Granulating device

Abstract

The present invention suppresses adherence of a granulation material to an inner peripheral surface of a drum.　A granulating device (A) comprises: a granulation tank (25) which has a cylindrical drum (26) and a disk (32) that is disposed so as to close an opening in the bottom surface of the drum (26); and a drive mechanism (12) which rotationally drives the drum (26) and the disk (32) in a coaxial manner, the granulating device (A) manufacturing a granulated product by rotationally driving the drum (26) and the disk (32) to cause a granulation material (Z) to flow. An adherence suppression member (40) that suppresses adherence of the granulation material (Z) to an inner peripheral surface (26S) of the drum (26) is provided inside the granulation tank (25).

Description

Granulation equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a granulating device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a coating device that can also be used as a granulator. This device has a granulation tank consisting of a cylindrical drum and a disk arranged to close the opening at the bottom of the drum. When granulation material is introduced into the granulation tank and the drum and disk are rotated, the granulation material flows while coming into contact with the drum and disk, causing the granulated product to grow.

[0003] Patent No. 4740419

[0004] During the granulation process, the flowing granulation material may adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the drum. If the granulation material adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the drum, the flow may be hindered or other granulation materials may accumulate on the adhered granulation material, preventing smooth granulation.

[0005] The present invention was developed in light of the above circumstances, and has an object to prevent the granulated material from adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

[0006] The present invention provides a granulation device comprising: a granulation tank having a cylindrical drum and a disc arranged to close the opening at the bottom of the drum; and a drive mechanism for coaxially rotating the drum and the disc, which produces a granulated product by rotating the drum and the disc to cause the granulation material to flow, and an adhesion suppression member is provided within the granulation tank to suppress adhesion of the granulation material to the inner surface of the drum.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the granulated material from adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an adhesion suppression member is raised in the granulation apparatus of Example 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the granulation apparatus of Example 1. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 2. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 3. FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 4. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 5. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 6. FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 10. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 11. FIG. 12 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a granulation apparatus of Example 12. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a granulation tank of Example 10.

[0009] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following multiple embodiments within a range that does not cause contradictions is also included in the description of the present invention.

[0010] The granulation device disclosed herein is a granulation device that includes: (1) a granulation tank having a cylindrical drum and a disk arranged to close an opening in the bottom surface of the drum; and a drive mechanism that coaxially rotates the drum and the disk, and produces a granulated product by rotating the drum and the disk to fluidize the granulation material. An adhesion suppression member that suppresses adhesion of the granulation material to the inner peripheral surface of the drum is provided within the granulation tank. According to the configuration disclosed herein, the adhesion suppression member can suppress adhesion of the granulation material to the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

[0011] (2) In (1), it is preferable that the adhesion suppression member has an elongated suppression piece, and the suppression piece suppresses adhesion of the granulated material to the inner peripheral surface of the drum. With this configuration, the granulated material passing through the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the drum and the suppression piece rubs against the inner peripheral surface of the drum, making it difficult for the granulated material to adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the drum. Because the suppression piece has an elongated shape, the granulated material is difficult to adhere to the suppression piece, and the suppression piece does not hinder the flow of the granulated material.

[0012] (3) In (1) or (2), it is preferable that the adhesion suppression member is movable up and down relative to the granulation tank. The height of the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface of the drum to which the granulation material is likely to adhere varies depending on the amount of granulation material, the amount of water, the ambient temperature, etc. As a countermeasure, the adhesion suppression member can be raised and lowered to match the height to which the granulation material is likely to adhere, thereby effectively suppressing adhesion of the granulation material to the inner circumferential surface of the drum.

[0013] (4) In (2), the adhesion suppression member is preferably configured by arranging a plurality of the suppression pieces at intervals in the radial direction. With this configuration, the flowing granulation material can be agitated, thereby improving granulation efficiency.

[0014] (5) In (4), it is preferable that the tips of the multiple inhibitors are arranged close to the inner peripheral surface of the drum and aligned at different heights. The height of the area of ​​the inner peripheral surface of the drum where the granulation material is likely to adhere varies depending on the amount of granulation material, the amount of water, the ambient temperature, etc. As a countermeasure to this, the tips of the multiple inhibitors are arranged close to the inner peripheral surface of the drum and aligned at different heights. With this configuration, adhesion of the granulation material can be reliably suppressed even if the heights of the inner peripheral surface of the drum where the granulation material is likely to adhere vary.

[0015] (6) In (2), the adhesion suppression member preferably has one downwardly protruding suppression piece, and the lower end of the suppression piece is preferably arranged so that the radial distance between the suppression piece and the inner peripheral surface of the drum gradually narrows toward the lower end of the suppression piece. If the area in proximity of the suppression piece to the inner peripheral surface of the drum is continuous in the height direction, there is a concern that the granulated material may be easily pinched between the drum and the suppression piece and adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the drum. As a countermeasure to this, the lower end of the suppression piece is arranged so that the radial distance between the lower end of the suppression piece and the inner peripheral surface of the drum gradually narrows toward the lower end of the suppression piece. With this configuration, the area in which the granulated material is pinched between the drum and the suppression piece is narrow, making it less likely for the granulated material to adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

[0016] (7) In (6), the lower end of the deterrent piece is preferably positioned at the same height as the slit between the drum and the disk or higher than the slit. The area of ​​the inner circumferential surface of the drum near the slit between the drum and the disk is an area to which the granulated material is likely to adhere. In consideration of this, the lower end of the deterrent piece is positioned at the same height as the slit or higher than the slit. This allows the deterrent piece to target the granulated material near the slit and effectively prevent the granulated material from adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the drum.

[0017] (8) In (2), it is preferable that the adhesion suppression member has one of the suppression pieces protruding downward, and the protruding end of the suppression piece is located in the same area as the upper end of the disk in the height direction. With this configuration, adhesion of the granulation material to the disk can be suppressed.

[0018] (9) In (8), it is preferable that the portion of the restricting piece at the same height as the lower end of the drum is bent so as to be spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface of the drum. With this configuration, the granulation material passing between the lower end of the drum and the restricting piece is less likely to leak out of the granulation tank through the slit between the drum and the disk.

[0019] (10) In (8), it is preferable that the protruding end of the preventing piece bends upward, and the adhesion suppression member has another preventing piece protruding downward, and the protruding end of the preventing piece and the lower end of the other preventing piece are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction at the same height as the lower end of the drum. With this configuration, granulation material passing between the upward protruding end of the preventing piece and the lower end of the other preventing piece is not pressed toward the drum by the adhesion suppression member. This makes it less likely that the granulation material will leak out of the granulation tank through the slit between the drum and the disc.

[0020] (11) In (1) or (2), the slit between the lower end of the drum and the disk preferably functions as an air passage for supplying pressurized air from the outside of the granulation tank to the inside of the granulation tank. With this configuration, even if the granulation material gets into the slit, the granulation material in the slit is scraped out of the slit by the pressurized air supplied into the granulation tank through the slit. This prevents the granulation material from clogging the slit.

[0021] (12) In (2), the adhesion suppression member preferably includes a fixed support member, a movable member that is radially displaceable relative to the support member, a roller attached to the movable member so as to face the inner peripheral surface of the drum, and a spring member that applies a biasing force to the movable member in a direction that causes the roller to approach the inner peripheral surface of the drum, and the suppression piece is attached so as to be movable integrally with the movable member. With this configuration, even if the inner peripheral surface of the drum is non-circular, the radial distance between the suppression piece and the inner peripheral surface of the drum can be maintained constant. This stabilizes the function of suppressing adhesion of the granulation material to the inner peripheral surface of the drum over the entire circumference of the drum.

[0022] (13) In (2), the adhesion suppression member preferably has a base and a plurality of the suppression pieces protruding from the base toward the inner peripheral surface of the drum, and the plurality of suppression pieces are elastically deformable. With this configuration, the suppression pieces are elastically deformable, so that adhesion of the granulation material to the suppression pieces can be suppressed.

[0023] (14) In (1), it is preferable that the adhesion suppression member has a flat scraper, and the scraper is disposed obliquely with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the drum when viewed parallel to the rotation direction of the drum. With this configuration, the scraper scrapes off the granulation material adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the drum, thereby suppressing adhesion of the granulation material to the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

[0024] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Example 1 Example 1 embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. In the following description, the up and down directions will be defined as the directions shown in Figures 1 and 2. The up and down directions and the axial direction will be used synonymously. The direction perpendicular to the up and down direction (axial direction) will be defined as the radial direction.

[0025] The granulating apparatus A of this Example 1 is an apparatus for producing granulated products such as food and pharmaceutical products such as lemonade and tablets, chemical products such as detergents and deodorants, grinding stones for barrel polishing, and ceramic balls for catalyst carriers. Granulation methods include a coating granulation method in which the surface of a core ball (granulation material Z) is coated with powder and granules (granulation material Z), and a method in which wet powder and granules are agglomerated to increase their size. The granulating apparatus A can be used as a coating apparatus.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1 , the granulating device A is configured to include a base plate 10, a housing 11, a drive mechanism 12, an underplate 17, a granulating tank 25, and an adhesion suppression member 40. The base plate 10 is arranged horizontally on a base (not shown). The granulating tank 25 is arranged above the base plate 10. The housing 11 rises from the base plate 10 and surrounds the granulating tank 25 from the front, back, left, and right. Core pellets and powder, which are the granulating material Z, are introduced into the granulating tank 25. A nozzle (not shown) is provided inside the granulating tank 25 to spray water onto the granulating material Z in the granulating tank 25.

[0027] The drive mechanism 12 includes a first motor 13, a rotary shaft 14, a second motor 15, and a spur gear 16. The first motor 13 is disposed below the base plate 10. The rotary shaft 14 passes through a central hole in the base plate 10 with its axis facing up and down. The rotary shaft 14 is driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions by the first motor 13. The second motor 15 is attached to the underside of the base plate 10 and is disposed eccentrically from the rotary shaft 14. A spur gear 16 is attached to the upward driving shaft of the second motor 15.

[0028] The underplate 17 has a circular shape in a plan view, with a concave dish-like upper surface. The underplate 17 has a circular plate main body 18 and a cylindrical peripheral wall 19 that rises concentrically from the outer periphery of the plate main body 18. The underplate 17 is supported on the upper surface of the base plate 10 so that its axis faces up and down and can rotate concentrically with the rotation shaft 14. An internal gear 20 is provided concentrically with the underplate 17 on the underside of the outer periphery of the underplate 17. The internal gear 20 is meshed with the spur gear 16 of the second motor 15. The underplate 17 is driven to rotate in both forward and reverse directions by the second motor 15, and the peripheral speed can be adjusted. A flange 21 that protrudes radially outward is formed on the upper edge of the peripheral wall 19 and is concentric with the underplate 17.

[0029] The granulation tank 25 is composed of a cylindrical drum 26 and a disk 32 arranged to close the opening at the bottom of the drum 26. The interior of the granulation tank 25 functions as a granulation space for granulation. The drum 26 is cylindrical overall with its axis oriented in the vertical direction. The drum 26 is formed by integrating a cylindrical member 27 and a cylindrical urethane lining 28. The cylindrical member 27 is a single cylindrical part made of metal such as stainless steel. The cylindrical urethane lining 28 is formed by insert molding and is in close contact with the entire inner surface of the cylindrical member 27. The inner surface of the cylindrical urethane lining 28 forms the inner surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is composed of a circular surface 29 and a flow promotion surface 30. The circular surface 29 constitutes the upper end region of the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The planar shape of the circular surface 29 is a circle aligned with the rotation center (rotation axis 14) of the drum 26. The flow promotion surface 30 constitutes the lower end region of the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The flow promotion surface 30 has a truncated cone shape whose diameter decreases toward the lower end. The inner peripheral edge of the lower end of the flow promotion surface 30 is circular. The drum 26 is fixed to the upper surface of the flange portion 21 of the underplate 17 so as to rotate integrally therewith.

[0031] The disk 32 is a shallow dish-shaped member with a concave upper surface. The disk 32 is formed by integrating a dish-shaped member 33 made of a metal such as stainless steel with a dish-shaped urethane lining 34 that is in close contact with the upper surface of the dish-shaped member 33 by insert molding. The outer peripheral portion of the dish-shaped member 33 extends obliquely upward, gradually becoming higher radially outward (toward the outer peripheral edge). The center hole of the dish-shaped member 33 is fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 14 so that it can rotate integrally with the rotating shaft 14. A circular dome-shaped cover 35 is attached to the center of the upper surface of the dish-shaped member 33.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a rotation promoting surface 36 is formed on the upper surface of the disk 32. As shown in Figure 3, the rotation promoting surface 36 is composed of a plurality of irregularly shaped flat surfaces, each consisting of an arc and three straight lines, and a plurality of triangular flat surfaces. The irregularly shaped flat surfaces and the triangular flat surfaces are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction and are connected at an obtuse angle. The outermost peripheral edge of the disk 32 is pointed obliquely upward.

[0033] A slit 37 having a circular shape in a plan view is provided between the lower end of the drum 26 and the outermost peripheral edge of the disk 32. The slit 37 is a space that penetrates continuously in the vertical direction around the entire circumference of the granulation tank 25. The slit 37 connects the internal space of the granulation tank 25 with an air supply space 38 provided between the lower surface of the disk 32 and the upper surface of the underplate 17. Pressurized air can be supplied to the air supply space 38 from a pressurized air supply device (not shown). The slit 37 functions as an air flow path for supplying pressurized air from the air supply space 38 (outside the granulation tank 25) to the interior of the granulation tank 25. To increase the flow rate of the pressurized air, it is desirable that the radial width of the slit 37 be narrow.

[0034] The adhesion prevention member 40 is a member for preventing the granulation material Z from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The adhesion prevention member 40 is provided so as to be able to move up and down by an actuator 41 fixed to a fixed member (not shown). The actuator 41 is made of an air cylinder and has a piston rod 42 that protrudes downward. The adhesion prevention member 40 is attached to the lower end of the piston rod 42. The adhesion prevention member 40 moves up and down by extending and contracting the piston rod 42.

[0035] The adhesion suppression member 40 has a holding member 43 and a plurality of suppressing pieces 44 attached to the holding member 43. The holding member 43 is a metal member and is fixed to the piston rod 42. Each suppressing piece 44 is a metal member that extends linearly in the vertical direction. The cross-sectional shape of the suppressing piece 44 when cut perpendicular to its length is circular. The upper ends of the plurality of suppressing pieces 44 are fixed to the holding member 43, so that they protrude downward from the holding member 43 in a cantilevered manner. The plurality of suppressing pieces 44 are arranged parallel to each other and parallel to the central axis of rotation of the drum 26 (granulation device A).

[0036] In a plan view, the multiple prevention pieces 44 are arranged at regular intervals in the radial direction of the drum 26 (granulation tank 25) from a position close to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. When the adhesion suppression member 40 is viewed in the circumferential direction (the direction of rotation of the granulation tank 25), the multiple prevention pieces 44 are arranged in a comb-like pattern. In one example of the adhesion suppression member 40, the outer diameter of the prevention pieces 44 is, for example, 3 mm, the length of the prevention pieces 44 is, for example, 100 mm, and the radial parallel pitch of the prevention pieces 44 is, for example, 6 mm. The distance between the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 and the prevention piece 44 closest to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 is, for example, 2 mm.

[0037] Next, the operation of Example 1 will be described. First, core pellets (not shown) of the granulation material Z are placed into the granulation tank 25, and water or the like is sprayed from a nozzle (not shown) to wet the surfaces of the core pellets. During this time, the disk 32 and drum 26 are rotated to fluidize the core pellets. The rotation directions of the disk 32 and drum 26 may be the same or opposite to each other. When powder and granules are supplied into the granulation tank 25 while the core pellets are kept fluidized, the powder and granules adhere to the wet surfaces of the core pellets in a snowball-like manner. By repeatedly spraying water and supplying powder and granules, a granulated product (not shown) grows.

[0038] As the granules grow, the rotational force of the disk 32 is easily transmitted to the granulation material Z (the core particles and the powder particles) by the rotation-promoting surface 36 of the disk 32, causing the core particles and the powder particles to rise high along the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 from the outer periphery of the disk 32 due to centrifugal force, resulting in an avalanche-like flow. At the same time, the core particles and the powder particles tend to flow up and down. This up and down flow causes the powder particles to wrap evenly around the granules, promoting an improvement in the growth rate.

[0039] During the granulation process, the granulation material Z flows vertically together with the granulated product, and also flows circumferentially to follow the rotation of the drum 26. Because the flowing granulation material Z slides against the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26, there is a concern that the granulation material Z may adhere to or remain stuck to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. In this embodiment 1, the adhesion suppression member 40 is used to suppress the adhesion or sticking of the granulation material Z to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0040] That is, within the granulation tank 25, the stopper piece 44 is disposed in a position close to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 and oriented parallel to the rotation axis 14 of the drum 26. Therefore, the granulation material Z in contact with or adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is peeled off from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 by collision with other granulation material Z passing through the gap between the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 and the stopper piece 44, or by being pushed by other passing granulation material Z. Therefore, there is no risk of the granulation material Z remaining stuck to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. In particular, when the drum 26 is rotated in the opposite direction to the disc 32, the granulation material Z (powdered material) can be further prevented from adhering to or sticking to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0041] Furthermore, multiple stopper pieces 44 are arranged radially from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 toward the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26. Therefore, the granulated material Z, which flows circumferentially in response to the rotation of the drum 26, collides with the multiple stopper pieces 44, and this collision prevents the granulated material Z from sticking together. This also promotes the flow of the granulated material Z. Because the stopper pieces 44 are shaped like elongated rods perpendicular to the circumferential direction, the collision area of ​​the granulated material Z on the stopper pieces 44 is small. Therefore, even if the granulated material Z collides with the stopper pieces 44, there is no risk of the granulated material Z adhering to the stopper pieces 44. Furthermore, because the collision area of ​​the granulated material Z on the stopper pieces 44 is small, there is no risk of the flow of the granulated material Z being impeded.

[0042] The adhesion suppression member 40 can be raised and lowered by an actuator 41. Therefore, when the adhesion suppression member 40 is not used in the early stage of the granulation process, when the adhesion suppression member 40 is not needed in the granulation process, or when the adhesion suppression member 40 gets in the way when cleaning the granulation tank 25, the adhesion suppression member 40 can be raised and retracted above the granulation tank 25.

[0043] The granulation apparatus A of this Example 1 includes a granulation tank 25, a drive mechanism 12, and an adhesion suppression member 40. The granulation apparatus A has a cylindrical drum 26 and a disk 32 arranged to close the opening in the bottom surface of the drum 26. The drive mechanism 12 drives the drum 26 and the disk 32 to rotate coaxially and individually. By driving the drum 26 and the disk 32 to rotate and cause the granulation material Z to flow, a granulated product is produced in the granulation apparatus A. An adhesion suppression member 40 is provided in the granulation tank 25 to suppress adhesion of the granulation material Z to the inner surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0044] The granulation apparatus A of the first embodiment can prevent the granulation material Z from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. During the granulation process, the granulation material Z passing through the gap between the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 and the adhesion prevention member 40 strongly rubs against the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26, making it difficult for the granulation material Z to adhere to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The granulation apparatus A of the first embodiment can prevent the granulation material Z from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. This prevents the adhesion of the granulation material Z without interfering with the granulation process, thereby achieving smooth granulation.

[0045] The adhesion suppression member 40 has elongated suppression pieces 44 arranged in close proximity to the inner peripheral surface of the drum 26. The suppression pieces 44 suppress adhesion of the granulation material Z to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. With this configuration, the granulation material Z passing through the gap between the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 and the suppression pieces 44 rubs against the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26, making it difficult for the granulation material Z to adhere to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. Because the suppression pieces 44 have an elongated shape, the granulation material Z does not easily adhere to the suppression pieces 44, and the suppression pieces 44 do not impede the flow of the granulation material Z. The adhesion suppression member 40 is configured with multiple suppression pieces 44 arranged at intervals in the radial direction. With this configuration, the flowing granulation material Z is agitated, thereby improving granulation efficiency.

[0046] The height of the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 to which the granulation material Z is likely to adhere varies depending on the amount of the granulation material Z, the amount of water, the ambient temperature, etc. To address this issue, in this embodiment 1, the adhesion suppression member 40 is made movable up and down relative to the granulation tank 25. With this configuration, the adhesion suppression member 40 can be raised and lowered to match the height to which the granulation material Z is likely to adhere, thereby effectively suppressing adhesion of the granulation material Z to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0047] The slit 37 between the lower end of the drum 26 and the upper end of the disk 32 can function as an air flow path for supplying pressurized air from the outside of the granulation tank 25 to the inside of the granulation tank 25. Even if the granulation material Z enters the slit 37, the granulation material Z in the slit 37 is scraped out of the slit 37 by the pressurized air supplied so as to be blown up into the granulation tank 25 through the slit 37, and returns to the granulation tank 25. Therefore, clogging of the granulation material Z in the slit 37 can be prevented.

[0048] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. In the granulating apparatus B of the second embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 45 has a different configuration from that of the first embodiment. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0049] The adhesion suppression member 45 of this second embodiment includes a holding member 46 fixed to a fixing member (not shown) and multiple deterrent pieces 47a, 47b attached to the holding member 46. Each of the deterrent pieces 47a, 47b is a rod-shaped metal member. The upper ends of the multiple deterrent pieces 47a, 47b are fixed to the holding member 46, so that they protrude downward from the holding member 46 in a cantilevered manner. In a plan view, the multiple deterrent pieces 47a, 47b are arranged at regular intervals in the radial direction of the drum 26 (granulation tank) from a position close to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. When the adhesion suppression member 45 is viewed in the circumferential direction (the direction of rotation of the granulation tank), the multiple deterrent pieces 47a, 47b are arranged in a comb-like pattern.

[0050] Each of the restraining pieces 47a, 47b has a curved shape when viewed in the circumferential direction. Of the multiple restraining pieces 47a, 47b, the closest restraining piece 47a, which is closest to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26, extends radially outward from the holding member 46 and has an L-shape that extends downward from its extending end along the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. The restraining pieces 47b other than the closest restraining piece 47a have a parallel portion 48 that extends downward from the holding member 46 parallel to the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26 and an inclined portion 49 that extends diagonally downward from the extending end of the parallel portion 48 toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. The protruding ends of the multiple inclined portions 49 are arranged vertically spaced apart along the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 when viewed in the circumferential direction.

[0051] During the granulation process, the granulation material Z in contact with or adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is peeled off from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 by the inclined portions 49 of the nearest restraining pieces 47a and other restraining pieces 47b. Therefore, there is no risk that the granulation material Z will remain stuck to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0052] Additionally, a plurality of preventing pieces 47a, 47b are arranged radially from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 toward the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26. The adhesion suppression member 45 is configured with a plurality of preventing pieces 47a, 47b arranged at intervals in the radial direction, and therefore can improve granulation efficiency by stirring the flowing granulation material Z.

[0053] The height of the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 to which the granulation material Z is likely to adhere varies depending on the amount of the granulation material Z, the amount of water, the ambient temperature, etc. To address this, the tips of the multiple preventing pieces 47a, 47b are arranged close to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 and at different heights. With this configuration, adhesion of the granulation material Z can be reliably suppressed even if the heights to which the granulation material Z is likely to adhere vary on the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0054] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In a granulating apparatus C of the third embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 50 has a different configuration from that of the first and second embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0055] The adhesion suppression member 50 of this third embodiment has one restricting piece 52 that protrudes downward from the holding member 51 in parallel with the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. The flow promoting surface 30 of the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 is inclined downward toward the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. Therefore, the lower end of the restricting piece 52 is positioned so that the radial distance between the lower end of the restricting piece 52 and the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 gradually narrows toward the lower end of the restricting piece 52.

[0056] If the area where the restricting piece 52 is in proximity to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is continuous in the height direction, there is a concern that the granulated material Z will be pinched between the drum 26 and the restricting piece 52, making it more likely to adhere to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. To address this, the lower end of the restricting piece 52 is positioned so that the radial distance between the restricting piece 52 and the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 gradually narrows toward the lower end of the restricting piece 52. With this configuration, the area where the granulated material Z is pinched between the drum 26 and the restricting piece 52 is narrow, making it less likely for the granulated material Z to adhere to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0057] The area of ​​the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 near the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32 is an area to which the granulation material Z is likely to adhere. In consideration of this, the lower end of the preventing piece 52 is positioned at the same height as the slit 37 or higher than the slit 37. This allows the granulation material Z near the slit 37 to be targeted, effectively preventing the granulation material Z from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0058] Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. In the granulating apparatus D of the fourth embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 55 has a different configuration from that of the third embodiment. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0059] The adhesion suppression member 55 of this fourth embodiment has one suppression piece 57 protruding downward from the holding member 56. The suppression piece 57 has a parallel portion 58 and an inclined portion 59. The parallel portion 58 is a portion extending from the holding member 56 parallel to the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. The inclined portion 59 is a portion extending from the lower end of the parallel portion 58 in a direction inclined with respect to the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. When the adhesion suppression member 55 is viewed in the circumferential direction, the inclined portion 59 is inclined downward from the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25 toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. Therefore, the lower end (inclined portion 59) of the suppression piece 57 is positioned so that the radial distance between the suppression piece 57 and the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 gradually narrows toward the lower end of the suppression piece 57.

[0060] If the area where the restricting piece 57 is in proximity to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is continuous in the height direction, there is a concern that the granulated material Z will be pinched between the drum 26 and the restricting piece 57, making it more likely to adhere to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. To address this, the inclined portion 59 at the lower end of the restricting piece 57 is arranged so that the radial distance between the restricting piece 57 and the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 gradually narrows toward the lower end of the restricting piece 57. With this configuration, the area where the granulated material Z is pinched between the drum 26 and the restricting piece 57 is narrow, making it less likely for the granulated material Z to adhere to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0061] The area of ​​the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 near the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32 is an area to which the granulation material Z is likely to adhere. In consideration of this, the lower end of the inclined portion 59 of the preventing piece 57 is positioned at the same height as the slit 37 or higher than the slit 37. This makes it possible to target the granulation material Z near the slit 37 and effectively prevent the granulation material Z from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0062] <Embodiment 5> Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 7. In the granulating apparatus E of this fifth embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 60 has a different configuration from that of the first to fourth embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first to fourth embodiments, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0063] The adhesion suppression member 60 of this fifth embodiment has a single suppression piece 62 protruding downward from the holding member 61. The suppression piece 62 has a parallel portion 63, a first inclined portion 64, and a second inclined portion 65. The parallel portion 63 extends from the holding member 61 parallel to the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. The parallel portion 63 is located adjacent to a region of the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 above the flow promoting surface 30. The first inclined portion 64 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the parallel portion 63 along the flow promoting surface 30. The second inclined portion 65 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the first inclined portion 64 along the upper surface of the disk 32. The second inclined portion 65, which is the protruding end of the suppression piece 62, is located in the same region as the upper end of the disk 32 in the height direction, thereby suppressing adhesion of the granulation material Z to the disk 32.

[0064] Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the granulating apparatus F of the sixth embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 70 has a different configuration from that of the fifth embodiment. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the fifth embodiment, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0065] The adhesion suppression member 70 of this Example 6 has one suppression piece 71. The suppression piece 71 has a parallel portion 72, a first inclined portion 73, a bent portion 74, and a second inclined portion 75. The parallel portion 72 is a portion that extends parallel to the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. The parallel portion 72 is a portion that extends downward along a region of the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 that is above the flow promoting surface 30. The first inclined portion 73 is a portion that extends diagonally downward from the lower end of the parallel portion 72 along the flow promoting surface 30 of the drum 26. The parallel portion 72 and the first inclined portion 73 are located in proximity to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0066] The bent portion 74 is an L-shaped portion extending from the lower end of the first inclined portion 73. The bent portion 74 is bent at the same height as the lower end of the flow promoting surface 30 so as to move away from the flow promoting surface 30. The lower end of the bent portion 74 is located at the same height as the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. The second inclined portion 75 is a portion extending diagonally downward from the lower end of the bent portion 74 along the upper surface of the disk 32. The second inclined portion 75, which is the protruding end of the restraining piece 71, is located in the same region in the height direction as the upper end of the disk 32, and therefore can suppress adhesion of the granulation material Z to the disk 32.

[0067] The bent portion 74 of the restricting piece 71, which is at the same height as the lower end of the drum 26 (flow promoting surface 30), is bent so as to be spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. With this configuration, the granulation material Z passing between the lower end of the drum 26 and the restricting piece 71 is less likely to leak out of the granulation tank 25 through the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. In Example 6, as in Example 1, the pressurized air supplied from the slit 37 into the granulation tank 25 prevents the granulation material Z from clogging the slit 37.

[0068] <Embodiment 7> Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 9. In the granulating apparatus G of this embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 80 has a different configuration from that of the first to sixth embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first to sixth embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0069] The adhesion suppression member 80 of this seventh embodiment has one suppression piece 82 protruding downward from a holding member 81. The suppression piece 82 has a parallel portion 83, a first inclined portion 84, a second inclined portion 85, a bent portion 86, and a third inclined portion 87. The parallel portion 83 extends from the holding member 81 parallel to the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. The parallel portion 83 is disposed at a position radially spaced apart from a region of the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 above the flow promoting surface 30. The first inclined portion 84 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the parallel portion 83 toward the flow promoting surface 30. The second inclined portion 85 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the first inclined portion 84 along the flow promoting surface 30.

[0070] The bent portion 86 is a triangular portion bent at the same height as the lower end of the flow promoting surface 30 so as to move away from the flow promoting surface 30. The lower end of the bent portion 86 is located at the same height as the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. The third inclined portion 87 is a portion that extends diagonally downward along the upper surface of the disk 32. The third inclined portion 87, which is the protruding end of the restraining piece 82, is located in the same region in the height direction as the upper end of the disk 32, and therefore can prevent the granulation material Z from adhering to the disk 32.

[0071] The bent portion 86 of the restricting piece 82, which is at the same height as the lower end of the drum 26 (flow promoting surface 30), is bent so as to be spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. With this configuration, the granulation material Z passing between the lower end of the drum 26 and the restricting piece 82 is less likely to leak out of the granulation tank 25 through the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. In Example 7, as in Example 1, the pressurized air supplied to be blown up into the granulation tank 25 from the slit 37 prevents the granulation material Z from clogging the slit 37.

[0072] Eighth Embodiment Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In the granulating apparatus H of the eighth embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 90 has a different configuration from that of the sixth and seventh embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the sixth and seventh embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0073] The adhesion suppression member 90 of this Example 8 has one suppression piece 92 protruding downward from a holding member 91. The suppression piece 92 has a parallel portion 93, a first inclined portion 94, a second inclined portion 95, a bent portion 96, and a third inclined portion 97. The parallel portion 93 extends from the holding member 91 parallel to the center of rotation of the granulation tank 25. The parallel portion 93 is located at a radially spaced position from the circular surface 29 of the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26, which is above the flow promoting surface 30. The first inclined portion 94 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the parallel portion 93 toward the flow promoting surface 30. The second inclined portion 95 extends obliquely downward from the lower end of the first inclined portion 94 along the flow promoting surface 30.

[0074] The bent portion 96 is a triangular portion bent so as to be separated from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 at the same height as the lower end of the flow promoting surface 30 and the upper end of the disk 32. The lower end of the bent portion 96 is located at a height slightly lower than the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. The third inclined portion 97 is a portion that extends obliquely upward from the lower end of the bent portion 96 along the upper surface of the disk 32. The upper end of the third inclined portion 97, which is the protruding end of the restraining piece 92, is located at the same height in the height direction as the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32.

[0075] Since the third inclined portion 97 is arranged along the upper end of the disk 32, adhesion of the granulation material Z to the disk 32 can be suppressed. The bent portion 96 of the restricting piece 92, which is at the same height as the lower end of the drum 26 (flow promoting surface 30), is bent so as to be spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. With this configuration, the granulation material Z passing between the lower end of the drum 26 and the restricting piece 92 is less likely to leak out of the granulation tank 25 through the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. In Example 8, as in Example 1, the pressurized air supplied to blow up into the granulation tank 25 from the slit 37 can prevent the granulation material Z from clogging the slit 37.

[0076] Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. In the granulating apparatus J of the ninth embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 100 has a different configuration from that of the first to eighth embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first to eighth embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0077] The adhesion suppression member 100 of Example 9 includes a holding member 101, one first suppression piece 102, and one second suppression piece 105. The first suppression piece 102 includes a first parallel portion 103 extending downward from the holding member 101 parallel to the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26, and a first inclined portion 104 extending radially from the lower end of the first parallel portion 103 toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. The first inclined portion 104 extends obliquely upward along the upper end of the disk 32. The extending end of the first inclined portion 104 is located at the same height as the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32.

[0078] The second restraining piece 105 has a second parallel portion 106, a horizontal portion 107, and a second inclined portion 108. The second parallel portion 106 is a portion of the holding member 101 that extends downward from a position closer to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 than the first parallel portion 103. The horizontal portion 107 is a portion that extends horizontally from the lower end of the second parallel portion 106 toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. The horizontal portion 107 is positioned at the same height as the upper end of the flow promoting surface 30. The second inclined portion 108 is a portion that extends diagonally downward from the extending end of the horizontal portion 107 along the flow promoting surface 30. The lower end of the second inclined portion 108 faces the upper end of the first inclined portion 104 with a gap therebetween.

[0079] The adhesion suppression member 100 of the ninth embodiment has one downwardly protruding first suppression piece 102. A first inclined portion 104, which is the protruding end of the first suppression piece 102, is located in the same region in the height direction as the upper end of the disk 32. With this configuration, the first inclined portion 104 can suppress adhesion of the granulation material Z to the disk 32.

[0080] The protruding end (first inclined portion 104) of the first restricting piece 102 is bent upward. The adhesion suppression member 100 also has a second restricting piece 105, which is another restricting piece that protrudes downward. The first inclined portion 104, which is the protruding end of the first restricting piece 102, and the second inclined portion 108, which is the lower end of the second restricting piece 105, are positioned at the same height as the lower end of the drum 26, along the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26, and are opposed to each other in the vertical direction. With this configuration, granulation material Z passing between the first inclined portion 104, which is the upward protruding end of the first restricting piece 102, and the second inclined portion 108, which is the lower end of the second restricting piece 105, is not pressed toward the drum 26 by the adhesion suppression member 100. This reduces the likelihood of granulation material Z leaking out of the granulation tank through the slit 37 between the drum 26 and the disk 32. In the ninth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the pressurized air blown up into the granulation tank 25 through the slit 37 prevents the granulation material Z from clogging the slit 37 .

[0081] <Embodiment 10> Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. In the granulating apparatus K of this embodiment, the granulating tank 25 and the adhesion suppression member 110 have different configurations from those of the first to ninth embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first to ninth embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0082] The inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 constituting the granulation tank 25 is composed of a non-circular surface 29S and a non-circular flow promoting surface 30S. The non-circular surface 29S constitutes the upper end region of the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The non-circular surface 29S is composed of multiple rectangular planes connected in the circumferential direction. The shape of the non-circular surface 29S in a plan view is a regular polygon (a regular dodecagon). The non-circular flow promoting surface 30S constitutes the lower end region of the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The non-circular flow promoting surface 30S is composed of multiple isosceles triangular planes with their apexes facing upward and multiple isosceles triangular planes with their apexes facing downward, connected alternately in the circumferential direction at obtuse angles. The non-circular flow promoting surface 30S is not conical. Therefore, when the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is viewed in the circumferential direction, the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 changes with the rotation of the drum 26. The inner peripheral edge of the lower end of the non-circular flow promoting surface 30S is circular.

[0083] The adhesion suppression member 110 includes a support member 111, a movable member 113, a spring member 117, a roller 118, and a restraining piece 120. The support member 111 extends downward from a fixed member (not shown) parallel to the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26. A flange portion 112 is formed at the lower end of the support member 111. The movable member 113 includes a pair of upper and lower arm portions 114 that protrude radially inward and a housing recess 116 that opens radially outward. Both upper and lower arm portions 114 have elongated holes 115 that penetrate the arms 114 vertically. The elongated holes 115 are elongated in the radial direction. The movable member 113 is supported by the support member 111 with the support member 111 passing through both the upper and lower elongated holes 115 and the lower arm portion 114 resting on the flange portion 112.

[0084] The spring member 117 is attached between the support member 111 and the movable member 113. The spring member 117 biases the movable member 113 toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. The roller 118 is attached to the movable member 113 while being housed in the housing recess 116. The roller 118 is provided to be rotatable about a support shaft 119 extending in the vertical direction. A portion of the roller 118 protrudes further toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 than the movable member 113. The roller 118 is always in elastic contact with the non-circular surface 29S due to the bias of the spring member 117.

[0085] The restraining piece 120 has a parallel portion 121, a first inclined portion 122, and a second inclined portion 123. The parallel portion 121 extends downward from the movable member 113 parallel to the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26. The parallel portion 121 is disposed close to the non-circular surface 29S. The first inclined portion 122 extends diagonally downward from the lower end of the parallel portion 121. The first inclined portion 122 is disposed close to the non-circular flow promoting surface 30S. The second inclined portion 123 extends diagonally downward from the lower end of the first inclined portion 122. The second inclined portion 123 is disposed close to the upper end of the disk 32.

[0086] When the drum 26 rotates, the roller 118 rolls on the non-circular surface 29S, causing the movable member 113 to follow the change in shape of the non-circular surface 29S when viewed in the circumferential direction and displace in the radial direction. As the movable member 113 displaces, the restraining piece 120 also displaces in the radial direction together with the movable member 113. This maintains a constant distance between the parallel portion 121 and the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. Furthermore, the radial displacement of the restraining piece 120 maintains a constant distance between the first inclined portion 122 and the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26, and also maintains a constant distance between the second inclined portion 123 and the top surface of the disk 32.

[0087] The inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 has a non-circular shape in plan view, and the cross-sectional shape of the inner peripheral surface 26S changes as the drum 26 rotates. Accordingly, the adhesion suppression member 110 of this embodiment 10 includes a movable member 113, a roller 118, a spring member 117, and a stopper piece 120. The movable member 113 is attached to the support member 111 so as to be displaceable relative to the support member 111 in the radial direction. The roller 118 is attached to the movable member 113 so as to face the non-circular surface 29S of the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The spring member 117 applies a biasing force to the movable member 113 in a direction that moves the roller 118 closer to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The stopper piece 120 is attached to the movable member 113 so as to be movable integrally therewith.

[0088] With this configuration, even if the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 is non-circular and the cross-sectional shape of the inner circumferential surface 26S changes as the drum 26 rotates, it is possible to maintain a constant radial distance between the restraining piece 120 and the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. This stabilizes the function of inhibiting adhesion of the granulation material Z to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 over the entire circumference of the drum 26, and effectively inhibits adhesion of the granulation material Z to the non-circular surface 29S, which is a non-circular region on the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0089] Example 11 Next, Example 11 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14. In the granulating apparatus L of Example 11, the adhesion suppression member 130 has a different configuration from that of Examples 1 to 9. Since the other configurations are the same as those of Examples 1 to 9, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0090] The adhesion suppression member 130 of this embodiment 11 has a base body 131 that is elongated in the vertical direction and parallel to the rotation shaft 14 of the drum 26, and multiple suppression pieces 132 that protrude radially from the base body 131 toward the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26. The multiple suppression pieces 132 are arranged in a vertical line. The multiple suppression pieces 132 are elastically deformable and have a brush-like shape. The tips of the suppression pieces 132 are always in contact with the inner circumferential surface 26S (circular surface 29) of the drum 26 in an elastically deformed state.

[0091] The restraining piece 132 is elastically deformable and is constantly in contact with the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26, thereby preventing the granulation material Z from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. Furthermore, the restraining piece 132 elastically deforms as the drum 26 rotates, so that the adhesion of the granulation material Z to the restraining piece 132 is also prevented.

[0092] 15 and 16, a twelfth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the granulating apparatus M of this twelfth embodiment, the adhesion suppression member 140 has a different configuration from that of the first to tenth embodiments. Since the other configurations are the same as those of the first to tenth embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations, and a description of the structure, operation, and effects will be omitted.

[0093] The adhesion suppression member 140 of this Example 12 is configured to include a support rod 141 and a scraper 142 attached to the lower end of the support rod 141. The scraper 142 is a flat plate-shaped member. The scraper 142 is disposed in the granulation tank 25 with its plate thickness oriented horizontally. In a plan view of the granulation device M from above, the scraper 142 is disposed obliquely with respect to both the rotation direction (circumferential direction) of the drum 26 and the radial direction of the drum 26. The flat plate surface of the scraper 142 faces the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 at an angle.

[0094] 16, the counterclockwise end of the scraper 142 is positioned closer to the inner circumferential surface 26S of the drum 26 than the clockwise end. In the plan view of the scraper 142, the counterclockwise end is positioned closer to the inner circumferential surface 26S.

[0095] In the granulation process, the granulation material Z in contact with or adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 is peeled off from the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 by collision with or being pushed by other granulation material Z passing through the gap between the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 and the scraper 142. Therefore, there is no risk of the granulation material Z remaining stuck to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26. The rotation direction of the drum 26 may be either clockwise or counterclockwise in FIG. 16 .

[0096] The adhesion suppression member 140 of the twelfth embodiment has a flat scraper 142. The scraper 142 is disposed obliquely with respect to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26 when viewed parallel to the rotation direction of the drum 26. With this configuration, the scraper 142 scrapes off the granulation material Z adhering to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26, thereby suppressing adhesion of the granulation material Z to the inner peripheral surface 26S of the drum 26.

[0097] <Other Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0098] In Example 1, an air cylinder was used as the actuator for raising and lowering the adhesion suppression member. However, the adhesion suppression member may be raised and lowered using an electric cylinder, a motor, or other actuator. In Examples 1 to 12, a urethane lining was formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum and the upper surface of the disk by insert molding. However, a configuration in which a metal surface such as stainless steel is exposed without a urethane lining may also be used. The configuration for raising and lowering the adhesion suppression member in Example 1 can also be applied to Examples 2 ( FIG. 4 ) to 12 ( FIG. 16 ). In Example 1, the adhesion suppression member may not be raised and lowered. In Example 2, the preventing piece may have a straight shape without bending. In Examples 3 and 4, the lower end of the preventing piece may be positioned at a height lower than the slit between the drum and the disk. In Example 11, the tip of the preventing piece may not contact the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

[0099] A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M... Granulation device Z... Granulation material 10... Base plate 11... Housing 12... Drive mechanism 13... First motor 14... Rotating shaft 15... Second motor 16... Spur gear 17... Under plate 18... Plate main body 19... Peripheral wall 20... Internal gear 21... Flange 25... Granulation tank 26... Drum 26S... Inner surface of drum 27... Cylindrical member 28... Cylindrical urethane lining 29... Circular surface 29S... Non-circular surface 30... Flow promoting surface 30S... Non-circular flow promoting surface 32... Disk 33... Dish-shaped member 34... Dish-shaped urethane lining 35... Cover 36... Rotation promoting surface 37... Slit 40... Adhesion suppression member 41... Actuator 42... Piston rod 43... Holding member 44...Prevention piece 45...Adhesion suppression member 46...Retaining member 47a...Closest prevention piece (prevention piece) 47b...Prevention piece 48...Parallel portion 49...Inclined portion 50...Adhesion suppression member 51...Retaining member 52...Prevention piece 55...Adhesion suppression member 56...Retaining member 57...Prevention piece 58...Parallel portion 59...Inclined portion 60...Adhesion suppression member 61...Retaining member 62...Prevention piece 63...Parallel portion 64...First inclined portion 65...Second inclined portion 70...Adhesion suppression member 71...Prevention piece 72...Parallel portion 73...First inclined portion 74...Bent portion 75...Second inclined portion 80...Adhesion suppression member 81...Retaining member 82...Prevention piece 83...Parallel portion 84...First inclined portion 85...Second inclined portion 86...Bent portion 87...Third inclined portion 90...Adhesion suppression member 91...Holding member 92...Restraining piece 93...Parallel portion 94...First inclined portion 95...Second inclined portion 96...Bent portion 97...Third inclined portion 100...Adhesion suppression member 101...Holding member 102...First inclined portion 103...First parallel portion 104...First inclined portion 105...Second inclined portion 106...Second parallel portion 107...Horizontal portion 108...Second inclined portion 110...Adhesion suppression member 111...Support member 112...Flange portion 113...Movable member 114...Arm portion 115...Elongated hole 116...Accommodation recess 117...Spring member 118...Roller 119...Support shaft 120...Restraining piece 121...Parallel portion 122...First inclined portion 123...Second inclined portion 130: Adhesion suppression member 131: Base body 132: Suppression piece 140: Adhesion suppression member 141: Support rod 142: Scraper

Claims

1. A granulation device comprising: a granulation tank having a cylindrical drum and a disc arranged to close the opening at the bottom of the drum; and a drive mechanism for coaxially rotating the drum and the disc, which produces a granulated product by rotating the drum and the disc to cause the granulation material to flow, and in which an adhesion suppression member is provided within the granulation tank to suppress adhesion of the granulation material to the inner surface of the drum.

2. A granulating device as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesion suppression member has an elongated suppression piece, and the suppression piece suppresses adhesion of the granulation material to the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

3. A granulation device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the adhesion suppression member is capable of moving up and down relative to the granulation tank.

4. A granulating device according to claim 2, wherein the adhesion suppression member is configured by arranging a plurality of the suppression pieces at intervals in the radial direction.

5. A granulating device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the tip ends of the plurality of restraining pieces are arranged adjacent to the inner peripheral surface of the drum and at different heights.

6. A granulation device as described in claim 2, wherein the adhesion prevention member has one deterrent piece protruding downward, and the lower end of the deterrent piece is positioned so that the radial distance between the deterrent piece and the inner surface of the drum gradually narrows toward the lower end of the deterrent piece.

7. A granulating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the restraining piece is positioned at the same height as the slit between the drum and the disc or at a position higher than the slit.

8. A granulating device as described in claim 2, wherein the adhesion suppression member has one of the suppression pieces protruding downward, and the protruding end of the suppression piece is positioned in the same area in the height direction as the upper end of the disc.

9. A granulating device as described in claim 8, wherein the portion of the restraining piece that is at the same height as the lower end of the drum is bent so as to be spaced apart from the inner peripheral surface of the drum.

10. A granulation apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the protruding end of the deterrent piece has an upwardly bent shape, the adhesion prevention member has another deterrent piece that protrudes downward, and the protruding end of the deterrent piece and the lower end of the other deterrent piece are arranged so as to face each other in the vertical direction at the same height as the lower end of the drum.

11. A granulation apparatus as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the slit between the lower end of the drum and the disk functions as an air flow path for supplying pressurized air from the outside of the granulation tank to the inside of the granulation tank.

12. The granulation apparatus described in claim 2, wherein the adhesion suppression member comprises: a support member arranged in a fixed state; a movable member that is displaceable radially relative to the support member; a roller attached to the movable member so as to face the inner peripheral surface of the drum; and a spring member that applies a biasing force to the movable member in a direction in which the roller approaches the inner peripheral surface of the drum, and wherein the inhibitor piece is attached so as to be able to move integrally with the movable member.

13. A granulation device as described in claim 2, wherein the adhesion prevention member has a base and a plurality of the prevention pieces protruding from the base toward the inner surface of the drum, and the plurality of prevention pieces are elastically deformable.

14. A granulation apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the adhesion suppression member has a flat scraper, and the scraper is arranged obliquely with respect to the inner surface of the drum when viewed parallel to the direction of rotation of the drum.

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