Stirrer tool with radially and distally extending flexible projections

• US 7,484,879 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2006
• Issued: 02/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ralph H. Hamilton Jr
• Original Assignee: Ralph H. Hamilton Jr
• Inventors: Hamilton, Ralph H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooley; Charles E
• Application Number:
  US11/520,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20070086271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 366 64- 67, 366 96- 98, 366102-104, 366242-252, 366/279, 366/308, 366342-343, 366/129, 366/347, 366/605, 366/325.1, 366/325.2, 366/326.1, 366/329.1, 366/329.2, 366/331, 993/235, 993/48, 416/132.R, 416/227.R, 416/231.A, 416/240, 416/241.A, 416/227.A, 416/230, 711/4, 172/378, 172/379, 172/381
• US Class Current: 366/129
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/28 Mixing cement, mortar, clay, plaster or concrete ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/30 Mixing paints or paint ingredients, e.g. pigments, dyes, colours, lacquers or enamel
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/054 Deformable stirrers, e.g. deformed by a centrifugal force applied during operation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/071 Fixing of the stirrer to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/0722 perpendicular with respect to the rotating axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/0724 directly mounted on the rotating axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1121 pin-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/191 with similar elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/5011 portable during use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/00 Accessories for mixers; Auxiliary operations or auxiliary devices; Parts or details of general application
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/186 using splash guards in mixers for avoiding dirt or projection of material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/605 Paint mixer

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a stirrer tool that includes a head component having a first plurality of projections extending substantially radially out from and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a body portion. Head component may also have a second plurality of projections extending in a substantially distal direction away from a distal end of the body portion, and all of the projections may be made of a substantially stiff material that is flexible enough to be bent to fit through an opening in a container that is smaller in diameter than a diameter of the head component and stiff enough to mix viscous products. The projections may further be capable of being shortened by cutting off a selected length of the projections. The first plurality of projections may be configured to create a vortex mixing action and the second plurality of projections may be configured to reach and stir up sediment on bottoms and in corners of containers. The system may further include an elongate shaft, which may be coaxially aligned with, and a distal end of the elongate shaft may be attached to the head component and the proximal end of the elongate shaft may be configured to be removable held in a device to rotate the elongate shaft.

Claims

1. A stirrer tool comprising:

a head component including a body portion having a longitudinal axis, a first plurality of projections extending substantially radially out from an outer surface of the body portion and being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, and a second plurality of projections extending in a substantially distal direction away from a distal end of the body portion, the projections being made of a substantially stiff material that is flexible enough to be bent to fit through an opening in a container that is smaller in diameter than a diameter of the head component defined by outer ends of the first plurality of projections and stiff enough to mix viscous products, each projection being capable of being shortened by cutting off a selected length of the projection, the first plurality of projections configured to provide a vortex mixing action and the second plurality of projections configured to reach and stir up sediment on bottoms and in corners in containers; and

an elongate shaft including a distal end and a proximal end, the elongate shaft being coaxially aligned with and the distal end of the elongate shaft being attached to the head component and the proximal end of the elongate shaft being configured to be removably held in a device to rotate the elongate shaft.

2. The stirrer tool of claim 1 wherein the head component further comprises a connector element disposed at a proximal end of and coaxially within the body portion.

3. The stirrer tool of claim 2 wherein the connector element further comprises a threaded opening to be removably attached to matching threads on the distal end of the elongate shaft.

4. The stirrer tool of claim 1 wherein the head component is manufactured as a single component by injection molding and the head component is configured to be permanently attached to the distal end of the elongate shaft.

5. The stirrer tool of claim 1 wherein the head component is configured to be removably attached to the distal end of the elongate shaft.

6. The stirrer tool of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of projections comprises at least three opposing pairs of projections that are substantially evenly spaced around the outer surface of the body portion, where each of the at least three opposing pairs of substantially evenly spaced projections are attached to the body portion in separate planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body portion.

7. The stirrer tool of claim 6 wherein each of the at least three opposing pairs of projections comprise a continuous section that passes substantially perpendicularly through and is permanently attached to the body portion.

8. The stirrer tool of claim 7 wherein the second plurality of projections comprises at least three projections of a predetermined length that are each individually and permanently attached to the distal end of the body portion.

9. The stirrer tool of claim 8 wherein each of the at least three projections comprises a section of material with a ⅛

″

to ½

″

-inch cross-section and a length in the range of from 1″

to 3″

.

10. The stirrer tool of claim 6 wherein each of the at least three opposing pairs of projections comprise a pair of non-contiguous sections on substantially opposite sides of and that are each permanently attached to the body portion.

11. The stirrer tool of claim 10 wherein the second plurality of projections comprises at least three projections of a predetermined length that are each individually and permanently attached to the distal end of the body portion.

12. The stirrer tool of claim 11 wherein each projection of each of the at least three opposing pairs of projections comprises a section of material with a ⅛

″

to ½

″

-inch cross-section and a length in the range of from 1″

to 3″

.

13. The stirrer tool of claim 1 further comprising an intermediary finger component coaxially aligned with and affixed to the elongate shaft proximal to the head component, the intermediary finger component including

an intermediary body portion including a substantially cylindrical shape with an outer surface and an inner surface that defines a longitudinal passage running completely through the intermediary body portion and that defines openings at each end of the intermediary body portion, the longitudinal passage having an inner diameter of sufficient size to permit the elongate shaft to pass through the longitudinal passage, and an open-ended threaded passage running from the outer surface to the inner surface of the intermediary body portion so as to be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal passage and a cooperatively threaded fastening element disposed in the open-ended threaded passage so that when the cooperatively threaded fastening element is threaded in toward the longitudinal passage a distal end of the cooperatively threaded fastening element is to extend into the longitudinal passage;

and

a third plurality of projections including a second at least three opposing pairs of projections that are evenly spaced around the outer surface of the intermediary body portion, where each of the second at least three opposing pairs of evenly spaced projections are attached to the intermediary body portion in separate planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the intermediary body portion.

14. The stirrer tool of claim 13 wherein when the intermediary body portion has the elongated rod passing through the longitudinal passage and when the cooperatively threaded fastening element is threaded in toward the elongated rod in the longitudinal passage the distal end of the cooperatively threaded fastening element frictionally engages against a side of the elongated rod and fastens the intermediary body portion to the elongated rod.

15. The stirrer tool of claim 14 further comprising at least one more intermediary finger component coaxially aligned with and affixed to the elongate shaft proximal to the head component.

16. The stirrer tool of claim 1 wherein the substantially stiff material comprises one of:

a monofilament;

a pre-formed plastic;

an injection molded plastic;

a pre-formed plastic compound; and

an injection molded plastic compound.

17. A stirrer tool system comprising:

a head component including a body portion having a longitudinal axis, a first plurality of projections extending substantially radially out from an outer surface of the body portion and being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, and a second plurality of projections extending in a substantially distal direction away from a distal end of the body portion, the projections being made of a substantially stiff material that is flexible enough to be bent to fit through an opening in a container that is smaller in diameter than a diameter of the head component defined by outer ends of the first plurality of projections and stiff enough to mix viscous products, each projection being capable of being shortened by cutting off a selected length of the projection, the first plurality of projections configured to provide a vortex mixing action and the second plurality of projections configured to reach and stir up sediment on bottoms and in corners in containers;

an elongate shaft including a distal end and a proximal end, the elongate shaft being coaxially aligned with and the distal end of the elongate shaft being attached to the head component and the proximal end of the elongate shaft being configured to be removably held in a device to rotate the elongate shaft; and

a splash prevention component configured to be coaxially aligned with the elongate shaft to permit movement of the splash prevention component longitudinally along the elongate shaft and to completely cover, receive and hold the head component upon removal of the head component from a container to prevent splashing of any material from the head component onto a user of the system.

18. The stirrer tool system of claim 17 wherein the splash prevention component comprises a substantially frustoconical body including a distal end defining an opening with a diameter sufficient to cover the opening in the container and to accept the head component upon its withdrawal from the opening in the container.

19. The stirrer tool system of claim 18 wherein the diameter of the opening in the distal end of the splash prevention component is less than the diameter of the diameter of the head component defined by outer ends of the first plurality of projections.

20. The stirrer tool system of claim 18 wherein the splash prevention component is a plastic cup or container having a substantially frustoconical side wall that defines an opening at one end and an closed end opposite of the opening.

21. A stirrer tool system comprising:

a head component including a body portion having a longitudinal axis, a first plurality of projections extending substantially radially out from an outer surface of the body portion and being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body portion, and a second plurality of projections extending in a substantially distal direction away from a distal end of the body portion, the projections being made of a substantially stiff material that is flexible enough to be bent to fit through an opening in a container that is smaller in diameter than a diameter of the head component defined by outer ends of the first plurality of projections and stiff enough to mix viscous products, each projection being capable of being shortened by cutting off a selected length of the projection, the first plurality of projections configured to provide a vortex mixing action and the second plurality of projections configured to reach and stir up sediment on bottoms and in corners in containers;

an elongate shaft including a distal end and a proximal end, the elongate shaft being coaxially aligned with and the distal end of the elongate shaft being attached to the head component and the proximal end of the elongate shaft being configured to be removably held in a device to rotate the elongate shaft;

an intermediary finger component coaxially aligned with and affixed to the elongate shaft proximal to the head component; and

a splash prevention component configured to be coaxially aligned with the elongate shaft to permit movement of the splash prevention component longitudinally along the elongate shaft and to completely cover, receive and hold the head component upon removal of the head component from a container to prevent splashing of any material from the head component onto a user of the system.

22. The stirrer tool system of claim 21 wherein the splash prevention component comprises a substantially frustoconical body including a distal end defining an opening with a diameter sufficient to cover the opening in the container and to accept the head component upon its withdrawal from the opening in the container.

23. The stirrer tool system of claim 22 wherein the diameter of the opening in the distal end of the splash prevention component is less than the diameter of the diameter of the head component defined by outer ends of the first plurality of projections.

24. The stirrer tool system of claim 22 wherein the splash prevention component is a plastic cup or container having a substantially frustoconical side wall that defines an opening at one end and an closed end opposite of the opening.

25. The stirrer tool system of claim 22 wherein the intermediary finger component comprises:

an intermediary body portion including a substantially cylindrical shape with an outer surface and an inner surface that defines a longitudinal passage running completely through the intermediary body portion and that defines openings at each end of the intermediary body portion, the longitudinal passage having an inner diameter of sufficient size to permit the elongate shaft to pass through the longitudinal passage, and an open-ended threaded passage running from the outer surface to the inner surface of the intermediary body portion so as to be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal passage and a cooperatively threaded fastening element disposed in the open-ended threaded passage so that when the cooperatively threaded fastening element is threaded in toward the longitudinal passage a distal end of the cooperatively threaded fastening element is to extend into the longitudinal passage; and

a third plurality of projections including a second at least three opposing pairs of projections that are evenly spaced around the outer surface of the intermediary body portion, where each of the second at least three opposing pairs of evenly spaced projections are attached to the intermediary body portion in separate planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the intermediary body portion.

26. The stirrer tool system of claim 21 wherein the elongate shaft comprises:

a plurality of coaxially aligned circumferential grooves, where each groove is configured to engage a fastening means.

27. The stirrer tool system of claim 26 wherein the plurality of coaxially aligned circumferential grooves are substantially evenly spaced along elongate shaft.

28. The stirrer tool system of claim 26 wherein the fastening means comprises one or more of:

an “

E”

-clip;

a “

C”

-clip;

a spring clip;

a cotter pin;

a spring washer;

an “

O”

-ring;

a dowel pin; and

a spring pin.

29. The stirrer tool system of claim 26 wherein the elongate shaft comprises one of:

a round rod having a predetermined length; and

a

a hexagonal rod having a predetermined length.