JP7805663B2 - Container for use in a centrifuge and method for treating material using said container - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container used in a centrifuge and a method for processing a material using the container.

A centrifuge is known that processes materials stored in a container by rotating the container while revolving the container on its axis. This centrifuge is used for a variety of purposes, for example, as a mixing/defoaming device that simultaneously mixes and degasses the material to be processed (Patent Document 1). This centrifuge is also used as a ball mill that pulverizes the material to be processed (Patent Document 2). This centrifuge is also used as an emulsifier that emulsifies the material to be processed (Patent Document 3).

Patent No. 4084493 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-143706 JP 2010-194470 A

However, there is a demand for further improvements in the processing capacity of centrifuges such as those described above. For example, if the material being processed contains powdery components, lumps may form, resulting in insufficient processing or requiring a long processing time.

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above circumstances. Its purpose is to provide a container for improving the processing capacity of a centrifuge, and a method for processing materials using such a container.

The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, comprises the following invention-specific matters and technical features.

That is, one aspect of the invention is a container held by the rotating body of a centrifuge, the container comprising: a revolving body rotatable about its axis of revolution; a rotating body held by the revolving body and rotatable about its axis of rotation; and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body. The container comprises a bottom wall portion, a side wall portion, and a raised portion that contacts the side wall portion and rises from the bottom wall portion, the raised portion having an upstream side that faces the upstream side of the rotation of the rotating body, and a downstream side that faces the downstream side of the rotation of the rotating body. The upstream side and the downstream side each have an inclined surface that is inclined relative to the side wall portion, and the inclined surface of the upstream side has a larger inclination angle relative to the side wall portion than the inclined surface of the downstream side.

Furthermore, at least one of the inclined surfaces on the upstream side surface and the downstream side surface may be formed as a concave surface recessed toward the side wall portion.

Furthermore, the inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface and the downstream side surface may be surfaces that follow an imaginary circle, and the inclined surface of the upstream side surface may be a surface that follows an imaginary circle with a smaller radius than the inclined surface of the downstream side surface.

Another aspect of the invention is a container held by the rotating body of a centrifuge, the container comprising: a revolving body rotatable about its revolution axis; a rotating body held by the revolving body and rotatable about its rotation axis; and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body. The container comprises a bottom wall, a side wall, and a raised portion that contacts the side wall and rises from the bottom wall. The raised portion has an upstream side that faces upstream of the rotation of the rotating body, and a downstream side that faces downstream of the rotation of the rotating body. The upstream side and the downstream side each have an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the side wall, the inclined surfaces of the upstream side and the downstream side are surfaces that follow an imaginary circle, and the inclined surface of the upstream side is a surface that follows an imaginary circle with a smaller radius than the inclined surface of the downstream side.

Furthermore, according to one aspect, the invention comprises any of the above-mentioned containers, a revolving body rotatable around the revolution axis, a rotating body held by the revolving body and rotatable around the rotation axis, and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body, wherein the rotating body is a centrifuge that holds the container.

Furthermore, one aspect of the invention is a method for processing a material to be processed, comprising the steps of storing the material to be processed in any of the containers described above, and processing the material to be processed by revolving and/or rotating the container containing the material to be processed.

The present invention provides a container for improving the processing capacity of a centrifuge, and a method for processing materials using the container.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a centrifuge according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is an end view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along line AA in FIG. 3. 1 is a flowchart of a processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is an end view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention taken along line BB in FIG. 9. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the part shown by a solid line is one of the raised portions). FIG. 1 is a rear view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the part shown by a solid line is one of the raised portions). FIG. 1 is a right side view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the portion indicated by a solid line is a raised portion). FIG. 1 is a left side view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the part shown by a solid line is one of the raised portions). FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the part shown by a solid line is one of the raised portions). 1 is a bottom view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the part shown by a solid line is one of the raised portions). FIG. This is a CC end view of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention in Figure 17 (the part shown by the solid line is one of the raised parts. The dashed line is a line that indicates only the boundary between the raised part and other parts). 1 is a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention (the part shown by a solid line is one of the raised portions). FIG. 1 is a plan view of a container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or technological applications not explicitly stated below. The present invention can be implemented in various modifications (for example, by combining various embodiments) without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the present invention, each numerical value is evaluated substantively. For example, if a first numerical value and a second numerical value are equal, the present invention will treat the two values as equal, even if there is a difference between them, as long as the effect achieved is equivalent to the effect achieved when the two values are mathematically strictly equal. In addition, in the following description of the drawings, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical or similar symbols. The drawings are schematic and do not necessarily correspond to actual dimensions, proportions, etc. Parts in the drawings may have different dimensional relationships or proportions.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a centrifuge according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the centrifuge 1 includes a revolving body 10, a rotating body 20, a support substrate 30, a drive unit 40, and a control unit 50. In addition, the centrifuge 1 includes a balance weight, a housing, and other components not shown.

The revolving body 10 is composed of a shaft portion 11, a first arm 12, and a second arm 13. The shaft portion 11 of the revolving body 10 is rotatably supported on a support substrate 30, and the revolving body 10 is rotated by a drive unit 40 around the revolution axis L1, which is an imaginary straight line.

The first arm 12 extends in a first direction perpendicular to the revolution axis L1, is bent midway, and is adapted to have the rotating body 20 attached to it. The second arm 13 extends in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and is adapted to have the balance weight attached to balance the revolution body 10 during rotation and to improve quietness, etc.

The rotating body 20 is composed of a shaft portion 21 and a holder portion 22. The shaft portion 21 of the rotating body 20 is rotatably held at the tip end of the bent portion of the first arm 12 of the revolving body 10, and is rotated by the drive unit 40 around the rotation axis L2, which is an imaginary straight line. Based on the above-mentioned arrangement, the rotation axis L2 has a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the revolution axis L1.

The holder portion 22 is configured as a cylindrical container with a bottom, and is open at the end opposite the shaft portion 21. The holder portion 22 receives and holds the container 100 shown in Figure 2 etc. from the bottom through the open portion.

The drive unit 40 includes, for example, a motor, as well as gears, pulleys, and belts that transmit the rotational force generated by the motor to the shafts 11 and 21. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the drive unit 40 and the overall operation of the centrifuge 1.

The centrifuge 1 configured as described above holds the container 100 containing the material M to be processed in the holder portion 22 of the rotating body 20, and rotates the revolving body 10 around the revolution axis L1 while rotating the rotating body 20 around the rotation axis L2. As a result, the container 100 revolves around the revolution axis L1 while rotating around the rotation axis L2, thereby processing the material M stored in the container 100.

The material to be processed M is not particularly limited in its composition or use. Materials that can be used as the material to be processed M include materials containing only fluid components, materials containing fluid components as well as granular components (which may be powder components; the same applies below), and materials containing only solid components.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing a container according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is an end view showing a container according to one embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line A-A in Figure 2. As shown in these figures, the container 100 is configured to include a bottom wall portion 110, a side wall portion 120, and a raised portion 130.

The container 100 has an opening at the end of the side wall 120 opposite the bottom wall 110, and stores the material to be processed M. The container 100 may be formed so that a lid (not shown) can be attached to the opening. The container 100 is mounted on the holder 22 shown in Figure 1 so that the center line CL, which is an imaginary straight line passing through the center of the container, overlaps with the rotation axis L2 (in this case, the container 100 may be mounted on the holder 22 via an adapter (not shown). However, it is also possible to mount the container 100 on the holder 22 so that the center line CL does not overlap with the rotation axis L2.

The bottom wall portion 110 extends in a direction perpendicular to the center line CL at the bottom of the container 100. The bottom wall portion 110 may be a straight flat surface, a curved surface that is slightly convex upward, a curved surface that is slightly convex downward, etc.

The side wall portion 120 extends upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall portion 110. The side wall portion 120 may extend straight upward or may be slightly inclined with respect to the center line CL.

The corners 122 formed between the bottom wall 110 and the side wall 120 may be lightly chamfered, C-chamfered, or R-chamfered. The bottom wall 110 may also be provided with an engagement portion (not shown) on its outer periphery for engaging with the holder portion 22 of the rotating body 20.

The raised portion 130 protrudes from the bottom wall portion 110 while contacting the side wall portion 120. One or more raised portions 130 may be provided, and the number is not limited, but for example, one raised portion 130 may be provided, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The raised portion 130 is not present in the central region of the bottom wall portion 110 so as not to excessively impede the flow of the material M to be processed. The raised portion 130 may also be formed to extend along the side wall portion 120 up to near the opening of the container 100, or may be formed only near the bottom wall portion 110 as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The raised portion 130 has an upstream side 132 located upstream of the rotation (spin) of the rotating body 20 (Figures 2 and 3 assume that the rotation (spin) direction of the rotating body 20 is counterclockwise), a downstream side 134 located downstream of the rotation (spin) of the rotating body 20, and a top surface 136 facing the opening side of the container 100.

The upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134 have inclined surfaces that are inclined relative to the side wall portion 120. As shown, these inclined surfaces are provided over the entire upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134, but it is also possible for them to be provided over only a portion of the surface.

The inclination angle α of the inclined surface of the upstream side surface 132 relative to the side wall portion 120 is greater than the inclination angle β of the inclined surface of the downstream side surface 134 relative to the side wall portion 120. As shown in FIG. 2 , the inclination angle α refers to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the position of the inclined surface of the upstream side surface 132 closest to the side wall portion 120 and the position of the inclined surface of the upstream side surface 132 closest to the center line CL, and a tangent to a position on the side wall portion 120 that intersects with the imaginary line (including its extension). The inclination angle β refers to the angle between an imaginary line connecting the position of the inclined surface of the downstream side surface 134 closest to the side wall portion 120 and the position of the inclined surface of the downstream side surface 134 closest to the center line CL, and a tangent to a position on the side wall portion 120 that intersects with the imaginary line (including its extension).

The inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134 are formed as concave surfaces recessed toward the side wall portion 120. In particular, it is preferable that the inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134 be formed as surfaces that follow imaginary circles Cα and Cβ, respectively, as shown in FIG. 2. Note that imaginary circle Cα has a smaller radius than imaginary circle Cβ.

The corners formed between the upstream side surface 132, downstream side surface 134, and top surface 136, as well as the corners formed between any of the upstream side surface 132, downstream side surface 134, and top surface 136 and the bottom wall portion 110 or the side wall portion 120, may be lightly chamfered, C-chamfered, or R-chamfered.

Furthermore, the specific size of the raised portion 130 may be, for example, as follows, but is not limited to these. First, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the raised portion 130 has a height H, a length L, and a width W. The height H is the dimension between the highest part of the raised portion 130 and the bottom wall portion 110. The length L is the dimension between the part of the raised portion 130 that protrudes most from the side wall portion 120 and the side wall portion 120. The width W is the dimension between the two most circumferentially protruding parts of the raised portion 130. Since the size of the container 100 can be changed as needed, if the height of the side wall portion 120 inside the container 100 is taken as 100%, the lower limit of the height H of the raised portion 130 may be 5%, and more preferably 10%. The upper limit of the height H of the raised portion 130 may be 100%. If the radius of the bottom wall 110 inside the container 100 is taken as 100%, the lower limit of the length L of the raised portion 130 may be 10%, more preferably 20%. The upper limit of the length L of the raised portion 130 may be 80%. If the diameter of the bottom wall 110 inside the container 100 is taken as 100%, the lower limit of the width W of the raised portion 130 may be 10%, more preferably 20%. The upper limit of the width W of the raised portion 130 may be 80%.

Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing a material according to one embodiment of the present invention. This processing method is carried out using the container 100.

First, the user of the container 100 places the material to be processed M in the container 100 (S401).
Next, the user holds the container 100 in the holder portion 22 of the rotating body 20 of the centrifuge 1 (S402). As a result, the container 100 is held in the holder portion 22 so that its center line CL coincides with or is parallel to the rotation axis L2.

Next, the user operates the centrifuge 1 (S403). As the centrifuge 1 operates, the container 100 rotates (revolves) around the revolution axis L1 while also rotating around the rotation axis L2. This causes the material M to be processed within the container 100.

After processing the material M, the user stops the centrifuge 1 (S404). The user can then remove the container 100 from the centrifuge 1 and use the material M processed in the container 100.

Here, when the container 100 rotates (revolves) around the revolution axis L1 while rotating (spins) around the rotation axis L2, the upstream side 132 of the raised portion 130 is positioned upstream of the rotation around the rotation axis L2, and the downstream side 134 of the raised portion 130 is positioned downstream of the rotation around the rotation axis L2. The inclination angle α of the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 relative to the side wall 120 is larger than the inclination angle β of the inclined surface of the downstream side 134 relative to the side wall 120. This applies a strong force to the material M that hits the inclined surface of the upstream side 132, and allows the subsequent material M to flow smoothly along the inclined surface of the downstream side 134. This allows the container 100 to efficiently process the material M, such as by stirring. In particular, when the material M to be processed contains granular components in addition to fluid components, the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 of the container 100 can break up clumps of the granular components, while the inclined surface of the downstream side 134 allows them to flow smoothly, allowing processing of the material M, such as stirring, to be completed in a short time.

The inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134 are each formed as concave surfaces recessed toward the side wall portion 120, and in particular as surfaces along the imaginary circles Cα and Cβ. This allows the inclined surface of the upstream side surface 132 to exert a strong force on the material M to be processed that hits the inclined surface, promoting the smooth flow of the material M to be processed, and also allowing the material M to flow even more smoothly on the downstream side surface 134. This allows the processing of the material M to be processed, such as stirring, to be carried out more efficiently in the container 100.

Table 1 shows experimental results when a specified test material containing granular components in addition to fluid components was used as the material to be processed M. Configuration 1 refers to the case where a container according to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 5-12, was used. Comparative Example 1 refers to the case where a container in which the raised portion was removed from the container of Configuration 1 was used. Comparative Example 2 refers to the case where a container in which the raised portion of the container of Configuration 1 was modified so that the inclination angle α of the inclined surface of the upstream side relative to the sidewall portion and the inclination angle β of the inclined surface of the downstream side relative to the sidewall portion were equal (the radii of the imaginary circles Cα and Cβ were equal). In Table 1, "processing completed," "partially processed incomplete," and "processing incomplete" refer to a state where mixing is complete, some lumps remain, and many lumps remain, respectively. As shown in Table 1, when Configuration 1 was used, processing of the material to be processed M could be completed in a shorter time than in Comparative Examples 1 and 2.

Note that Figures 5 to 12 show six-sided views, end views, and perspective views of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention. Also, Figures 13 to 20 show six-sided views, end views, and perspective views of a container according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which only one raised portion is shown in solid lines.

The above embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, in the methods disclosed herein, steps, operations, or functions may be performed in parallel or in a different order, provided that the results are consistent. The steps, operations, and functions described are provided merely as examples, and some of the steps, operations, and functions may be omitted or combined into one, or other steps, operations, or functions may be added, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The raised portion 130 may also be configured so that the upstream side 132 and downstream side 134 have flat, inclined surfaces. Figure 21 is a plan view of the container 100 in this case (note that Figure 21 assumes that the rotation direction of the rotor 20 is counterclockwise).

The upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134 have a planar inclined surface that is inclined relative to the side wall portion 120. This inclined surface is provided over the entire area of the upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134, but it is also possible for this to be provided only partially. The inclination angle α of the inclined surface of the upstream side surface 132 relative to the side wall portion 120 is greater than the inclination angle β of the inclined surface of the downstream side surface 134 relative to the side wall portion 120. Note that in this application, when the upstream side surface 132 has a planar inclined surface, even if the inclination angle α of the inclined surface is 90 degrees, it is treated as being inclined relative to the side wall portion 120.

Even when the inclined surfaces of the upstream side 132 and downstream side 134 are flat, the inclination angle α of the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 relative to the sidewall 120 of the container 100 is larger than the inclination angle β of the inclined surface of the downstream side 134 relative to the sidewall 120. This exerts a strong force on the material M striking the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 and allows the material M to flow smoothly along the inclined surface of the downstream side 134. This allows the container 100 to efficiently process the material M, such as by stirring. In particular, when the material M contains granular components in addition to fluid components, the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 can break up clumps of the granular components while allowing the material M to flow smoothly along the inclined surface of the downstream side 134, allowing the material M to be processed, such as by stirring, to be completed in a short time. It is also possible that one of the inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface 132 and the downstream side surface 134 is formed as a concave surface (a surface along an imaginary circle) recessed toward the side wall portion 120, and the other is formed as a flat surface.

The raised portion 130 may also be configured so that the surfaces of the inclined surfaces of the upstream side 132 and downstream side 134 are surface-treated. For example, minute irregularities may be formed on the inclined surfaces of the upstream side 132 and downstream side 134, or a water-repellent coating or a hydrophilic coating may be applied. In this case, different surface treatments may be applied to the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 and the inclined surface of the downstream side 134. That is, the inclined surface of the upstream side 132 may be surface-treated to exert a greater force on the material M to be treated, and the inclined surface of the downstream side 134 may be surface-treated to promote smoother subsequent flow of the material M to be treated. In this case, the raised portion 130 may be configured such that the inclination angle α of the inclined surface of the upstream side surface 132 relative to the side wall portion 120 is equal to the inclination angle β of the inclined surface of the downstream side surface 134 relative to the side wall portion 120 (the radii of the imaginary circles Cα and Cβ are equal).

In addition, while various embodiments are disclosed in this specification, specific features (technical matters) in one embodiment may be added to or substituted for specific features in other embodiments, with appropriate modifications, and such forms are also within the scope of the present invention.

This invention can be widely used in the field of rotation-revolution centrifuges.

1: Centrifuge, 10: Revolving body, 11: Shaft, 12: First arm, 13: Second arm, 20: Rotating body, 21: Shaft, 22: Holder, 30: Support substrate, 40: Drive unit, 50: Control unit, 100: Container, 110: Bottom wall, 120: Side wall, 130: Raised portion, 132: Upstream side, 134: Downstream side, 136: Top surface, CL: Center line, Cα: Virtual circle, Cβ: Virtual circle, H: Height, L1: Revolution axis, L2: Rotation axis, M: Material to be processed, R: Angle, α: Tilt angle, β: Tilt angle

Claims (6)

A container held by the rotating body of a centrifuge, the container comprising: a revolving body rotatable around a revolution axis; a rotating body held by the revolving body and rotatable around a rotation axis; and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body,
a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion;
a raised portion that is in contact with the side wall portion and protrudes from the bottom wall portion;
Equipped with
The raised portion is
an upstream side surface facing the upstream side of the rotation of the rotor;
a downstream side surface facing the downstream side of rotation of the rotor;
Equipped with
the upstream side surface and the downstream side surface each have an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the side wall portion,
the inclined surface of the upstream side surface has a larger inclination angle with respect to the side wall portion than the inclined surface of the downstream side surface;
The container is held by the rotating body while containing a material to be processed, which includes a fluid component and a granular component, and the material to be processed is stirred by rotating the revolving body and the rotating body due to the rotational force applied by the drive unit . The container according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface and the downstream side surface is formed as a concave surface recessed toward the side wall portion. The container described in claim 2, wherein the inclined surfaces of the upstream side and the downstream side are surfaces that follow an imaginary circle, and the inclined surface of the upstream side is a surface that follows an imaginary circle with a smaller radius than the inclined surface of the downstream side. A container held by the rotating body of a centrifuge, the container comprising: a revolving body rotatable around a revolution axis; a rotating body held by the revolving body and rotatable around a rotation axis; and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body,
a bottom wall portion and a side wall portion;
a raised portion that is in contact with the side wall portion and protrudes from the bottom wall portion;
Equipped with
The raised portion is
an upstream side surface facing the upstream side of the rotation of the rotor;
a downstream side surface facing the downstream side of rotation of the rotor;
Equipped with
the upstream side surface and the downstream side surface each have an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the side wall portion,
the inclined surfaces of the upstream side surface and the downstream side surface are surfaces that follow an imaginary circle, and the inclined surface of the upstream side surface is a surface that follows an imaginary circle having a smaller radius than the inclined surface of the downstream side surface,
The container is held by the rotating body while containing a material to be processed, which includes a fluid component and a granular component, and the material to be processed is stirred by rotating the revolving body and the rotating body due to the rotational force applied by the drive unit . A container according to any one of claims 1 to 4;
a revolving body rotatable around the revolution axis;
a rotating body that is held by the revolving body and is rotatable around the rotation axis;
a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body;
Equipped with
the rotor holds the container ;
The drive unit rotates the revolving body and the rotating body that holds the container containing the material to be processed, which includes a fluid component and a granular component, thereby stirring the material to be processed in the container . A method of processing a material to be processed, the material including a fluid component and a particulate component, in a container according to any one of claims 1 to 4;
a step of holding the container containing the material to be processed on the rotating body of a centrifuge, the centrifuge comprising: a revolving body rotatable about the revolution axis; a rotating body held on the revolving body and rotatable about the rotation axis; and a drive unit that applies a rotational force to at least one of the revolving body and the rotating body;
a step of rotating the revolving body and the rotating body by a rotational force applied by the drive unit, thereby stirring the material to be processed in the container ;
A method for treating a material to be treated, comprising: