Dyeing autoclave for textile materials.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a dyeing autoclave for textile materials.

It is known that a dyeing autoclave for textile materials is generally made by a container, with a mainly vertical or horizontal cylindrical development, that forms a dyeing chamber containing the dye bath and the material to be dyed, with a side open for insertion of said bath and material, and a closing system with a mobile lid, which must ensure perfect sealing of the container. During the dyeing processes it is necessary to guarantee the perfect seal between the lid and the dyeing chamber, in order to adequately counteract the pressure generated while the temperature of the dyeing bath increases. Examples of dyeing autoclaves for textile materials are disclosed in CN203498646U, CN203498645U, CN210886573U and KR200334384Y1.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a dyeing autoclave for textile materials equipped with a movable lid closure system which is more compact than in traditional systems and at the same time offers the possibility of using automatic textile materials loading systems, without requiring considerable maneuvering spaces and excessive dimensions in relation to the current needs of reduction of the spaces necessary for the installation of the dyeing machines which make use of such autoclaves. This result has been achieved, in accordance with the present invention, by adopting the idea of realizing a dyeing autoclave for textile materials having the features indicated in claim 1. Other features of the present invention are the object of the dependent claims. Thanks to the present invention, it is possible to access the dyeing chamber more effectively, since the closing system of the autoclave is more compact, in particular when the autoclave is in the open configuration. The movement of the lid according to the present invention allows to use automatic systems for loading/unloading the textile materials, avoiding excessive maneuvering spaces around the autoclave. In addition, there is the fact that an autoclave for dyeing textile materials according to the present invention is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture in relation to the advantages offered with respect to currently known systems.

These and further advantages and features of the present invention will be more and better understood by any person skilled in the art thanks to the following description and the annexed drawings, provided by way of example but not to be considered in a limiting sense, in which: - Fig.1 schematically represents a dyeing autoclave for textile materials according to the present invention in closed configuration;

- Fig.2 represents the dyeing autoclave of Fig.1 in open configuration;

- Fig.3 shows the dyeing autoclave of Fig.1 in open configuration in a loading/unloading phase of a material holder basket;

- Fig.4 is a schematic top view of a dyeing autoclave for textile materials according to the present invention in an open configuration;

- Fig.5 is a schematic top view of a dyeing autoclave for textile materials according to the present invention in closed configuration;

- Figs.6 and 7 show the detail of a gasket in a non-pressurized (Fig.6) and respectively pressurized (Fig.7) configuration;

- Figs.8 and 9 are two schematic diametrical sectional views of a dyeing autoclave for textile materials according to the present invention in the configurations of Fig.4 and respectively Fig.5.

Reduced to its essential structure and with reference to the annexed drawings, an autoclave for dyeing textile materials according to the present invention comprises a substantially cylindrical main body (1) in which is formed a dyeing chamber (10) apt to contain a dye bath and textile materials to be dyed, preferably contained in material holder baskets (1C). In the attached exemplary drawings said body (1) is mainly developed in height.

The dyeing chamber (10) has an upper access mouth (10M).

The dye bath is prepared in a manner known per se to those skilled in the art and fed into the dyeing chamber (10) by means of feed ducts (11) or directly through the upper access mouth (10M).

The dye bath can be discharged from the dyeing chamber (10) through discharge ducts (12). The loading and unloading the dye bath are also operations per se known to those skilled in the art.

On the main body (1) there is a lid (2) for opening/closing the access mouth (10M) of the dyeing chamber (10). The lid (2) is moved in the open and respectively closed position of said mouth (10M) by means of an actuator (3). The lid (2) is arranged and acts above said body (1) since said access mouth (10M) is on the upper side of body (1). Advantageously, according to the present invention, the opening/closing movement of the lid (2) is a movement (F) parallel to the mouth (10M).

With reference to the drawings, the movement (F) is horizontal. Furthermore, in the drawings, said upper mouth (10M) is also horizontal, i.e. developed in a horizontal plane.

Advantageously, the actuator (3) that controls the opening/closing movement of the lid (2) is a piston which, in accordance with the embodiment shown in the attached drawings, has the respective skirt (30) integral with an upper face (20) of the lid (2) and the stem (31) anchored to a fixed structure (32).

In practice, said actuator controls the translation (F) of the lid (2) on the upper mouth (10M) of the dyeing chamber (10). In other words, according to the example shown in the drawings, the actuator (3) controls the translation (F) of the lid (2) parallel to said mouth (10M).

The closure system has a constant overall size (h) in each configuration of the lid (2) and in each of its intermediate phases: in fact, the opening/closing movement (F) simply comprises a translation (F) of the lid (2) orthogonal to the central axis (Al) of the body (1), instead of a rotation or an axial translation (translation along the central axis of the lid) as can be provided for known dyeing autoclaves in which, consequently, it is necessary to have a greater free space around the body of the autoclave to allow rotation of the lid, or the lid limits the access to the materials loading/unloading mouth because it remains in front of the same mouth even in the open position.

Preferably, the lid (2) is provided with a lower appendage (23) in which a recess (22) is formed so as to be able to receive an edge (13) of the body (1) arranged in correspondence with the mouth (10M). With reference to the example shown in Fig.8 and Fig.9, said lower appendage (23) extends along the rear edge of the lid (2), i.e. along the edge of the lid (2) facing the fixed structure (32) and the recess (22) is intended to receive the edge (13) of the body (1) also facing the fixed structure (32).

Furthermore, preferably, the main body (1) has an upper appendage (14) with a corresponding seat (15) intended to receive a front free end portion (21) of the lid (2). Preferably, said upper appendage (14) is formed on the side diametrically opposite to said outer radial edge (13). With reference to the example shown in Fig.8 and Fig.9, the free end (21) of the lid (2) is diametrically opposite the side of the same lid where the recess (22) is formed.

The open autoclave configuration is determined when the lid (2) is in the position that leaves the access mouth (10M) completely free: this position of the lid (2) is reached thanks to the actuator (3) which, with a translatory movement (F), brings the lid (2) towards the fixed structure (32). The closed autoclave configuration is determined when the lid (2) is in such a position as to completely close the access mouth (10M), the lid appendix (21) fits into the seat (15) of the body (1) and at the same time the appendage (13) of the body (1) fits into the seat (22) of the lid (2).

This position of the lid (2) is reached thanks to the complete extraction of the actuator (3) which brings the lid (2) to the maximum distal position with respect to the fixed point (32). The closed autoclave configuration is also determined by the complete sealing of the dyeing chamber (10) by means of the gasket (5) described below.

The pressure that is normally generated inside the chamber (10), correctly maintained by the aforementioned sealing, generates a thrust on the lid (2) adequately countered by the suitably sized appendages (23) and (14).

With this structural configuration, when the lid (2) is in the closed position, its free end part (21) fits into the seat (15) of the main body (1) while the edge (13) of the main body (1) fits into the recess (22) of the lid (2). In this way, the lid (2) is firmly anchored to the main body (1).

The gasket (5) is arranged on the mouth (10M).

Preferably the gasket (5) is of the expansion type, to increase its reliability and duration despite the opening/closing movement (F) of the lid (2): the gasket (5) is not pressurized in the lid opening phase (2) while it is pressurized when the lid (2) reaches the autoclave closed position.

In the example shown in the attached drawings, the gasket (5) is a pneumatically expandable gasket, equipped with a valve (50) which allows compressed air to be introduced into it, and respectively extracting air from it, by means of a respective duct (51). The presence of the gasket (5) ensures perfect sealing of the chamber (10) during the dyeing processes. In Fig.6 the gasket (5) is not pressurized, while in Fig.7 it is pressurized. The internal pressure of the gasket (5) is indicated by the reference "P" in Fig.7.

The loading and unloading of the textile materials into/from the dyeing chamber (10) can be performed by using automated loading and unloading systems which handle the material holder baskets (1C). For example, an automated system for loading and unloading the material holder baskets of the type described in EP 1431436 can be used, i.e. of the type comprising mechanisms suitable for picking up the baskets from a picking point, moving the baskets along a predefined path above of a structure that houses a predetermined number of dyeing autoclaves, and also suitable for releasing the baskets into the autoclaves or withdrawing the baskets from the autoclaves. Fig.3 schematically shows the insertion, with a movement from top to bottom, of a material holder basket (1C) into a dyeing autoclave in accordance with the present invention. The extraction of the basket (1C) from the dyeing autoclave takes place with a movement opposite to that of insertion.

The movement (F) of the lid (2) parallel to the upper access mouth (10M) facilitates the introduction of the material holder baskets (1C) into the dyeing chamber. In fact, the material holder baskets (1C) can be moved freely above the body (1) both when they are inserted into the dyeing chamber (10) and when they are removed. In Fig.3 the arrows "X" and "Y" indicate a possible trajectory followed by a material holder basket ( 1 C) with a horizontal run (X) of approach of the material holder basket to the autoclave above this last, and a vertical run (Y) for inserting the material holder basket into the dyeing chamber (10). When removing the material holder basket from the dyeing chamber, the material holder basket can be moved vertically in the opposite direction to that indicated by the arrow "Y" and subsequently moved freely above the autoclave.

From the foregoing description it is evident that a dyeing autoclave for textile materials in accordance with the present invention comprises a substantially cylindrical main body (1), in which a dyeing chamber (10) is formed, wherein on the main body (1) there is a lid (2) for opening/closing an upper access mouth (10M) of the dyeing chamber (10), and wherein the lid (2) is moved in the opening and closing positions of said mouth (10M) by means of an actuator (3) which controls the movement of the lid (2) along a direction (F) parallel to the upper access mouth (10M) between the open position and the closed position controlled by said actuator (3).

From the foregoing description it is also evident that a dyeing autoclave for textile materials in accordance with the present invention may exhibit one or more of the following features, even combined between them:

- said actuator (3) is constrained to an external face (20) of the lid (2).

- an expandable gasket (5) is provided on the access mouth (10M).

- said gasket (5) is an expandable gasket with an air chamber connected to means (50, 51) adapted to control the introduction of compressed air inside it to pressurize it and respectively the extraction of compressed air from its interior to depressurize it.

- the lid (2) has a recess (22) shaped so as to be able to receive inside it an appendage (13) of the main body (1) formed in correspondence with the access mouth (10M).

- said recess (22) is formed on a lower appendage (21) of the lid (2). - the main body (1) has a seat (15) intended to receive inside it a free end portion (21) of the lid (2).

- said direction (F) is horizontal.

- the actuator (3) that controls the opening/closing of the lid (2) is a piston having the respective skirt (30) integral with an upper face (20) of the lid (2) and the stem (31) anchored to a fixed structure (32).

In practice, the execution details can in any case vary in an equivalent way as regards the individual elements described and illustrated and their mutual arrangement, without thereby departing from the idea of the solution adopted and therefore remaining within the limits of the protection granted by the present patent in compliance with the following claims.