Solid material comminution or disintegration – Apparatus – Including means applying fluid to material
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-28
2001-12-04
Bray, W Donald (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Apparatus
Including means applying fluid to material
C241S065000, C241S172000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325310
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an immersion-type dispersing apparatus wherein a material to be treated (or mill base) containing solid particles and a treating liquid is finely ground using a dispersion medium and is dispersed in the treating liquid. More particularly, the present invention relates to an immersion-type dispersing apparatus wherein the dispersion medium is contained in a dispersion chamber and the dispersion chamber is immersed in the material to be treated for dispersion treatment.
2. Background Information
Various types of immersion-type dispersing apparatuses have been known wherein a dispersion chamber containing a dispersion medium is immersed in a tank and dispersion treatment is conducted by a batch system. These types of dispersing apparatuses are described in, for example, JP-B-59-46665 (JP-A-58-174230), JP-B-62-16687 (JP-A-60-48126), JP-B-5-82253 (JP-A-1-210020), JP-B-6-73620 (JP-A-6-86924) and JP-B-8-17930 (JP-A-3-72932). In these conventional immersion-type dispersing apparatuses, since pins, pegs or the like are used as a means for stirring the dispersion medium in the dispersion chamber, particle size reduction of the solid particles in the material to be treated tends to be insufficient. For example, the dispersed products are sometimes found to be ground to a level of only 10 &mgr;m in particle size.
Moreover, in conventional immersion-type dispersing apparatuses, since a drive shaft passes through a space where the dispersion medium moves in the dispersion chamber, the dispersion medium may sometimes clog in a through-hole portion or flow out from the through-hole portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an immersion-type dispersing apparatus by which the dispersibility of a material to be treated is improved over the conventional art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an immersion-type dispersing apparatus by which it is possible to separately control the flow of the material to be treated in a tank and the flow of the dispersion medium in the dispersion chamber, and to prevent the clogging or outflow of the dispersion medium contained in the dispersion chamber.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are carried out by an immersion-type dispersing apparatus wherein a dispersion chamber containing a dispersion medium is immersed in a tank containing a material to be treated, the material to be treated is circulated into the dispersion chamber, and the material to be treated is dispersed by use of the dispersion medium moving within the dispersion chamber. A tubular outer stator and a tubular inner stator disposed inside of the tubular outer stator form an annular treatment gap in the dispersion chamber. A rotor extends into the annular treatment gap for partitioning the treatment gap into an outer gap portion and an inner gap portion. A drive shaft is mounted for rotation for rotating the rotor. An axial flow shaft is connected to the drive shaft for rotation therewith and is inserted into the inner side of the inner stator. A plurality of axial flow blades are mounted on the axial flow shaft for rotation therewith. During rotation of the axial flow blades, the material to be treated is allowed to flow into the treatment gap of the dispersion chamber. A circulation port is formed on the rotor so that a dispersion medium contained in the treatment gap and the material to be treated pass through the outer gap portion, flow in the inner gap portion and return to the outer gap portion. A discharge port is formed on the inner stator for discharging the material to be treated. A separating member is disposed at the discharge port for separating the dispersion medium from the material to be treated.
In one embodiment, the axial flow shaft and the drive shaft are rotated together using a single drive source. In another embodiment, the drive shaft and the axial flow shaft are arranged in a concentric biaxial construction, where the drive shaft has a hollow construction and the axial flow shaft is permitted to pass through the drive shaft to allow the axial flow shaft to rotate independently from the drive shaft. In the latter embodiment, the drive shaft and the axial flow shaft can be controlled independently by connecting each to a different rotational driving source.
The present invention further provides an immersion-type dispersing apparatus wherein flow-controlling surfaces are formed on appropriate surfaces of the rotor, outer stator, inner stator or the like by which the impact force or grinding force generated by the dispersion medium is further efficiently exerted to the material to be treated for highly improved dispersion. Preferably, the flow-controlling surface comprises an uneven surface configuration, projections, spiral grooves or the like.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4856717 (1989-08-01), Kamiwano et al.
patent: 4919347 (1990-04-01), Kamiwano et al.
patent: 5346147 (1994-09-01), Ishikawa et al.
patent: 5950943 (1999-09-01), Stehr
patent: 6021969 (2000-02-01), Schmitt et al.
patent: 6029915 (2000-02-01), Inoue
patent: 58174230 (1983-10-01), None
patent: 60048126 (1985-03-01), None
patent: 1210020 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 3072932 (1991-03-01), None
patent: 6086924 (1994-03-01), None
Adams & Wilks
Bray W Donald
Inoue Mfg. Inc.
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