Flotation apparatus

Abstract

A flotation apparatus F includes a tank 1 for receiving a liquid raw material, and introduces air into the tank 1 to generate bubbles for adsorbing print ink in the liquid raw material to the bubbles, thereby floating and separating the print ink. The flotation apparatus F includes a circulating device for circulating the liquid raw material by raising and then lowering the liquid raw material in the tank 1, an air supply tube 4 for supplying air into the tank 1, and an agitating member 5 provided in the tank 1 for taking the air from the air supply tube 4 and agitating the air for forming the air into fine bubbles. The agitating member 5 has a rotary shaft 51 held horizontally and a plurality of members 52 horizontally separately provided around an outer periphery. On a cross section transverse to a longitudinal direction of the tank 1, an outer periphery of the agitating member 5 is arranged on a lower side of the tank 1 and in a position at a downstream side of the liquid raw material relative to a vertical line V passing through a center of the tank 1.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.