The present invention relates to a vortex apparatus, and more particularly, to a vortex apparatus having a sloped platform.
A vortex apparatus is an apparatus used for mixing fluid and/or solid material. A vortex apparatus may include a platform on which one or more containers may be loaded. The platform and the containers may be referred to as attachments. Each container may include the fluid and/or solid material which needs to be mixed. The platform may be orbited around a predetermined path at a high speed. The orbiting of the platform creates a vortex in the containers. Thus, the contents of each of the containers may be mixed.
Over the years, the power and speed of the vortex apparatuses has increased. In addition, the attachments have become larger and heavier. Due to their increased weight, the attachments wobble during a vortex operation. As a result, a portion of the power expended by the vortex apparatus during a vortex operation is used to wobble the attachments. Thus, a mixing efficiency of the vortex apparatus is reduced and power consumption thereof is increased.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus includes a motor configured to move a platform on a predetermined orbit. The platform is connected to the motor, and the platform is configured to receive one or more vessels. Material included in each of the one or more vessels is mixed when the platform is moved on the predetermined orbit. The platform is sloped down, with respect to a horizontal axis, in a direction from any point along the predetermined orbit toward the center of the orbit.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mixing apparatus includes a motor and a platform connected to the motor. The platform is configured to receive a vessel, the vessel including material to be mixed. The motor is configured to move the platform along a predetermined orbit to mix the material included in the vessel. The vessel is sloped with respect to a vertical axis such that the vessel is mirrored about the vertical axis when disposed at diametrically opposite locations along the predetermined orbit.
The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, the sizes and relative sizes of elements and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it can be directly on, connected, or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
A vortex apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, orbits (e.g., moves) a platform on a predetermined orbit to mix fluids and/or solids included in a container. The container is disposed on the platform. The platform does not rotate about itself. For example, as the platform travels on the predetermined orbit, a stationary object that is spaced apart from the vortex apparatus faces a same portion of a vertical exterior surface of the platform.
At any point along its orbit, the platform is tilted toward the center of the orbit. For example, the platform is tilted downward, with respect to a horizontal axis, toward the center of the orbit. In other words, the platform is tilted downward, with respect to the horizontal axis, in a direction starting from any point along the orbit and traveling toward the center of the orbit.
Referring to
The vortex operation includes orbiting the platform 104 along an orbit R as shown by two curved arrows in
A vortex may be caused within each of the containers 140 during the vortex operation. For example, the vortex includes a first surface elevation of the fluids and/or solids inside of a container 140 being higher than a second surface elevation of the fluids and/or solids.
The body 102 includes a housing 110, a motor 112, a drive shaft 114, an eccentric 116, and an offset shaft 118.
The motor 112 may rotate the drive shaft 14 about an axis of the drive shaft 14 that extends along the vertical axis Y. The motor 112 causes the platform 104 to orbit along the orbit R by rotating the drive shaft 114. The motor 112 may be connected to a first end of the drive shaft 114 to rotate the drive shaft 114. A second end of the drive shaft 114 may be connected to the eccentric 116.
Referring to
The first end of the offset shaft 118 may be pivotally connected with the eccentric 116. The second end of the offset shaft 118 may be pivotally connected with the protrusion 132.
Line I-I of
Referring to
Accordingly, the platform 104 forms the angle θ1 downward with respect to the horizontal axis X, in a direction from the first point along the orbit R toward the center of the orbit R, when the protrusion 132 is disposed at the location A. In addition, when the platform 104 is disposed at the first point along the orbit R, each of the containers 140 forms the angle θ2 of about 1° to about 2° with respect to the vertical axis Y, as shown in
Referring to
In addition, in
Accordingly, the platform 104 is sloped downward in a direction from the location along the orbit R in which the platform 104 is located, toward the center of the orbit R. In other words, when the platform 104 is disposed at any point along the orbit R, the platform 104 is sloped downward toward the center of the orbit R from the point along the orbit R in which the platform 104 is disposed.
As a result of the platform 104 and containers 140 being sloped as described above, a wobbling of the platform 104 is reduced during a vortex operation of the vortex apparatus 10. In addition, an efficiency of mixing the fluids, solids, and/or gas included in the containers 140 is increased and a power consumption of the vortex apparatus 10 is decreased.
It is understood that the arrangement of the components of the vortex apparatus 10 may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the eccentric 116 may be sloped by an angle greater than or less than θ1, as long as the platform 104 and containers 140 are sloped downward toward the center of the orbit R as described above. In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the offset shaft 118 may be parallel to the vertical axis Y or may form an angle with the vertical axis Y, as long as the platform 104 and the containers 140 are sloped downward toward the center of the orbit R as described above.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.