Mixing device

Abstract

An agitation device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a container, a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the container, a first agitation unit including a first agitation rod located inside the container and having an suction passage provided inside the first agitation rod and a plurality of suction ports connecting the suction passage to the internal space of the container so as to be fluidically movable, and through which the cleaning liquid in the container is sucked in, a second agitation unit including a second agitation rod located inside the container and having a discharge passage provided inside the second agitation rod and a plurality of discharge ports connecting the discharge passage to the internal space of the container so as to be fluidically movable, and a cleaning liquid circulation unit connected to the suction passage and discharge passage, respectively, and configured to supply the cleaning liquid that has flowed in through the suction passage to the discharge passage.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an agitator, and more particularly to an agitator that can agitate slurry raw materials during a mixing process and automatically clean the entire space of a container when cleaning the container.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0081377 dated July 1, 2022, and all contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] Unlike primary batteries, which cannot be recharged, secondary batteries are batteries that can be charged and discharged, and are widely used as power sources for electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops, as well as electric vehicles.

[0004] The manufacturing process of a secondary battery includes an electrode manufacturing process, an electrode assembly process, and a chemical formation process.

[0005] The electrode manufacturing process is a process for manufacturing electrodes for secondary batteries, and includes a mixing process, a slurry coating process, a drying process, a rolling process, a slitting process, and a notching process.

[0006] The mixing process in the electrode manufacturing process involves stirring the raw materials for the slurry. In this process, the raw materials for the slurry are placed in a container and stirred to form a slurry. The raw materials for the slurry include an active material, a conductive agent, a binder, and a solvent.

[0007] The mixing process is carried out using a stirring device. After producing a certain amount of the same type of slurry, or before producing a type of slurry different from the existing slurry, the container is cleaned.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process for cleaning a container 11 according to the prior art.

[0009] The stirring device 10 includes a container 11, a stirring rod 12, a stirring blade 13, and a stirring motor 14.

[0010] Generally, the method for cleaning the container 11 after the slurry mixing process is as follows.

[0011] A certain amount of cleaning liquid W1 is poured into container 11. When cleaning liquid W1 is poured into container 11, stirring motor 14 operates to rotate stirring rod 12. When stirring rod 12 rotates, cleaning liquid W1 in container 11 is stirred by stirring blade 13, forming a vortex and cleaning lower space A1 of container 11.

[0012] The cleaning range of the container 11 is the range that is affected by the vortex of the cleaning liquid W1 when the stirring rod 12 rotates. Therefore, even if the cleaning operation is performed repeatedly, the cleaning liquid W1 does not reach the upper space A2 of the container 11, making it difficult to clean the entire space of the container 11 uniformly.

[0013] For this reason, conventionally, the portions that the cleaning liquid W1 does not reach when the cleaning liquid W1 is stirred, mainly the upper space A2 of the container 11, have been manually cleaned by an operator.

[0014] When the container 11 is manually cleaned, the operation of the agitator 10 is stopped. Therefore, after the cleaning work is completed, the agitator 10 is restarted, but this requires additional restart time in addition to the manual cleaning time.

[0015] Furthermore, depending on the skill level of the operator, the cleaning time required to clean the container 11 is irregular, which can act as a factor in reducing the operational efficiency of the mixing process. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0016] An object of the present invention is to provide an agitation device that can automatically clean the entire space of a container when cleaning the container.

[0017] Another object of the present invention is to provide an agitation device that, when cleaning a container, agitates the cleaning liquid in the container to clean the lower space of the container, and circulates the cleaning liquid in the container through a cleaning liquid circulation unit and sprays it into the upper space of the container to clean the upper space of the container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] An agitation device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a container, a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the container, a first agitation unit including a first agitation rod located inside the container and having an inlet passage provided inside the first agitation rod and a plurality of inlets that fluidly connect the inlet passage to the interior space of the container and through which the cleaning liquid in the container is drawn, a second agitation unit including a second agitation rod located inside the container and having an outlet passage provided inside the second agitation rod and a plurality of outlets that fluidly connect the outlet passage to the interior space of the container, and a cleaning liquid circulation unit that is connected to the inlet passage and the outlet passage, respectively, and is configured to supply the cleaning liquid that has flowed in through the inlet passage to the outlet passage.

[0019] Here, the plurality of inlets may be located at a lower height within the container than the plurality of outlets.

[0020] The cleaning liquid circulation unit may include a suction pipe connected to the suction passage, a discharge pipe connected to the discharge passage, and a circulation pump connected to each of the suction pipe and the discharge pipe.

[0021] The plurality of suction ports are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first stirring rod, and the suction passage is connected to the suction piping of the cleaning liquid circulation section and includes a recovery line extending along the central axis direction of the first stirring rod, and a recovery branch line branching from the recovery line and connected to the plurality of suction ports.

[0022] In addition, the multiple discharge ports are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the second stirring rod, and the discharge passage is connected to the discharge piping of the cleaning liquid circulation section and includes a discharge line extending along the central axis direction of the second stirring rod and discharge branch lines branching from the discharge line and connected to the multiple discharge ports.

[0023] The cleaning liquid supply unit may include a cleaning liquid tank for storing the cleaning liquid, and a supply pump for supplying the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank into the container.

[0024] The stirring device may further include a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit, the first stirring unit, the second stirring unit, and the cleaning liquid circulation unit, and the control unit may be configured to supply cleaning liquid to the container at a constant level through the cleaning liquid supply unit and then operate the cleaning liquid circulation unit.

[0025] The control may be arranged to maintain the rotational speed of the first stirrer bar lower than the rotational speed of the second stirrer bar.

[0026] The control unit may be configured to operate the cleaning liquid circulator while rotating the first stirring rod and the second stirring rod.

[0027] The cleaning liquid circulation unit may further include a valve installed on the first stirring rod to open and close the inlet, and the valve may be configured to open the inlet when the circulation pump is operating.

[0028] Another embodiment of the stirring device of the present invention includes a container, a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the container, a first stirring unit including a first stirring rod located inside the container and having an intake passage provided inside the first stirring rod and a plurality of intake ports that fluidly connect the intake passage to the internal space of the container and through which the cleaning liquid in the container is drawn, a second stirring rod located inside the container and a plurality of second stirring units having an outlet passage provided inside the second stirring rod and a plurality of outlet ports that fluidly connect the discharge passage to the internal space of the container, and a cleaning liquid circulation unit connected to the intake passage and the discharge passage, respectively, and configured to supply the cleaning liquid that has flowed in through the intake passage to the discharge passage.

[0029] Here, the first stirring rod may be located in the center of the container, and each of the second stirring rods may be spaced apart at the same intervals as the first stirring rod.

[0030] The plurality of inlets may be located at a lower height within the container than the plurality of outlets.

[0031] The cleaning liquid circulation unit may include a suction pipe connected to the suction passage, a discharge pipe connected to the discharge passage, and a circulation pump connected to each of the suction pipe and the discharge pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] As discussed above, the stirring device according to at least one embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages.

[0033] When cleaning the container, the cleaning solution inside the container is agitated to clean the lower space of the container, and the cleaning solution inside the container is sprayed into the upper space of the container via the cleaning solution circulator to clean the upper space of the container. In other words, the entire space of the container can be automatically cleaned through the cleaning solution circulator.

[0034] Furthermore, the automated washing of the container allows the container to be washed quickly before the slurry mixing process, thereby improving the production efficiency of the slurry. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a process for cleaning a container according to the prior art; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a stirring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 10 is a view illustrating a process in which a cleaning solution is dispensed into a container when a cleaning solution dispenser is operated, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram illustrating the flow of a cleaning liquid when a cleaning liquid circulating unit is operating in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10 is a view illustrating the flow of a cleaning liquid when a cleaning liquid circulator is operating together with first and second agitators in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first agitator, and Fig. 6(b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow of cleaning liquid that flows through the suction passage in the first agitator when the cleaning liquid circulator is operating. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 6(a), and Fig. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 6(a). [Figure 8] Fig. 8(a) is a cross-sectional view of the second agitator, and Fig. 8(b) is a schematic view illustrating the flow of the cleaning liquid that flows through the discharge passage in the second agitator when the cleaning liquid circulator is operating. [Figure 9] Fig. 9(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 9(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along DD in Fig. 8(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] Hereinafter, a stirring device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] Furthermore, regardless of the drawing symbols, identical or corresponding components will be given the same or similar reference numbers, and duplicate descriptions thereof will be omitted. For the sake of convenience, the size and shape of each component illustrated may be exaggerated or reduced.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an agitator according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the process of introducing a cleaning solution into a container when a cleaning solution supply unit is operated according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the flow of cleaning liquid when the cleaning liquid circulation unit is operating in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the flow of cleaning liquid when the cleaning liquid circulation unit is operating together with the first agitation unit and the second agitation unit in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] The stirring device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a container 110 and a cleaning liquid supply unit 160 for supplying a cleaning liquid W1 to the container 110.

[0041] The stirring device 100 also includes a first stirring rod 121 positioned in the internal space 112 of the container 110, an intake passage 122 provided inside the first stirring rod 121, and a first stirring unit 120 having a plurality of intake ports 123 that fluidly connect the intake passage 122 to the internal space 112 of the container 110 and through which the cleaning solution W1 in the internal space 112 of the container is sucked.

[0042] The stirring device 100 also includes a second stirring rod 141 positioned in the internal space 112 of the container 110, and a second stirring section 140, 140A having a discharge passage 142 provided inside the second stirring rod 141 and a plurality of discharge ports 143 that connect the discharge passage 142 to the internal space 112 of the container 110 so as to allow fluid movement.

[0043] Furthermore, the stirring device 100 may include a single second stirring unit 140, or may include multiple second stirring units 140, 140A. When multiple second stirring units 140, 140A are included, the second stirring units 140, 140A are configured identically and differ only in their positions within the container 110.

[0044] The agitator 100 further includes a cleaning liquid circulating unit 170 connected to the suction passage 122 and the discharge passage 142 to supply the cleaning liquid W1 introduced through the suction passage 122 to the discharge passage 142.

[0045] In this embodiment, the agitation device 100 is configured to perform a mixing process (also referred to as a "mixing mode") in which slurry raw materials (not shown) are wet-agitated to form a slurry (not shown), and a cleaning process (also referred to as a "cleaning mode") in which the container 110 is cleaned.

[0046] The cleaning process is performed to clean the vessel 110 after producing a certain amount of slurry (not shown) through the mixing process and before producing a different type of slurry (not shown).

[0047] 2, the stirring device 100 includes a container 110, a first stirring unit 120, a second stirring unit 140, 140A, a cleaning liquid supply unit 160, a cleaning liquid circulation unit 170, and a control unit 180. The control unit 180 is configured to control the first stirring unit 120, the second stirring unit 140, 140A, the cleaning liquid supply unit 160, and the cleaning liquid circulation unit 170, respectively.

[0048] The first stirring unit 120 and the second stirring unit 140, 140A are configured to stir the contents of the interior space 112 of the container 110. In the mixing mode, the first stirring unit 120 and the second stirring unit 140, 140A stir the slurry raw material (not shown) in the interior space 112 of the container 110. In the cleaning mode of the container 110, the first stirring unit 120 and the second stirring unit 140, 140A stir the cleaning liquid W1 in the interior space 112 of the container 110.

[0049] For ease of explanation, in this embodiment, the internal space 112 of the container 110 is divided into an upper space 114 and a lower space 113 based on the height direction of the container. In this document, the height direction of the container 110 refers to the direction of the central axis C1 of the first stirring unit 120 and the direction of the central axis C2 of the second stirring units 140 and 140A.

[0050] Here, the lower space 113 is a space filled with the cleaning solution W1 at a certain level through the cleaning solution supply unit 160, and is a space that is affected by vortexes when the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 rotate.

[0051] Here, the upper space 114 is located above the lower space 113 and corresponds to a space that is not filled with cleaning liquid through the cleaning liquid supply part 160, and is a space that is not affected by vortexes when the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 rotate.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 2, the first stirring unit 120 is disposed in the center of the container 110 and includes a first stirring rod 121 having an intake passage 122 and a plurality of intake ports 123 .

[0053] The suction passage 122 is provided inside the first stirring rod 121. The suction passage 122 is a passage through which the cleaning solution W1 that has flowed into the lower space 113 of the container 110 flows to the upper part of the container 110 when the circulation pump 171 is operated.

[0054] The suction passage 122 is provided to pass through the central axis C1 of the first stirring rod 121. This is to prevent the cleaning liquid W1 that has flowed into the suction passage 122 from being biased in one direction when the first stirring rod 121 rotates.

[0055] Figure 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first stirring section, Figure 6(b) is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of cleaning liquid flowing through the suction passage in the first stirring section when the cleaning liquid circulation section is operating, Figure 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Figure 6(a), and Figure 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of Figure 6(a).

[0056] Referring to FIGS. 6(a) and 7(a), the suction passage 122 has a recovery line 122a and a recovery branch line 122b branching from the recovery line 122a.

[0057] The recovery line 122a is a passage that extends along the direction of the central axis C1 of the first stirring bar 121. The recovery branch line 122b is a passage that branches off from the recovery line 122a and connects a plurality of suction ports 123 to each other.

[0058] A plurality of suction ports 123 are provided at the bottom of the first stirring bar 121. The plurality of suction ports 123 are provided to be exposed on the outer surface of the first stirring bar 121. The plurality of suction ports 123 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first stirring bar 121.

[0059] The plurality of suction ports 123 are passages through which the cleaning liquid W1 in the container 110 is drawn, and connect the suction passages 122 and the interior space of the container 110 so that fluid can move.

[0060] The plurality of inlets 123 are located at a lower height in the internal space 112 of the container 110 than the plurality of outlets 143. This is to allow the cleaning solution W1 in the internal space 112 of the container 110 to more easily flow into the plurality of inlets 123 when the cleaning solution circulator 170 is operating.

[0061] A valve 128 for opening and closing the plurality of inlets 123 is additionally installed on the first stirring rod 121. The valve 128 may be installed on the first stirring rod 121 to open and close the plurality of inlets 123 at once or individually. The valve 128 may be installed to open the inlets 123 when the circulation pump 171 of the cleaning solution circulating unit 170 is operated.

[0062] The valve 128 is opened and closed by the control unit 180. In the mixing mode, the control unit 180 operates the valve 128 to close all of the plurality of suction ports 123. In the cleaning mode, the control unit 180 operates the valve 128 to open all of the plurality of suction ports 123.

[0063] In addition, the control unit 180 is provided to operate the cleaning liquid circulating unit 170 while rotating the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 .

[0064] At this time, the first stirring rod 121 rotates at a lower speed than the second stirring rod 141. That is, the control unit 180 may be configured to maintain the rotation speed of the first stirring rod 121 lower than the rotation speed of the second stirring rod 141. The rotation speed of the first stirring rod 121 may be within a range of 1 / 3 to 2 / 3 of the maximum rotation speed of the first stirring motor 126.

[0065] 2, the first stirring unit 120 further includes a first stirring motor 126 that provides rotational force to the first stirring rod 121, a first stirring blade 124 that stirs the contents in the container 110 when the first stirring rod 121 rotates, and a first coupling unit 125 that rotatably couples the first stirring rod 121 to the upper part of the container 110. The first coupling unit 125 fluidly connects the first stirring rod 121 to an intake pipe 173 of the cleaning solution circulating unit 170.

[0066] Figure 8(a) is a cross-sectional view of the second stirring section, Figure 8(b) is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of cleaning liquid flowing through the discharge passage in the second stirring section when the cleaning liquid circulation section is operating, Figure 9(a) is a CC cross-sectional view of Figure 8(a), and Figure 9(b) is a DD cross-sectional view of Figure 8(a).

[0067] The second stirring sections 140, 140A will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0068] The second stirring unit 140, 140A includes a second stirring rod 141 disposed on the rim of the container 110 so as to be spaced apart from the first stirring rod 121.

[0069] In addition, second stirring unit 140, 140A further includes a second stirring motor 146 that provides rotational force to second stirring rod 141, a second stirring blade 144 that stirs the contents in container 110 when the second stirring rod rotates, and a second fastening unit 145 that rotatably connects second stirring rod 141 to the upper part of container 110. Second fastening unit 145 fluidly connects second stirring rod 141 to discharge pipe 175 of cleaning liquid circulating unit 170.

[0070] The second stirring unit 140, 140A may be provided in one or more units. The second stirring units 140, 140A may be spaced apart from the first stirring unit 120 at equal intervals.

[0071] When a pair of second stirring units 140, 140A are provided, the cleaning liquid circulation unit 170 is provided with two discharge pipes, and in this case, the plurality of discharge pipes 175, 177 may include a first discharge pipe 175 and a second discharge pipe 177.

[0072] That is, one of the second stirring units 140 is connected to the circulation pump 171 by a first discharge pipe 175 , and the other second stirring unit 140 A is connected to the circulation pump 171 by a second discharge pipe 177 .

[0073] The plurality of second stirring units 140, 140A have the same structure, and in the following, in order to avoid duplication of explanation, the description will be made based on one second stirring unit 140.

[0074] As shown in FIGS. 8( a ) and 9 ( a ), the second stirring bar 141 has a discharge passage 142 and a plurality of discharge ports 143 .

[0075] The discharge passage 142 is provided inside the second stirring rod 141. The discharge passage 142 is a passage through which the cleaning liquid W1 supplied through the discharge pipe 175 of the cleaning liquid circulation unit 170 flows.

[0076] The discharge passage 142 is provided to pass through the central axis C2 of the second stirring rod 141. This is because, when the second stirring rod 141 rotates, the reused cleaning solution W2 flowing through the discharge passage 142 is sprayed uniformly in the circumferential direction of the second stirring rod 141 along the discharge branch line 142b based on the central axis C2 of the second stirring rod 141 without being biased in any one direction.

[0077] The discharge passage 142 has a discharge line 142a and a discharge branch line 142b branching off from the discharge line 142a. The discharge line 142a is a passage extending along the direction of the central axis C2 of the second stirring rod 141. The discharge branch line 142b is a passage branching off from the discharge line 142a and connecting a plurality of discharge ports 143.

[0078] The plurality of discharge ports 143 are passages through which the reused cleaning solution W2 discharged from the discharge passages 142 is discharged into the upper space 114 of the container 110.

[0079] The plurality of discharge ports 143 are provided so as to be exposed on the outer surface of the second stirring bar 141. The plurality of discharge ports 143 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the second stirring bar 141.

[0080] A plurality of outlets 143 are provided on the upper part of the second stirring rod 141. The outlets 143 are also provided to be positioned in the upper space 114 of the container 110. The outlets 143 are located at a higher height in the internal space 112 of the container 110 than the plurality of inlets 123 provided on the first stirring rod 121.

[0081] Each outlet 143 fluidly connects the upper space 114 of the container 110 to the discharge passage 142. As described above, the upper space 114 is a space that is not affected by vortexes when the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 rotate.

[0082] The second stirring unit 140 can operate such that the second stirring rod 141 rotates when the cleaning liquid circulating unit 170 operates. The second stirring rod 141 rotates at a higher speed than the first stirring rod 121.

[0083] In the cleaning mode of the container 110, the rotation speed of the second stirring rod 141 may be within a range of ⅓ to ⅔ of the maximum rotation speed of the second stirring motor 146. In the cleaning mode of the container 110, the second stirring rod 141 may be rotated at a rotation speed within a range of 20 rpm to 40 rpm. When the second stirring rod 141 rotates, the pressure of the reused cleaning solution W2 discharged through the multiple outlets 143 may be proportional to the rotation speed of the second stirring rod 141.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 5, when the second stirring rod 141 rotates, the reused cleaning solution W2 is sprayed in the circumferential direction of the second stirring rod 141 through each outlet 143, thereby cleaning the upper space 114 of the container 110.

[0085] As mentioned above, by modifying the structure of the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 and by using the cleaning liquid circulation unit 170, which is connected to the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 and circulates the cleaning liquid, the upper space 114, which is not affected by the vortex when the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 rotate, can also be cleaned.

[0086] The cleaning liquid circulation unit 170 that circulates the cleaning liquid W1 in the container 110 when the container 110 is in the cleaning mode will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0087] The cleaning liquid circulation unit 170 is connected to the suction passage 122 of the first stirring rod 121 and the discharge passage 142 of the second stirring rod 141 , respectively, and is provided to supply the cleaning liquid that has flowed in through the suction passage 122 to the discharge passage 142 .

[0088] In addition, the cleaning liquid circulation unit 170 may include a suction pipe 173 connected to the suction passage 122, discharge pipes 175 and 177 connected to the discharge passage 142, and a circulation pump 171 connected to the suction pipe 173 and the discharge pipes 175 and 177, respectively.

[0089] The suction pipe 173 is coupled to the first coupling portion 125 and is fluidly connected to the suction passage 122 .

[0090] The first discharge pipe 175 and the second discharge pipe 177 are coupled to the second fastening portion 145 of the second agitating portion 140, 140A and are connected to the respective discharge passages 142 in a fluid movable manner.

[0091] The circulation pump 171 pressurizes the cleaning liquid W1 that has flowed in through the suction pipe 173 and discharges it to the first discharge pipe 175 and the second discharge pipe 177. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the circulation pump 171 operates to suck up the cleaning liquid W1 in the container 110 when the control unit 180 is in the cleaning mode.

[0092] Referring to FIG. 5, in the cleaning mode of the container 110, the cleaning liquid circulating unit 170 is operated, and the control unit 180 is provided to rotate the first stirring unit 120 and the second stirring units 140 and 140A, respectively.

[0093] 6(b) and 7(b), when the circulation pump 171 is operating, the cleaning solution W1 in the internal space 112 of the container 110 flows into the branch recovery line 122b through the respective suction ports 123. The cleaning solution W1 then moves from the branch recovery line 122b along the recovery line 122a to the top of the first stirring rod 121. The cleaning solution W1 then flows into the circulation pump 171 through the suction pipe 173.

[0094] The cleaning solution W1 is pressurized to a predetermined pressure by the circulation pump 171 and discharged from the circulation pump 171. The cleaning pressure is in the pressure range of 0.5 bar to 2 bar. When the second stirring rod 141 rotates, the cleaning pressure may be in the pressure range of 0% to 50% of the maximum pressure of the circulation pump 171, taking into account the rotational force of the second stirring rod 141.

[0095] Hereinafter, the cleaning liquid W1 discharged from the circulation pump 171 to the first discharge pipe 175 and the second discharge pipe 177 will be referred to as the "reused cleaning liquid W2."

[0096] Referring to Figures 8(b) and 9(b), when the circulation pump 171 is operated, the reused cleaning solution W2 moves along the discharge line 142a of the discharge passage 142 toward the lower portion of the second stirring rod 141, branches into multiple branches through the discharge branch line 142b, and is discharged through each of the discharge ports 143.

[0097] The reused cleaning solution W2 is discharged from each outlet 143 into the upper space 114 of the container 110 (see FIG. 4). The reused cleaning solution W2 is sprayed sideways of the second stirring rod 141 by the cleaning pressure, thereby cleaning the upper space 114 of the container 110.

[0098] Alternatively, the reused cleaning solution W2 can be sprayed into the upper space 114 of the container 110 in the circumferential direction of the second stirring rod 141 by the centrifugal force of the second stirring rod 141 (see FIG. 5), thereby cleaning the upper space 114 of the container 110.

[0099] The cleaning liquid supply unit 160 that supplies the cleaning liquid W1 to the internal space 112 of the container 110 before the circulation pump 171 is operated will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0100] 3, when the container 110 is in a cleaning mode, the cleaning liquid supply unit 160 is provided to supply the cleaning liquid W1 to the container 110. The cleaning liquid supply unit 160 includes a cleaning liquid tank 161, a supply pump 163, and a cleaning liquid supply pipe 165.

[0101] The cleaning liquid W1 is stored in the cleaning liquid tank 161. A supply pump 163 is connected to the cleaning liquid tank 161.

[0102] The supply pump 163 supplies the cleaning liquid W1 in the cleaning liquid tank 161 to the internal space 112 of the container 110. A cleaning liquid supply pipe 165 connects the container 110 and the supply pump 163.

[0103] When the supply pump 163 is operated, the cleaning solution W1 is supplied from the cleaning solution tank 161 to the container 110. The supply pump 163 supplies the cleaning solution W1 to the inner space 112 of the container 110 until the cleaning solution W1 reaches a certain level in the inner space 112 of the container 110. Here, the certain level is the boundary between the upper space 114 and the lower space 113. The certain level may vary depending on the volume of the container 110. In addition, the input amount of the cleaning solution W1 may vary depending on the volume of the container 110.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 3, in the cleaning mode of the container 110, the control unit 180 controls the cleaning liquid supply unit 160 to supply the cleaning liquid W1 into the container 110 at a constant level, and then activates the cleaning liquid circulation unit 170.

[0105] 5, in the cleaning mode of the container 110, the control unit 180 opens the valve 128 and operates the circulation pump 171, the first stirring motor 126 and the second stirring motor 146.

[0106] That is, when the cleaning liquid W1 reaches a certain level in the internal space 112 of the container 110, the operation of the supply pump 163 is stopped. Then, the circulation pump 171, the first stirring motor 126, and the second stirring motor 146 operate to clean the internal space 112 of the container 110.

[0107] When the first stirring motor 126 and the second stirring motor 146 are operated, the first stirring rod 121 and the second stirring rod 141 rotate to stir the cleaning solution W1 in the container 110, forming a vortex, and cleaning the lower space 113 of the container 110.

[0108] At the same time, the circulation pump 171 sucks up the cleaning solution W1 in the container 110 through the suction passage 122 of the first stirring rod 121 and discharges it to the discharge passage 142 of the second stirring rod 141. The reused cleaning solution W2 discharged through the discharge passage 142 is sprayed into the upper space 114 of the container 110 to clean the upper space 114 of the container 110.

[0109] The above preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art with ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications, changes, and additions are deemed to fall within the scope of the following claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0110] According to the stirring device related to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning liquid in the container is stirred to clean the lower space of the container, and the cleaning liquid in the container is sprayed into the upper space of the container via the cleaning liquid circulation section to clean the upper space of the container.

Claims

1. A container and a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the container; a first stirring unit including a first stirring rod positioned inside the container, the first stirring rod having an intake passage provided inside the first stirring rod and a plurality of intake ports that fluidly connect the intake passage to an internal space of the container and through which the cleaning liquid in the container is drawn; a second stirring section including a second stirring rod positioned inside the container, the second stirring rod having a discharge passage provided inside the second stirring rod and a plurality of discharge ports connecting the discharge passage to an internal space of the container so as to allow fluid movement; a cleaning liquid circulating section connected to the suction passage and the discharge passage, respectively, and configured to supply the cleaning liquid that has flowed in through the suction passage to the discharge passage.

2. 2. The agitation device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of intake ports are located at a lower height within the container than the plurality of discharge ports.

3. The cleaning liquid circulation unit includes: a suction pipe connected to the suction passage; a discharge pipe connected to the discharge passage; The agitation device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a circulation pump connected to the suction pipe and the discharge pipe, respectively.

4. The plurality of suction ports are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the first stirring bar, 2. The stirring device according to claim 1, wherein the suction passage is connected to the suction piping of the cleaning liquid circulation section and includes a recovery line extending along the central axis direction of the first stirring rod, and a recovery branch line branching from the recovery line and connected to the plurality of suction ports.

5. the plurality of discharge ports are spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the second stirring rod, 2. The stirring device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge passage includes a discharge line connected to the discharge piping of the cleaning liquid circulation section and extending along the central axis direction of the second stirring rod, and a discharge branch line branching from the discharge line and connected to the plurality of discharge ports.

6. The cleaning liquid supply unit a cleaning liquid tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored; The stirring device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a supply pump that supplies the cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid tank into the container.

7. a control unit that controls the cleaning liquid supply unit, the first stirring unit, the second stirring unit, and the cleaning liquid circulation unit, 2. The agitation device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to operate the cleaning liquid circulation unit after causing the cleaning liquid supply unit to supply the cleaning liquid into the container at a constant level.

8. The stirring device of claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to maintain a rotation speed of the first stirring rod lower than a rotation speed of the second stirring rod.

9. The stirring device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the first stirring rod and the second stirring rod to operate the cleaning liquid circulating unit.

10. the cleaning liquid circulation unit further includes a valve installed on the first stirring rod to open and close the suction port; The agitation device according to claim 3 , wherein the valve is provided to open the suction port when the circulation pump is operating.

11. A container and a cleaning liquid supply unit for supplying a cleaning liquid to the container; a first stirring unit including a first stirring rod positioned inside the container, the first stirring rod having an intake passage provided inside the first stirring rod and a plurality of intake ports that fluidly connect the intake passage to an internal space of the container and through which the cleaning liquid in the container is drawn; a plurality of second stirring units including a second stirring rod positioned inside the container, the second stirring rod having a discharge passage provided inside the second stirring rod and a plurality of discharge ports connecting the discharge passage to an internal space of the container so as to allow fluid movement; a cleaning liquid circulating section connected to the suction passage and the discharge passage, respectively, and configured to supply the cleaning liquid that has flowed in through the suction passage to the discharge passage.

12. the first stirring rod is located in the center of the container; 12. The stirring device of claim 11, wherein each of the second stirring bars is spaced apart at the same interval as the first stirring bars.

13. The stirring device according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of intake ports are located at a lower height in the container than the plurality of discharge ports.

14. The cleaning liquid circulation unit includes: a suction pipe connected to the suction passage; a discharge pipe connected to the discharge passage; The stirring device according to claim 11 , further comprising: a circulation pump connected to the suction pipe and the discharge pipe, respectively.

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