Dryer for herbaceous material with access heating
AssigneePhilip Morris Products S.A.
InventorsPierre Buffat, Stefan Lauenstein
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The dryer comprises a dryer receptacle having an inner space for receiving herbaceous material, an access assembly providing access to the inner space of the dryer receptacle, and a heating system comprising at least one access heating element for actively heating the access assembly. The access assembly comprises at least one of an inlet conveyor for supplying herbaceous material into the inner space of the dryer receptacle and an outlet conveyor for removing herbaceous material from the inner space of the dryer receptacle. The at least one access heating element comprises a conveyor heating element incorporated into the conveyor.
Claims15
A dryer for drying herbaceous material, comprising
- a dryer receptacle having an inner space for receiving herbaceous material;
- an access assembly providing access to the inner space of the dryer receptacle;
- and
- a heating system comprising at least one access heating element for actively heating the access assembly,
- wherein the access assembly comprises at least one of an inlet conveyor for supplying herbaceous material into the inner space of the dryer receptacle and an outlet conveyor for removing herbaceous material from the inner space of the dryer receptacle, and
- wherein the at least one access heating element comprises a conveyor heating element incorporated into the at least one of the inlet conveyor and the outlet conveyor.
A method for drying herbaceous material, comprising
- heating herbaceous material received in an inner space of a dryer receptacle,
- wherein an inner surface of the dryer receptacle is heated such that the entire inner surface of the dryer receptacle is maintained above a condensation temperature of gases evaporated inside the dryer receptacle during heating of the herbaceous material,
- the method further comprising actively heating at least one of an inlet conveyor for supplying herbaceous material into the inner space of the dryer receptacle and an outlet conveyor for removing herbaceous material from the inner space of the dryer receptacle at least above the condensation temperature with a conveyor heating element incorporated into the at least one of the inlet conveyor and the outlet conveyor.
A method comprising using an access heating element for actively heating an access assembly providing access to the inner space of a dryer receptacle for receiving herbaceous material to prevent formation of lower temperature spots, wherein the access assembly comprises at least one of an inlet conveyor for supplying herbaceous material into the inner space of the dryer receptacle and an outlet conveyor for removing herbaceous material from the inner space of the dryer receptacle, and wherein the at least one access heating element comprises a conveyor heating element incorporated into the at least one of the inlet conveyor and the outlet conveyor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.