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EP-4741544-A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXTRACTING FIBERS FROM A FIBROUS MATERIAL

EP4741544A1EP 4741544 A1EP4741544 A1EP 4741544A1EP-4741544-A1

Abstract

An apparatus and method for extracting fibers from a fibrous material in which the fibers are mixed with other constituents. The apparatus comprises a chassis (18) having a housing (22) in which a rotor (20) spins at relatively high speed. The housing (22) has a first and a second chambers (30, 32) defined by a disc (35) of the rotor splitting the housing (22) in two. On one side, the disc (35) has a set of protrusions (54) that cooperate with another set of static protrusions (34) in the second chamber (32). On the other side, the disc (35) has vanes (36). When the rotor (35) spins, fibrous material is introduced in the second chamber (32) where it is broken by the cooperating sets of protrusions (34, 54). Simultaneously, ambient air is drawn in the first chamber (30) by the rotation of the vanes (36) and compressed. The compressed air is injected in the second chamber (32), expelling separately the detached fibers and the other constituents.

Inventors

  • FEUILTAULT, DOMINIQUE
  • Hugo, Martin

Assignees

  • Maxxera Equipment Engineering Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20251107

Claims (15)

  1. An apparatus for extracting fibers from a fibrous material in which the fibers are mixed with other constituents, the apparatus being characterized in that it comprises: a chassis (18) having: a housing (22) having a cavity (23), the housing (22) having a first set of protrusions (34) projecting inwardly into the cavity (23); an air intake (24) fluidly connected to the cavity (23); a material inlet (26) adapted to receive the fibrous material, the material inlet (26) being fluidly connected to the cavity (23); and an outlet (28) fluidly connected to the cavity (23); and a rotor (20) adapted to spin on a shaft (48) within the housing, the rotor (20) having a disc (35), the disc (35) having a second set of protrusions (54) protruding into the cavity (23) so that the second set of protrusions (54) faces the first set of protrusion (34) and is radially offset from the first set of protrusions (34) so as to closely cooperate with the first set of protrusions (34) when the rotor (20) spins, wherein in use, the rotor (20) is spun, the fibrous material is introduced in the material inlet (26) and therefrom into the cavity where the fibrous material is shred into the detached fibers and the other constituents by the cooperating action of the first set of protrusions (34) with the spinning second set of protrusions (54), the detached fibers and the other constituents being expelled through the outlet (28).
  2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an air propulsion system (66) connected to the cavity (23) so as to expel the detached fibers and the other constituents through the outlet (28).
  3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that : the cavity (23) is divided into a first chamber (30) and a second chamber (32) by the disc (35); the first chamber (30) is fluidly connected to the second chamber (32); the disc (35) comprises vanes (36) extending in the first chamber (30) for compressing air; the first set of protrusions (34) and the second set of protrusions (54) protrude into the second chamber (32); the air intake (24) is fluidly connected to the first chamber (30); the material inlet (26) is fluidly connected to the second chamber (32); and the outlet (28) is fluidly connected to the second chamber (32); and wherein in use, the rotor (20) is spun, the fibrous material is introduced in the material inlet (26) and therefrom into the second chamber (32) where the fibrous material is shred, air is drawn in the first chamber (30) of the housing (22) by the spinning vanes (36) of the rotor (20), thereby creating compressed air in the first chamber (30), the compressed air being routed to the second chamber (32) so as to expel the detached fibers and the other constituents through the outlet (28).
  4. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing (22) is cylindrical, the second set of protrusion (54) extends radially on a face of the disc (35) and the first set of protrusions (34) extends radially on an inner face of the housing (22).
  5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second set of protrusions (54) is distributed over 360 degrees on the face of the disc (35) and wherein the first set of protrusions (34) is distributed over at least 90 degrees, preferably less than 180 degrees, on the inner face of the housing (22).
  6. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the distance between the inner face of the housing (22) and the face of the disc (35) is adjustable.
  7. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first set of protrusions (34) and the second set of protrusions (54) each contain a plurality of teeth (60).
  8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the teeth (60) of each one of the first set of protrusions (34) and the second set of protrusions (54) are disposed facing each other and offset from each other so that first peaks and first valleys of the first set of protrusions (34) respectively coincide with second valleys and second peaks of the second set of protrusions (54).
  9. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first set of protrusions (34) and/or the second set of protrusions (54) are replaceable.
  10. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the disc (35) comprises holes (38) for fluid communication between the air intake (24) and the second chamber (32).
  11. The apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the air intake (24) is coaxial with the shaft (48) and wherein the outlet (28) is tangential to the disc (35).
  12. A method for extracting fibers from a fibrous material in which the fibers are mixed with other constituents, the method being characterized in that it comprises: providing the apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 11; spinning the rotor (20) at a speed of at least 250 rpm; introducing the fibrous material in the second chamber (32) through the material inlet (26); shredding the fibrous material, thereby detaching the fibers from the other constituents by the cooperating action of the first set of protrusions (34) with the spinning second set of protrusions (54); drawing air in the first chamber (30) of the housing (22) by creating a vacuum in the air intake (24) using the spinning vanes (36), thereby creating compressed air in the first chamber (30); routing the compressed air to the second chamber (32); and expelling the detached fibers and the other constituents from the outlet (28).
  13. The method of claim 12, wherein the expelling comprises expelling the detached fibers at a first distance from the outlet (28) and expelling the other constituents at a second distance from the outlet (28) substantially different from the first distance.
  14. The method of claim 12 or 13, wherein the spinning comprises spinning the rotor (20) at a speed less than 3000 rpm, preferably between 500 rpm and 1000 rpm.
  15. The method of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the introducing the fibrous material comprises introducing hemp stalks.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to the field of separation of fibers from a fibrous material. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for extracting fibers from a fibrous material, for example for extracting hemp fiber from hemp stalks. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Whether it is during the first processing steps of raw materials or during recycling of a manufactured product at its end of life, it is often required to separate such product in its constituents. For example, for manufacturing a product using fibers, it may be required as a first step of the manufacturing process to extract such fibers from a plant that has been harvested. More particularly, hemp has been used for centuries in the manufacturing of fabrics, paper, ropes and clothing and other products advantageously using its durability and strength properties. Nowadays, hemp is also used in the construction industry and in the manufacturing of different components. Hemp has gained increasing attention also because it is a sustainable material. For all its qualities, however, hemp has one drawback: extracting its fibers at an industrial scale requires expensive machinery that mostly works by hammering the hemp stalks to break it and split the hemp fibers from the hemp hurds. Although automated, these processes struggle to yield an industrial amount of processed hemp fiber so that the use of hemp fibers at an industrial scale is still challenging. There is therefore a need for a method and equipment to more efficiently extract fibers from a fibrous material, and particularly for extract hemp fibers from hemp stalks. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for extracting fibers from a fibrous material containing the fibers mixed with other constituents that overcomes or mitigates one or more disadvantages of known such apparatuses or at least provides a useful alternative. The invention provides the advantages of potentially providing a higher processing rate than known solutions. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for extracting fibers, also known as an extractor, from a fibrous material in which the fibers are mixed with other constituents. The apparatus comprises a chassis and a rotor. The chassis has a housing, an air intake, a material inlet and an outlet. The housing has a first chamber, a second chamber and a first set of protrusions projecting inwardly into the second chamber. The air intake fluidly connects to the first chamber. The first chamber is fluidly connected to the second chamber. The material inlet, adapted to receive the fibrous material, is fluidly connected to the second chamber. The outlet is fluidly connected to the second chamber. The rotor has a disc and is adapted to spin on a shaft within the housing. The disc divides the housing in the first chamber and in the second chamber. The disc has vanes extending in the first chamber and has a second set of protrusions protruding in the second chamber. The second set of protrusions face the first set of protrusions and is radially offset from the first set of protrusions so as to closely cooperate with the first set of protrusions when the rotor spins. When in use, the rotor is spun, the fibrous material is introduced in the material inlet and therefrom into the second chamber where the fibrous material is shred into the detached fibers and the other constituents by the cooperating action of the first set of protrusions with the spinning second set of protrusions. Air is drawn in the first chamber of the housing by the spinning vanes of the rotor, thereby creating compressed air in the first chamber. The compressed air is routed to the second chamber so as to expel the detached fibers and the other constituents. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for extracting fibers from a fibrous material in which the fibers are mixed with other constituents. This apparatus is also known as an extractor. The apparatus comprises a chassis and a rotor. The chassis has a housing, an air intake, a material inlet and an outlet. The housing has a cavity and a first set of protrusions projecting inwardly into the cavity. The air intake is fluidly connected to the cavity. The material inlet, adapted to receive the fibrous material, is fluidly connected to the cavity. The outlet is fluidly connected to the cavity. The rotor, which is adapted to spin on a shaft within the housing, has a disc equipped with a second set of protrusions protruding into the cavity. This second set of protrusions faces the first set of protrusion and is radially offset from the first set of protrusions so as to closely cooperate with the first set of protrusions when the rotor spins. In use, the rotor is spun by source of power and the fibrous material is introduced in the material inlet and therefrom into the