The present invention relates to the mixing of fluid dispersions and more specifically to apparatus and methods for mixing a tinting concentrate disposed in a container.
In retail paint stores, architectural paints are typically prepared by adding one or more tinting concentrates to a white or pastel base to obtain a particular color desired by a customer. A tinting concentrate comprises highly concentrated levels of color pigment ground or dispersed into a grinding vehicle, such as a blend of water, surfactants, dispersants and other additives. One representative tinting concentrate blend could comprise one or more pigments, water, surfactants, dispersants and ethylene glycol. Tinting concentrates are typically provided in plastic containers commonly referred to as F-style containers. An F-style container generally has a rectangular body with a top mounted handle and an offset pour spout. Examples of F-style containers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 228,230; Des. 237,255; and Des. 274,130, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
Since a tinting concentrate is a dispersion of solid pigment in a liquid vehicle, the pigment tends to settle toward the bottom of the F-style container through the force of gravity. If such settling is allowed to occur, the concentration of pigment in the tinting concentrate will vary from location to location within the F-style container. Such variations in the pigment concentration can cause inaccuracies in tinting and can adversely impact the dispersion of the pigment in the paint.
In order to prevent the pigment from settling in a tinting concentrate, the tinting concentrate is mixed by manually shaking the F-style container. Such manual shaking, however, is physically demanding and often results in less than satisfactory mixing of the tinting concentrate. Accordingly, it would be desirable to mix the tinting concentrate using a mixing machine.
Mixing machines exist for mixing paint in containers. Conventional paint mixing machines, however, are specially designed to handle metal cylindrical one gallon paint cans and/or five gallon cylindrical plastic buckets. Conventional mixing machines typically cannot accommodate F-style containers or will damage F-style containers.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for mechanically mixing tinting concentrates. The present invention is directed to such an apparatus and method.
The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
It should be noted that in the detailed description that follows, identical components have the same reference numerals, regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present invention. It should also be noted that in order to clearly and concisely disclose the present invention, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features of the invention may be shown in somewhat schematic form.
As used herein, “tinting concentrate” shall mean a fluid pigment concentrate comprising highly concentrated levels of color pigment ground into a grinding vehicle. The most common grinding vehicle used in tinting concentrates is a blend of ethylene glycol and water in conjunction with various surfactants. Color pigments typically used include ferrite yellow oxide, red iron oxides, ferric iron oxide brown (which is a blend of red, yellow, and black iron oxides), tan oxide (which is a similar blend), raw sienna and burnt sienna, raw and burnt umber, copper phthalo cyanine green and blue, DNA orange (dinitroaniline orange #5), carbon black, lampblack, toluidine red, parachlor red, (burnt red and maroon red) hansa yellows which are azo coupling of metapara nitrotoluidiene and quinacridone red, magenta and violet. The amount of color pigment used in a tinting concentrate is typically from about 5 weight percent to about 70 weight percent, depending on the type of color pigment.
As used herein, the term “conventional five gallon paint bucket” shall mean a cylindrical plastic bucket for holding paint, having an interior volume of slightly greater than 5 gallons. A conventional five gallon paint bucket typically has a lower interior diameter of about 10⅛ inches, a larger upper interior diameter of about 11⅛ inches and a height of about 14¾ inches.
As used herein, the term “F-style container” shall mean a container for holding liquids, wherein the container has a generally rectangular footprint, an upwardly-opening threaded collar for closure with a threaded cap, and a top-mounted handle.
Referring now to
The mixing apparatus 10 has an upper housing 12 and a lower housing 14 that enclose a frame assembly 16 (shown in
Referring now to
Referring now also to
A table 70 is mounted between the bottom portions of the side structures 50 for slidable movement between a retracted position, wherein a major portion of the table 70 is disposed within the inner frame 22, and an extended position, wherein a major portion of the table 70 is disposed outside and in front of the inner frame 22. The table 70 includes a metal plate 72 having a top surface to which a rubber pad 74 is preferably secured. The rubber pad 74 preferably has a thickness of about a ¼ inch.
A clamp assembly 76 is disposed between the side structures 50, above the table 70. As best shown in
A pair of threaded rods 86 extend through the notches 84 in the ends of the upper bar 80. The rods 86 extend through and are threadably engaged with nuts 88 that are secured to the upper bar 80 around the notches 84. Lower portions of the rods 86 extend through the openings 62 in the rod mounting plates 60 and are secured to the screw mounting plates 60 to permit rotational, but not axial, movement of the rods 86. First and second pulleys 90, 92 are secured to top ends of the rods 86 and are connected together by an endless belt 94. The first pulley 90 is connected by a coupling to a substantially vertical output shaft of a gearbox 96. A horizontal input shaft of the gearbox 96 is connected by a coupling 98 to a drive shaft of a reversible electric clamping motor 100. The gear box 96 and the clamping motor 100 are secured to the top structure 52 of the inner frame 22.
The gear box 96 is operable to translate the rotation of the drive shaft of the clamping motor 100 into rotation of the first pulley 90. The rotation of the first pulley 90, in turn, is transmitted to the second pulley 92 by the endless belt 94. In this manner, the clamping motor 100 is operable to rotate both of the rods 86. Since the clamping motor 100 is reversible, the clamping motor 100 can rotate the rods 86 in two different directions. When the rods 86 are rotating in a first direction, the nuts 88 secured to the upper bar 80 travel up the threads on the rods 86, thereby moving the clamp assembly 76 upward. Conversely, when the rods 86 are rotating in a second direction, the nuts 88 travel down the threads on the rods 86, thereby moving the clamp assembly 76 downward. The clamp assembly 76 is movable between an uppermost position and a lowermost position.
The table 70 and the clamping plate 78 with the rubber pad 74 secured thereto respectively define lower and upper limits of a holding space 102 in which a container, such as a bucket 170, may be disposed for shaking. The height of the holding space 102 is varied by movement of the clamp assembly 76 in response to the rotation of the rods 86. The holding space 102 has a maximum height when the clamp assembly 76 is in the uppermost position and has a minimum height when the clamp assembly 76 is in the lowermost position.
A control system 106 is provided for controlling the operation of the mixing apparatus 10 in response to manual actuation of input devices, such as pushbuttons and timers, located on a control panel 108 (shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
The base insert 166 is generally cylindrical and has a diameter slightly greater than the interior diameter of the bucket 170 at the bottom thereof, which is about 10⅛ inches. An enlarged generally rectangular recess 172 is formed in the center of the base insert 166. The recess 172 is sized to snugly accommodate the bottom of the main portion 152 of the container 150 and is defined by a plurality of interior side surfaces 174 and one or more bottom surfaces 176. In the embodiment shown in
The flaps 178 are formed during the manufacture of the base insert 166. More specifically, and with reference now to
The top insert 168 is generally cylindrical and has a diameter slightly greater than the interior diameter of the bucket 170 at the top thereof, which is about 11⅛ inches. A generally wedge-shaped recess 200 is formed in the center of the top insert 168. In the embodiment shown in
It should be appreciated that in other embodiments of the present invention, the recess 200 in the top insert 168 can have different configurations to accommodate different shapes of handles in different types of F-style containers. For example, if a handle portion of an F-style container has a rectangular shape rather than a wedge shape, such as in the container 150, the recess 200 can be provided with a rectangular shape to snugly accommodate the rectangular handle portion.
The container 150 is secured inside the bucket 170, by first disposing the base insert 166 inside the bucket 170 such that the flaps 178 contact the bottom wall 202 of the bucket 170 and the recess 172 extends upwardly. The container 150 is then disposed in the bucket 170 such that the bottom of the main portion 152 of the container 150 is securely held in the recess 172. In order to align the handle portion 154 of the container 150 with the opening in the top insert 168, the container 150 and the base insert 166 are tipped. The top insert 168 is then inserted into the bucket 170 such that the handle portion 154 extends into the recess 200. The top insert 168 is preferably tipped to more fully insert the handle 160 in the opening.
Referring now to
Although not shown, a lid may be secured over the opening of the bucket 170. In some mixing machines, the lid must be secured over the opening of the bucket 170 to prevent damaging the bucket 170.
Referring back to
The applicant has found that when a tinting concentrate is mixed in accordance with the present invention in a mixing machine, such as the mixing apparatus 10, the pigment in the tinting concentrate remains in suspension for up to 30 days. The method taught herein is useful for mixing any fluid material which can be conveniently contained in rectangular containers such as F-style containers. Other fluid materials would include paints, stains, waterproofing sealants, blends of solvents, detergents, insecticides, sanitation chemicals, etc.
While the invention has been shown and described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, those embodiments are for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein described will be apparent to those skilled in the art, all within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited in scope and effect to the specific embodiments herein described, nor in any other way that is inconsistent with the extent to which the progress in the art has been advanced by the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/405,095 filed on Aug. 21, 2002, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
D210003 | Macaulay et al. | Jan 1968 | S |
D223896 | Frazer | Jun 1972 | S |
D228230 | Cutler | Aug 1973 | S |
D229483 | Cutler | Dec 1973 | S |
D230708 | Hutter et al. | Mar 1974 | S |
D237255 | Plummer | Oct 1975 | S |
4134689 | Ahrenskou-Sorensen | Jan 1979 | A |
D274130 | Collins, II | Jun 1984 | S |
D282637 | Beaver et al. | Feb 1986 | S |
D302523 | Suhajda | Aug 1989 | S |
5268620 | Hellenberg | Dec 1993 | A |
5590786 | Jaycox | Jan 1997 | A |
5906433 | Mazzalveri | May 1999 | A |
6767127 | Paganelli | Jul 2004 | B2 |
20040008573 | MacDonald et al. | Jan 2004 | A1 |
20040013031 | Salas et al. | Jan 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1 310 655 | Mar 1973 | GB |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60405095 | Aug 2002 | US |