Filing Information

Inventor(s)	David Marshall King · Ronnald Brian King · Thomas Arnold Martin ·
Assignee(s)	None listed in document.  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Weide & Associates, Ltd. ·
Primary Examiner	Charles E. Cooley ·
Application Number	US9556594
Filing date	04/21/2000
Issue date	02/27/2001
Predicted expiration date	12/05/2015
U.S. Classifications	366/129  · 366/605  · 366/317  · 366/265  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B1
International Classifications	366315-317 · 366129 · 366130 · 366262 · 366263 · 366265 · 366270 · 366342 · 366343 · 366348 · 366605 · 416178 · 416184 · 416187 ·
Related U.S. Application Data	RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/091,145, filed Apr. 16, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,721, which claims benefit of International Application No. PCT/US96/19345, filed Dec. 5, 1996, which claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/567,271, filed Dec. 5, 1995, now abandoned.

Patent Family

Abstract

A method of mixing viscous fluids is disclosed. The method comprises rotating a mixing apparatus (20) in a container (42) of fluid (44). The mixing apparatus comprises a cage (21) located at the end of a shaft (22). The cage (21) comprises a central circular disc (24) with an outer edge (43) and top (38) and bottom (40) sides. A number of vanes (26) extend from each side of the disc (24), the vanes (26) spacedly located near the outer edge of the plate. The free ends of the vanes (26) are connected by a hoop (38, 40) to maintain their spaced relationship.

Independent Claims | See all claims (30)

1. 1. A method of mixing fluid comprising: isolating a fluid to be mixed in a container; providing a mixing device comprising a support plate having a top side, a bottom side, an outer edge and an axis extending through said plate generally perpendicular to said sides, a number of vanes extending outwardly from at least one of said sides of said plate generally perpendicular to said axis, said vanes spacedly located about 0.25 inches apart; positioning said device in said container containing fluid to be mixed; and rotating said mixing device within said fluid within said container, said vanes straining or dispersing solidified materials in the fluid during said rotating step.
2. 8. A method of mixing fluid comprising: isolating a fluid to be mixed in a container; providing a mixing device comprising a support plate having a top side, a bottom side, and an outer edge, a number of vanes extending outwardly from at least one of said sides of said plate, said vanes extending from said at least one side of said plate generally defining an open first end of said device; positioning said device in said container containing fluid to be mixed; rotating said mixing device within said fluid in said container; drawing fluid through said open first end defined by said vanes; expelling said fluid through said vanes; and trapping globules of material in said fluid which do not disperse into said fluid within said device during said rotating step.
3. 16. A method of mixing fluid comprising: isolating a fluid to be mixed in a container; providing a mixing device comprising a support plate having a top side, a bottom side, and an outer edge, a number of vanes extending outwardly from at least said top side of said plate, said vanes spacedly located about said plate, said vanes extending from said top side of said plate generally defining an open first end of said device; positioning said device below a top surface of said fluid in said container containing fluid to be mixed; rotating said mixing device within said fluid in said container; drawing fluid substantially devoid of air downwardly in a direction from said top surface of said fluid through said open first end defined by said vanes; and expelling said fluid outwardly through said vanes, whereby said fluid is mixed without generally introducing air into said fluid.
4. 21. A method of mixing fluid comprising: isolating a fluid to be mixed in a container; providing a mixing device comprising a plate having a top side, a bottom side, and an outer edge, a number of vanes extending outwardly from at least one of said sides of said plate, said vanes spacedly located about said plate, said vanes extending from said at least one side of said plate generally defining an open end of said device in communication with an open interior area; positioning said device in said container containing fluid to be mixed; rotating said mixing device within said fluid in said container; drawing fluid into said open interior area through said open end of said device; expelling said fluid from said open interior area outwardly towards said vanes extending from said at least one side of said plate; and shearing said fluid as it passes through said vanes, whereby globules of material in the fluid are sheared apart and dispersed, reducing the size of the globules and integrating the dispersed globules with the remaining fluid, thereby homogenizing said fluid.
5. 28. A method of mixing a fluid comprising the steps of: isolating a fluid to be mixed in a container; providing a mixing structure comprising a plate having a top side, a bottom side, a peripheral edge and an axis passing therethrough generally perpendicular to said top and bottom sides, and a number of vanes spaced about said plate, said vanes having an outer edge and an inner edge, said inner edge of said vanes extending inwardly towards said axis no more than about 0.35 of the distance from said axis to said outer edge of said vanes, and extending from at least one of said top and bottom sides of said plate generally parallel to said axis; positioning said mixing structure in the container containing fluid; and rotating said structure within said container containing fluid whereby fluid moving through said mixing structure impacts upon the inner edges of said vanes at a high radial velocity to disperse solidified materials in the fluid and the outer edges of the vanes impacts the fluid located outside of said mixing structure at a high velocity to further mix said fluid during said rotating step.