Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to German Application No. 102 15 181.4 filed in Germany on 5 Apr. 2002, and as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/CH03/00123 filed as an International Application on 19 Feb. 2003 designating the U.S., the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a sealing arrangement for sheet-like elements or wall elements, in particular for dryers of pasta and the like.  
         [0003]     It is known to seal sheet-like elements, for example sheet-like wall elements, against the transmission of gaseous or liquid or else solid substances. This may be performed by sealing compounds or adhesives, which however lead to soiling or permanent connection of the wall elements. Furthermore, it is known for example from EP-A-685255 to seal the outlet flaps of a mixing container in the operating state by means of a pressure roller and a sealing tube. In this case, after swinging in a bar, the pressure roller presses against the location where the flaps overlap. An inflatable sealing tube seals off the side of the flaps respectively lying opposite. Before opening the flaps, the sealing tube must be evacuated.  
         [0004]     Further sealing arrangements are known from the documents DE-A-3734818, DE-A-1804043 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,652.  
         [0005]     In the case of the arrangement of DE-A-3734818, however, no positional compensation is possible parallel to the plane of the separating gap between two neighboring wall elements, because there is a rigid connection between the clamping elements of the sealing elements and the rigid frame of the dryer.  
         [0006]     The arrangement of DE-A-1804043 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,652 uses sealing elements arranged in the separating gap, the end faces of adjacent wall elements on both sides of the separating gap having to have specially shaped formations complementing the sealing elements arranged in the separating gap.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     A sealing arrangement is disclosed for sheet-like elements or wall elements, for example of pasta dryers, which permit simple connection of such elements while at the same time the location where they are connected is sealed off.  
         [0008]     One exemplary feature is that the connection takes place without overlapping of the elements, and consequently assembly and disassembly can also take place with simple means. Moreover, compensation of positional or dimensional deviations is possible, in particular temperature-induced positional or dimensional deviations. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The invention is described in more detail below by referring to two examples on the basis of a drawing, in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a sealing arrangement in the form of top plate seal; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a further embodiment of a sealing joint. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     A multilevel dryer for pasta, as described for example in WO 85/00090 or the applicant&#39;s DE 10158446.6, not published before the priority date, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties, has individual dryer sections, which in turn have an outer casing. The casing comprises individual, shaped plates.  
         [0013]     In the example, a top plate  1  is connected to a further top plate  2  ( FIG. 1 ). The connection takes place by a butt joint at the end faces  3  and  3 ′. In this case, neither a sealing abutment of the end faces  3  and  3 ′ against each other nor particularly fine working of the end faces  3 ,  3 ′ is required, so that the separating gap  4  does not have to meet any special requirements.  
         [0014]     Parallel to the end face  3 ,  3 ′, the plates  1  and  2  respectively have through-bores or blind-bores  5 . Placed on the inner side of the separating gap  4  is a top crosshead  6  with a planar supporting surface and through-bores analogous to the through-bores  5  of the plates  1 ,  2  and, on the outer side, a planar sealing strip  7  with analogous through-bores. A further crosshead  8  may be placed on the sealing plate. The positionally fixed fastening of the individual elements takes place as depicted by means of screw connections  9 .  
         [0015]     The outer regions of the sealing strip  7  are L-shaped parallel to the path of the sealing gap  4 , so that a flexible sealing element, here a silicone tube  10 , can be additionally placed between the sealing strip  7  and the plates  1 ,  2 .  
         [0016]     As a result of the screw connections  9 , adequate sealing of the separating gap  4  against vapor or gases is consequently obtained. If need be, however, a further sealing plate  11  may be provided, as depicted, between the separating gap  4  and the sealing strip  7  or the top crosshead  6 .  
         [0017]     Positional compensation perpendicular to the plane of the separating gap  4  is possible.  
         [0018]     In the case of a sealing joint according to  FIG. 2 , two casing parts  20 ,  21  of a multilevel dryer are connected to each other in a sealed manner, forming a separating gap  4 , positional compensation parallel to the separating gap  4  being possible.  
         [0019]     Both on the inner side and on the outer side of the separating gap  4 , a sealing strip  7 ′ is in turn arranged over the entire length thereof, containing a silicone tube  10  to the right and left of the separating gap  4 . On the outer side of the sealing joint there is additionally a cover plate  22  (analogous to the top plate  11 ) between the sealing strip  7 ′ and the casing parts  20 ,  21 . As in the first example, the two sealing strips  7 ′ are clamped against each other by means of a screw connection  9  and reliably seal off the separating gap.  
         [0020]     The invention is not restricted to these exemplary embodiments. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Category: f