JP3249931U - Mixing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an agitator capable of expanding the area covered by a single agitator.
[Solution] An agitation device 10 used to agitate water in an aquarium 1 comprises an apparatus main body 11 having an underwater pump 22 and a discharge nozzle 24 that discharges water supplied by the underwater pump 22, and a guide rail 12 on which the apparatus main body 11 is mounted so that it can move up and down, the discharge nozzle 24 has a liquid injection pipe 31 connected to the underwater pump 22, and a trumpet tube 32 whose inlet cross-sectional area is larger than that of the outlet of the injection pipe 31 and which widens toward the outlet side, the outlet of the injection pipe 31 faces the inlet of the trumpet tube 32, and the water flow discharged from the injection pipe 31 and flowing into the trumpet tube 32 draws the surrounding water into the inlet of the trumpet tube 32, and the apparatus main body 11 is mounted so as to be able to rotate horizontally relative to the guide rail 12.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

This invention relates to an agitator used to agitate water in an aquarium.

For example, in the tanks of industrial wastewater treatment facilities, the water inside the tank is stirred to prevent waste from settling and to equalize the water quality.

Patent Document 1 describes an agitator for use in a sewage treatment tank. In this agitator, a propeller is fitted onto the rotating shaft of a horizontal submersible motor, and the propeller is surrounded by a guide ring. The guide ring is connected to a discharge bend that branches upward and downward. When the propeller is rotated by the submersible motor, an upward water flow is generated from the upward outlet of the discharge bend, and a downward water flow is generated from the downward outlet of the discharge bend.

Patent No. 4073665

However, it is not easy to configure a propeller-type agitator to emit a strong water current, and depending on the size and shape of the aquarium, it may not be possible to supply a water current of a sufficient speed to some areas of the aquarium. In such cases, it is necessary to install another agitator.

This invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to realize a mixing device that can expand the area covered by a single mixing device.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention is an agitation device used to agitate water in an aquarium, comprising a device body having an underwater pump and a discharge nozzle that discharges water supplied by the underwater pump, and a guide rail on which the device body is mounted so that it can move up and down, the discharge nozzle has a liquid injection tube connected to the underwater pump and a trumpet tube whose inlet cross-sectional area is larger than the outlet of the liquid injection tube and which widens toward the outlet side, the outlet of the liquid injection tube faces the inlet of the trumpet tube, and the water flow discharged from the liquid injection tube and flowing into the trumpet tube sucks the surrounding water into the inlet of the trumpet tube, and the device body is mounted so that it can rotate horizontally relative to the guide rail.

The second invention is based on the first invention, but the device body further includes a connecting pipe that extends from the discharge port of the underwater pump and branches into multiple outlets, and multiple discharge nozzles are provided, each connected to an outlet of the connecting pipe after branching.

The third invention is the first invention, in which the device body further includes an air supply pipe with one end opening into the discharge nozzle, and air is supplied into the discharge nozzle via the air supply pipe.

The fourth invention is based on the second invention, but the orientation of the outlet of the trumpet tube differs between the multiple discharge nozzles.

In this invention, a discharge nozzle is connected directly or indirectly to the underwater pump. The outlet of the liquid injection tube of the discharge nozzle faces the inlet of the trumpet tube. The inlet of the trumpet tube has a larger flow path cross-sectional area than the outlet of the liquid injection tube, and the trumpet tube widens toward the outlet side, functioning as a diffuser. In the discharge nozzle, the surrounding water is sucked into the inlet of the trumpet tube by the water flow discharged from the liquid injection tube and flowing into the trumpet tube. Such a discharge nozzle has a longer reach of the water flow than a propeller-type agitator. On the other hand, such a discharge nozzle discharges a strong water flow. In this invention, the device body is attached to a guide rail so that the device body does not tip backwards due to the water flow discharged by the discharge nozzle itself. And since the device body is restrained by the guide rail, the device body is attached so that it can rotate horizontally relative to the guide rail. Therefore, it is possible to set the discharge direction of the water flow with a long reach in various directions, and it is possible to realize an agitator that can expand the area covered by a single agitator.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stirring device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the stirring device according to the embodiment. FIG. 3A is a top view of the agitation device according to the embodiment before the device body is horizontally rotated, and FIG. 3B is a top view of the device body after it has been horizontally rotated. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the reaching state of the water flow discharged from the discharge nozzle of the agitation device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a stirring device according to another embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another stirring device according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a top view of a discharge nozzle to which an air supply pipe is attached in still another stirring device according to another embodiment.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is merely an example of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

This embodiment is an agitator 10 according to the present invention. The agitator 10 is installed, for example, in a water tank 1 of a factory wastewater treatment facility. The agitator 10 is used to agitate the water (such as wastewater) that accumulates in the water tank 1 for the purpose of preventing sedimentation of waste, etc.

[Configuration of the stirring device]
1 and 2, the agitator 10 includes a base 20, an apparatus body 11 placed on the base 20, and a guide rail 12 on which the apparatus body 11 is mounted so as to be movable up and down. The base 20 includes a support plate 20a and a plurality of legs 20b fixed to the rear surface of the support plate 20. The guide rail 12 is fixed to a wall surface 1a of the water tank 1.

The device body 11 is equipped with a submersible pump 22, a connecting pipe 23 that extends from the discharge port of the submersible pump 22 and branches into two, and a pair of discharge nozzles 24 each connected to an outlet of the connecting pipe 23 after branching. Each discharge nozzle 24 discharges water supplied by the submersible pump 22. In the following, the side of the device body 11 on which the discharge nozzles 24 are provided is referred to as the "front side" and the opposite side is referred to as the "rear side."

The submersible pump 22 is configured to suck in water, for example, from below and discharge the water upward from an outlet at the front. The inlet of the connection pipe 23 is connected to the outlet at the front. The upper surface of the housing of the submersible pump 22 is provided with a grip 22a for the user to hold. One end of a chain 18 for pulling the device main body 11 up from the water surface of the aquarium 1 is connected to the upper surface (grip 22a) of the housing 21. A ring is provided at the other end of the chain 18. A cable 19 is also connected to the submersible pump 22. Control signals and power are supplied to the submersible pump 22 via the cable 19. In Figure 2, the water flow sucked in by the submersible pump 22 and directed toward the discharge nozzle 24 is indicated by dashed arrows.

The connecting pipe 23 forms a flow path connecting the underwater pump 22 and each discharge nozzle 24. The connecting pipe 23 has a T-junction 23a connected to the outlet of the underwater pump 22, and a pair of post-branching pipes 23b connected to a pair of outlets provided after branching at the T-junction 23a. The T-junction 23a extends upward from its inlet and branches to the left and right. The post-branching pipes 23c have a 90-degree elbow. The post-branching pipes 23c are bent so that their inlets face sideways and their outlets face forward. A pair of discharge nozzles 24 are attached to the connecting pipe 23 in parallel with each other.

As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge nozzle 24 has a liquid injection pipe (nozzle) 31 connected to the outlet of the branched pipe 23c, and a trumpet tube 32 whose inlet has a larger flow passage cross-sectional area (diameter) than the outlet of the liquid injection pipe 31 and which widens in an approximately tapered shape toward the outlet side. The trumpet tube 32 narrows to a narrowed section 32a near the inlet, and widens from the narrowed section 32a toward the outlet side. The liquid injection pipe 31 and the trumpet tube 32 are connected by a plurality of connecting members 33 so that the central axis of the liquid injection pipe 31 and the central axis of the trumpet tube 32 are approximately aligned, and the outlet of the liquid injection pipe 31 faces the inlet of the trumpet tube 32 at a short distance. The inlet of the trumpet tube 32 has a larger area than the outlet of the liquid injection pipe 31 and is open to the outside. In the discharge nozzle 24, the surrounding water is sucked into the inlet of the trumpet tube 32 by the water flow discharged from the liquid injection pipe 31 and flowing into the trumpet tube 32 (see FIG. 4).

The guide rail 12 is open at the front in cross-sectional view. The guide rail 12 has a pair of front end portions 12a that sandwich the open portion in cross-sectional view. The guide rail 12 can be made of, for example, a lip channel steel (C channel).

The agitator 10 is mounted so as to be horizontally rotatable relative to the guide rail 12. The agitator 10 further comprises a belt member 13 for restraining the device body 11, a belt holder 14 for holding an end of the belt member 13, a support column 15 to which the belt holder 14 is attached, and a rail locking section 16 that protrudes rearward from the support column 15 and is locked to the guide rail 12.

The belt member 13 is composed of a flat belt. Two belt members 13 are provided. One belt member 13 is wound around the upper part of the housing 21, and the other belt member 13 is wound around the lower part of the housing 21.

Two belt holders 14 are provided for each belt member 13. Both ends of each belt member 13 are fixed to a support column 15 (or a member fixed to the support column 15) by a pair of belt holders 14. Each belt holder 14 is formed by a bolt that fastens the end of the belt member 13 to the support column 15. Here, the support column 15 is a member for supporting the device main body 11 from the rear side. The support column 15 is fixed to the upper surface of the base portion 20 and extends upward from the upper surface of the base portion 20. The support column 15 is provided with a belt guide 17 through which the belt member 13 passes.

The rail locking portion 16 is a plate material that is approximately T-shaped when viewed from above (see FIG. 3(a)). The rail locking portion 16 is disposed inside the guide rail 12, and is fixed to the rear side of the support pillar 15 through the front open portion of the guide rail 12. A pair of front end portions 12a of the guide rail 12 hold the rail locking portion 16 inside the guide rail 12 so that the rail locking portion 16 does not come off the guide rail 12. When the device body 11 is moved up and down along the guide rail 12, the rail locking portion 16 slides against the inner surface of the guide rail 12.

When the belt member 13 is tightly wrapped around the body of the housing 21 of the device main body 11 and both ends of the belt member 13 are fastened to the support columns 15 by both belt holders 14, the device main body 11 cannot be rotated horizontally relative to the guide rail 12.

From this state, by loosening the bolts of both (or one) of the belt holders 14, the constraint of the belt member 13 on the device body 11 is weakened, and the device body 11 can be rotated horizontally relative to the guide rail 12. Then, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), after the device body 11 is rotated horizontally and the direction of the discharge nozzle 24 is adjusted, both ends of the belt member 13 are fixed to the support columns 15 by both belt holders 14 with each belt member 13 firmly wrapped around the body of the housing 21. Note that when the device body 11 is rotated horizontally, the base 20, support columns 15, and belt guide 17 do not rotate horizontally, but the device body 11 also rotates horizontally relative to the base 20, support columns 15, and belt guide 17.

In addition, when performing maintenance on the device body 11, the chain 18 can be pulled from above the water surface to move the device body 11 above the water surface along the guide rails 12.

[Operation of the Stirring Device]
In the agitator 10, when the submersible pump 22 is operated, the submersible pump 22 discharges water from the discharge port. The water discharged from the submersible pump 22 is supplied to each discharge nozzle 24 via the connection pipe 23. In each discharge nozzle 24, the water flow discharged at high speed from the liquid injection pipe 31 flows into the trumpet tube 32, and the water near the inlet of the trumpet tube 32 is sucked into the inlet of the trumpet tube 32 due to the negative pressure generated at that time. As a result, a water flow greater than the discharge amount of the liquid injection pipe 31 is discharged from the trumpet tube 32. The discharge amount of the trumpet tube 32 is, for example, 4-5 times the discharge amount of the liquid injection pipe 31. As shown in FIG. 4, the water flow discharged from each trumpet tube 32 reaches the wall surface 1b of the water tank 1 on the opposite side to the wall surface 1a on which the agitator 10 is attached. The water flow is reflected by the wall surface 1b. As a result, a wider range of water is agitated by the water flow.

[Effects of the embodiment]
In this embodiment, a discharge nozzle 24 with a longer reach of the water flow is used compared to a propeller-type agitator. A plurality of discharge nozzles 24 are connected to one submersible pump 22 via a connecting pipe 23 that branches into multiple parts. Even if a plurality of discharge nozzles are connected to one submersible pump 22, it is possible to make the reach of the water flow discharged from each discharge nozzle 24 longer than that of a propeller-type agitator. Therefore, the water in a wide range of the water tank 1 is agitated by the water flow discharged from each discharge nozzle 24. In addition, the discharge nozzle 24 sucks the surrounding water to the inlet of the trumpet tube 32, so that the water around the inlet is also agitated. On the other hand, the device body 11 is restrained by the guide rail 12, but is attached so as to be horizontally rotatable relative to the guide rail 12. Therefore, it is possible to set the discharge direction of the water flow with a long reach in various directions. According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize an agitator 10 that can expand the area covered by one agitator 10.

[Other embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, the orientation of the outlet of the trumpet tube 32 may be different between the multiple discharge nozzles 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the outlet of the trumpet tube 32 of one of a pair of discharge nozzles 24 may face horizontally, and the outlet of the trumpet tube 32 of the other discharge nozzle 24 may face diagonally upward. This allows the water to be stirred efficiently even in an aquarium 1 with a certain degree of water depth. Note that the angle of the discharge nozzle 24 in the vertical direction may be freely adjusted, for example, by rotatably attaching a branched pipe 23c (a 90-degree elbow portion) to the T-junction 23b.

In the above embodiment, two discharge nozzles 24 are connected to one submersible pump 22, but as shown in FIG. 6, one discharge nozzle 24 may be connected to one submersible pump 22. Also, three or more discharge nozzles 24 may be connected to one submersible pump 22.

In the above embodiment, the device body 11 may further include an air supply pipe 25 with one end opening into the discharge nozzle 24 and a pump 26 for feeding air into the air supply pipe 25, as shown in FIG. 7, in order to perform aeration of the water in the aquarium 1. The air supply pipe 25 is inserted into the discharge nozzle 24 through the gap between the connecting members 33 adjacent in the circumferential direction and is fixed to a fixing bracket 27 attached to the branched pipe 23b (or the inlet side of the discharge nozzle 24). The air supply pipe 25 bends upward behind the fixing point of the fixing bracket 27, extends above the water surface, and is connected to the pump 26. The outlet of the air supply pipe 25 may be arranged so that air is discharged from the air supply pipe 25 by the negative pressure described above, without providing the pump 26.

This invention can be applied to stirring devices used to stir water in an aquarium.

Reference Signs List 1 Water tank 10 Agitator 11 Apparatus body 12 Guide rail 13 Belt member 14 Belt holder 20 Base 22 Underwater pump 23 Connection pipe 24 Discharge nozzle 31 Liquid injection pipe 32 Trumpet pipe

Claims (4)

An agitation device used to agitate water in a water tank,
A device body having an underwater pump and a discharge nozzle for discharging water supplied by the underwater pump;
The device body is provided with a guide rail on which the device body is mounted so as to be movable up and down,
The discharge nozzle has a liquid injection pipe connected to the underwater pump, and a trumpet pipe having a flow path cross-sectional area at the inlet larger than that at the outlet of the liquid injection pipe and expanding toward the outlet side, the outlet of the liquid injection pipe faces the inlet of the trumpet pipe, and is configured so that the surrounding water is sucked into the inlet of the trumpet pipe by the water flow discharged from the liquid injection pipe and flowing into the trumpet pipe,
The device body is attached to the guide rail so as to be horizontally rotatable. The device body further includes a connecting pipe extending from the discharge port of the submersible pump and branching into a plurality of branches,
The stirring device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the discharge nozzles are provided, each of the discharge nozzles being connected to an outlet of the connecting pipe after branching. The device body further includes an air supply pipe having one end opening into the discharge nozzle,
The agitation device according to claim 1 , wherein air is supplied into the discharge nozzle through the air supply pipe. The stirring device according to claim 2, wherein the orientation of the outlet of the trumpet tube differs between the multiple discharge nozzles.

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