Patents Assigned to Buehler AG
  • Patent number: 11618034
    Abstract: A roller mill (1) including a housing (2) having a milling-material inlet (3), at least one milling-material outlet (4), and at least two cambered rollers (5, 5?) which are each arranged in the housing (2) so as to be rotatable about a roller axis (6). At least one roller (5) is assigned a scraper (7). The scraper (7) has a blade (8) for scraping milling material from a roller surface (9) with a scraper edge (10) which extends over an entire length (L) of the blade (8), and comprises a holder (11) with a receiving region (12). The holder is arranged in the housing (2) so as to be tiltable about an axis (13) parallel to the roller axis. An elastic bearing (14) is arranged between the blade (8) and the receiving region (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Bühler AG
    Inventors: Daniel Mark, Daniel Rickenbach, Philippe Holenstein
  • Patent number: 11590538
    Abstract: Bulk material cleaner (1) comprising a support frame (2) and a screen housing (3), which can be oscillated and/or vibrated by a drive (5). At least one screen (6) is arranged in the screen housing (3). The screen housing has a feed opening (7) and at least two outlet openings (8, 9), the outlet openings (8, 9) being for a first fraction (F1) and a second fraction (F2), respectively. Moreover, the bulk material cleaner (1) comprises an air separator (10), which is only fastened on the screen housing (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Roman Haag, Jürgen Moosmann
  • Patent number: 11452302
    Abstract: Spherical particles, agglomerates of spherical particles, methods of producing spherical particles, food suspensions and consumable masses which have spherical particles, and food products which contain a food suspension and/or a consumable mass are disclosed. The particles contain a matrix material composed of an amorphously solidified biopolymer, preferably having a dextrose equivalent greater than 20 and having an equilibrium water content preferably less than 10 wt %. The solid particles and/or liquid and/or gas volumes are embedded in the matrix material. The food suspension contains a substantially homogeneous carrier material in which spherical particles are embedded. A consumable mass comprises an agglomerate of particles where some of the particles are spherical particles. Use of embedded cocoa particles reduces the roughness of the cocoa particles and a flow point white eliminating the need for emulsifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Buehler AG
    Inventors: Erich Josef Windhab, Patrick Strähl, William Hanselmann
  • Publication number: 20220163947
    Abstract: Anomalies are detected in sensory data originating from components used in industrial processes. The anomaly detection includes obtaining process and alarm/fault data from a component or group of components, learning typical frequency of abnormal operation or alarm/faults, comparing new data to the learned normal operation, and identifying the data as anomalous based on a threshold value which can be tuned. Automated and efficient alarm monitoring, detection and visualization are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Bühler AG
    Inventor: Alison MICHAN
  • Patent number: 11278912
    Abstract: A product processing installation and corresponding method for the grinding and/or crushing of granular fruits or the like. There is a self-adaptive regulation and control method and corresponding regulation and control device for the self-optimised control of a mill installation and a grinding line of a roller system of the mill installation. The grinding line include a plurality of processing units, which, based on operational process parameters, can each individually be controlled and individually regulated in their operation by means of the regulation and control device. A batch control with a defined processing sequence in the processing units can be regulated by an operational process recipe, wherein a defined amount of a final product can be produced from one or more input materials by means of the operational process recipe. The processing units are controlled based on specific operational batch process parameters assigned to the operational process recipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Matthias Gräber, Christian Heiniger
  • Patent number: 11266993
    Abstract: Roller packages (IO) for grinding devices (70), comprising a first roller (II), which is maintained by at least one first bearing body (13), and a second roller (12), which is maintained by at least one second bearing body (14). The first bearing body (13) and the second bearing body (14) are prestressed against each other and comprise stop elements (17, 19) with stop surfaces (18, 20), the contact of which counteracts a contact of the rollers (II, 12). The rotational position of the first stop element (17) determines the minimum width of the grinding gap. Also disclosed are grinding devices (70), methods for operating a roller group (IO) and methods for determining the radial force acting between the rollers (II, 12) of a roller group (IO).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Philippe Holenstein, Lukas Studerus, Daniel Rickenbach, Daniel Mark, Heribert Weber
  • Publication number: 20220012519
    Abstract: An industrialized system and method for rice grain recognition. An optical image is taken and transmitted to a digital platform, wherein the system segments the optical image and extracts and/or measures appropriate grain features from the image describing different aspects of the grain. The image is processed by the system which includes a selector selecting different machine learning structures, applying the different machine learning structures to the extracted features for rice grain recognition, and selecting the best of the applied machine learning structures by a random sampling process. The selected best of the applied machine learning structures is further optimized by varying an appropriate threshold by a threshold trigger based on a confusion matrix comprising. An active learning structure based on the confusion matrix to the user. The system is retrained based on the feedback parameters of the feedback loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Applicant: Bühler AG
    Inventors: Jérôme TREBOUX, Calixte MAYORAZ, Dominique GENOUD, Matthias GRAEBER, Sara LARSEN
  • Patent number: 11213828
    Abstract: A device for comminuting bulk material grains (K) having a first element, designed as a rotor having a cylindrical circumferential surface with a first surface (31) and a first receiving portion (41), and a second element designed as a shear strip (51) having a second surface (61) and a second receiving portion (71), and a supply unit. The first and the second surfaces (31, 61) lie parallel to and face one another. The first and second elements are relatively movable between first and second positions (P1, P2) in a plane of the first and the second surfaces (31, 61). In the first position (P1), the first and second receiving portion (41, 71) communicate with one another, via a passage (9) forming a receptacle, in which the bulk material grain (K) can be positioned, and, upon moving to the second position (P2), a cross section of the passage (9) is narrowed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Simon Künzle, Daniel Rickenbach
  • Patent number: 11215496
    Abstract: An electromechanical actuating drive (1) for a bulk-goods shut-off element, comprising an electric motor (2) and a control and drive electronics unit (3) associated with the electric motor (2), wherein the electromechanical actuating drive (1) comprises a mechanism for storing energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Peter Schai, René Haid, Andreas Kleiner, Heinz Brand
  • Patent number: 11193813
    Abstract: A dosing and weighing device (1) comprising a housing (2) having an inlet opening (3) and an outlet opening (4), and a weighing surface (5), which is operatively connected to at least one weight sensor (7), a mechanism (9) for detecting a pressure difference between a pressure in the housing upstream and a pressure in the housing downstream of the weighing surface (5). Via a control unit (8), the detected pressure difference is used to correct the weight detected by the weight sensor (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Peter Schai, René Haid, Andreas Kleiner, Heinz Brand
  • Patent number: 11185867
    Abstract: A distribution metering device (I) for a roller mill which includes a housing (2) with at least one grinding stock inlet (3), at least one grinding stock outlet (4), and a feed roll (5) which is arranged in the housing (2) for metering grinding stock into a grinding gap of the roller mill through the grinding stock outlet (4). The feed roll is rotatable about a feed roll axis (SA). A conveyor shaft (6) is arranged in the housing (2) for distributing grinding stock along the feed roll (5). The conveyor shaft is rotatable about a conveyor shaft axis (FA). The conveyor shaft axis (FA) is substantially parallel to the feed roll axis (SA), and a first fill state sensor (7) is arranged in the housing (2) for ascertaining a first grinding stock fill state of the housing (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Daniel Mark, Daniel Rickenbach, Stefan Salzmann
  • Patent number: 11166472
    Abstract: A devices (10) and method for pasteurizing and/or sterilizing particulate material. The device contain at least one electron source (20) for generating an electron beam and a treatment zone (19) in which the material is pasteurized and/or sterilized by the electron beam. The device (10) comprises a vibration surface (11) which vibrates to convey and individualize the material. The first vibration surface (11) has a plurality of grooves (12) into which the material is conveyed and individualized. The device (10) has a material channel (21) in which the material is pasteurized and/or sterilized by the electron beam in the region of the treatment zone (19). The device (10) has at least one auxiliary channel (22) through which a fluid flows, between the electron source (20) and the material channel (21), and is separated from the material channel (21). A cartridge (24) for pasteurizing and/or sterilizing particulate material is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Nicolas Meneses, Martin Hersche, Alasdair Currie, Niklaus Schönenberger, Thomas Scheiwiller
  • Patent number: 11123911
    Abstract: A cooling tool (1) for a food or an animal feed extruder (E), the cooling tool has: an inlet end (3) at which extrudate (4) can be led into the cooling tool (1); an outlet end (5) where the cooled extrudate can be discharged; an extrudate flow channel (6) extending from the inlet end to the outlet end; and at least one coolant flow channel (7a, 7b, 7b?) connected to the extrudate flow channel in a heat-transmitting manner. In a cross section (X-X) along the primary flow direction (8), the extrudate flow channel is substantially formed as a ring section; and the outer wall (9) of the extrudate flow channel (6) is formed at least from first and second segments (10, 11). The first and second segments are connected to each other by mechanical connection elements (12). The cooling tool is suitable for wet texturing of food and animal feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Frieder Klein, Markus Mauchle, Stefan Strässle, Michael Weinberger
  • Publication number: 20210252520
    Abstract: A milling installation and a corresponding method for the milling and/or crushing of granular fruits or the like provide optimized closed-loop and open-loop control. A central closed-loop and open-loop control apparatus provides the optimized control of the milling installation. Memory-programmable controllers are connected bidirectionally via network interfaces to the central closed-loop and open-loop control apparatus and/or addressed and controlled by transmitted control parameters. The control apparatus controls centrally, in particular in a web-based manner, the processing apparatuses of different passages of the same or different mills. During the generation of the control parameters, a distinction is drawn between passage-specific and environment-specific management/operating parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: Bühler AG
    Inventor: Michael SCHNEIDER
  • Patent number: D924947
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Dominic Spiess, Lukas Studerus, Daniel Mark, Philippe Holenstein, Daniel Rickenbach
  • Patent number: D925611
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Andreas Meile, Jürgen Moosmann, Paolo Fancelli
  • Patent number: D934928
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Dominic Spiess, Lukas Studerus, Daniel Mark, Philippe Holenstein, Daniel Rickenbach
  • Patent number: D941896
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Dominic Spiess, Lukas Studerus, Daniel Mark, Philippe Holenstein, Daniel Rickenbach
  • Patent number: D947906
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Bühler AG
    Inventor: Christoph Jaun
  • Patent number: D949218
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: BÜHLER AG
    Inventors: Jax Guo, Xiaochun Gong