MIXING DEVICE

Abstract: A containing and mixing device for a two constituent product, comprising a flexible container (1) for a first constituent, a vessel (6) for containing a second constituent, the vessel being mounted to the container and a breakable membrane (5) between the vessel and container, wherein the flexible container and membrane are arranged such that the membrane is breakable through finger pressure applied through the flexible container, so as to allow the constituent parts to be mixed within the flexible container and subsequently dispensed through the vessel.

Description: MIXING DEVICE The present invention relates to a device for the containment and mixing of a two part composition, such as a composition comprising polyurethane resin and a hardening agent. The resultant mixture of the polyurethane resin and hardening agent may be used to encapsulate, insulate and protect bare electrical conductors within a cable joint. Various types of compartmentalised one-piece flexible containers for the separate containment and subsequent mixing of resin and a hardener are known. The most common type is a transparent sachet made of plastics, with a rubber and plastics seal running down the middle to form the separate compartments. In order to obtain a shelf-life for the contents, the sachet is then enclosed in a metallised outer bag. The most recent innovation in this field is the provision of a two-compartment flexible container that is metallised and separated by a frangible or centre peelable seal. Containers in other fields utilise rigid containers with frangible seals between them broken by an internal blade mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide a self contained device for mixing polyurethane resin with a hardening device that eliminates the need of an outer metal foil, rubber and plastics seal, or metallised centre peelable seam as used with the prior art. In addition, the invention seeks to minimise the impact on the environment and aims to set the best environmental management standard for the mixing of two- part resins as available in the industry today. According to the present invention there is provided a containing and mixing device for a two constituent product, comprising a flexible bag for containing a first constituent, and a vessel for containing a second constituent, the vessel being mounted to the bag, and a breakable membrane being provided between the vessel and bag; wherein the membrane is arranged to be breakable through finger pressure applied through the material of the flexible bag, so as to allow the constituent parts to be mixed within the bag by manipulation of the bag and subsequently dispensed back through the vessel to be discharged from the vessel. The two constituent product may comprise a polyurethane resin, stored in the flexible bag, and a hardening agent stored in the vessel. The vessel may be detachable. The membrane may be provided at the lower surface of the vessel. A further membrane may be provided at the upper surface of the vessel. The flexible bag may include a rigid neck portion and the vessel may be attached to the rigid neck portion by means such as clipping, cooperating screw threads, or other means. According to the present invention there is further provided a method of using a device as described above, comprising breaking the membrane via finger pressure through the material of the flexible bag, mixing the constituents within the bag by manipulating the bag to squeeze, knead and/or shake the bag and constituents, and discharging the mixed constituents through the vessel. Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment, in cross section; Figure 3 shows the plan view of the embodiment of Figure 2 ; and Figure 4 shows an adaptor. Figure 1 shows schematically a containing and mixing device according to the present invention. The 5 mixing device comprises a packaging bag 1 of a transparent flexible plastics materials which may be used for containing a polyurethane resin 2. The bag is provided with a rigid portion 3 at the top mounting a cylindrical hollow neck 4 made of a stiff plastics material such as a 0 nylon material. Neck 4 may be provided with a plurality of spaced external ribs 4a. A breakable membrane 5 is provided at the top of the bag with a vessel 6. Vessel 6 is a rigid, generally cylindrically vessel containing a second component, 5 typically a hardening agent 7. The vessel 6 is mounted to the neck 4 by virtue of a clip action, wherein an external clip portion 9 of the vessel locates on to the rim of neck 4 to securely clip the vessel in place. The vessel 6 is provided with a threaded cap 8. 0 The flexible membrane 5 acts to close and separate the interior of bag 1 from the interior of vessel 7. The material of vessel 6 is preferably of a rigid transparent plastics material such as nylon, to Ξ thereby enable the contents of the vessel to be viewed from the outside. The membrane 5 is such as to be easily pierced, for example by manual pressure applied by a finger or thumb. When it is desired to mix the hardening agent 7 C with a resin 2, the membrane 5 is pierced by finger or thumb pressure through the material of the bag 1 (which is flexible and thereby defor able to allow the finger to act upon the membrane) , to release the hardening agent 7 into the resin 2. The two materials are then thoroughly mixed 5 together by manipulating the plastics big, so as to squeeze, knead and/or shake the bag and material within it. By virtue of the transparency of the bag 1 and vessel 6 it is possible by viewing the mixing action to determine the point when firstly all the hardening agent has vacated the vessel 6 and secondly the point at which the two substances are completely mixed together. Once complete mixing has been obtained, the mixture may be released by removing capping screw 8 and pouring out the mixture through vessel 6. This has the additional advantage that if there was any unmixed hardening material still left in vessel 6 this would be flushed out by the passage back through the vessel of the mixed components and therefore full mixing and emptying of the vessels should be obtained. The plastics bag may be squeezed to thoroughly remove all of its contents. Figures 2 to 4 show an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the neck 4 is provided on one of the main faces of the plastics bag 1. The neck 4 depends from a rigid collar 11 which is attached to an opening in plastics bag 1. An adaptor 6 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a rupturable membrane 5 at its bottom surface and, optionally, another rupturable membrane 12 at its top surface. The vessel is shaped to locate snugly within neck 4 and has an external clip portion 9 comprising a collar 13 extending outwardly from the cylindrical body of the vessel and a downwardly facing peripheral extension 14. This is arranged to clip over the rim of the neck to securely locate the vessel in place. Alternatively, other means may be used to secure the vessel with respect to the neck such as by cooperating screw threads on the neck and vessel (an internal thread on the neck and an external thread on the vessel) or any other means. A separate cap 15 may be applied over the top surface of the vessel (and over membrane 12 if that is present) . This will typically be a rigid relatively unbreakable or unrupturable cap which can be secured by a screw thread or other means to the vessel. When it is desired to mix the contents of bag 1 and vessel 6, finger or thumb pressure may be applied from underneath the bag, as shown in figure 2 upwards to rupture membrane 5. The product within the bag should be one which has sufficient fluidity to be able to allow the bag to flex or deform to enable the finger to contact membrane 5 with sufficient pressure to rupture it. The contents of the bag and vessel are then mixed as before. Once full mixing has been achieved screw cap 15 can be removed and membrane 12 ruptured. The contents can then be discharged through the vessel 6. As shown in figure 4, if the vessel is adequately sealed at both ends the hardening agent may be stored and transported in the vessel separately from the bag if desired and the bag and vessel can subsequently be combined for further transportation or at the time of use. The membranes may be attached to the vessel by any convenient method. In one method, a disc of material to form the membrane is initially attached inside a screw cap. The screw cap is then fixed in place on the open underside of cylindrical vessel 6 and an electromagnetic field is applied. This causes the membrane disc to adhere at its edges with the lower surface of cylinder 6. The scr^w cap which previously held the membrane is then removed and the membrane remains in place on the vessel, adhered at its edges to the vessel. Many other means of attaching or forming a rupturable membrane on the vessel will be apparent. The bag 1 and vessel 6 may be arranged to have any chosen dimensions and capacity. For any particular bag and quantity of material held in the bag, a particular size vessel may be chosen which stores the required amount of material for use with the quantity of material in the bag. For applications such as polyurethane resin a smaller amount of hardener will be required than the amount of resin. Thus, in these circumstances, it is convenient to store the resin in bag 1 and the hardener in the smaller volume vessel 6. The invention thereby provides a way of automatically ensuring that correct quantities of materials for proper mixing are achieved. Th c bag and associated connected vessel, with respective unmixed contents, may be stored in a (recyclable and/or reusable) tin or other container, to protect the contents from sunlight where necessary, and removed at the point of use, whereupon the membrane can be broken, the contents mixed, and the resulting mixture dispersed. The empty bag/vessel can then be disposed of, or recycled.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A containing and mixing device for a two constituent product, comprising a flexible bag for containing a first constituent, and a vessel for containing a second constituent, the vessel being mounted to the bag, and a breakable membrane being provided between the vessel and bag; wherein the membrane is arranged to be breakable through finger pressure applied through the material of the flexible bag, so as to allow the constituent parts to be mixed within the bag by manipulation of the bag and subsequently dispensed back through the vessel to be discharged from the vessel. 2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the bag and/or the vessel are sufficiently transparent to view their contents. 3. A device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the two constituent product comprises a polyurethane resin, contained in the flexible bag, and a hardening agent contained in the vessel. 4. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the membrane is provided at the lower surface of the vessel. 5. A device as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the vessel further comprises an upper breakable membrane. 6. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vessel is detachable. 7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the flexible bag comprises a rigid hollow neck portion providing access to the interior of the bag and the vessel is attached to the neck portion. 8. A device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the vessel is attached by a clipping means, or by cooperating screw-threads . 9. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the vessel is closed by a cap, which is removable to dispense the mixed product. 10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in combination with an outer container for protecting the contents, before mixing, from sunlight. ll. A method for using a device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 10, comprising breaking the membrane via finger pressure through the material of the flexible bag, mixing the constituents within the bag by manipulating the bag to squeeze, knead and/or shake the bag and constituents, and discharging the mixed constituents through the vessel.

Inventors: BIRKETT BRIAN HENRY, BIRKETT, BRIAN, HENRY
Applicants: BIRKETT BRIAN HENRY, BIRKETT ELECTRIC LTD, BIRKETT ELECTRIC LTD., BIRKETT, BRIAN, HENRY
Application year: 1997
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: B65D81