Agitating/defoaming apparatus

An agitating and defoaming apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of container holders, each of the plurality of container holders holding a container;
• a revolution member supporting each of the plurality of container holders so as to be rotatable, the revolution member being provided in such a way as to be rotatable on a first rotational shaft, the revolution member being configured to cause each of the plurality of container holders to revolve around the first rotational shaft;
• a first drive for rotationally driving the revolution member;
• an annular outer ring arranged to surround the plurality of container holders in such a manner that an inner circumferential portion of the outer ring is in abutting contact with an outer circumferential portion of each of the plurality of container holders;
• a case formed so as to be hermetically sealable and having at least the containers, the plurality of container holders, the revolution member, and the outer ring arranged therein;
• and
• a control unit which performs drive control,
• wherein the plurality of container holders and the outer ring are arranged in such a manner that an abutting contact portion annularly provided at an outer circumferential portion of each of the plurality of container holders and an abutting contact surface provided at the inner circumferential portion of the outer ring are in abutting contact with each other,
• wherein each of the plurality of container holders has a configuration to revolve around the first rotational shaft by revolution of the revolution member and rotate by a frictional force received from the outer ring, and
• wherein the agitating and defoaming apparatus further comprises an outer ring rotation mechanism, which is configured to rotate the outer ring with a central axis of the outer ring set coincident with a central axis of the revolution member.