US 4,610,546 AGranted

Apparatus and method for self-resonant vibrational mixing

AssigneeTechnicon Instruments Corporation

InventorJulius Intraub

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Abstract

New and improved, mechanically self-resonant apparatus and method for the non-invasive mixing of materials are disclosed, and comprise vibrator means including container means for the materials to be mixed, and drive means to drivingly vibrate the vibrator means. Sensor means are operatively associated with the vibrator means and the drive means, and are operable to sense the frequency of vibration of the vibrator means and maintain that frequency at or near the resonant frequency of the vibrator means. This promotes thorough mixing of the materials, and minimizes the energy input required for vibrational mixing of the materials. Control means are provided to control the amplitude of vibration of the vibrator means at or near the resonant frequency to avoid damage to the materials attendant mixing. The container means may take the form of a conduit through which the materials to be mixed are flowing attendant vibrational mixing.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A self-resonant, non-invasive vibrational mixing apparatus for the mixing of materials comprising, vibrator means, container means for the materials to be mixed, means for mounting said container means on said vibrator means, driver means operatively associated with said vibrator means and operable to drivingly vibrate the same and said container means to mix the materials in said container means, control means operatively associated with said driver means and operable to control the frequency at which said driver means vibrate said vibrator means and said container means, and sensor means operatively associated with said vibrator means and said control means and operable to sense the frequency of said vibrator means and said container means and to operate said control means in response thereto to maintain the frequency of vibration of said vibrator means and said container means at or near the resonant frequency thereof whereby, said vibrator means and said container means will be vibrated at or near the resonant frequency thereof despite changes in the mass of materials in said container means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.