Patent ID: 7575364

Claim:
A mixing apparatus for mixing particles and liquid, wherein the apparatus comprises: cylindrical body having a lower opening and an upper opening, the cylindrical body having an inner wall surface defining an interior extending along a central axis and having a conical portion with a diameter which decreases in the direction toward the lower opening from the upper opening, wherein the upper opening serves as a charging port for charging the particles; a liquid feeding opening provided on an upper side of the cylindrical body for injecting the liquid in a peripheral direction on the inner wall surface of the cylindrical body in order to make the liquid fall along the inner wall of the cylindrical body while swirling in a vortex; a particle charging pipe communicating with said upper opening, having a central axis aligned with the central axis of the cylindrical body and charging particles into the cylindrical body along a path extending along the central axis of the cylindrical body, from the particle charging ripe to the lower opening of the cylindrical body; a dispersing pipe connected to the lower opening of the cylindrical body; and disposed in series along the central axis in the dispersing pipe, at least two stages of dispersing boards for dispersing the particles in the liquid, each dispersing board being formed of a plurality of tabular members joined in a cruciform arrangement.