Mixer

• US 7,329,038 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2002
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BIO Media Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BIO Media Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hashiba, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US10/488,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20040240311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 366/101, 366/151.1, 366/163.2
• US Class Current: 366/101
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2025/913 Vortex flow, i.e. flow spiraling in a tangential direction and moving in an axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2025/931 Flow guiding elements surrounding feed openings, e.g. jet nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/21 Mixing of ingredients for cosmetic or perfume compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/30 Mixing paints or paint ingredients, e.g. pigments, dyes, colours, lacquers or enamel
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/236 specially adapted for aerating or carbonating beverages
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/69 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams; Arrangements, e.g. comprising controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/10 Mixing by creating a vortex flow, e.g. by tangential introduction of flow components
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/72 with nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/404 for mixing material moving continuously therethrough, e.g. using impinging jets
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/83 Mixing plants specially adapted for mixing in combination with disintegrating operations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/83612 by crushing or breaking
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/213 of the properties of the mixtures, e.g. temperature, density or colour
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2131 Colour or luminescence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2132 Concentration, pH, pOH, p(ION) or oxygen-demand B01F35/2133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/833 Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/88 by feeding the materials batchwise
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/883 using flow rate controls for feeding the substances
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/066 with an inner liquid outlet surrounded by at least one annular gas outlet
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/10 producing a swirling discharge

Abstract

A mixer capable of uniformly mixing a plurality of fluid materials without providing a mixing tank or an agitating vane. Different fluid raw materials are stored in raw material tanks, respectively. The raw materials are fed at a predetermined rate by variable restrictors so as to be supplied to a fluid supply hole of a nozzle. At this moment, the materials are not mixed. When the materials are discharged from a fluid discharge outlet, compressed air introduced from an air supply hole of the nozzle forms a high-speed vortex flow of the compressed air in front of the nozzle and the discharged raw materials are crushed into fine particles and mixed by this vortex flow, thereby obtaining a uniformly mixed material.

Claims

1. A mixer for mixing a plurality of fluid materials together, having fluid characteristics of being fed in a pipe by a pressure difference between an upstream side and a downstream side inside the pipe, comprising:

a nozzle having a fluid discharge outlet for discharging the fluid material, a fluid supply hole communicated with the fluid discharge outlet for supplying the fluid material to the fluid discharge outlet, a gas ejection hole formed around the fluid discharge outlet for forming a high-speed vortex flow of a gas in front of the fluid discharge outlet, and a gas supply hole communicated with the gas ejection hole for supplying the gas to the gas ejection hole;

a fluid supply means for supplying each of the plurality of fluid materials to the fluid supply hole of the nozzle, the fluid supply means comprising a flow rate regulating means configured to be capable of regulating relative supply flow rates of the plurality of fluid materials;

a gas supply means for supplying the gas to the gas supply hole of the nozzle;

a mixed material characteristic detecting means for detecting characteristics of a mixed material which has been discharged in a coexistent state from the fluid discharge outlet of the nozzle, and crushed into fine particles by the high-speed vortex flow of the gas to be ejected in a uniformly mixed state; and

a control means for controlling the flow rate regulating means according to a detection result by the mixed material characteristic detecting means.

2. A mixer according to claim 1, wherein the mixed material characteristic detecting means is configured with an optical sensor.

3. A mixer according to claim 1, wherein the mixed material characteristic detecting means is configured with a gas component sensor for detecting a specific gas.

4. A mixer according to claim 1, wherein the mixed material characteristic detecting means is configured with a liquid component sensor for detecting a specific component in a liquid.

5. A mixer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mixed material characteristic detecting means is disposed so as to detect the characteristics of the mixed material present in an ejection path in front of the nozzle.

6. A mixer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mixed material characteristic detecting means comprises a receiving surface disposed in front of the nozzle for receiving the ejected mixed material.

7. A mixer according to claim 1, wherein the control means controls the flow rate regulating means such that the characteristic of the mixed material detected by the mixed material characteristic detecting means matches with a predetermined setting value.

8. A mixer according to claim 7, wherein the control means controls the flow rate regulating means by performing PI control or PhD control with respect to the characteristic of the mixed material detected by the mixed material characteristic detecting means.

9. A mixer according to claim 1, wherein the control means further comprises a pattern output means for outputting a pattern of a change in order to change the characteristic of the mixed material to be ejected according to a proceeding of an ejection step, and

the control means controls the flow rate regulating means such that the characteristic of the mixed material detected by the mixed material characteristic detecting means follows an output value of the pattern output means.