Automatic vortex mixer

• US 4,848,917 A
• Filed: 08/26/1988
• Issued: 07/18/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dade Behring, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Benin, Joshua, Morin, Carl F., Di Maio, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US07/237,254
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 366/110, 366/111, 366/112, 366/125, 366/128, 366/208-217, 366/601, 366/602, 422/99, 422/104, 494/16, 74/86
• US Class Current: 366/208
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/275 with means for transporting test tubes to and from the stirring device

Abstract

A vortexing mixer drive has a rotatable coupling rod where an end face defines an offcenter countersink with a bore at the center of the countersink. The rod is axially displaced to engage a vessel'"'"'s protuberant tip to effect rotational movement.

Claims

1. An automatic apparatus for establishing a vortex in liquid materials contained in elongated compartments, each compartment having a longitudinal axis, disposed on a transport comprising:

a plurality of compartment carriers disposed on the transport, each carrier adapted to hold flexibly the upper portions of the compartment, the transport having a path of movement, each compartment having a protuberant tip at the bottom of the vessel lying on the longitudinal axis,

a rotatable coupling having an axis of rotation, an end face transverse to the axis rotation, and located under a region in the path of movement of the compartment carriers,

means for displacing the coupling along the axis of rotation to engage the protuberant tip by the end face, the end face of the coupling defining a countersink the center of which is off of the axis of rotation,

the end face of the coupling also defining a bore in the countersink adapted to receive the protuberant tip, whereby when the coupling is rotated and displaced to contact the protuberant tip, the tip is translated radially along the face of the coupling by the countersink to be engaged by the bore and orbited.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein the countersink includes the axis of rotation.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein the countersink defines an acute angle with the face of the coupling.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein the bore has a peripheral edge lying at the center of the countersink.