Rotation mixer with continuous belt drive

A carriage arranged for rotation about a first axis in a rotation mixer, the carriage comprising:

• an arm including a first end, a second end spaced apart from first end, and a support body extending between the first and second ends;
• a drive line including a plurality of pulleys coupled to the arm and a belt routed around the pulleys, wherein the plurality of pulleys includes a pair of first pulleys coupled to the support body of the arm, a pair of second pulleys coupled to the second end of the arm, and a pair of third pulleys coupled to the first end of the arm;
• and
• a basket mounted on the first end of the arm for rotation relative to the arm about a second axis arranged at an oblique angle relative to the first axis,
• wherein the belt is formed as a continuous loop along a length direction of the belt, the belt is coupled to the basket such that rotation of the arm about the first axis drives rotation of the basket about the second axis, and the plurality of pulleys are arranged such that the belt twists across a width direction of the belt less than about 90 degrees throughout the drive line.

A rotation mixer, comprising:

• a housing;
• a drive unit coupled to the housing;
• and
• a carriage mounted on the drive unit for rotation relative to the housing about a first axis, the carriage comprising:
• an arm including a first end, a second end spaced apart from first end, and a support body extending between the first and second ends, the support body being coupled to the drive unit;
• a drive line including a plurality of pulleys coupled to the arm and a belt routed around the pulleys, the plurality of pulleys including a pair of first pulleys coupled to the support body of the arm, a pair of second pulleys coupled to the second end of the arm, and a pair of third pulleys coupled to the first end of the arm;
• and
• a basket mounted on the first end of the arm for rotation relative to the arm about a second axis arranged at an oblique angle relative to the first axis,
• wherein the belt is formed as a continuous loop along a length direction of the belt and extends from the basket to the first pulleys, extends from the first pulleys to the second pulleys, extends from the second pulleys to the third pulleys, and extends from the third pulleys toward the second end of the arm, the belt is coupled to the housing and to the basket such that rotation of the arm about the first axis drives rotation of the basket about the second axis, the first pulleys are arranged substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the second pulleys and the third pulleys are arranged substantially parallel to the first axis, and a width direction of the belt is substantially parallel to the second axis adjacent to the basket, substantially perpendicular to at least one of the first and second axes adjacent to the support body of the arm, and substantially parallel to the first axis adjacent to the second end of the arm.