Patent ID: 6332707
Filing Date: 2001-12-25
Classification: B01F

Abstract:
A kneader comprising:a kneader body having a supply port for supplying an object material at one end and a discharge port at the other end and having a plurality of irregular passages in communication with said supply port and said discharge port, andmaterial supply means for feeding the object material to the kneader body,wherein said kneader body comprises:a plurality of first and second elements alternately connected to each other, each of said first and second elements having rectangular inlet ports at arranged in parallel relative to each other at a first end of each said first and second elements and rectangular outlet ports arranged in parallel relative to each other at a second end of each of said first and second elements,each of said inlet and outlet ports of the first and second elements communicating with the irregular passages,wherein said outlet ports at the second end of the first element have an arrangement pattern that is rotated approximately 90 degrees about a longitudinal axis of the first element relative to an arrangement pattern of said inlet ports at the first end of the first element, andwherein said outlet ports of the second end of the second element have an arrangement pattern that is rotated approximately 90 degrees about a longitudinal axis of the second element relative to an arrangement pattern of said inlet ports at the first end of the second element,wherein a direction of rotation of the arrangement pattern of said outlet ports of the second element is opposite a direction of rotation of said outlet ports of the first element of the outlet ports of the irregular passages at the other end of the second element, which eliminates the presence of a straight through-passage from said inlet ports of each irregular passage at the first end of the first element to said outlet port of each irregular passage at the second end of the second element,wherein each irregular passage has a sectional shape that progressively varies in a direction from the inlet port toward the outlet port,wherein a connection portion between each first and second element where the inlet port of the each irregular passage of the first element faces the outlet port of each irregular passage of the second element comprises merging and dividing means for merging and dividing the object material passing through each irregular passage, anda diameter of the discharge port of said kneader body is set to be smaller than a diameter of said supply port.