Patent Application
20140133267
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
The disclosure relates generally to fluid mixing devices, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a self-retaining, portable fluid mixing device capable of being connected to a container and retained thereon without the aid of a user.
The self-retaining fluid mixing device and method of the disclosure may be used in various capacities to mix a wide variety of fluids having a wide variety of viscosities. Thus, the disclosure is not limited to any particular type of fluid or viscosity. An example of fluids that may be mixed by the self-retaining device of the disclosure include flavoring syrups and thickeners used for shaved ice confectioneries. As disclosed herein below, the mixer or apparatus of the disclosure can be quickly attached to and detached from a container without the use of extraneous, cumbersome fasteners. The torque caused by operation of the motor causes the apparatus and system to lock in place during use, such that when the torque is released, the apparatus may be quickly and easily removed from the container.
A variety of machines have been developed, described and are widely known for mixing fluids. However, despite the advantages of such machines, improvements are still being sought. Machines in the marketplace may have limitations such as, cumbersome procedures requiring the user to hold onto or grasp the machine while in use requiring unnecessary human capital to mix the fluids, large machines that are difficult to manually carry or move from one location to another in a timely manner, or because the machine is heavy and unwieldy such that the user may not easily move the machine from one container to another. Such machines tend to cause slowness to the overall operation, which may be disadvantageous in industries where speed is required. For example, slow machines or machines that require large amounts of human capital to operate can reduce the efficiency of a business. In various industries, for example a shaved ice business or any other business in the concessions industry, it is important for the success of that business to move customers through a waiting line quickly to finalize the sale of a confectionary product to customers. In the example of a shaved ice business, the ability to quickly mix flavor syrups on the job site is imperative to the success of a shaved ice concession stand, especially in locations where time is of the essence, for example at a halftime break at a sporting event or other intermission. Otherwise, when mixing flavors or other fluids consumes too much time the business will lose out on the opportunity to make a sale because the break is either over or the customers are tired of waiting in long lines.
Machines in the marketplace may thus be characterized by several disadvantages that may be addressed by the disclosure. The disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base, or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.
The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.
Before the apparatus, system and methods for mixing fluids in a container are disclosed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
In describing and claiming the disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
As used herein, the phrase “consisting of” and grammatical equivalents thereof exclude any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim.
As used herein, the phrase “consisting essentially of” and grammatical equivalents thereof limit the scope of a claim to the specified materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic or characteristics of the claimed disclosure.
As used herein, the term “motor” refers to a power source that imparts torque; or any rotating pneumatic or air motor, which does mechanical work by expanding compressed air; or any electromagnetic device used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy; whether or not the power source, motor or electromagnetic device is housed within or as part of another device, such as a drill or other mechanical device.
As used herein, the term “proximal” shall refer broadly to the concept of a nearest portion.
As used herein, the term “distal” shall generally refer to the opposite of proximal, and thus to the concept of a further portion, or a furthest portion, depending upon the context.
Referring now to the drawings and specifically to
The frame member 110 may comprise a saddle 112 and a securing plate 114 for connecting the frame member 110 to a handle 202 or other portion of the container 200 and retaining the frame member 110 with respect to the container 200 (illustrated best in
It will be appreciated that in an embodiment, the slot 116 may be substantially formed in or as part of the securing plate 114 as illustrated in
The securing plate 114 may comprise a substantially planar first portion or surface 115 that may have an end that forms or defines a top portion of the slot 116 (illustrated best in
In an embodiment, to retain the frame member 110 when torque is applied to the drive shaft 124 and plurality of paddles or blades 122, the slot 116 is provided. The slot 116 may be positioned between the securing plate 114 on one side and the saddle 112 on the other side, such that the slot 116 is structurally supported. The slot 116 may be formed such that when torque is applied, the torque forces the structural supports of the frame member 110 into contact with portions of the container 200, such as a base of the handle 202. The slot may be defined by portions of the saddle 112 and the securing plate 114 (illustrated best in
The slot 116 may comprise a ratio between a length L1 of the slot 116 to a length L2 of the securing plate 114 that is within a range of about 0.15 to about 0.75, or within a range of about 0.20 to about 0.50, or within a range of about 0.25 to about 0.30.
The saddle 112 may comprise a first portion 112a having a curved surface for engaging a housing for the motor 1000, and a second portion 112b, which may comprise a tubular portion, for interacting with or receiving a portion of the housing of the motor 1000 therein. The curved surface may comprise a friction member, such as a rubber padding material, used to hold the motor 1000 with respect to the frame member 110. The second portion 112b may comprise a coupling device for coupling the frame member 110 to a portion of the container 200, which leads to an opening 202 of said container 200. More specifically, the second portion 112b of the saddle 112 may be coupled to a lip 204 of the opening 202 of the container 200 (illustrated best in
In an embodiment, the tubular portion of the second portion 112b may be sized and shaped to fit around or within the lip 204 of the container 200 to help structurally support the frame member 110. It will be appreciated that the saddle 112 may be configured and dimensioned to couple, attach or otherwise connect the frame member 110 to the motor 1000 and to the container 200. The tubular portion may be inserted over the threads of the opening of the container 200 (illustrated in
When the frame member 110 is attached to the container 200 (illustrated best in
In addition, a ratio between a length L3 of the saddle 112 to the length L2 of the securing plate 114 may exist that may be within a range of about 1 to about 1.25, or between a range of about 1.10 and about 1.20.
Referring specifically to
It will be appreciated that the plurality of blades 122 may be manufactured from any suitable material, including but not limited to rubber or other polymeric materials, metal, metal alloys, or other suitably strong material that is sufficient for mixing fluids. In addition, when mixing food grade fluids, such as flavoring syrups and concentrates, the plurality of blades 122 should be manufactured from food grade materials.
The drive shaft 124 may comprise a length L4 that may be sufficiently long to extend the plurality of blades 122 into the middle space of the container 200 in order to create a chaotic or turbulent mixing within the container. For example, the length L3 may be within a range of about eight to about sixteen inches, or may be about twelve inches if used with a 5 gallon container that is commonly found and used in the flavored syrup industry. However, it will be appreciated that the length L3 may be larger or smaller than the specified range and may be dictated by the size of the container used.
The plurality of blades 122 may be configured and dimensioned to cause chaotic or turbulent flow in the container when torque is applied. Further, the plurality of blades 122 may comprise an overall diameter that is dictated by the diameter of the opening of the container 200. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in
The disclosure also contemplates a system for mixing fluids within a container 200. The system may comprise a motorized device, such as a drill for example, that is capable of providing torque. The system may also comprise a self-retaining apparatus that may itself comprise a frame member 110 that is mechanically coupled to a motor 1000. The frame member 110 may comprise a saddle 112 and a securing plate 114 for connecting and retaining the frame member 110 with respect to a container 200. The system may also comprise a mixing paddle 120. The mixing paddle 120 may comprise a plurality of blades 122 and a drive shaft 124. The plurality of blades 122 may be in mechanical communication with the drive shaft 124. In turn, the drive shaft 124 may be in mechanical communication with the motor 1000, such that when the motor 1000 is actuated or operated the drive shaft 124 rotates thereby imparting torque from the motor 1000 to the plurality of blades 122 due to the mechanical communication between the motor 1000, drive shaft 124 and plurality of blades 122. It will be appreciated that the frame member 110 may comprise a slot 116 that may be configured and dimensioned to interact with and contact a portion of the container 200 to thereby connect and retain the frame member 110 in a certain location with respect to the container 200 without requiring a user to grasp and hold the self-retaining apparatus in place during use.
When the fluid product, such as a flavoring agent or a flavoring syrup comprised of water and sugar, is mixed in the container 200, the motor 1000 is initially turned off. When the motor 1000 is operated or actuated, the torque caused by the motor operates to force the frame member 110 to lock into position with respect to the handle 202 of the container as discussed above. When the motor is turned off the torque is also removed from the apparatus, thereby releasing the load placed thereon and essentially unlocking the apparatus from the handle 202 of the container 200. With the apparatus in a freed state, the apparatus can be easily removed and located on the next container or jug for mixing additional fluids. There is no need for any extraneous fasteners or further mechanical attachments or couplers other than the structures disclosed herein, such as screws, bolts, and the like, to secure the apparatus to the container. Thus, the apparatus is a self-retaining apparatus that is simple in design and operation. The apparatus also provides significant time savings because a single operator is able to prepare the next, second container containing the fluid to be mixed, while the apparatus is operating and mixing the fluid in the first container (illustrated best in
In accordance with the features and combinations described above, a useful method of mixing fluids in a container may comprise:
attaching a self-retaining apparatus for mixing fluids to a container, wherein the apparatus comprises:
actuating a motor such that the drive shaft of the mixing paddle is caused to rotate thereby imparting torque from the motor to the plurality of blades due to the mechanical communication between the motor, drive shaft and plurality of blades.
It will be appreciated that all numbers, degrees, percentages, and the like that fall within or between the ranges disclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of the disclosure as if each number, degree, percentage and the like was individually disclosed. For example, in an embodiment, the angle θ has been disclosed as being formed between the first portion 115 and the second portion 117 and that such angle θ may fall within a range of about ten degrees and about thirty degrees. All angles falling within the range of about ten degrees to about thirty degrees are to be considered individually disclosed, such that eleven degrees, twelve degrees, thirteen degrees, fourteen degrees and so on are all disclosed as part of the disclosure and fall within the specified range, whether the exact number, degree or percentage is exactly specified or not.
Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provide by the features of the disclosure. For example, it is a potential feature of the disclosure to provide a portable, self-retaining fluid mixing apparatus, system and method that is simple in design and manufacture. Another potential feature of the disclosure is to provide such a fluid mixing apparatus that is self-retaining and capable of being used with a first container while the user is attending to the needs of a second container. It is a further potential feature of the disclosure, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide a mixing fluid apparatus and system that is portable and capable of being carried by hand.
In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the disclosure.
It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.
