Container having flexible walls

Abstract

A container having flexible walls, in the interior of which container there is arranged a mixer which has a mixing element arranged at a first end of a mixer shaft, it being possible for the mixer shaft with the mixing element to be set moving longitudinally by a drive arranged outside the interior of the container, wherein the mixer shaft can be placed on the inside of a container wall with its second end facing away from the mixing element and can be fixed magnetically on the outside of the container wall, facing away from the inside, by means of a coupling piece, and wherein the coupling piece is operatively connected to a force introducing device belonging to the drive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a container having flexible walls, mixer and drive;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of a further container having flexible walls with a plurality of force introducing devices and a plurality of drives;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the coupling piece from FIG. 2 in an enlarged illustration;

FIG. 4 shows a side view of a further container having flexible walls and electromagnetic force introducing device;

FIG. 5 shows a further container having flexible walls and pneumatic force introducing device in outline;

FIG. 6 shows a further container having flexible walls with two mixers opposite each other;

FIG. 7 shows a further container having flexible walls with two mixers arranged at right angles to each other;

FIG. 8 shows a further container having a drive and a plurality of force introducing devices and a mixer having two mixing elements;

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the mixer from FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the coupling piece from FIG. 2; and

FIG. 11 shows a further container having flexible walls and mechanical force introducing device via a pressure plunger.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning to FIG. 1, a container 1 having flexible walls substantially comprises a container interior 2 with a mixer 3 which is driven by a drive 4.

The mixer 3 comprises a mixing element 5, which is formed as a mixer plate 6. The mixer plate 6 is arranged concentrically at a first end 7 of a mixer shaft 8. At the second end 9 of the mixer shaft 8, facing away from the first end 7, a connecting piece 10 is arranged concentrically. The connecting piece 10 can be placed on an inside 12 of the container wall 13 with its connecting surface 11 facing away from the mixing element 5.

A coupling piece 14 can be placed with its contact surface 15 against the outside 16 of the container wall, facing away from the inside 12, so as to correspond to the connecting surface 11. By means of a permanent magnet (not illustrated) in the coupling piece 14, the mixer 3 is fixed to the container wall 13 via its connecting piece 10.

On its end face 17 facing away from the contact surface 15, the coupling piece 14 has an attachment 19 arranged centrally in relation to the shaft longitudinal axis 18. The attachment 19 can be connected mechanically to a force introducing device 20 of the drive 4 in a manner corresponding to FIG. 1.

By the force introducing device 20, the coupling piece 14 and therefore, via the connecting piece 10 and the mixer shaft 8, the mixing element 5 can be set moving longitudinally. With its conical holes 21, the mixer plate 6 forms a vibration mixer, which thoroughly mixes the liquid medium 22 arranged in the interior 2 of the container.

According to an exemplary embodiment corresponding to FIGS. 2 and 3, the coupling piece 14′ has four attachments 19′, on which four force introducing devices 20′ which are driven by four drives 4′ act. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 8, however, it is also possible to drive the force introducing devices 20″ by means of a single common drive 4″. According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8, the mixer 3″ can also have two or more mixing elements 5″.

According to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 4 and 5, the mixer 3′″ is arranged in the vertical direction at the bottom on the container wall 13.

According to the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, in each case an electromagnetic force introducing device 23 acts on the coupling pieces 24.

According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, a pneumatic force introducing device 25 acts on the coupling piece 26 with compressed air pulses. Instead of the pneumatic force introducing device 25, a mechanical force introducing device 27 having an oscillating pressure plunger 28 (see FIG. 11) can also be used. The pressure plunger 28 executes an up and down movement 29, 30, raising the mixer 3′″ in the upward movement 29 via the coupling piece 26 which, during the downward movement 30, follows the pressure plunger 28 with the mixer 3′″ as a result of gravity.

In the interior 2 of the container, according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, there are arranged two mixers 3′″ arranged opposite each other while, according to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7, two mixers 3′″ arranged at right angles in relation to each other are arranged in the interior 2 of the container.

When delivered, the mixer 3 is already located in the container 1. In order to produce the operating state, the connecting piece 10 is merely held on the container wall 13 and fixed from outside with the coupling piece 14. The connecting piece 10 and the coupling piece 14 attract each other, so that further connecting elements are not necessary. For the purpose of simpler handling, the connecting piece 10 of the mixer 3 can also be fixed to the bag wall from the inside, for example with a spot of adhesive. However, the container can also already be supplied with a coupling piece 14 placed on the outside. The mixers 3, 3″ and 3′″ are controlled via the drives 4, 4′, 4″ by control devices (not illustrated).

Claims

1. Container having flexible walls, in the interior (2) of which container there is arranged a mixer (3, 3″, 3′″) which has a mixing element (5) arranged at a first end (7) of a mixer shaft (8), it being possible for the mixer shaft (8) with the mixing element (5) to be set moving longitudinally by a drive (4, 4′, 4″) arranged outside the interior (2) of the container, the improvement wherein the mixer shaft (8) can be placed on the inside (12) of a container wall (13) with its second end (9) facing away from the mixing element (5) and can be fixed magnetically on the outside (16) of the container wall (13), facing away from the inside (12), by means of a coupling piece (14, 14′, 24, 26), and in that the coupling piece (14, 14′, 24, 26) is operatively connected to a force introducing device (20, 20′, 20″, 23, 25) belonging to the drive (4, 4′, 4″).

2. Container according to claim 1, wherein the second end (9) of the mixer shaft (8) has a connecting piece (10) with a connecting surface (11) which rests on the inside (12) of the container wall (13).

3. Container according to claim 2, wherein the coupling piece (14, 14′, 24, 26) has a contact surface (15) which rests on the outside (16) of the container wall (13) so as to correspond to the connecting surface (11) of the connecting piece (10).

4. Container according to claim 3, wherein the connecting piece (10) and the coupling piece (14, 14′ 24, 26) can be fixed in relation to each other by permanent magnets.

5. Container according to claim 4, wherein the connecting piece (10) and the coupling piece (14, 14′, 24, 26) are at least partly formed in the shape of a plate.

6. Container according to claim 3, wherein the coupling piece (14, 14′, 24) has at least one attachment (19, 19′), on which the force introducing device (20, 20′, 20″, 23) acts.

7. Container according to claim 3, wherein the coupling piece (14′) has a plurality of attachments (19′), to which a plurality of force introducing devices (20, 20′) can apply longitudinal movements at different times.

8. Container according to claim 7, wherein it is possible to act on the mixing element (5) with a tumbling movement in addition to a reciprocating movement.

9. Container according to claim 8, wherein it is possible to act on the mixing element (5) with a rotational component.

10. Container according to claim 1, wherein the force introducing device (25) acts on the mixer shaft (8) or the coupling piece (26) pneumatically.

11. Container according to claim 1, wherein the force introducing device (20, 20′, 20″, 23) acts mechanically or electromagnetically on the coupling piece (14, 14′, 24).

12. Container according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of force introducing devices (20, 20′) each belong to a separate drive (4′) or a common drive (4″).

13. Container according to claim 1, wherein the mixer (3″) has two mixing elements (5″) arranged at a distance from each other.

14. Container according to claim 1, wherein the mixing elements (5) are formed as mixer plates (6) provided with conical holes (21).

15. Container according to claim 1, wherein at least two mixers (3′″) are arranged in the interior (2) of the container and in that the mixers (3, 3″) can be driven with different phases in order to produce a directed flow.