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EP 0 375 629 B1 |
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EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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Mention of the grant of the patent: |
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10.03.1993 Bulletin 1993/10 |
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Date of filing: 17.11.1989 |
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Method and apparatus for processing cotton bales for removing fungi and micro-organisms
therefrom
Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Behandlung von Baumwollballen zwecks Beseitigung von
Pilzen und Mikroorganismen
Procédé et appareil pour le traitement des balles de coton en vue d'enlèvement de
champignons et des micro-organismes
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Designated Contracting States: |
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AT BE CH DE ES FR GB GR LI NL SE |
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Priority: |
21.12.1988 IT 2304588
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Date of publication of application: |
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27.06.1990 Bulletin 1990/26 |
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Proprietor: Polli, Edoardo |
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20123 Milano (IT) |
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Inventor: |
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- Polli, Edoardo
20123 Milano (IT)
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Representative: Cicogna, Franco |
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Ufficio Internazionale Brevetti
Dott.Prof. Franco Cicogna
Via Visconti di Modrone, 14/A 20122 Milano 20122 Milano (IT) |
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References cited: :
EP-A- 0 344 729 DE-A- 3 538 899
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CH-A- 557 435 DE-B- 1 133 286
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Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European
patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to
the European patent
granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall
not be deemed to
have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent
Convention).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus which have been specifically
designed for processing cotton bales to remove fungi and micro-organisms therefrom.
[0002] As is known cotton fields are generally arranged in very moist and hot regions and,because
of this,fungi and micro-organisms are inevitably present in the cotton.
[0003] Since cotton is generally used for making fabrics as well as cotton-wool and the
like materials which must have very high purity properties,it is actually necessary
to process cotton in such a way as to remove therefrom all of the polluting substances,such
as the above mentioned fungi and micro-organisms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Thus, the main object of the present invention is to solve the above mentioned problem
by providing a method for processing cotton bales to safely remove therefrom fungi
and micro-organisms.
[0005] Another object of the invention is to provide such a method which processes high
amounts of cotton with a very high hour yield and a perfect removal of fungi and micro-organisms,without
negatively affecting the textile properties of the processed cotton.
[0006] Another object of the invention is to provide such a method which affords the possibility
of processing pressed cotton bales of conventional shapes and size.
[0007] Yet another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the
inventive method which apparatus is very simple construction-wise and can be made
starting from easily available component and materials.
[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention,the above mentioned objects as well
as yet other objects,which will become more apparent hereinafter,are achieved by a
method for processing cotton bales for removing fungi and micro-organisms therefrom,characterized
in that said method comprises the steps of continuously conveying pressed cotton bales
to a processing tunnel,microwave radiating said bales in said tunnel with set frequency
and power microwaves and discharging processed bales from said tunnel.
[0009] According to a further aspect of the invention the pressed cotton bales can be subjected,in
said tunnel,to a combined processing by microwaves and cooling air to cool the outer
surfaces of said cotton bales.
[0010] The apparatus for carrying out the above defined method comprises a loading platform
consisting of an endless conveyor belt thereon the pressed cotton bales are successively
arranged.
[0011] This conveyor belt conveys the pressed cotton bales to a processing tunnel therein
there are arranged,according to any suitable set arrangement,a plurality of microwave
generating units for microwave radiating the individual cotton bales conveyed to the
tunnel,the cotton bales processed by microwave power and optionally by cooling air
being discharged from the tunnel by means of a discharging conveyor belt.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent
from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference
to the accompanying indicative but not limitative drawings,where:
figure 1 is a partial cross-section front view illustrating the apparatus for carrying
out the cotton bale processing method according to the invention;
figure 2 is a top plan view of the subject apparatus;
figure 3 shows a pressed cotton bale which can be processed by the method and apparatus
according to the invention.
DESCRIPTlON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0013] The invention is based on the discovery that as cotton fibres,in bale form,are processed
by microwaves,the textile properties of the fibres are not affected,while polluting
substances such as fungi and micro-organism are destroyed.
[0014] For carrying out the inventive method,several types of microwave generating units
have been tested and it has been found that optimum results could be obtained by using
microwave generating units adapted to provide microwave beams having a frequency of
2,450 MHz with powers from 0.3 to 20 Kw.
[0015] With reference to figure 1,therein there is illustrated a possible embodiment of
an apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention,this apparatus
comprises three main components, i.e a loading conveyor belt 2,a processing tunnel
3 and an unloading conveyor assembly 4.
[0016] The pressed cotton bales,in particular,are conveyed successively one by one,or in
parallel rows,by means of the loading conveyor belt 8,in the direction of the arrow,to
the inlet of the cotton bale processing tunnel 3,inside of which there are arranged
a plurality of microwave generating units,indicated at the reference number 9,which
are so arranged as to cover a broad radiating region,that is the conveying path of
the cotton bales.
[0017] In an actually made prototype system,the loading conveyor assembly supported thirty
cotton bales and operated as a supply and microwave dampening system.
[0018] More specifically,the cotton bales loading system consisted of a bearing frame of
stainless steel with a size of 15,000 x 2,000 x 1,100 mm.
[0019] The tunnel 3 consisted of an inner conveyor slat belt,indicated in the drawing at
the reference number 10,with polythetrafluoroethylene ( PTFE) supporting members,not
shown,of the reinforced low loss type,in order to prevent said supporting members
from excessively heating.
[0020] The tunnel supporting structure was made of AISI 304 stainless steel and defined
a multimode microwave heating chamber.This tunnel or oven also comprised a forced
air cooling assembly.
[0021] The microwave generating assembly,which is the core of the method and apparatus according
to the present invention,comprised,in this embodiment,ten microwave generating units
of the MW 1540/03 type,the microwaves having a frequency of 2,450 MHz and a microwave
power varying from 300 to 1,100 Watts,with ten additional microwave generating units
of the MW 1540/01 type having a fixed microwave power of 1,200 Watts,and supplied
from the mains at a voltage of 220V,50Hz.
[0022] The apparatus also included an unloading conveyor slat belt having substantially
the same characteristics as the loading belt.
[0023] With the disclosed prototype apparatus or system,7,000 kg/day of cotton fibres have
been processed,with a corresponding processing speed of 300 Kg/hour.
[0024] The overall size of the system was of 42,500 x 2,400 x 2,700 mm;in particular the
length was of 42,500 mm,the width of 2,400 mm and the useful height at the inlet of
the tunnel of 800 mm;the tunnel was lined by a thermally insulating mat and means
for automatically adjusting the microwave power were provided,as well as several inspection
doors.
[0025] The processed bales consisted of pressed cotton bales and two bales types,different
in volume,density and weight were processed.
[0026] More specifically,the first cotton bale type had a volume of 0.553 m³,a net weight
of 185 Kg and a density of 334.5 Kg/m³;whereas the second type had a volume of 0.705
m³,a net weight of 220 kg and a density of 312 Kg/m³.
[0027] The moisture of both types was of about 6%.
[0028] In this connection it should be pointed out that the above indicated bale types are
conventional cotton bales,which can be directly processed as supplied by the bale
supplyer.
[0029] While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred
embodiment thereof,it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible
to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and
scope of the appended claims.
1. A method for processing cotton bales for removing fungi and micro-organisms therefrom,characterized
in that said method comprises the step of continuously conveying pressed cotton bales
to a processing tunnel,microwave radiating said bales in said tunnel with set frequency
and power microwaves and discharging processed bales from said tunnel.
2. A method according to claim 1,characterized in that said method further comprises
the step of processing said bales by cooling air.
3. A method according to claim 1,characterized in that said method further comprises
the step of processing said bales by microwaves and cooling air simultaneously.
4. A method according to claim 1,characterized in that said frequency of said microwaves
is from 500 to 4,500 Mhz.
5. A method according to claim 4,characterized in that said frequency is 2,450 MHz.
6. A method according to claim 1,characterized in that said power of said microwaves
is from 10 watts to several hundreds of watts.
7. An apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 1,characterized in that
said apparatus comprises a cotton bale loading assembly to convey cotton bales to
be processed to a processing tunnel,a plurality of microwave generating units in said
tunnel and a processed cotton bales unloading assembly for removing processed cotton
bales from said tunnel.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7,characterized in that said microwave generating
units extend to a spaced relationship through said tunnel.
9. An apparatus according to claim 7,characterized in that at least an air generating
unit is arranged in said tunnel.
10. An apparatus according to claim 7,characterized in that said apparatus further comprises,at
said tunnel outlet region,a cotton bale cooling assembly.
1. Verfahren zur Behandlung von Baumvollballen zwecks Beseitigung von Schwämme und Mikroorganismen,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Verfahren die Schritte von kontinuierlich Fördern
der gepressten Baumwollballen in einem Behandlungstunnel, von Mikrowellenausstrahlen
der obengenannten Ballen in dem obengenannten Tunnel mit Mikrowellen bestimmter Frequenz
und Leistung und von Ausladen aus dem obengenannten Tunnel der behandelten Ballen,
vorsieht.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Verfahren, ausserdem,
der Schritt von Behandlen mittels Kühlungsluft der obengenannten Ballen vorsieht.
3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Verfahren, ausserdem,
der Schritt von gleichzeitigem Behandlen der obengenannten Ballen mittels Kühlungsluft
und Mikrowellen.
4. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die obengenannte Frequenz
der obengenannten Mikrowellen zwischen 500 und 4500 Mhz liegt.
5. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die obengenannte Frequenz
auf 2450 Mhz beläuft sich.
6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die obengenannte Leistung
der obengenannten Mikrowellen auf 10 Watt bis zur mehreren Hunderten Watts beläuft
sich.
7. Vorrichtung zum ausführen des Verfahrens nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet,
dass diese Vorrichtung mit einem Baumwollballenladeneinrichtung zum Fördern der zu
behandelten Baumwollenballen in einem Behandlungstunnel, mit mehreren Mikrowellen-Erzeugeneinheiten
in dem obengenannten Tunnel und mit einer Baumwollballen-Entladungseinrichtung zum
abnehmen die behandelten Baumwollenballen aus dem obengenannten Tunnel vorgesehen
ist.
8. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Mikrowellenerzeugeneinheiten
durch den Tunnel entfernt angeordnet liegen.
9. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass weinigstens eine Lufterzeugeneinheit
in dem obengenannten Tunnel angeordnet ist.
10. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass diese Vorrichtung, ausserdem,
an die Austrittregion des obengenannten Tunnels, mit einer Kühlungseinrichtung für
Baumwollballen vorgesehen ist.
1. Procédé pour le traitement des balles de coton en vue d'enlever les fungi et les micro-organismes,
caractérisé en ce que ledit procédé comprend le stade de transporter en continu les
balles de coton pressées dans un tunnel de traitement, d'irradier par des micro-ondes
lesdites balles dans ledit tunnel par des micro-ondes ayant une fréquence et une puissance
réglée, et de décharger lesdites balles traitées dudit tunnel.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ledit procédé comprend en
outre le stade de traiter lesdites balles par de l'air de refroidissement.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ledit procédé comprend en
outre le stade de traiter lesdites balles par des micro-ondes et de l'air de refroidissement
au même temps.
4. Procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ladite fréquence desdites
micro-ondes se trouve entre 500 et 4.500Mhz.
5. Procédé selon la revendication 4, caractérisé en ce que ladite fréquence est de 2.450
Mhz.
6. Procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que ladite puissance desdites
micro-ondes tombe entre 10 watts et plusieurs centaines de watts.
7. Appareil pour effectuer le procédé selon la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que
ledit appareil comprend un système pour charger les balles de coton en vue de transporter
les balles de coton qui doivent être traitées dans un tunnel de traitement, une pluralité
d'unités génénatrices de micro-ondes dans ledit tunnel et un système de déchargement
pour les balles de coton traitées pour enlever les balles de coton traitées dudit
tunnel.
8. Appareil selon la revendication 7, caractérisé en ce que lesdites unités génératrices
de micro-ondes s'étendent à travers dudit tunnel d'une relation écartée.
9. Appareil selon la revendication 7, caractérisé en ce que dans ledit tunnel il y a
arrangé une unité génératrice d'air, au moins.
10. Appareil selon la revendication 7, caractérisé en ce que ledit appareil comprend en
outre, dans la région de sortie dudit tunnel, un système de refroidissement des balles
de coton.
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