Fluid mixing apparatus adapter bucket
AssigneeUltrablend Color, LLC
InventorsJoanne Santospago, Carlos P. Salas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved adapter bucket for a mixing apparatus adapted for mixing paints or other fluids can selectively receive either conventional cylindrical containers or non-conventional, non-cylindrical containers therein and restrain either of such container types on the apparatus during mixing operations. The adapter bucket is configured to properly register either of such containers types so that its center of gravity axis is colinearly aligned with the rotation axis of the bucket and the mixing apparatus, regardless of whether the containers' center of gravity axes and central geometric axes are coincident and colinear with each other or laterally offset with respect to each other.
Claims33
An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a selected container, said selected container being selected from a group including a first container having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis and a second container having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body including a base through which the motion axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of restraining members extending transversely from said base, at least some of said restraining members engaging each said selected container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said motion axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container.
An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a selected container, said selected container being selected from a group including a first container having a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side and having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis and a second container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape with substantially straight second container sides interconnected by second container corner portions and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of restraining members extending transversely from said base, at least one of said restraining members engaging and laterally restraining said selected container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said motion axis when said selected container is received within said adapter regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container.
An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a selected container, said selected container being selected from a group including a first container having a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side and having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis and a second container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape with substantially straight second container sides interconnected by second container corner portions and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of restraining members extending transversely from said base, said restraining members engaging and laterally restraining said selected container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said motion axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container, at least some of said restraining members tangentially engaging and laterally restraining said first container when said first container is received within said adapter, and a first two other of said restraining members generally flatly engaging and laterally restraining said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, a second two other of said restraining members being spaced apart from said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, an intermediate radiused adapter corner portion interconnecting said spaced apart restraining members and tangentially engaging and laterally restraining one of said second container corner portions when said second container is received within said adapter, said spaced apart restraining members and said central geometric axis of said second container being located on opposite sides of said rotation axis when said second container is received within said adapter.
An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a fluid container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and adapter sides extending transversely from said base, a number of said sides engaging said fluid container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said rotation axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides.
An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the fluid container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a fluid container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and adapter sides extending transversely from said base, said sides engaging said fluid container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said rotation axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.