Slurry manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a slurry manufacturing apparatus that is advantageous for improving mixing efficiency and ensuring mixing quality.SOLUTION: A slurry manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a housing 10, a drive shaft 20, and an impeller assembly 30. The housing 10 includes a cavity 101. The impeller assembly 30 is disposed in the cavity 101 and is configured to be driven to rotate by the drive shaft 20. A bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 is disposed opposite to an end surface of the housing 10, and one of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10 is provided with an annular protrusion, and the other of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10 is provided with an annular groove matching the annular protrusion, and a clearance 102 for interference prevention is formed between an outer wall of the annular protrusion and an inner wall of the annular groove. By providing the annular protrusion and the annular groove, it is possible to prevent liquid that does not participate in the mixing from flowing directly out of a discharge port of the slurry manufacturing apparatus through the gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of slurry manufacturing, and more specifically, to a slurry manufacturing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In fields such as industry and food, usually, a slurry manufacturing apparatus is used to mix powder and liquid to obtain slurry. In a conventional slurry manufacturing apparatus, the gap between the mixing impeller assembly and the bottom wall of the housing is large, and a part of the liquid flows through the gap without being mixed with the powder and is discharged through the discharge port, which affects the mixing quality of the slurry.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a slurry manufacturing apparatus including a housing with a cavity formed therein, a drive shaft, and an impeller assembly provided in the cavity and driven to rotate by the drive shaft. The bottom surface of the impeller assembly and the end surface of the housing are provided opposite to each other. An annular protrusion is provided on one of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly and the end surface of the housing, and an annular concave groove matching the annular protrusion is provided on the other. A gap for preventing interference is formed between the outer wall of the annular protrusion and the inner wall of the annular concave groove.

[0004] Optionally, the size of the gap between the outer wall of the annular protrusion and the inner wall of the annular concave groove is 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0005] Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the annular protrusion is rectangular, triangular, semi-circular, trapezoidal or irregular, and the cross-sectional shape of the annular concave groove is rectangular, triangular, semi-circular, trapezoidal or irregular.

[0006] Optionally, both the number of annular protrusions and the number of annular concave grooves are plural. The plural annular protrusions are provided coaxially and spaced apart, and the plural annular concave grooves are provided coaxially and spaced apart corresponding to the plural annular protrusions.

[0007] Selectively, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple annular projections may be a combination of one or more rectangular, triangular, semicircular, trapezoidal, or irregular shapes, and the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple annular grooves may be a combination of one or more rectangular, triangular, semicircular, trapezoidal, or irregular shapes.

[0008] Selectively, the radius of the multiple annular protrusions increases sequentially in the direction from the drive shaft toward the side wall of the housing, the height of the multiple annular protrusions decreases sequentially, and the depth of the multiple annular grooves decreases accordingly.

[0009] Selectively, the radius of the multiple annular protrusions increases sequentially in the direction from the drive shaft toward the side wall of the housing, the height of the multiple annular protrusions increases sequentially, and the depth of the multiple annular grooves increases sequentially accordingly.

[0010] Optionally, the impeller assembly includes a mixing impeller, with an annular projection provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the mixing impeller and the end surface of the housing, and an annular groove matching the annular projection provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the mixing impeller and the end surface of the housing.

[0011] Optionally, the impeller assembly includes a mixing impeller and a guide impeller, the guide impeller being located below the mixing impeller, with an annular projection provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the guide impeller and the end surface of the housing, and an annular groove matching the annular projection provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the guide impeller and the end surface of the housing.

[0012] Selectively, the guide impeller has a guide channel formed around its central axis, and guide vanes are provided within the guide channel.

[0013] Selectively, a support plate is provided inside the housing, an annular projection is provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the impeller assembly and the top surface of the support plate, and an annular groove that matches the annular projection is provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the impeller assembly and the top surface of the support plate.

[0014] The technical solution of the present invention has at least the following advantages.

[0015] In the slurry manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, annular protrusions and matching annular grooves are provided on the bottom surface of the impeller assembly and the end surface of the housing, forming a labyrinthine sealing configuration. This prevents liquid that does not participate in mixing from flowing directly out of the outlet through the gap between the bottom surface of the impeller assembly and the end surface of the housing, which can occur if the gap is too large. The annular protrusions and matching annular grooves change the liquid flow path, allowing as much liquid as possible to flow into the impeller assembly and mix with the powder, which is advantageous for improving mixing efficiency and ensuring mixing quality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] The following drawings are incorporated into this specification and constitute part of this specification, illustrating embodiments of the present invention and are used together with the specification to illustrate the principles of the present invention. [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a slurry manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part A of the slurry manufacturing apparatus according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an annular projection and an annular groove according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a support plate and a part of the housing according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the support plate and a part of the housing according to the embodiment shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a slurry manufacturing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a guide impeller according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the guide impeller according to the embodiment shown in Figure 7. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, a slurry manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Where there is no inconsistency, the embodiments and features described below can complement or combine with each other.

[0018] The present invention provides a slurry manufacturing apparatus 100 comprising a housing 10, a drive shaft 20, and an impeller assembly 30. The housing 10 has a cavity 101 formed inside, the drive shaft 20 is provided in the cavity 101, and the impeller assembly 30 is provided in the cavity 101 and is driven to rotate by the drive shaft 20.

[0019] The bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10 are positioned opposite each other. An annular projection 11 is provided on one side of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10. An annular groove 31 that matches the annular projection 11 is provided on the other side of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10. A gap 102 for preventing interference is formed between the outer wall of the annular projection 11 and the inner wall of the annular groove 31.

[0020] By providing annular projections 11 and matching annular grooves 31 on the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10, a labyrinthine sealing configuration is formed. This prevents liquid that does not participate in mixing from flowing directly out of the outlet through the gap 102 due to an excessively large gap between the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10. The annular projections 11 and matching annular grooves 31 alter the liquid flow path, allowing as much liquid as possible to flow into the impeller assembly 30 and mix with the powder, thus improving mixing efficiency and ensuring mixing quality.

[0021] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a liquid inlet 103 is formed in a side wall at the bottom of the housing 10 of the slurry manufacturing apparatus 100, a discharge port 104 is formed in a side wall in the middle of the housing 10, and a powder inlet 107 is formed at the top of the housing 10. The liquid enters the cavity 101 through the liquid inlet 103, the powder enters the cavity 101 through the powder inlet 107. After the powder is dispersed by the impeller assembly 30, it is mixed with the liquid, and the obtained slurry flows out through the discharge port 104.

[0022] In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, a support plate 12 is provided in the housing 10. An annular protrusion 11 is provided on one of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the upper surface of the support plate 12, and an annular concave groove 31 matching the annular protrusion 11 is provided on the other of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the upper surface of the support plate 12. By providing the support plate 12, the cavity 101 can be partitioned into two upper and lower parts. The impeller assembly 30 is provided in a part of the cavity 101 above the support plate 12, and another member can be provided in a part of the cavity 101 below the support plate 12. For example, a dispersion cylinder for dispersing the slurry can be provided. The discharge port 104 is located above the support plate 12. After the slurry is mixed by the impeller assembly 30, it can directly flow out through the discharge port 104, with high speed and convenience.

[0023] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the drive shaft 20 penetrates the support plate 12, a second flow path 105 is formed between the drive shaft 20 and the support plate 12, and a third flow path 106 is formed below the support plate 12. The liquid entering from the liquid inlet 103 can enter the cavity 101 above the support plate 12 through the third flow path 106 and the second flow path 105 in sequence.

[0024] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the impeller assembly 30 has a first channel 301 that penetrates the bottom and sides of the impeller assembly 30, and the first channel 301 communicates with the cavity 101. The bottom of the impeller assembly 30 and the end face of the housing 10 are provided with annular projections 11 and annular grooves 31, and the annular projections 11 and annular grooves 31 can work together to obstruct the flow of liquid. Thus, by forming the first channel 301, a channel for liquid to flow can be provided, which is advantageous for the liquid to flow to the top and sides of the impeller assembly 30 and mix with the powder.

[0025] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the first channel 301 has an opening 3011 on the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30. The distance from the opening 3011 to the drive shaft 20 is smaller than the radius of the annular projection 11. In this way, after the liquid enters the gap 102 between the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30 and the end surface of the housing 10 (or the upper surface of the support plate 12), it first enters the first channel 301 through the opening 3011 on the bottom surface of the impeller assembly 30, thus more effectively preventing the liquid from flowing directly through the gap 102 and out through the outlet 104 without participating in mixing.

[0026] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the impeller assembly 30 includes a mixing impeller 32, on one side of the bottom surface of the mixing impeller 32 and the end surface of the housing 10, there is an annular projection 11, and on the other side of the bottom surface of the mixing impeller 32 and the end surface of the housing 10, there is an annular groove 31 that matches the annular projection 11. The mixing impeller 32 can break up clumps in the powder as it falls from the powder inlet 107. After the powder and liquid come into contact, the mixing impeller 32 can agitate the mixture of powder and liquid to obtain a slurry with good mixing effect.

[0027] When a support plate 12 is provided inside the housing 10, an annular projection 11 is provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the mixing impeller 32 and the top surface of the support plate 12, and an annular groove 31 that matches the annular projection 11 is provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the mixing impeller 32 and the top surface of the support plate.

[0028] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the impeller assembly 30 includes a mixing impeller 32 and a guide impeller 33, the guide impeller 33 being located below the mixing impeller 32, with an annular projection 11 provided on one end face of the housing 10 and an annular groove 31 matching the annular projection 11 on the other end face of the housing 10. The guide impeller 33 is advantageous for mixing liquids and powders because it can guide the liquid to flow above the mixing impeller 32.

[0029] When a support plate 12 is provided on the housing 10, an annular projection 11 is provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the guide impeller 33 and the top surface of the support plate 12, and an annular groove 31 that matches the annular projection 11 is provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the guide impeller 33 and the top surface of the support plate.

[0030] In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a guide channel 331 is formed around the central axis of the guide impeller 33, and guide vanes 332 are provided within the guide channel 331. The guide vanes 332 of the guide impeller 33 are inclined, and when the guide impeller 33 rotates, it generates a suction force on the liquid below it, drawing the liquid into the guide channel 331 and causing it to flow into the first channel 301.

[0031] In one embodiment, the size of the gap between the outer wall of the annular projection 11 and the inner wall of the annular groove 31 may be 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. This way, the gap is small and can effectively prevent liquid from leaking out through the gap.

[0032] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the annular projection 11 is rectangular, triangular, semicircular, trapezoidal, or irregular, and the cross-sectional shape of the annular groove 31 is rectangular, triangular, semicircular, trapezoidal, or irregular. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the annular projection 11 and the cross-sectional shape of the annular groove 31 are both semicircular, and the semicircular annular projection 11 and annular groove 31 are simple in construction and easy to manufacture.

[0033] In one embodiment, both the number of annular protrusions 11 and the number of annular grooves 31 are multiple, with the multiple annular protrusions arranged coaxially and spaced apart, and the multiple annular grooves 31 arranged coaxially and spaced apart in correspondence with the multiple annular protrusions 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the radii of the multiple annular protrusions 11 and the radii of the multiple annular grooves 31 increase sequentially in the direction from the drive shaft 20 toward the side wall of the housing 10. The cooperation of the multiple annular protrusions 11 and the multiple annular grooves 31 is advantageous in improving the sealing performance of the gap 102 and reducing the flow rate of liquid passing through the gap 102.

[0034] In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple annular protrusions 11 are a combination of one or more of the following shapes: rectangle, triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, or irregular shape, and the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple annular grooves 31 are a combination of one or more of the following shapes: rectangle, triangle, semicircle, trapezoid, or irregular shape. The cross-sectional shapes of adjacent annular protrusions 11 may be the same, and the cross-sectional shapes of adjacent annular grooves 31 may be the same, for example, both being rectangular. The cross-sectional shapes of adjacent annular protrusions 11 may be different, and the cross-sectional shapes of adjacent annular grooves 31 may be different, for example, one of adjacent annular protrusions 11 may have a rectangular cross-section and the other may have a semicircular cross-section.

[0035] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the radii of the multiple annular protrusions 11 increase sequentially in the direction from the drive shaft 20 toward the side wall of the housing 10, the height of the multiple annular protrusions 11 decreases sequentially, and the depth of the multiple annular grooves 31 decreases sequentially accordingly. Since the liquid enters the gap 102 first between the annular protrusion 11 with the smallest radius and the annular groove 31, it is advantageous to set the height of the annular protrusion 11 with the smallest radius to be large, as this prevents the liquid from entering between the outer wall of the annular protrusion 11 and the inner wall of the annular groove 31, thereby preventing the liquid from passing through the gap 102.

[0036] In one embodiment, the radius of the multiple annular protrusions 11 increases sequentially in the direction from the drive shaft 20 toward the side wall of the housing 10, the height of the multiple annular protrusions 11 increases sequentially, and the depth of the multiple annular grooves 31 increases sequentially accordingly. Since the liquid flows along the direction from the drive shaft 20 toward the side wall of the housing 10 after entering the gap 102, the sequential increase in the height of the annular protrusions 11 is even more advantageous in preventing the liquid from passing through the gap 102.

[0037] The specific operation flow of the slurry manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention is as follows:

[0038] As shown in Figure 6, the liquid enters the cavity 101 of the housing 10 through the liquid inlet 103, flows sequentially through the third channel 106 and the second channel 105, and then enters the guide channel 331 by the suction force provided by the guide impeller 33. Some of the liquid enters the gap 102, but due to the blockage between the annular projection 11 and the annular groove 31, very little liquid flows out through the gap 102. The liquid that enters the guide channel 331 continues to flow upward into the first channel 301, and then flows out of the impeller assembly 30, reaching the top and sides of the impeller assembly. The powder enters the cavity 101 through the powder inlet 107, comes into contact with the liquid, and the impeller assembly 30 mixes and stirs the liquid and powder to obtain a slurry, which finally flows out through the outlet 104.

[0039] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not formally limit the invention. Although the present invention is disclosed in the above preferred embodiments, they are not to be used to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art can obtain equivalent modified equivalent embodiments by making minor changes or modifications based on the above disclosed technical content, as long as they do not deviate from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, as long as they do not deviate from the technical solution of the present invention, all simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications to the above embodiments, based on the technical essence of the present invention, all fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

[0040] The disclosures in this application include copyrighted material. The copyright belongs to the copyright holder. The copyright holder does not object to the reproduction of the documents or disclosures of this patent that exist in the official records and files of the Japan Patent Office. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 100...Slurry manufacturing device, 10...Housing, 101...Cavity, 102...Gap, 103...Liquid inlet, 104...Outlet, 105...Second channel, 106...Third channel, 107...Powder inlet, 11...Annular projection, 12...Support plate, 20...Drive shaft, 30...Impeller assembly, 301...First channel, 3011...Opening, 31...Annular groove, 32...Mixing impeller, 33...Guide impeller, 331...Guide channel, 332...Guide vane.

Claims

1. A housing (10) having a cavity (101) formed inside, Drive shaft (20) and A slurry manufacturing apparatus comprising an impeller assembly (30) provided in the cavity (101) and driven to rotate by the drive shaft (20), The bottom surface of the impeller assembly (30) and the end surface of the housing (10) are arranged opposite each other, an annular projection (11) is provided on one of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly (30) and the end surface of the housing (10), and an annular groove (31) that matches the annular projection (11) is provided on the other of the bottom surface of the impeller assembly (30) and the end surface of the housing (10), and a gap (102) for preventing interference is formed between the outer wall of the annular projection (11) and the inner wall of the annular groove (31). The impeller assembly (30) has a first flow path (301) that penetrates the bottom and side surfaces of the impeller assembly (30), the first flow path (301) communicates with the cavity (101), and the first flow path (301) has an opening (3011) on the bottom surface of the impeller assembly (30), the distance from the opening (3011) to the drive shaft (20) is smaller than the radius of the annular projection (11), A support plate (12) is provided inside the housing (10), the annular projection (11) is provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the impeller assembly (30) and the top surface of the support plate (12), and the annular groove (31) that matches the annular projection (11) is provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the impeller assembly (30) and the top surface of the support plate (12), a second flow path (105) is formed between the drive shaft (20) and the support plate (12), and a third flow path (106) is formed below the support plate (12). A slurry manufacturing apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The size of the gap between the outer wall of the annular projection (11) and the inner wall of the annular groove (31) is 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm. The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The cross-sectional shape of the annular projection (11) is rectangular, triangular, semicircular, or trapezoidal, and the cross-sectional shape of the annular groove (31) is rectangular, triangular, semicircular, or trapezoidal. The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The number of annular projections (11) and the number of annular grooves (31) are both multiple, and the multiple annular projections are provided coaxially and spaced apart, and the multiple annular grooves (31) are provided coaxially and spaced apart in correspondence with the multiple annular projections (11). The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The cross-sectional shapes of the multiple annular protrusions (11) are a combination of one or more of the following: rectangle, triangle, semicircle, or trapezoid, and the cross-sectional shapes of the multiple annular grooves (31) are a combination of one or more of the following: rectangle, triangle, semicircle, or trapezoid. The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 4.

6. In the direction from the drive shaft (20) toward the side wall of the housing (10), the radius of the plurality of annular protrusions (11) increases sequentially, the height of the plurality of annular protrusions (11) decreases sequentially, and the depth of the plurality of annular grooves (31) decreases sequentially accordingly, or In the direction from the drive shaft (20) toward the side wall of the housing (10), the radius of the plurality of annular protrusions (11) increases sequentially, the height of the plurality of annular protrusions (11) increases sequentially, and the depth of the plurality of annular grooves (31) increases sequentially accordingly. The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 4.

7. The impeller assembly (30) includes a mixing impeller (32), the bottom surface of the mixing impeller (32) and the end surface of the housing (10) are provided with the annular projection (11), and the other end surface of the mixing impeller (32) and the housing (10) is provided with the annular groove (31) that matches the annular projection (11). The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 1.

8. The bottom surface of the mixing impeller (32) and the upper surface of the support plate (12) are provided with the annular projection (11), and the other side of the bottom surface of the mixing impeller (32) and the upper surface of the support plate (12) is provided with the annular groove (31) that matches the annular projection (11), The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 7.

9. The impeller assembly (30) includes a mixing impeller (32) and a guide impeller (33), the guide impeller (33) being located below the mixing impeller (32), the annular projection (11) being provided on one of the bottom surfaces of the guide impeller (33) and the end surface of the housing (10), and the annular groove (31) being provided on the other of the bottom surfaces of the guide impeller (33) and the end surface of the housing (10) to match the annular projection (11). The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 1.

10. The guide impeller (33) has a guide channel (331) formed around its central axis, and guide vanes (332) are provided within the guide channel (331). The slurry manufacturing apparatus according to feature 9.

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