Module, system and method of dosing and mixing pasty products

Abstract

A metering module for pasty products of the type comprising a pasty product tank equipped with means to push the pasty product, and a means of opening and closure, adapted to open and close an outlet of said tank. The tank is a hollow prism and the means of pushing consist of a tightly fitted vertical piston in the interior of the tank, coaxial to it, the means of opening and closure consisting of a lower metering valve, whose valve body comprises an internal space with a vertical axis that communicates with the tank, the blocking element of the valve being a sealing head, movable between a position of maximum opening and a closure position, in which the larger base of the sealing element is essentially flush with the valve outlet, closing the tank.

1 . Metering module for a pasty product comprising a tank, equipped with means for pushing the pasty product and a means for opening and closing an outlet of said tank, wherein the tank is a hollow prism and the means for pushing consists of a vertical piston that tightly fits in the interior of the tank, coaxial thereto, the means for opening and closing consisting of a lower metering valve, whose valve body contains an internal space with a vertical axis communicating with the tank, with a sealing element of the valve being a closure head, and movable between a maximum opening position and a closure position, and wherein, a larger base of the sealing element is essentially flush with an outlet of the valve, thereby closing the tank.  
   
   
       2 . Metering module for a pasty product according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that said sealing element is integral with an operating rod that moves through the interior of said internal space of the valve body and is, in turn, operated by a tappet against the action of a spring.  
   
   
       3 . Metering module for pasty product according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that said closure head is in the form of a truncated cone.  
   
   
       4 . Metering module for a pasty products according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that the tank is cylindrical.  
   
   
       5 . Metering module for a pasty product according to  claim 1  further including means for purging air occluded in the interior of said tank beneath said piston.  
   
   
       6 . Metering module for a pasty product according to  claim 1 , further including means for injecting air into the interior of said tank, and adapted to separate the piston from the bottom of the tank or from the pasty product therewithin.  
   
   
       7 . Metering module for a pasty products according to  claim 1 , further including means for opening a container of the pasty product situated inside said tank.  
   
   
       8 . Metering module for a pasty products according to  claim 7 , wherein said means for opening consists of a blade, whose cutting edge is situated on the edge of a cylinder that at least partially encloses the outlet of said tank.  
   
   
       9 . Mixing system for pasty products, comprising at least one metering module according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       10 . Mixing system for pasty products according to  claim 9 , comprising at least two metering modules according to  claim 1  arranged adjacent to each other along a first horizontal plane, with their corresponding metering valves essentially aligned, and a receiving vessel movable on a guide, the vessel being adapted to be stopped beneath each module and to receive a dose of pasty product contained in the module in order to produce a mixture of pasty products.  
   
   
       11 . Mixing system for pasty products according to  claim 9  further comprising means for controlling movement of the receiving vessel and metering of the pasty product corresponding to each metering module, so that said pasty product is introduced to the vessel as a function of predetermined mixture parameters.  
   
   
       12 . Mixing system for a pasty product according to  claim 11 , wherein said means for controlling contains a microprocessor, a computer and/or programmable automatic device, provided with software, and means for interfacing with the user and which also operates on drive and timing devices of the vessel and on the metering valves of each of the metering modules.  
   
   
       13 . Process for metering of a pasty product, to be applied in conjunction with a metering module according to  claim 1 , characterized by the fact that said process contains the steps of placing said pasty product in a container with deformable walls, introducing the container of the pasty product to the interior of the tank, lowering of the piston, compressing the container for deformation of its walls against the inside walls of the tank; and opening the container to produce an opening in the container contiguous with the tank outlet in order to cause the pasty product contained in the container to enter the metering valve under the compressive effects of the piston.