Patent ID: 8092075

Claim:
An agitation/deaeration apparatus for simultaneously agitating and deaerating a to-be-kneaded object, comprising, a container which is hermetically sealable, comprising a container body in which the to-be-kneaded object is to be contained and a support axis fixed to the container body, a support member elastically jointed with a housing, a revolution table for rotatably supporting the container, which is rotatably supported about a revolution axis by the support member and rotates about the revolution axis with the container simultaneously revolving about the revolution axis and rotating relative to the revolution table, the revolution table comprising bearings with which the support axis is supported rotatably, a first rotation drive mechanism configured to drive and rotate the revolution table; an external device; and a flexible tube without a rotary joint, the flexible tube having one end fixed to the container and the other end connected with the external device, wherein the flexible tube has a midsection which is fixed to the housing, and has a torsional rigidity sufficiently high to keep an orientation of the container constant relative to the support member while the container is simultaneously revolving about the revolution axis and rotating relative to the revolution table with the revolution table rotating.