of the unloading device. Furthermore, the user is able to solve overfilling/congestion problems by controlling motors of the unloading device. In an overfilled stated of the unloading device, some motors may have to be stopped, some motors may have to be reversed and some motors may require increased or decreased rotating speed. The user can perform all these functions with the remote controller without accessing the unloading device directly.

Claim 1:
An unloading device (<NUM>) comprising
a body (<NUM>) having side walls (<NUM>, <NUM>), a back wall (<NUM>) extending between the side walls and a front opening (<NUM>) between the side walls,
a rotatable mixer (<NUM>) extending between the side walls,
one or more rotatable pre-mixers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) extending between the side walls and located between said rotatable mixer (<NUM>) and said front opening (<NUM>),
a rotary feeder (<NUM>),
a rotatable feeder screw (<NUM>), and
a rotatable post-mixer (<NUM>) located between said rotatable feeder screw (<NUM>) and said rotary feeder (<NUM>),
wherein the unloading device (<NUM>) is characterized in that it comprises
one or more independently controllable motors (<NUM>, <NUM>) for rotating said one or more rotatable pre-mixers (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>),
an independently controllable motor (<NUM>) for rotating said rotatable mixer (<NUM>),
an independently controllable motor (<NUM>) for rotating said post-mixer (<NUM>), and
a remote controller configured to control said independently controllable motors (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>).