Typical economical mixers, such as paint stirrers, are manually operated. Such mixers require quite a bit of effort to properly mix viscous liquids. And manual mixing typically requires a considerable amount of time. Furthermore, such mixers are often relatively fragile considering the forces and durations needed to mix viscous fluids. Thus, such mixers often do not survive prolonged use and, once broken, are typically discarded.
Thus, there exists a need for a mixer that reduces the effort and time required to mix substances, that is durable, and that may be repaired.
In an embodiment, an apparatus may include an elongate member having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis, and a first section at the first end. The first section may be used to hold the apparatus, e.g., the first section may be held by the chuck of a drill. The first section may have either a circular cross-section or a regular-hexagonal cross-section about the longitudinal axis. The circular cross-section may have a constant diameter for the entirety of the circular cross-section, or the regular-hexagonal cross-section may have a constant long diagonal for the entirety of the regular-hexagonal cross-section. The embodiment further includes one or more openings passing through the elongate member with a filament disposed in each opening and extending from the opening on one or both ends of the opening. In an embodiment, each individual opening has within it an individual filament, the filament extending from one or both ends of the opening so that, when the embodiment is immersed in a substance and rotated, e.g., by a drill, the extended ends of the filament sweep through a volume and may mix the substance. In an embodiment, the filament is continuous and is threaded from one opening to the next creating a bight (or “loop”) between adjacent openings. The bight or bights extend from the opening so that, when the embodiment is immersed in a substance and rotated, e.g., by a drill, the bight or bights sweep through a volume and may mix the substance. In an embodiment, a filament is threaded through a subset of the openings, e.g., three openings, which works to retain the filament. In the embodiment, the filament ends extend away from the opening and the bights, between openings, run against or close to the elongate member. In the embodiment, when the embodiment is immersed in a substance and rotated, e.g., by a drill, the ends of the filament extending from the openings may mix the substance. In an embodiment, the filament is flexible such that the apparatus may be inserted through an opening into a volume to mix a substance contained in the volume—the filament flexing toward the elongate member to pass through the opening.
In an embodiment, an apparatus may include an elongate member having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis. Within the elongate member the embodiment may include a plurality of openings with each opening passing through the elongate member and a filament threaded through each of the plurality of openings. In an embodiment, the filament is continuous and is threaded from one opening to the next creating a bight (or “loop”) between adjacent openings. In an embodiment, the ends of the filament extend from the openings, while the bights between openings lay against or are close to the elongate member such that, when the embodiment is immersed in a substance and rotated, e.g., by a drill, the extended ends may mix the substance. In an embodiment, the bight or bights extend from the opening so that, when the embodiment is immersed in a substance and rotated, e.g., by a drill, the bight or bights sweep through a volume and may mix the substance. In an embodiment, the elongate member includes a second plurality of openings with a second filament threaded from one opening of the second plurality to the next opening of the second plurality so that, when the embodiment is immersed in a substance and rotated, e.g., by a drill, the bights (if extended), the extended ends, or both may mix the substance.
In an embodiment, a system for mixing includes a motor having a first longitudinal axis and an elongate member having a first end, a second end, and a second longitudinal axis. The elongate member further includes a first opening passing through the elongate member and a first filament disposed within the first opening, the first filament extending from at least one side of the first opening, wherein the elongate member is coupled to the motor such that the first and second longitudinal axes are collinear. In an embodiment, the system may include an elongate member, with one or more openings and one or more filaments, with the filaments and holes configured as described in any other embodiment.
An embodiment provides a mixer tool with a drill bit having a series of openings formed along the longitudinal axis. A filament, disposed in the openings and extending from the openings, sweeps through an arc when the bit is rotated about the longitudinal axis. Such movement of the filament may be used to quickly mix liquids when clamped in the chuck of a hand drill. For example, the several embodiments may be used for mixing paint. Also, the several embodiments may be used for purposes other than mixing, e.g., agitating, aerating, liquefying, or changing the viscosity of other (perhaps already-mixed) substances. This disclosure should not be construed to limit the uses for the claimed subject matter.
Chuck section 110 is dimensioned to be received by the chuck of a drill. As such, chuck section 110 will typically be either cylindrical with a constant diameter (i.e., a chuck end 112 may be circular), or hexagonal with a constant long diagonal (i.e., chuck end 112 may be hexagonal). Chuck section 110 may have a demarcation notch 114 at the transition from chuck section 110 to shaft section 115. Shaft section 115 may be optional, or may have an arbitrary length chosen to create distance between chuck section 110 and filament section 120. The length may be chosen to allow a user to, e.g., immerse the filament section 120 to a depth greater than the length of filament section 120 without also having to immerse the chuck or hand drill, or to distance the chuck and attached hand drill from potential splattering.
Filament section 120 has a plurality of openings 124a, 124b, 124c . . . 124l formed within it. The embodiment depicts twelve openings, but in other embodiments the number of openings and the dimensions of filament section 120 may be decreased or increased to satisfy the need to mix liquids in shallower or deeper containers, or to accommodate relatively thicker or thinner filaments. In the embodiment, openings 124a . . . 124l are formed through and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of filament section 120 and are parallel to each other. In other embodiments openings 124a . . . 124l may be offset from the longitudinal axis (i.e., not pass through the longitudinal axis) and may also not be parallel to each other.
In the embodiment of
In an embodiment, openings 124a . . . 124l may be circular holes or other non-circular openings. For example, openings 124a . . . 124l may be slots. In such case, the slot-shaped openings 124a . . . 124l may be dimensioned to allow filament 130 to be threaded through, yet slot-shaped openings 124a . . . 124l may also compress filament 130 and thereby work to retain or stabilize the position of filament 130.
In an embodiment, openings 124a . . . 124l may not be parallel. For example, in an embodiment neighboring openings, e.g., openings 124a and 124b, may be rotated about the longitudinal axis of elongate member 105 with respect to each other. Thus, opening 124a, when viewed from elongate member end 122 and using a clock face as reference, may run from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock and opening 124a may run from 4 o'clock to 10 o'clock. Such rotation causes bights 134a, et seq., to be distributed around filament section 120 when viewed from elongate member end 122. A benefit of such distribution is that bights 134a, et seq., may fold down toward chuck end 112 without hitting as many other bights in the process. An embodiment with such distributed bights may be inserted through an opening with a smaller diameter than the embodiment of
In an embodiment, bights may be created by threading filament 130 through holes 124a . . . 124l in a different order, e.g., by threading from opening 124a to opening 124c, then to opening 124b, etc.
Shaft section 315 may be optional, or may have an arbitrary length chosen to create distance between chuck section (
Filament section 320 has a plurality of openings 324a, 324b, 324c . . . 324i formed within it. The embodiment depicts nine openings, but in other embodiments the number of openings and the dimensions of filament section 120 may be decreased or increased to satisfy the need to mix liquids in shallower or deeper containers, or to accommodate relatively thicker or thinner filaments. In the embodiment, openings 324a . . . 324i are formed through and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of filament section 320 and are parallel to each other. In other embodiments openings 324a . . . 324i may be offset from the longitudinal axis (i.e., not pass through the longitudinal axis) and may also not be parallel to each other.
In the embodiment of
In an embodiment, openings 324a . . . 324i may be circular holes or other non-circular openings. For example, openings 324a . . . 324i may be slots. In such case, the slot-shaped openings 324a . . . 324i may be dimensioned to allow filaments 330a, 330b, and 330c to be threaded through, while slot-shaped openings 324a . . . 324i may also partially compress filaments 330a, 330b, 330c and thereby work to retain or stabilize the position of filaments 330a, 330b, and 330c.
In an embodiment, openings 324a . . . 324i may not be parallel. For example, in an embodiment neighboring openings, e.g., openings 324a and 324b, may be rotated about the longitudinal axis of elongate member 305 with respect to each other. Thus, opening 324a, when viewed from elongate member end 322 and using a clock face as reference, may run from 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock and opening 324b may run from 4 o'clock to 10 o'clock. Such rotation causes bights 334a, et seq., to be distributed around filament section 320 when viewed from elongate member end 322. A benefit of such distribution is that filament ends 332a . . . 332f may fold down toward drill 340 without hitting as many other filament ends in the process. An embodiment with such distributed bights may be inserted through an opening with a smaller diameter than the embodiment of
In
In an embodiment, the distances between individual openings and between any groups of openings may be varied arbitrarily.
In the embodiment of
In an embodiment, each lobe may be defined by an outer radius 540a and an inner radius 540b.
In an embodiment, a filament or filaments may be disposed in openings 524a . . . 524n of
In an embodiment the filament material may include: string, wire, monofilament fishing line, co-filament line, braided line, thermally fused line, fluorocarbon line, weed trimmer line, and cable ties, all of various thicknesses and strengths. Examples of the material of the line that may be used including nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF, also called fluorocarbon), polyethylene, Dacron® and Dyneema® (UHMWPE). The length, material, and weight of the line may be determined based upon the application. Factors that may determine what line is chosen for a given application include: breaking strength, limpness, stretch, abrasion resistance, and durability. Braided, co-filament, and thermally fused lines are also known as “superlines” for their small diameter, lack of stretch, and great strength relative to standard nylon monofilament lines. Braided, thermally fused, and chemically fused varieties of “superlines” are now readily available. The mixer tool may be used with both single- and multi-strands threaded through the openings. Softer line may be used, such as string or yarn for uses that require more flexibility in order to fit within a smaller space or to prevent breakage of the workpiece.
An aspect of various embodiments is that the filament may be replaced for a number of reasons, e.g., if worn, fatigued, broken, or not suitable for use with a particular substance. Thus, various embodiments may be repaired economically and may also be adapted to different substances.
The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Pronouns in the masculine (e.g., his) include the feminine and neuter gender (e.g., her and its) and vice versa. Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the subject disclosure.
A phrase such as an “aspect” does not imply that such aspect is essential to the subject technology or that such aspect applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to an aspect may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A phrase such as an aspect may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa. A phrase such as a “configuration” does not imply that such configuration is essential to the subject technology or that such configuration applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to a configuration may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A phrase such as a configuration may refer to one or more configurations and vice versa.
All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims.
The present application claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 or the Paris Convention from U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 62/326,910, filed Apr. 25, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5938325 | Edwards | Aug 1999 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20170304788 A1 | Oct 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62326910 | Apr 2016 | US |