Patent Publication Number: US-11033865-B2

Title: Dissolution mixer

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a dissolution mixer, and more particularly, to a dissolution mixer designed to input powder in a dispersed form so that the power may be easily dissolved. 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2017-0000872 filed on Jan. 3, 2017 in the Republic of Korea, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) is currently used for dispersion and phase stabilization of an aqueous negative electrode of a lithium secondary battery and is used in a solution state by performing the dissolution and filtering processes so that any issue in the battery manufacturing process caused by the existence of a specific undissolved material peculiar to natural materials is solved. 
     However, during the process in which CMC is dissolved into a solution state, if CMC powder is input into a dissolution bath in a lump, undissolved material may be excessively generated due to particle agglomeration. Thus, when a worker inputs the powder, it is necessary for the user to input the powder dividedly several times, and also the power should be applied as thinly as possible when being inputted, thereby giving difficulties in the process. 
     Further, if a worker directly inputs CMC powder in a divided manner as above, a mixer should be opened whenever the power is inputted, and thus the risk of contamination of the material is very high. In addition, the risk to the worker is also great, and it is urgently required to improve the quality of the material. 
     This requirement is not limited to the process of inputting CMC powder but is also applied to a process of inputting another kind of powder, which is applied for manufacturing a secondary battery. 
     DISCLOSURE 
     Technical Problem 
     The present disclosure is designed to solve the problems of the related art, and therefore the present disclosure is directed to improving a structure of a mixer to minimize the generation of undissolved material due to particle agglomeration, which may occur when powder is dissolved, to improve the quality of the material by eliminating the risk of contamination of the material, which may occur when the power is inputted, and to improve the productivity by automating the powder inputting process. 
     However, the technical problem to be solved by the present disclosure is not limited to the above, and other objects not mentioned herein will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following present disclosure. 
     Technical Solution 
     In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a dissolution mixer, comprising: a dissolution bath configured to accommodate a powder and a solvent for dissolving the powder; a powder input unit located at an outer side of the dissolution bath; an impeller installed to be rotatable inside the dissolution bath; and an anchor located inside the dissolution bath and having a passage of the powder inputted by the powder input unit and a powder spouting hole connected to the passage. 
     The dissolution mixer may further comprise a dissolved material discharging unit connected to a lower portion of the dissolution bath. 
     The anchor may have a rectangular frame shape. 
     The anchor may include: an upper frame connected to the powder input unit; a lower frame located below the upper frame; and a pair of connection frames configured to connect the upper frame and the lower frame. 
     The powder spouting hole may be formed in the lower frame. 
     A center portion of the lower frame may have a donut shape. 
     The powder spouting hole may be formed in both the center portion of the lower frame and a region of the lower frame other than the center portion. 
     The powder spouting hole may be formed only in the center portion of the lower frame. 
     The anchor may be installed to be rotatable inside the dissolution bath. 
     A rotating direction of the anchor may be identical to a rotating direction of the impeller. 
     A rotating speed of the anchor may be slower than a rotating speed of the impeller. 
     The impeller and the anchor may rotate based on the same rotation shaft. 
     Advantageous Effects 
     According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by improving a structure of a mixer, it is possible to minimize the generation of undissolved material due to particle agglomeration, which may occur when powder is dissolved, and to improve the quality of the material by eliminating the risk of contamination of the material, which may occur when the power is inputted. 
     According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the productivity by automating the powder inputting process. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and together with the foregoing disclosure, serve to provide further understanding of the technical features of the present disclosure, and thus, the present disclosure is not construed as being limited to the drawing. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an inner structure of the dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  are diagrams showing examples of an anchor employed in the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE 
     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Prior to the description, it should be understood that the terms used in the specification and the appended claims should not be construed as limited to general and dictionary meanings, but interpreted based on the meanings and concepts corresponding to technical aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of the principle that the inventor is allowed to define terms appropriately for the best explanation. Therefore, the description proposed herein is just a preferable example for the purpose of illustrations only, not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, so it should be understood that other equivalents and modifications could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
     A structure of a dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,  FIG. 2  is a diagram showing an inner structure of the dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIGS. 3 and 4  are diagrams showing examples of an anchor employed in the present disclosure. 
     First, referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a dissolution bath  10 , a powder input unit  20 , an anchor  40  and an impeller  50 , and may further include a dissolved material discharging unit  30 . 
     The dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is used for mixing carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) powder with a solvent such as water to make a dissolved material. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the dissolution mixer may also be used for a mixing process of various kinds of powder in addition to CMC powder. 
     The dissolution bath  10  has a hollow cylindrical shape and may accommodate a solvent such as water therein. The dissolution bath  10  may have a downwardly convex shape to have a cross-sectional area gradually narrowed in a lower direction, so that the dissolved material is easily discharged through a lower portion of the dissolution bath  10  after the mixing process is completed. 
     However, after the dissolved material is completely generated through the mixing process, the dissolved material does not necessarily have to be discharged through the lower portion of the dissolution bath but may be discharged through an upper portion of the dissolution bath. Thus, the lower portion of the dissolution bath  10  does not necessarily have the convex shape. 
     In addition, the dissolution bath  10  may have an opening so that the dissolved material may be discharged through the upper portion, and may include a cover installed to open or close the opening. 
     The powder input unit  20  may be connected to the inside of the dissolution bath  10  through the upper portion of the dissolution bath  10 , and the powder may be inputted into the dissolution bath  10  through the powder input unit  20 . 
     The impeller  50  is installed to rotate in a direction perpendicular to the ground, namely based on a rotary shaft extending in a vertical direction in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As the impeller rotates in the dissolution bath  10 , that the powder and the solvent inputted into the dissolution bath  10  may be mixed well. 
     The impeller  50  is preferably positioned in a width direction of the dissolution bath  10 , namely at a center portion in a lateral direction based on  FIGS. 1 and 2 , for efficient mixing. 
     The anchor  40  is located inside the dissolution bath  10  and has a passage of the powder inputted by the powder input unit  20  and a powder spouting hole connected to the passage. The powder may be moved through the passage by applying a pressure at the input unit  20  or by making a vacuum in the inner space of the dissolution bath  10 . 
     The anchor  40  has an approximately rectangular frame shape. Specifically, the anchor  40  may include an upper frame  41  connected to the powder input unit  20 , a lower frame  42  positioned below the upper frame  41 , and a pair of connection frames  43  connecting the upper frame and the lower frame. 
     An empty space serving as the passage through which the powder is movable as described above is formed inside the frame of the anchor  40 , and a plurality of powder spouting holes H are formed in the lower frame  42 . 
     The powder inputted by the powder input unit  20  is moved through the empty space formed inside the anchor  40 , namely through the powder passage, and is supplied into the dissolution bath  10  through the powder spouting hole H when reaching the lower frame  42 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a center portion  42   a  of the lower frame  42  may have a donut shape with an empty central portion. Also, the powder spouting hole H may be formed in the entire lower frame  42  (see  FIG. 3 ), but it is also possible that the powder spouting hole H is formed only in the center portion  42   a  having a donut shape (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     This is to allow the powder to be spouted within a direct influence range of a vortex formed by the rotation of the impeller  50 . 
     In order to spout the powder within the direct influence range of the vortex formed by the rotation of the impeller, it is preferred that the lower frame  42  is positioned lower than the impeller  50  and the powder spouting hole H is located in the upper portion of the lower frame  42  so that the powder is spouted upward. 
     In this case, the impeller  50  is rotated in a direction in which a vortex is generated below the impeller  50 , and powder is spouted in a direction toward the generated vortex, thereby enabling more efficient mixing. 
     Further, in order to spout the powder within the direct influence range of the vortex generated by the impeller  50 , it is preferable that a diameter of the center portion  42   a  is less than a diameter of the impeller  50 . 
     Meanwhile, the anchor  40  may be installed to be rotatable for a more efficient mixing effect. In this case, the anchor  40  may rotate with respect to the rotary shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the ground, similar to the impeller  50 , and a rotating direction of the anchor  40  may be identical to a rotating direction of the impeller  50 , and a rotating speed of the anchor  40  may be lower than a rotating speed of the impeller  50 . 
     If the anchor  40  spouts the powder while directly rotating, the powder supplied through the same powder spouting hole H may not be supplied to the same position but the supplied location may be continuously changed. Thus, the possibility of generating undissolved material caused by particle agglomeration during the mixing process may be significantly lowered. 
     As described above, the dissolution mixer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is designed to disperse and supply the powder through the powder spouting hole H formed in the anchor  40 . Further, the powder spouting hole H is disposed at an appropriate position to give an improved mixing effect, thereby significantly lowering the generation of undissolved material caused by particle agglomeration. 
     The present disclosure has been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the scope of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.