Rotary mixer

Abstract

To provide a rotary type mixer capable of mixing granules with powder while suppressing breakage of the granules.SOLUTION: A rotary type mixer comprises: a cylindrical rotary vessel 2 extending in a lateral direction; and a rotary vane 5 which is arranged inside the rotary vessel 2, and rotates in the same direction as the rotary vessel 2. The rotary vane 5 comprises: a central shaft 6 extending in an axial direction of the rotary vessel 2; and at least one paddle group 7 with a plurality of paddles 70 arranged radially around the central shaft 6. A rotary shaft 50 of the rotary vane 5 may be positioned below a rotary shaft 20 of the rotary vessel 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rotary mixer suitably used for mixing granules and powder.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when manufacturing, for example, pharmaceutical tablets, after manufacturing the granules, a lubricant is mixed with the granules to produce a tableting material, and this tableting material is tableted (compression molded) (see, for example, paragraph 0067 of the detailed description of the invention of Patent Document 1). The lubricant is a powder for improving tableting properties and is applied to the surface of the granules by being mixed with the granules.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When mixing granules and powder, it is desired to mix the granules and powder without breaking the granules.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a rotary mixer capable of mixing granules and powder while suppressing breakage of the granules.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present disclosure provides a rotary mixer including a horizontally extending cylindrical rotating container and a rotating blade disposed in the rotating container and rotating in the same direction as the rotating container, the rotating blade including at least one paddle group having a central shaft extending in the axial direction of the rotating container and a plurality of paddles radially arranged around the central shaft.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to this disclosure, a rotary mixer is provided that can mix granules and powder while suppressing the destruction of the granules. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a rotary mixer according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figures 1 and 2 show a rotary mixer 1 according to one embodiment. This rotary mixer 1 is suitably used for mixing granules and powders. For example, the average particle size of the granules is 80 to 500 μm, and the average particle size of the powders is 0.1 to 50 μm. However, the applications of the rotary mixer 1 are not limited to these, and it may be used, for example, to mix multiple types of powders.

[0010] Specifically, the rotary mixer 1 includes a cylindrical rotating container 2 extending laterally and a frame 11 that rotatably supports the rotating container 2. The frame 11 includes a base 11a located to the side of the rotating container 2 and a pair of arms 11b, 11c protruding from the base 11a. The arms 11b, 11c rotatably support the rotating container 2 via bearings 25, 26. However, the configuration of the frame 11 is not limited to this and can be modified as appropriate.

[0011] An electric motor 41 for rotating the rotating container 2 is attached to the base 11a of the frame 11. Bevel gears 42 and 43 are provided on the output shaft of the electric motor 41 and on the outer surface of the rotating container 2, respectively, and these bevel gears 42 and 43 mesh with each other. However, the configuration for rotating the rotating container 2 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate.

[0012] The rotating container 2 includes a bottom wall 21 perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating container 2, and a peripheral wall 22 extending from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 21 in the axial direction of the rotating container 2. The cross-sectional shape of the peripheral wall 22 is circular, and an opening 23 is provided in the center of the bottom wall 21.

[0013] Furthermore, the rotary mixer 1 includes a rotating blade 5 located inside the rotating container 2, a supply pipe 3 with its tip inserted into the opening 23 of the rotating container 2, and a screw 35 located inside the supply pipe 3. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rotation axis 50 of the rotating blade 5 is located below the rotation axis 20 of the rotating container 2.

[0014] In this embodiment, the rotating blades 5 and the screw 35 are fixed to the rotating shaft 30. Specifically, the rotating blades 5 include a cylindrical central shaft 6 that extends in the axial direction of the rotating container 2, and the screw 35 is also cylindrical. The rotating shaft 30 passes through the central shaft 6 and the screw 35. In other words, the center line of the rotating shaft 30 is the rotation axis 50 of the rotating blades 5 and the rotation axis of the screw 35. A cap 51 is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 30 to maintain the state in which the screw 35 and the central shaft 6 pass through the rotating shaft 30.

[0015] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the inner bore of the rotating shaft 30, the central shaft 6, and the inner bore of the screw 35 are square. However, the cross-sectional shapes of the inner bore of the rotating shaft 30, the central shaft 6, and the inner bore of the screw 35 may be circular, and the relative rotation of the central shaft 6 and the screw 35 with respect to the rotating shaft 30 may be prevented by a key.

[0016] The rotating blade 5 rotates in the same direction as the rotating container 2. For example, the peripheral speed v of the tip of the rotating blade 5 is preferably 0.6 times or more and 10 times or less of the peripheral speed V of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 22 of the rotating container 2 (0.6V ≤ v ≤ 10V). If the peripheral speed v of the tip of the rotating blade 5 is set in this way, the granules and the powder can be mixed more efficiently while suppressing the destruction of the granules.

[0017] More preferably, the peripheral speed v of the tip of the rotating blade 5 is 5 times or less of the peripheral speed V of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 22 (v ≤ 5V). The peripheral speed v of the tip of the rotating blade 5 is, for example, 1 to 5 m / s, and when the granules are easily broken, it is preferably 2 m / s or less and 2 times or less of the peripheral speed V of the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 22 (v ≤ 2V).

[0018] A support 16 is fixed to the base 11a of the frame 11, and a motor 45 for rotating the rotating shaft 30 is attached to this support 16. The supply pipe 3 is provided with an inlet 31 that opens upward, and a hopper 32 for charging granules and powder is connected to this inlet 31. However, it is not always necessary to use the screw 35 to charge the granules and powder into the rotating container 2, and various charging methods can be adopted.

[0019] Furthermore, a bearing 25 and a first closing member 12 that covers the inside thereof are fixed to the arm 11b of the frame 11, and a bearing 26 and a second closing member 13 that covers the inside thereof are fixed to the arm 11c. In the present embodiment, the first closing member 12 is disk-shaped and is integrated with the supply pipe 3. The second closing member 13 is annular and penetrates the rotating container 2. Further, covers 15 that cover the space between them are attached to the arms 11b and 11c of the frame 11.

[0020] The opening on the opposite side of the bottom wall 21 of the rotating container 2 (the opening formed by the tip of the peripheral wall 22) is a discharge port, and the mixture (granules and powder) mixed in the rotating container 2 is discharged from the discharge port. A chute 14 for guiding the mixture discharged from the discharge port of the rotating container 2 is attached to the second closing member 13.

[0021] Next, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the structure inside the rotating container 2 will be described in detail. For convenience of explanation hereinafter, in the axial direction of the rotating container 2, the bottom wall 21 side may be referred to as the rear, and the discharge port side may be referred to as the front.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the axial direction of the rotating container 2 is parallel to the horizontal direction. However, the axial direction of the rotating container 2 may be inclined downward from the bottom wall 21 toward the discharge port, or may be inclined upward. By inclining the axial direction of the rotating container 2 in this way, the residence time of the raw material in the rotating container 2 can be adjusted.

[0023] Also, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 22 is a continuous surface without unevenness over the entire circumference. However, a plurality of linear protrusions extending in the axial direction of the rotating container 2 may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall 22. If there are such protrusions, when the granules or powder are likely to slide, it is possible to suppress them from accumulating downward inside the rotating container 2.

[0024] The rotating blade 5 includes at least one paddle group 7 in addition to the above-described central shaft 6. In the present embodiment, the rotating blade 5 includes three paddle groups 7 arranged in the axial direction of the rotating container 2. However, the number of paddle groups 7 may be one or two, or may be four or more.

[0025] Each paddle group 7 has a plurality of paddles 70 arranged radially around the central shaft 6. That is, each paddle 70 is plate-shaped and parallel to the surface located on the surface passing through the rotation axis 50 of the rotating blade 5.

[0026] In the present embodiment, the number of paddles 70 in each paddle group 7 is four. However, the number of paddles 70 in each paddle group 7 may be two or three, or may be five or more. Also, the number of paddles 70 does not have to be the same in all paddle groups 7, and may be different in any one or all paddle groups 7.

[0027] Furthermore, the rotating vane 5 includes two baffle plates 8 located between the three paddle groups 7. Each baffle plate 8 is circular in shape with respect to the rotation axis 50. In this embodiment, the diameter of the baffle plate 8 is set to be larger than the diameter of the circle passing through the tip of the paddle 70.

[0028] The front baffle plate 8 separates the space between the paddles 70 in the front paddle group 7 from the space between the paddles 70 in the central paddle group 7. Similarly, the rear baffle plate 8 separates the space between the paddles 70 in the central paddle group 7 from the space between the paddles 70 in the rear paddle group 7.

[0029] In this embodiment, the position of the paddles 70 is the same in all paddle groups 7. In other words, the corresponding paddles 70 in all paddle groups 7 are arranged on the same plane with the baffle plate 8 in between. However, for example, the position of the paddles 70 in the central paddle group 7 may differ from the position of the paddles 70 in the front and rear paddle groups 7, or the position of the paddles 70 may differ in all paddle groups 7.

[0030] Inside the rotating container 2, at least one partition plate 9 is positioned above the rotating blades 5. In this embodiment, there are two partition plates 9, but there may be one or three or more partition plates 9. The two partition plates 9 divide the space 27 between the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 of the rotating container 2 and the rotating blades 5 into three cells 28 aligned in the axial direction of the rotating container 2.

[0031] The front partition plate 9 is positioned adjacent to the front baffle plate 8, and the rear partition plate 9 is positioned adjacent to the rear baffle plate 8. The partition plates 9 are fixed by passing through a pair of support columns 91, and both ends of the support columns 91 are fixed to the chute 14 and the supply pipe 3.

[0032] Each partition plate 9 is crescent-shaped and, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotating container 2, has an outer arc edge that follows the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 and an inner arc edge that follows the outer edge of the baffle plate 8 of the rotating blades 5. In other words, the outer arc edge of the partition plate 9 is an arc centered on the rotation axis 20 of the rotating container 2, and the inner arc edge of the partition plate 9 is an arc centered on the rotation axis 50 of the rotating blades 5.

[0033] When viewed from the axial direction of the rotating container 2, the gap A between the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 and the outer arc edge of each partition plate 9, and the gap B between the outer edge of the baffle plate 8 and the inner arc edge of each partition plate 9 are preferably 1 mm or more, and less than or equal to 1 / 20 of the diameter D of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 of the rotating container 2.

[0034] In the rotary mixer 1 with the configuration described above, when granules and powder are introduced into the rotating container 2, the granules and powder are lifted by following the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 of the rotating container 2, and are also scraped up by the paddle 70, thus mixing the granules and powder. Moreover, since the rotating blades 5 rotate in the same direction as the rotating container 2, the destruction of the granules is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to mix granules and powder while suppressing the destruction of the granules.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the partition plate 9 is positioned above the rotating blades 5 within the rotating container 2, it is possible to prevent lighter powders from being discharged through the space 27 above the rotating blades 5, and to ensure a longer residence time for the powder within the rotating container 2.

[0036] (modified version) This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of this disclosure.

[0037] For example, if the peripheral speed v at the tip of the rotating blade 5 is different from the peripheral speed V of the inner surface of the peripheral wall 22 of the rotating container 2, the rotation axis 50 of the rotating blade 5 may coincide with the rotation axis 20 of the rotating container 2.

[0038] Furthermore, the baffle plate 8 of the rotating blade 5 may be omitted. However, if the rotating blade 5 includes the baffle plate 8 as in the above embodiment, a longer residence time for the granules and powders in the rotating container 2 can be ensured.

[0039] (summary) In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a rotary mixer comprising a cylindrical rotating container extending laterally, and a rotating blade disposed within the rotating container and rotating in the same direction as the rotating container, wherein the rotating blade includes a central shaft extending axially in the direction of the rotating container and at least one group of paddles having a plurality of paddles arranged radially around the central shaft.

[0040] With the above configuration, when granules and powder are introduced into the rotating container, the granules and powder are lifted along the inner surface of the rotating container and also scraped up by the paddle, thus mixing the granules and powder. Moreover, since the rotating blades rotate in the same direction as the rotating container, the destruction of the granules is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to mix granules and powder while suppressing the destruction of the granules.

[0041] In a second embodiment, in the first embodiment, the peripheral speed of the tip of the rotating blade may be 0.6 times or more and 10 times or less the peripheral speed of the inner surface of the rotating container. With this configuration, granules and powder can be mixed more efficiently while suppressing the destruction of the granules.

[0042] In a third embodiment, in the first or second embodiment, the rotation axis of the rotating blades is located below the rotation axis of the rotary container, and the rotary mixer may further include at least one partition plate positioned above the rotating blades within the rotary container, which divides the space between the inner surface of the rotary container and the rotating blades into a plurality of cells arranged in the axial direction of the rotary container. This configuration prevents lighter powders from being discharged through the space above the rotating blades and ensures a longer residence time for the powders within the rotary container.

[0043] In a fourth embodiment, in any of the first to third embodiments, the at least one paddle group may include a plurality of paddle groups arranged in the axial direction of the rotating container, and the rotating blades may include baffle plates located between the plurality of paddle groups that separate the space between paddles in one paddle group from the space between paddles in the other paddle group. This configuration makes it possible to ensure a longer residence time for granules and powders in the rotating container. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1. Rotary mixer 2 Rotating containers 20 Rotation axis 27 spaces 28 cells 5-rotating blades 50 Rotation axis 6. Central shaft 7 paddle groups 70 paddles 8 Baffle Plate 9 partition plates

Claims

1. A cylindrical rotating container extending horizontally, The rotating container comprises a rotating blade positioned within the rotating container and rotating in the same direction as the rotating container, The rotating blade has a central shaft extending in the axial direction of the rotating container, and the central shaft It includes at least one group of paddles having multiple paddles arranged radially around it, The rotation axis of the aforementioned rotating blade is located below the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotating container. The rotating vessel is positioned above the rotating blades, and the inner circumferential surface of the rotating vessel and the rotating blades The space between the blades is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the axial direction of the rotating container, at least one A rotary mixer further equipped with two partition plates.

2. A cylindrical rotating container extending horizontally, The rotating container comprises a rotating blade positioned within the rotating container and rotating in the same direction as the rotating container, The rotating blade has a central shaft extending in the axial direction of the rotating container, and the central shaft It includes at least one group of paddles having multiple paddles arranged radially around it, The at least one group of paddles includes a plurality of groups of paddles arranged in the axial direction of the rotating vessel, The rotating blades are located between the multiple paddle groups, and between the paddles in one of the paddle groups. A rotary mixer including a baffle plate that separates the space between paddles in one group of paddles from the space between paddles in the other group of paddles.

3. The rotary mixer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the peripheral speed of the tip of the rotating blade is 0.6 times or more and 10 times or less the peripheral speed of the inner surface of the rotating container.

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