JP4459151B2 - Powder processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder processing apparatus for increasing the sphericity of powders such as toner and graphite, and smoothing irregularities on the surface of powders.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a powder processing apparatus (a method for continuously spheroidizing particles) is known in which a powder of toner, graphite, or the like powdered by a pulverizer or the like is rounded and spheroidized as a whole (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Such a powder processing apparatus includes a supply port for supplying powder pulverized by a pulverizer (hereinafter referred to as “object to be processed”) at a lower end, and a processed product that has been spheroidized at an upper end. The casing is mainly composed of a casing (stator) having a discharge port for discharging the gas and a rotor (rotor) provided in the casing so as to be rotatable and provided with a number of protrusions.

In this powder processing apparatus, an object to be processed (powder) that flows in from a supply port together with a high-speed air current strongly contacts the objects to be processed by the high-speed air current in the casing, thereby irregularly processing the objects to be processed. The part is peeled and removed to form a sphere.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 5-32094 (Fig. 1)

However, in the powder processing apparatus of Patent Document 1, when the raw material that is easily pulverized is the object to be processed, when the rotational speed of the rotor is increased, the spheroidized processed object is finely pulverized to reduce the particle size, There exists a problem that the processed material which has a particle size cannot be obtained.
In such a powder processing apparatus, if the rotational speed is increased, the temperature of the casing and the object to be processed increases accordingly, so that the rotational speed cannot be increased and the powder processing operation cannot be performed quickly. It is difficult to improve.

As a countermeasure for solving such problems, conventionally, in order to prevent the object to be processed from being finely pulverized by the powder processing apparatus, it is made difficult to pulverize by increasing the temperature of the object to be processed. It is also conceivable to carry out the spheroidizing process.
However, in such a powder processing apparatus, when the temperature of the object to be processed is raised, the temperature of the object to be processed and the dry object to be processed are thermally softened by frictional heat with the flow path, so that the object to be processed is melted and welded to the casing or the like. In some cases, it is difficult to adjust the temperature to avoid it.
In such a powder processing apparatus, there is a problem that the upper limit that can be operated up to about 100 ° C. in terms of equipment, and it is not possible to deal with a processing object that cannot be processed unless the temperature is high or a non-thermoplastic processing object. There is.

  Furthermore, in such a powder processing apparatus, a heater, a cooling device, a cyclone, a back filter, a blower, and other auxiliary devices for adjusting the temperature, and an installation space for installing them are required. There is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes large and the cost becomes high.

  Further, in the powder processing apparatus, since the rotor is rotatably installed in a sealed container-like casing having a supply port and a discharge port, the object to be processed attached to the casing or the protruding material of the rotor cannot be cleaned. There is a problem.

  For example, when the powder processing apparatus is used for a small variety of workpieces, it is essential to clean the casing and the rotor so that the workpieces do not mix with other workpieces. For these reasons, there has been a demand for a powder processing apparatus that can easily clean the inside of the casing, the rotor, and the blades, and that can remove the object to be processed remaining in the casing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can process a spheroidizing process without reducing the particle size of the processed object more than necessary, even if the processed object is easily pulverized. It is an issue to provide.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the powder processing apparatus according to claim 1 has a supply port through which an object to be processed is supplied and a bottomed cylinder having a discharge port for discharging the processed material that has been spheroidized. A casing having a shape, a rotor rotatably provided in the casing and rotated by a drive source, and a lid that pivotally supports the rotor and closes an opening formed in the casing. In the powder processing apparatus, an inner cylinder having a tapered portion that is inclined from one side to the other side in the axial direction of the rotor with a space from an inner wall is provided in the casing. A plurality of blades arranged in the rotor main body on the inner wall side of the cylinder, and a flange that is disposed at an end of the blade on the side where the inner cylinder has a larger diameter and is larger than the outer diameter of the blade. It is characterized by that.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the crushed workpiece (powder) is supplied to the supply port of the casing, the powder processing apparatus causes the workpiece to be processed by the blade that rotates integrally with the rotor. It is sucked into the casing and further sucked into the inner cylinder in which the blades are arranged. The workpiece is sent to the inner wall side of the inner cylinder by the air flow generated by the rotation of the blades, and is guided to the side of the inner cylinder that is expanded along the tapered portion of the inner cylinder. The object to be processed moves smoothly along with the air flow while rubbing against the inner wall of the tapered portion. As a result, since the objects to be processed do not collide strongly with each other, the objects to be processed are rubbed with the surface of the tapered portion without being pulverized to have a small particle size.
Further, the airflow and the object to be processed are swung by the flange portion disposed on the diameter-enlarged side of the inner cylinder so as to pass between the outer wall of the inner cylinder and the inner wall of the casing and enter the inner cylinder again. Cycle and repeat. By repeating this circulation, the object to be processed is spheroidized and smoothed to a desired spherical shape or smooth surface without excessively reducing the particle size of the object to be processed. Moved to and collected.
In addition, the moving speed of the workpiece and the air flow increases as the angle of the tapered portion of the inner wall and the rotational speed of the rotor increase, and the cycle of reflux from the inside to the outside and the inside of the inner cylinder also increases. The processing capacity of the powder processing apparatus is improved.

  The powder processing apparatus according to claim 2 is the powder processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blades of the rotor have an inclined portion formed along a tapered portion of the inner cylinder, The casing has a reduced diameter portion in which the inner wall has a diameter reduced toward the inner bottom along the tapered portion of the inner cylinder.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the rotor has the inclined portion at the outer peripheral end of the blade, the inner cylinder has the tapered portion formed along the inclined portion, and the casing has the inner wall facing the inner bottom. By having the reduced diameter portion that has been reduced in diameter, the workpiece is smoothly recirculated from the inside to the outside and inside of the inner cylinder along with the air flow. As a result, the object to be processed is prevented from staying in the casing, and is smoothly spheroidized.

  The powder processing apparatus according to claim 3 is the powder processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the casing includes at least a cooling jacket for cooling an inner wall of the casing. It is provided on the surface.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the casing is cooled by the cooling medium by providing the casing with the cooling jacket, the object to be processed and the airflow flowing in the casing can be cooled to a desired temperature. it can.

  A powder processing apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the powder processing apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the cooling jacket is provided through a flow path provided in a erection member erected on the casing. And a cooling flow path provided in the inner cylinder.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the cooling jacket has the erection member disposed in the casing and the cooling flow path disposed in the inner cylinder, and cools the erection member and the inner cylinder by the cooling medium. As a result, the area to be cooled increases, so that the cooling capacity is further improved.

  The powder processing apparatus according to claim 5 is the powder processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the object to be processed is conveyed to the supply port in the casing. A screw feeder is installed.

  According to invention of Claim 5, the to-be-processed object which carries out a spheroidization process with the screw feeder installed in the supply port of the casing can be easily thrown in in a casing. For this reason, since the to-be-processed object can be introduce | transduced in a casing, without using an air feeding apparatus, since the quantity deaerated in a discharge channel reduces, deaeration can be performed easily.

  The powder processing apparatus according to claim 6 is the powder processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a discharge damper that opens and closes the discharge port is provided at the discharge port. It is characterized by being installed.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the discharge damper is installed at the discharge port of the casing, the object to be processed put into the casing from the supply port closes the discharge port by the discharge damper and rotates the rotor. As a result, it smoothly circulates from the inside to the outside and inside of the inner cylinder together with the air current, and is spheroidized.

  The powder processing apparatus according to claim 7 is the powder processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the supply apparatus supplies the workpiece to the supply port. A supply path connected to the discharge port, and a discharge path for supplying the powder-processed processed material to a recovery unit is provided at the discharge port, and the processed material is supplied to the supply device at the discharge path. A circulation path for returning and circulating is provided, and a switching damper for switching the direction in which the processed material is sent to the discharge path side or the circulation path side is installed at a branch point between the discharge path and the circulation path. Features.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the circulation path and the switching damper are installed in the discharge path, the workpiece can be returned to the casing and reprocessed according to the spherical processing state. Therefore, the object to be processed can be spherically processed to a desired sphericity or smoothed to a desired surface state.

  The powder processing apparatus of Claim 8 is the powder processing apparatus of Claim 7, Comprising: In the said discharge path, it was conveyed by the conveying apparatus between the said discharge port and the said switching damper. A rotary feeder for introducing the workpiece into the discharge path is installed.

  According to the invention described in claim 8, since the rotary feeder is installed between the discharge port and the switching damper, the object to be processed can be introduced from the discharge path and circulated into the casing. The objects to be processed rub against each other and are processed into powder. For this reason, the object to be treated is refluxed for a predetermined time, and the powder is treated in a circulation path or the like inside and outside the casing so that even a fine object or an adherent object can be treated with powder. become. Further, the discharge path can also be used as a supply path for supplying an object to be processed.

  A powder processing apparatus according to a ninth aspect is the powder processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the lid is supported on a main body of the apparatus that holds the casing. It is installed at one end of a rotating member that is rotatably provided with a shaft as a fulcrum, and the drive source for rotating the rotor is installed at the other end of the rotating member. Features.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the lid of the casing is installed on the rotating member that rotates around the support shaft portion of the apparatus main body, the lid is opened, The rotor and blades installed on the lid can be easily cleaned.

According to the powder processing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, since the rotor having the blades rotates, the gas in the casing circulates as an air current due to the blower effect, and thus is supplied to the supply port. The workpiece to be processed is sucked into the casing and can be easily put in, and the working efficiency can be improved.
In the powder processing equipment, the inner cylinder has a tapered part, so that the airflow generated by the blades is easy to flow to the expanded side, so that the object to be processed moves smoothly along with the airflow while rubbing against the tapered part. Can be made. As a result, the powder processing apparatus can be made spherical without pulverizing with a small particle size in order to eliminate the strong collision between the objects to be processed and to process in a stable state. The surface unevenness of the object to be processed can be removed and smoothed.
Furthermore, the powder processing apparatus guides the object to be processed in the direction of expanding the diameter while pressing and guiding the object to be processed against the inner wall of the tapered portion of the inner cylinder by the airflow generated by the rotation of the blade by the tapered portion of the inner cylinder. It can be made to circulate so that it may be swung by a collar part, may pass between the outer wall of an inner cylinder, and a casing inner wall, and may enter in an inner cylinder again. Thereby, the powder processing apparatus can process the powder continuously for a set time in the casing to obtain particles having a desired spherical shape and smooth surface.
In addition, the powder processing device can increase the moving speed of the object to be processed and the air flow that recirculates in the casing by increasing the angle of the tapered portion of the inner wall and the rotational speed of the rotor. The processing capability of the powder processing apparatus can be appropriately improved by shortening the length.
The powder processing apparatus is supported by a lid and has a simple structure in which a rotor having blades in a casing and an inner cylinder having a tapered portion are installed, so that cleaning is easy and there are few auxiliary devices. The entire apparatus can be made compact.

  According to the powder processing apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, the rotor has the inclined portion at the outer peripheral end of the blade, the inner cylinder has the inclined portion along the tapered portion, and the casing is on the inner bottom of the inner wall. By having a diameter-reduced part that is reduced in diameter, the object to be processed and the airflow are smoothly recirculated from the inside to the outside and inside of the inner cylinder, and are prevented from staying in the corners of the casing and the like. It can be well spheroidized and smoothed. As a result, the powder processing apparatus can appropriately perform powder processing according to the material, state, etc. of the processing object by adjusting the time for which the processing object is refluxed.

  According to the powder processing apparatus of the third aspect of the present invention, the casing, the object to be processed in the casing, and the air flow are cooled to an appropriate temperature by the cooling jacket, and suitable for powder processing of the object to be processed. It can be processed while maintaining the temperature. As a result, the powder processing apparatus can solve the problem that the processing object becomes brittle or melts depending on the temperature, and can process the processing object by rotating the rotor at a high speed. Therefore, the processing capability can be improved, and the object to be processed can be rapidly spheroidized to a desired sphericity.

  According to the powder processing apparatus of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the cooling jacket has the cooling flow path provided in the installation member and the inner cylinder in the casing, and the inner cylinder can also be cooled by the cooling medium. Since the area of the portion to be cooled is widened, the cooling capacity for cooling the workpiece to be recirculated in the casing and the fluid can be further improved. As a result, the powder processing apparatus cools the frictional heat of the rotor and the object to be processed and adjusts it to an appropriate temperature, eliminates the fact that the object to be processed is overheated between the rotor and the inner cylinder, and becomes a high temperature. The product can be processed at a temperature suitable for powder processing.

  According to the powder processing apparatus according to claim 5 of the present invention, since the screw feeder is installed in the casing, the object to be processed can be easily put into the casing without blowing air. The amount of deaeration can be reduced, and the deaeration can be performed satisfactorily.

  According to the powder processing apparatus of the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the discharge damper is installed at the discharge port, the discharge port is closed by the discharge damper and the rotor is rotated, and the processing object supplied into the casing Since an object can be smoothly refluxed and continuously processed from the inside to the outside and inside of the inner cylinder together with the air flow, the object to be processed can be refluxed for an appropriate time to be spheroidized to a desired sphericity.

  According to the powder processing apparatus of claim 7 of the present invention, since the circulation path and the switching damper are installed in the discharge path, the object to be processed can be recirculated into the casing and appropriately reprocessed. The object can be spheroidized to a desired sphericity or smoothed to a desired surface condition. As a result, the powder processing apparatus can perform a powder processing by refluxing the object to be processed for a predetermined time to obtain a desired processed product (powder).

  According to the powder processing apparatus of the eighth aspect of the present invention, the rotary feeder is installed between the discharge port and the switching damper, so that the object to be processed is introduced from the discharge path and circulated inside and outside the casing. Since the body treatment can be performed, the discharge path can also be used as the supply path of the object to be processed, the number of parts can be reduced, and the entire apparatus can be made compact.

  According to the powder processing apparatus of the ninth aspect of the present invention, by installing the lid body provided with the rotor on the rotating member, the lid body can be opened and closed by rotating about the support shaft portion of the apparatus body. For this reason, it is easy to clean by removing non-processed substances adhering to the rotor and blades or removing the object to be processed remaining in the casing. As a result, since the powder processing apparatus can remove the processing object remaining in the casing, a single unit can perform powder processing on a wide variety of processing objects.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the powder processing apparatus changes in the vertical direction depending on the state of installation, but will be described with the upper side of each drawing as the upper side and the lower side of the drawing as the lower side.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a powder processing apparatus.

≪Workpiece≫
First, an object A to be processed which is spheroidized and smoothed (hereinafter simply referred to as “powder processing” when referred to as spheroidizing and smoothing) by the powder processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. . The object to be processed A is particles that have been pulverized by a pulverizer (not shown) into a scaly shape, an irregular shape (polygonal shape), or a surface with irregularities. For example, organic and inorganic substances such as toner and graphite Regardless of the system, the average particle size is about 5 to 50 μm.

≪Processed material≫
The processed product B is a particle after processing the powder A to be processed A having an irregular shape with the powder processing apparatus 1, and the particle size is rounded by spheroidizing to a predetermined length, and the surface unevenness Is smoothed.

<< Configuration of powder processing equipment >>
As shown in FIG. 1, a powder processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for processing powder A to be processed, and rotates a rotor 3 having blades 3 b loosely inserted in an inner cylinder 4 inside a casing 2. By generating the air flow, the object A is sucked into the casing 2 from the supply port 2a, and the object A is pressed against the inner wall 4b of the tapered portion 4a of the inner cylinder 4 and rubbed inside the casing 2. It is an apparatus for powder processing by circulation.
The powder processing apparatus 1 has a bottomed cylindrical casing 2 having a supply port 2a through which an object A is supplied and a discharge port 2b for discharging the processed product B that has been spheroidized, and the casing. The rotor 3 is rotatably provided in the rotor 2 and is rotated by a driving source M and has blades 3b and flanges 3c. The inner cylinder 4 is disposed around the blades 3b and has a tapered portion 4a. The rotor 3 is rotatable. And a lid 5 that closes an opening 2 c formed in the casing 2.

  In addition, the powder processing apparatus 1 is configured to transfer a workpiece A to the powder processing apparatus 1 and a workpiece A conveyed by the conveyance device 6 to the supply port 2a. You may provide the supply apparatus 7, the cover body 5 which obstruct | occludes the opening part 2c of the casing 2, and the drive source M (refer FIG. 4) for rotating the rotor 3. FIG.

≪Case configuration≫
As shown in FIG. 1, the casing 2 is made of a metal, substantially bottomed cylindrical vessel having an opening 2 c on the upper side, and is press-molded by, for example, deep drawing. The casing 2 has, for example, a pipe-shaped supply port 2a integrally formed at the center portion of the inner bottom 2e, and sends the powder-treated processed product B to the recovery unit 8 in the vicinity of the opening 2c of the inner wall 2d. It has a discharge port 2b welded to a pipe 2g. The inner wall 2d of the casing 2 is formed with a reduced diameter portion 2f that is reduced in diameter toward the inner bottom 2e along the tapered portion 4a of the inner cylinder 4. In the casing 2, it expands from one side (inner bottom side near the supply port 2 a) to the other side (opening portion 2 c side near the discharge port 2 b) in the axial direction of the rotor 3 with a space from the inner wall 2 d. An inner cylinder 4 having a tapered portion 4 a and a rotor 3 disposed inside the inner cylinder 4 are installed.

  The supply port 2a is a charging port for supplying the workpiece A into the casing 2 by the supply device 7, and is made of a tubular member integrally formed at the center of the inner bottom 2e. As shown in FIG. 1, the supply port 2a is installed at the center of the inner bottom 2e and directly below the rotor body 3a. However, the supply port 2a may be in the vicinity of the inner bottom 2e that is in a negative pressure state during powder processing. It doesn't matter.

  The discharge port 2b includes a through hole formed on the opening 2c side of the inner wall 2d of the casing 2 that is pressed by the airflow by the blade 3b during the powder processing, and a discharge path is formed in the through hole. The piping 2g to form is connected.

The opening 2c is formed at the upper end portion of the casing 2, and the outer peripheral portion is bent in a bowl shape so that the lid 5 is placed thereon.
The inner wall 2d includes the reduced diameter portion 2f, so that the airflow descending from the upper side and the workpiece A smoothly flow toward the lower side of the rotor 3 and circulate as indicated by the arrows in FIG. Is formed.
A boundary portion between the outer peripheral portion and the side wall of the inner bottom 2e is formed in a curved surface and an obtuse angle so that the workpiece A does not stay.

≪Configuration of rotor≫
As shown in FIG. 1, the rotor 3 is a rotating body that rotates in the inner cylinder 4 by a driving source M (see FIG. 4) that is a motor, and generates airflow by the centrifugal force of the blades 3 b to be processed. This is a member for sucking the object A from below into the inner cylinder 4 and flowing it so as to rub against the inner wall 4b of the inner cylinder 4 for powder processing.
The rotor 3 is disposed at the end of the plurality of blades 3b disposed on the rotor body 3a on the inner wall 4b side of the inner cylinder 4 and the blade 3b on the side where the inner cylinder 4 is expanded in diameter. A flange 3c having an outer diameter d2 larger than the outer diameter d1 is provided.
In the inner cylinder 4, the rotor 3 is opened with a blade 3 b on the lower side where the supply port 2 a is disposed, and has a flange 3 c on the upper side where the discharge port 2 b is disposed, and the upper side is closed. It is in a state.

  In addition, the rotor 3 may subject the rotor main body 3a, the blade 3b, and the flange portion 3c in contact with the workpiece A to wear resistance treatment by thermal spraying such as hard chrome plating or super steel. Moreover, you may form the location which contacts the to-be-processed object A of the rotor 3 with wear-resistant materials, such as a ceramic.

  The rotor main body 3a is formed in a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape with a rotating shaft 3f having a follower wheel 3e, which will be described later, mounted on the shaft center portion at the upper end.

2A and 2B are views showing a rotor, wherein FIG. 2A is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part, and FIG. 2B is a bottom view.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the blade 3 b of the rotor 3 is made of, for example, a plurality of flat plates formed radially on the outer peripheral surface of the columnar rotor main body 3 a, and An inclined portion 3d formed along the tapered portion 4a is provided at the outer peripheral end.
The circumferential speed of the rotor 3 is about Max 100 m / s at the maximum diameter portion of the blade 3b. However, due to the strength of the blade 3b, the rotational speed is the highest when formed in the radiation direction as shown in FIG. Can be raised.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing an installation state in the casing.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, an inclined portion 3d having a shape along the inner wall 4b of the inner cylinder 4 is formed on the outer peripheral side of the blade 3b, but the gap L1 between the blade 3b and the inner wall 4b is not necessarily uniform. Need not be.

  The flange portion 3c is configured such that the air flow generated by the rotation of the blade 3b is pressed by the taper portion 4a so that the workpiece A and the air flow that have moved in the upward direction in which the inner cylinder 4 expands are moved toward the inner wall 2d side of the casing 2. It is for guiding and flowing toward the supply port 2a side. The flange 3c is provided horizontally at the upper end of the blade 3b and is formed in a disc shape.

  4A and 4B are diagrams schematically showing an apparatus main body of the powder processing apparatus, in which FIG. 4A is a front view showing a state when the opening of the casing is closed with a lid, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the lid. It is a front view which shows a state when open | released.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rotating shaft 3 f is pivotally supported by a bearing portion 5 a installed on the lid 5, the rotor 3 is fixed to the lower end portion, and the upper end portion is shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b). The driven vehicle 3e shown is provided. The rotating shaft 3f is rotated when the driving vehicle Ma rotated by the driving source M is rotated and the driven vehicle 3e is rotated by the transmission body Mb formed of a belt or a chain wound around the driving vehicle Ma. It has become.

≪Cover structure≫
As shown in FIG. 4, the lid 5 is a member that closes the opening 2 c (see FIGS. 1 and 3) of the casing 2 and supports the rotor 3 by integrally providing the bearing 5 a. It consists of a metal disk. The lid 5 is installed at one end of a rotating member 10 that is provided on the apparatus main body 1 a holding the casing 2 so as to be rotatable about the support shaft 1 b, and can be opened and closed with respect to the casing 2. Is provided.

≪Configuration of rotating member≫
The rotating member 10 is a member for rotating in a state in which the positional relationship between the lid 5 and the drive source M is maintained, and is installed at the upper end portion of the apparatus main body 1a. The rotating member 10 is provided with a support shaft 1b at the center, a lid 5 at one end, and a drive source M at the other end. The rotating member 10 is installed so as to be able to rotate about 90 degrees from a horizontal state to a vertical state, and can open and close the lid 5 and clean the inside of the rotor 3, the inner cylinder 4 and the casing 2 for powder processing. It is installed so that the rotor 3 can be removed.

≪Configuration of inner cylinder≫
As shown in FIG. 3, the inner cylinder 4 is attached with a space between the casing 2 and the casing 2 by being supported by an erection member 9 installed on the inner wall 2d or inner bottom 2e of the casing 2. It is installed to improve the effect. The inner cylinder 4 is formed of a cylindrical body formed of a tapered portion 4a that expands toward the upper side, and is subjected to wear resistance treatment by thermal spraying such as hard chrome plating or super steel. The inner cylinder 4 has a lower end portion disposed at substantially the same height as the lower end portion of the blade 3b, and an upper end portion disposed at an appropriate interval from the lower surface of the flange portion 3c.
The angle of the tapered portion 4a of the inner cylinder 4 is 0 degree (cylinder) to 45 degrees with respect to the axis, and preferably 10 degrees to 20 degrees.

  The inner cylinder 4 may be formed of a wear resistant material such as ceramic. Further, the inner and outer surfaces of the inner cylinder 4 may be finished so as to have a smooth surface by buffing or electrolytic polishing so that the powder processing effect is increased. The inner cylinder 4 may further improve the surface slippage by a coating process such as DCL (diamond-like carbon).

<< Conveyor configuration >>
As shown in FIG. 1, the transport device 6 is a device for transporting the workpiece A to the supply device 7. For example, the transport device 6 temporarily stores the crushed workpiece A, A feeder 6b composed of a rotary feeder, a screw conveyor or the like for conveying the processed product A to the supply device 7 and a drive device (not shown) for driving the feeder 6b are provided.

≪Configuration of supply device≫
The supply device 7 is a device that receives the object to be processed A carried by the conveying device 6 by the hopper 7a and sends the object to be processed A from the sending part 7b to the supply port 2a of the casing 2. The supply device 7 includes a hopper 7a, a delivery unit 7b composed of an empty delivery device (ejector) for sending the workpiece A to the supply port 2a, and a compressed air supply device for driving the delivery unit 7b. And a driving device (not shown).

In addition, the gas used for sending the to-be-processed object A in the delivery part 7b may be fluids other than air. Accordingly, the inside of the casing 2 may be a fluid other than air.
Further, the supply device 7 is a conveyor or the like that does not send an air current such as air because the object A is sucked and flows by the blower effect of the blades 3b if the object A can be sent to the supply port 2a. Also good.

≪Configuration of collection unit≫
Moreover, the collection | recovery part 8 is for storing the processed material B installed in the downstream of the piping 2g connected to the discharge port 2b. In the collection unit 8, an air vent 8a is installed as necessary. In addition, the air vent 8a consists of a deaeration filter, for example.

<< Operation of powder processing equipment >>
Next, the operation of the powder processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, an object to be processed (powder) A obtained by crushing a raw material with a crusher or the like is put into a storage unit 6 a of a transport device 6. The object A to be processed in the transport device 6 is charged with a desired amount of the object A into the hopper 7a of the supply device 7 by the feeder 6b.
The workpiece A put into the hopper 7a is sent to the supply port 2a of the casing 2 by the sending part 7b. Then, due to the blower effect caused by the rotation of the blade 3 b of the rotor 3, the vicinity of the inner bottom 2 e of the casing 2 is sucked into the casing 2 due to the negative pressure state.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the workpiece A sucked into the casing 2 rides on the airflow generated by the rotation of the blade 3b, and along with the airflow, from the supply port 2a at the center of the inner bottom 2e, the outer peripheral direction of the arrow a. And flows in the direction of the blade 3b indicated by the arrow b and enters the inner cylinder 4. And the to-be-processed object A flows to the arrow c direction with the airflow by rotation of the blade | wing 3b, and is pressed on the inner wall 4b of the inner cylinder 4. FIG.

  The workpiece A is guided and moved so as to flow in the direction of the arrow d that is expanded by the tapered portion 4 a of the inner cylinder 4. At this time, the workpiece A moves smoothly along with the air flow while rubbing against the inner wall 4b. As a result, since the objects A to be processed do not collide strongly with each other, the objects to be processed A are processed into powder and spherical without being pulverized to have a small particle size.

The airflow and the object to be processed A that have exited from the upper end in the inner cylinder 4 turn downward in the direction of the arrow e by the flange 3c, and turn downward to the casing 2 between the inner wall 2d and the outer wall of the inner cylinder 4. Flows in the direction of the inner bottom 2e of the arrow f. At this time, since the inner wall 2d of the casing 2 and the outer wall of the inner cylinder 4 are reduced in diameter toward the axial center side and become oblique, the workpiece A stays in the corner of the outer peripheral portion of the inner bottom 2e. Is prevented and flows smoothly.
The workpiece A that has flowed up to the inner bottom 2e flows in the direction of the arrow g, enters the inner cylinder 4 again, circulates by flowing from the lower end inside of the inner cylinder 4 to the upper end, and from the outer upper end of the inner cylinder 4 to the lower end inside. And repeat this.

  Thus, the object to be processed A is subjected to powder processing (spheronization process and smoothing process) without greatly reducing the particle diameter of the object to be processed A. And when the to-be-processed object A flows to the inner side upper end of the casing 2, it flows in the direction of the collection | recovery part 8 (refer FIG. 1) of the arrow h from the discharge port 2b, and collect | recovers as what was formed in the desired spherical shape or a smooth surface. Is done.

  Further, when powder processing is performed on another type of workpiece A, the powder processing is performed after removing the workpiece A remaining in the powder processing apparatus 1 so that different types of workpieces A are not mixed. I do. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4B, the rotating member 10 is rotated 90 degrees, the rotor 3 and the lid 5 are pulled out from the casing 2, and the rotor 3, the blade 3b, the lid 5, The cylinder 4 and the casing 2 are cleaned.

  Thus, since the powder processing apparatus 1 can easily separate the rotor 3, the blade 3b, and the lid 5 from the casing 2, the powder processing apparatus 1 can be easily cleaned and the workpiece A attached thereto can be easily removed. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the technical idea. The present invention extends to these modifications and changes. Of course.

<< First Modification of Powder Processing Apparatus >>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a first modification of the powder processing apparatus. Hereinafter, the same members as those of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, the processed material B that has been powder-treated in the casing 2 and discharged from the discharge port 2b may be circulated back to the supply port 2a and powder-processed again.

  In this case, in the powder processing apparatus 1A, a supply path P1 connected to a supply apparatus 7A for circulation for supplying the workpiece A is provided in the supply port 2a, and a powder-treated process is provided in the discharge port 2b. A discharge path P2 for sending the product B to the collection unit 8 is provided, and a circulation path P3 for returning the processed product B to the supply device 7A and circulating it is provided in the discharge path P2. And the switching damper D which switches the direction in which the processed material B is sent to the discharge path P2 side or the circulation path P3 side is installed in the branch location of the discharge path P2 and the circulation path P3. Further, an air vent V can be installed between the discharge port 2b of the discharge path P2 and the switching damper D so that air in the fluid circuit can be extracted. The air vent V is composed of, for example, a deaeration filter.

  In the case where it is not sufficient that the powder B is processed once through the casing 2, the processed product B is returned to the casing 2 through the circulation path P3 again and continuously for a predetermined time. By circulating the inside of 2 and the circulation path P3 etc. outside the casing 2, it is possible to obtain a processed product B that has been powder-treated in a desired state. If the direction of the switching damper D is switched, the direction in which the workpiece A flows can be switched to the circulation side or the collection unit 8 side.

<< Second modification of powder processing apparatus >>
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a second modification of the powder processing apparatus. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member same as the said embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.
The powder processing apparatus 1A provided with the circulation path P3 shown in FIG. 5 may further feed the object A into the discharge path P2, like the powder processing apparatus 1B shown in FIG. .
In this case, between the discharge port 2b and the switching damper D, a quantitative supply device F such as a rotary feeder for installing the workpiece A transported by the transport device 6 into the discharge path P2 is installed. An air vent V is installed between the discharge port 2b and the fixed amount supply device F. The fixed amount supply device F can easily mix the predetermined amount of the object to be processed A into the discharge path P2 whose internal pressure is different from the atmospheric pressure. The processing object A can be charged.
By doing in this way, since the supply apparatus 7 shown in FIG. 5 becomes unnecessary, the whole apparatus can be made compact.

<< First modification of casing >>
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a first modification of the casing.
As shown in FIG. 7, a screw feeder 22 that conveys the workpiece A to the supply port 2Aa may be integrally provided in the casing 2A. In this case, the supply port 2Aa is formed on the side surface of the inner wall 2Ad.
By doing so, the structure of the powder processing apparatus 1C can be simplified. Note that. The workpiece A carried to the supply port 2Aa by the screw feeder 22 is sucked into the casing 2A because the vicinity of the inner bottom 2Ae becomes negative due to the rotation of the blade 3b in the inner cylinder 4. For this reason, it is not necessary for the workpiece A to be blown into the casing 2A together with the air by the air feeding device.

«Second modification of casing»
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a second modification of the casing.
As shown in FIG. 8, a discharge damper 23 that opens and closes the discharge port 2Bb may be installed at the discharge port 2Bb of the casing 2B.
In this case, the discharge damper 23 includes, for example, a plunger 23a that opens and closes the discharge port 2Bb, an electromagnet 23b that attracts the plunger 23a, and a controller (not shown) that controls the flow of current through the coil of the electromagnet 23b for a set time. ) And a coil spring that automatically returns the plunger 23a. The discharge port 23c of the discharge damper 23 is installed integrally with the casing 2B, for example.

  By configuring in this way, the powder processing apparatus 1D stops the supply after supplying the object A to be processed from the supply port 2Ba, closes the discharge port 2Bb of the casing 2B for a predetermined time, and closes the object to be processed in the casing 2B. The processed material A and the airflow are refluxed in the direction of the arrow for a set predetermined time to perform powder processing. Then, the discharge damper 23 is automatically opened after a predetermined time, and the processed material B is discharged.

The powder processing apparatus 1D provided with the discharge damper 23 that can close the discharge port 2Bb of the casing 2B as shown in FIG. 8 has a long residence time of the workpiece A flowing in the space between the inner cylinder 4 and the casing 2B. Therefore, the workpiece A is easily heated by the powder processing apparatuses 1, 1A, 1B, and 1C shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7, and easily adheres to the casing 2B. For this reason, the powder processing apparatus 1D is suitable for powder processing of the workpiece A having a large particle size and low adhesion.
The powder processing apparatuses 1, 1A, 1B, and 1C shown in FIGS. 1, 5, 6, and 7 may be small or large in particle size, and may be an adherend to be processed A. Even powder processing can be performed well.

<< Third Modification of Casing >>
FIGS. 9A and 9B are views showing a third modification of the casing, in which FIG. 9A is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part, and FIG. 9B is a sectional view taken along line XX.
Like the powder processing apparatus 1E shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the outer surface of the casing 2C is provided with a cooling jacket 24 for cooling the inner wall 2Cd of the casing 2C on the side peripheral surface of the casing 2C. Also good.
In this case, in the casing 2C, a part forming the inner bottom 2Ce and a part having the cooling jacket 24 in other parts can be separately formed, and can be assembled and integrated later.
Note that the pipe 2Cg connected to the discharge port 2Cb may be formed in the tangential direction of the outer periphery of the casing 2C as shown in FIG. 9B, or may be on the center line of the casing 2C. .

  By doing in this way, while performing the powder processing of the workpiece A, a cooling medium such as a cooling liquid of about 0 ° C. to 20 ° C. (usually about 5 ° C.) flows through the cooling jacket 24. The temperature in the casing 2 </ b> C and the temperature of the workpiece A can be adjusted so that the temperature is always appropriate. Since the temperature of the object to be processed A can be adjusted to an appropriate temperature (for example, about 40 ° C. or less in the case of toner), the flow rate of the object to be processed A and the airflow can be increased and the cycle of recirculation in the casing 2C can be shortened. Since it is possible, the processing capability of the powder processing apparatus 1E can be improved.

≪Modification of cooling jacket≫
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a modification of the cooling jacket.
As in the powder processing apparatus 1F shown in FIG. 10, the cooling jacket 24A has a cooling flow provided in the inner cylinder 4A via a flow path 24Aa provided in the installation member 9A for installing the inner cylinder 4A in the casing 2D. A passage 24Ab may be provided, and the inside of the inner cylinder 4A may be cooled by a cooling medium.
In this way, in the powder processing apparatus 1F, the cooling jacket 24A is installed in the casing 2D, the erection member 9A, and the inner cylinder 4A, and the cooling area is increased, so that the cooling capacity can be further improved. it can.

≪Modification of inner cylinder and blades≫
FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a modified example of the inner cylinder and the blades.
As in the powder processing apparatus 1G shown in FIG. 11, the inner cylinder 4B has a tapered portion 4Ba formed on the inlet side (lower side) close to the supply port 2Ca, and the outlet side (upper side) close to the discharge port 2Cb is cylindrical. You may form in a shape.
In this case, the rotor 3A may vertically form the upper end side close to the discharge port 2Cb on the outer peripheral side of the blade 3Ab in accordance with the shape of the inner cylinder 4B. As described above, the discharge side (upper side) of the inner cylinder 4B can discharge the workpiece A to the outside of the inner cylinder 4B even without a taper.

≪Modification of rotor≫
12A and 12B are diagrams showing a modification of the rotor, wherein FIG. 12A is a main part longitudinal sectional view showing a first modification of the rotor, and FIG. 12B is a main part vertical cross section showing a second modification of the rotor. FIG.
As shown to Fig.12 (a), the rotor 3B may form the bending part 3Bg which bent the outer peripheral part of the collar part 3Bc below.
If it does in this way, the air flow from the lower part and the to-be-processed object A can be made to flow so that it may turn toward lower side as shown by the arrow with blade 3Bb.
In particular, when the workpiece A is fine, it tends to flow upward along with the air flow, but the outer peripheral end is bent toward the lower supply port 2a (see FIG. 1), thereby further smoothly supplying the supply port 2a. Flows to the side (lower side).

Further, the blade 3Bb may be fixed to the outer peripheral portion of the rotor body 3Ba by welding or brazing as shown in FIG. 12 (a), or, as in the rotor 3C shown in FIG. 12 (b), You may enable it to disassemble | disassemble rotor main body 3Ca attached to the rotating shaft 3f, the blade | wing 3Cb, and the collar part 3Cc.
The powder processing capacity of the blade 3Cb is adjusted by changing the rotational speed of the rotor 3C. By using the disassembly type as described above, the powder processing capacity can be adjusted by the number of blades 3Cb.

≪Modification of rotor blades≫
FIGS. 13A and 13B are views showing a modification of the rotor blades, FIG. 13A is a bottom view of the rotor showing the first modification of the blades, and FIG. 13B is a bottom view of the rotor showing the second modification of the blades. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 13 (a), the blades 3Db may be installed inclined with respect to the center line of the rotor 3D when viewed from the bottom.
Further, as shown in FIG. 13B, the blade 3Eb may be formed by bending the plate material into a gentle obtuse angle when the rotor 3E is viewed from the bottom.

It is a block diagram which shows the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the rotor of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention, (a) is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view, (b) is a bottom view. It is an expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the installation state in the casing of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows schematically the apparatus main body of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention, (a) is a front view which shows a state when the opening part of a casing is obstruct | occluded with a cover body, (b) is a cover body. It is a front view which shows a state when open | released. It is a block diagram which shows the 1st modification of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd modification of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 1st modification of the casing of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 2nd modification of the casing of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the 3rd modification of the casing of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention, (a) is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view, (b) is XX sectional drawing. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the cooling jacket of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the modification of the inner cylinder and blade | wing of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the modification of the rotor of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention, (a) is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the 1st modification of a rotor, (b) is the 2nd modification of a rotor. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view shown. It is a figure which shows the modification of the blade | wing of the rotor of the powder processing apparatus which concerns on this invention, (a) is a bottom view of the rotor which shows the 1st modification of a blade | wing, (b) is the 2nd modification of a blade | wing. It is a bottom view of the rotor which shows.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1A-1F Powder processing apparatus 1a Apparatus main body 1b Support shaft part 2, 2A-2D Casing 2a, 2Aa, 2Ba, 2Ca Supply port 2b, 2Ab, 3Bb, 2Cb Discharge port 2c Opening part 2d, 2Ad, 2Cd Inner wall 2e , 2Ce inner bottom 2f reduced diameter part 2g piping 3, 3A-3C rotor 3a, 3Ba, 3Ca rotor body 3b, 3Bb, 3Cb, 3Db blade 3c, 32c collar 3d inclined part 4, 4A, 4B inner cylinder 4a, 4Ba taper Portion 4b Inner wall 5 Lid 5a Bearing 6 Transfer device 7, 7A Supply device 8 Collection unit 9, 9A Installation member 10 Rotating member 22 Screw feeder 23 Discharge damper 24, 24A Cooling jacket 24Aa Channel 24Ab Cooling channel A Processed Material B Processed material D Switching damper d1 Outer diameter of blade d2 Outer diameter of collar F Quantitative supply device (rotary fee) Da)
L1, L2 interval M Drive source P1 Supply path P2 Discharge path P3 Circulation path

Claims (9)

A bottomed cylindrical casing having a supply port for supplying a workpiece and a discharge port for discharging the spheroidized treatment product, and a rotor rotatably provided in the casing and rotated by a drive source And a lid for pivotally supporting the rotor and closing an opening formed in the casing.
In the casing, an inner cylinder having a tapered portion that is inclined from one side to the other in the axial direction of the rotor with a space from an inner wall is installed,
The rotor is disposed at a plurality of blades arranged in the rotor body on the inner wall side of the inner cylinder and an end portion of the blade on the side where the diameter of the inner cylinder is increased, and has a flange portion larger than the outer diameter of the blade. And a powder processing apparatus. The rotor blade has an inclined portion formed along the tapered portion of the inner cylinder,
2. The powder processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the casing has a reduced diameter portion in which the inner wall has a diameter reduced toward an inner bottom along a tapered portion of the inner cylinder.   The powder processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the casing is provided with a cooling jacket for cooling an inner wall of the casing on at least a side peripheral surface of the casing.   4. The powder according to claim 3, wherein the cooling jacket has a cooling flow path provided in the inner cylinder via a flow path provided in a erection member for laying the inner cylinder on the casing. Body treatment device.   The powder processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the casing is provided with a screw feeder that conveys the workpiece to the supply port.   The powder processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a discharge damper that opens and closes the discharge port is installed at the discharge port. The supply port is provided with a supply path connected to a supply device that supplies the workpiece.
The discharge port is provided with a discharge path that is sent to a collection unit that collects the processed powder.
The discharge path is provided with a circulation path that circulates the processed material back to the supply device, and the direction in which the processed material is sent to a branching point between the discharge path and the circulation path is the discharge path side or The powder processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching damper that switches to the circulation path side.   In the said discharge path, the rotary feeder which throws in into the said discharge path the to-be-processed object conveyed by the conveying apparatus is installed between the said discharge port and the said switching damper. The powder processing apparatus as described. The lid is installed at one end of a rotating member provided on the apparatus main body for holding the casing so as to be rotatable about a support shaft portion,
The powder processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the driving source for rotating the rotor is installed at the other end of the rotating member.

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