Patent ID: 7681814

Claim:
A jet mill apparatus for producing, from a coarse material, a fine material and a material to be further ground, comprising: a) a product feed ( 1 ) for introducing the coarse material into the jet mill apparatus; b) a grinding zone ( 2 ) connected to the product feed ( 1 ); c) a means for grinding positioned within the grinding zone ( 2 ), whereby the coarse material is formed into the fine material and the material to be further ground; d) a conveying section ( 3 ) connected to the grinding zone ( 2 ) for conveying the fine material and the material to be further ground away from the grinding zone ( 2 ); e) an integrated dynamic classifier section ( 55 ) connected to the conveying section ( 3 ) to which the fine material and the material to be further ground are conveyed, said integrated dynamic classifier section ( 55 ) further comprising: e1) a classifying zone ( 4 ) being connected to the conveying section ( 3 ), e2) a classifying wheel ( 45 ) being mounted rotatably within the classifying zone ( 4 ) and being generally cylindrical and having both an interior surface and an exterior surface, wherein the circumference of the interior surface defines a hallow interior region and further wherein said interior surface and said exterior surface are penetrable by the fine material, but not penetrable by the material to be further ground, and e3) a classifying-wheel drive motor attached to the classifying wheel ( 45 ) for driving the rotation of the classifying wheel ( 45 ), wherein the fine material and the material to be further ground enter the classifying zone ( 4 ) from the conveying section ( 3 ) and where the fine material travels into the interior region of said classifying wheel ( 45 ); f) a fine-material outlet ( 5 ) connected adjacent to the hallow interior region of the classifying wheel ( 45 ) through which the fine material is removed from the jet mill apparatus; and g) a coarse-material return ( 6 ) connected to the classifying zone ( 4 ) for circulating the material to be further ground back to the grinding zone ( 2 ).