Abstract:
An improved adapter bucket for a mixing apparatus adapted for mixing paints or other fluids can selectively receive either conventional cylindrical containers or non-conventional, non-cylindrical containers therein and restrain either of such container types on the apparatus during mixing operations. The adapter bucket is configured to properly register either of such containers types so that its center of gravity axis is colinearly aligned with the rotation axis of the bucket and the mixing apparatus, regardless of whether the containers&#39; center of gravity axes and central geometric axes are coincident and colinear with each other or laterally offset with respect to each other.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/201,148 filed Jul. 23, 2002, now abandoned, for FLUID MIXING APPARATUS MIXING BUCKET. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to apparatuses for mixing fluids, such as paints, for example, in containers placed in bucket-type receptacles on such mixing apparatuses, and more particularly to buckets adapted to selectively receive containers of different shapes and to register such containers in properly balanced positions. 
     Paints or other fluids are typically mixed or blended into homogenous mixtures while in the same cylindrical containers in which they are shipped, stored, sold, and ultimately dispensed by the user. An example of the need for such in-container mixing results from colorants or pigments being added to base paints. In order to properly position and restrain these cylindrical containers, the mixing apparatuses typically include cylindrical receptades or “buckets” into which the containers are inserted. Such cylindrical buckets are frequently mounted and positioned on their mixing apparatuses for balanced spinning or rotating motion about the mixing apparatuses&#39; rotation axes, which extend internally through the centers of the bases of these buckets, and for simultaneous “planetary” revolution about external revolution axes that may or may not be parallel to the internal rotation axes. Such cylindrical buckets can also be mounted and positioned on their mixing apparatuses for other balanced motion about the other mixing apparatuses&#39; motion axes, which also extend internally through the buckets. 
     The typical paint cylindrical container has its “central geometric axes” extending perpendicularly through the center of its circular base such that the radially outer periphery of the cylindrical container is geometrically symmetrical with respect to such central geometric axis. Such a container also has an internal “center of gravity axis” extending through the container&#39;s center of gravity and about which the container is balanced when rotated. Because the container is symmetrical, the central geometric axis and the center of gravity axis are coincident and colinear. Therefore, such cylindrical containers are properly balanced when received within the correspondingly cylindrical buckets described above because their center of gravity axes are properly aligned and colinear with the rotation axes of the mixing apparatuses. 
     Recently, however, at least one paint manufacturer has introduced a paint can or container that is non-cylindrical, with a substantially square lateral cross-sectional shape and radiused corners. This so-called “square container” also has a partial cut-out handle portion at one corner to form an integral handle at an intermediate longitudinal height between the container&#39;s base portion and top portion. Because of this configuration with its handle and cut-out portion, and the resultant lateral displacement of paint, the square container&#39;s center of gravity does not lie on its central geometric axis. This results in its center of gravity axis being laterally or radially offset relative to its central geometric axis which extends perpendicularly through the center of its substantially square base and is laterally centered with respect to the laterally outer confines of the space occupied by the square container. Thus, such a square container typically cannot be received within the conventional cylindrical bucket of a mixing apparatus. Even if the bucket&#39;s shape was changed to a square lateral cross-section, the square container would be rotationally unbalanced if its central geometric axis were coincident and colinear with the rotation axis of the conventional cylindrical bucket. Such weight imbalance would result in damage, or at least undue and premature wear, to the motion transmission mechanisms and components of the mixing apparatus. 
     In order to accommodate both the conventional cylindrical containers and the new square containers, the above-described mixing apparatuses would have to be equipped with interchangeable conventional cylindrical buckets and “square buckets”, each appropriately shaped and configured to properly align its corresponding container&#39;s center of gravity axis with the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus. In addition, besides duplicating bucket costs and resulting in undue inconvenience in the storage of multiple buckets, such an arrangement would require either the provision of multiple mixing apparatuses at a given site or the inordinately time-consuming dismounting of one bucket and re-mounting of another bucket each time a single mixing apparatus is to be used for a container having a shape and configuration different from that of the container for which the mixing apparatus was last used. 
     The present invention seeks to over come these disadvantages by providing a single mixing apparatus bucket that is adapted to receive and restrain either cylindrical containers or non-cylindrical containers and that properly registers either of such containers so that its center of gravity axis is colinearly aligned with the rotation axis of the bucket and the mixing apparatus. 
     According to the present invention, an adapter bucket is provided for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, with the mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus. The adapter bucket is mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining either a first container having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis or a second container having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis. The adapter bucket preferably includes a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, with the body including a base through which the motion axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of adapter sides extending or protruding transversely, upwardly from the base. The selected container is positioned with its center of gravity axis along the apparatus&#39; motion axis when the selected container is received within the adapter between the adapter sides regardless of whether the selected container is the first container or the second container. 
     The adapter bucket is especially well adapted for accommodating situations where the above-mentioned first container has a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side, and the second container has a generally polygonal lateral cross-sectional shape with a number of substantially straight container sides. Preferably internal partial walls or tabs protruding transversely, generally upwardly, from the base of the adapter bucket act as restraining members to tangentially engage and laterally restrain the first (cylindrical) container when the first container is received within said adapter, and spring dips or pivotal tabs restrain the container vertically. A number (only two in the exemplary embodiment described herein) of the adapter bucket&#39;s upwardly protruding sides generally flatly engage and act as restraining members to laterally restrain the second (“square”) container&#39;s sides when the second container is received within said adapter, with the other two of the adapter bucket&#39;s sides preferably being spaced apart from a corresponding or adjacent pair of the second container&#39;s sides when the second container is received within the adapter bucket 
     In the preferred exemplary embodiment described herein, the adapter bucket includes an intermediate adapter bucket side or corner interconnecting the adapter bucket sides that are spaced apart from the second container sides, with this intermediate side or corner portion tangentially engaging a portion (preferably a corner portion) of the second container when the second container is received within the adapter bucket. In the preferred, exemplary embodiment described herein, this is accomplished by way of this intermediate side or corner portion of the adapter bucket being formed as a radiused corner having a larger (and therefore shallower) radius than the other three radiused corners of the adapter bucket. This results in the spaced apart adapter bucket sides and the central geometric axis of the second container being on opposite sides of the motion (rotation) axis of the bucket (and thus of the mixing apparatus) when the second (“square”) container is received in its offset position within the adapter bucket. 
     Because of this unique configuration, a conventional fluid container can be inserted into the adapter bucket and be properly centered, aligned and balanced for mixing, as usual in the prior art. However, according to the present invention, the same bucket (called the “adapter” or “adapter bucket” herein) can also interchangeably accommodate the non-conventional so-called “square containers,” with their cut-out handle portions at one side or one corner laterally displacing a portion of the fluid in the container and thus shift its center of gravity axis laterally away from its central geometrical axis. The adapter bucket of the present invention urges the non-cylindrical container in a lateral direction, as mentioned above, generally towards the cut-out handle portion in order to colinearly align the container&#39;s center of gravity axis with the rotation axis of the bucket and the mixing apparatus and properly balance the container. This lateral shifting is accomplished as a result of the larger radiused corner of the adapter bucket having a larger radius than that of the other three corners, as described above, and tangentially engaging a radiused corner on the so-called square container to cause the square container to be shifted laterally in a direction toward the container&#39;s cut-out handle portion, thus compensating for the lateral difference between the square container&#39;s central geometrical axis and its center of gravity axis. 
     Preferably, visual or other indicators are provided on the adapter bucket in order to allow the user to properly orient the square container when inserting it into the adapter bucket so that the center of gravity axis of the container can be properly aligned colinearly with the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus. In addition, other orienting configurations can be included on the adapter bucket, such as one or more laterally inwardly protruding “dimples” or other protrusions from its sides so that such protrusion can engage the cut-out portion of the square container. Still other well known orienting, registering or “detent” features will occur to those skilled in the art to assure proper insertion of the or other non-cylindrical containers that have a center of gravity axis offset relative to their central geometrical axes. 
     Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention, in addition to those examples mentioned above, will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art paint mixing apparatus, illustrating a conventional cylindrical paint container received and restrained within a conventional bucket mounted on the mixing apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to that of  FIG. 1 , but illustrating an exemplary preferred embodiment of an adapter bucket according to the present invention removed from the mixing apparatus for purposes of clarity. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the adapter bucket shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the adapter bucket of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the adapter bucket of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a conventional cylindrical paint container. 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of a non-cylindrical paint container. 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the non-cylindrical paint container of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom perspective view of the non-cylindrical paint container of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of the adapter bucket of  FIGS. 3 through 5 , with the conventional cylindrical paint container&#39;s center of gravity axis and central geometric axis both with the rotation axis of the bucket. 
         FIG. 10A  is a cross-sectional view taken generally along lines  10 A— 10 A of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 11  is a top perspective view of the adapter bucket of  FIGS. 3 through 5 , with the non-cylindrical paint container&#39;s center of gravity axis offset relative to its central geometric axis but aligned with the rotation axis of the bucket. 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the adapter bucket of  FIGS. 3 through 5 , with the non-cylindrical paint container&#39;s central geometric axis laterally offset with respect to the rotation axis of the bucket, but with its center of gravity axis aligned with the rotation axis of the bucket. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view similar to that of  FIG. 2 , but illustrating an alternate adapter bucket according to the present invention with inward registry protrusions for engaging handle cut-out portions of the non-cylindrical container. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 through 13  of the accompanying drawings depict various merely exemplary embodiments of a mixing apparatus adapter bucket according to the present invention. Such illustrations are shown for purposes of illustration herein as being applicable in mixing apparatuses adapted for mixing paints in the containers in which they are shipped, stored, sold, and ultimately dispensed by the user. One skilled in the art will readily recognize, however, that other embodiments according to the invention can also be employed in such mixing apparatuses and that the invention can be equally and advantageously used in other types of mixing apparatus, in applications adapted for mixing other fluids, or in applications intended for mixing fluids in other types of dissimilar containers. 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a conventional mixing apparatus  10  includes a cabinet  12  with a closeable door  14  surrounding a mixing area of the machine. A conventional bucket  16  is mounted on the mixing apparatus  10  and is adapted for receiving a conventional paint container  50 , having a base  52 , a cylindrical side  54 , a lid  56 , and a handle or bail  58  pivotally secured by the ferrules  59 , as is also illustrated in  FIG. 6 . The mixing apparatus  10  typically includes a rotation axis  64 , (see  FIGS. 2 and 4 ), about which the bucket  16  and the cylindrical paint container  50  are rotated or spun, as well as an conventional external revolution axis (not shown) about which the bucket  16  and the paint container  50  can be revolved in a planetary manner. 
     Although the conventional mixing apparatus  10 , with the conventional bucket  16  are well-suited for receiving and restraining the conventional paint container  50  during mixing operations, at least one paint manufacturer has recently introduced non-cylindrical paint containers, including those having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape and with a cut-out handle portion at one corner or one side, as is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 through 9  and discussed in more detail below. 
       FIGS. 2 through 5  illustrate an adapter bucket  20 , according to the present invention, and an angled control member or assembly  22 , which imparts parts mixing motion to the adapter bucket  20  when mounted on the mixing apparatus  10 . The exemplary adapter bucket  20  includes a body  26  having a base  28  and generally upstanding or transversely extending sides  30  and  32 . In the preferred form of the adapter bucket  20  illustrated in the drawings, the sides  32  include a locator cut-out portion  36 , which serves as a visual indication to the user of the proper orientation of the square paint container  70  (illustrated in  FIGS. 7 through 9 ), as will be discussed in more detail below. 
     Preferably, cut-out portions  38  for receiving resilient spring dips  40  on two (or optionally even four) sides of the adapter bucket  20 . The spring clips  40  serve to restrain the handle or bail  58  and the ferrules  59  and vertically restrain the cylindrical paint container  50 . The spring dips  40  can also be used to restrain the bail  80  of the square paint container  70 . Such spring clips  40  can be retained in place on the adapter bucket  20  by way of pegs or pins  44 , or in other conventional ways that will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The spring clips  40  can optionally be replaced by tabs pivotally attached to the sides of the adapter bucket, for example, for vertically restraining the cylindrical paint container  50 . 
     In addition, in order to assure proper clearance with other mixing apparatus components during the mixing operation, the exemplary adapter bucket  20  can include cut-away lower corner portions  42  of the base  28 , if needed. 
     The preferred adapter bucket  20  preferably includes a number of intermediate side wall or radiused corners  46  and  48 . Referring specifically to  FIG. 4 , the radiused corner or side wall portion  48  has a larger radius, and its therefore “shallower”, than the other three smaller-radiused corner or side portions  46 . This shallower or larger-radiused corner or side portion  48  is provided for properly positioning the non-cylindrical or paint container  70 , as is further discussed below. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 through 9 , the non-cylindrical or square paint container  70  preferably includes a base  72 , as well as adjacent sides  74  and adjacent sides  76  extending transversely or upwardly from the base  72 . The paint container  70  also includes a lid  78 , a bail  80 , and a pair of cut-out portions  82  in the side  76  in order to define an integrally formed handle  84 . 
     Because of the provision of the cut-out portions  82  and the handle  84  in the paint container  70 , a portion of the paint or other fluid in the paint container  70  is necessarily displaced laterally toward the opposite corner of the paint container  70  from the handle  84 . The paint container  70  has a central geometric axis  86 , which is centrally located with respect to the outer peripheral confines of the space occupied by the paint container  70 , and a center of gravity axis  88 , which passes through the center of gravity of a full paint container  70 . 
     Such shifting of the center of gravity axis  88  in the paint container  70  would cause the paint container  70  to be rotationally unbalanced if its central geometric axis  86  was colinearly aligned with the rotation axis  64  of the adapter bucket  20  and the mixing apparatus  10 . This weight imbalance would result in damage, or at least premature and undue wear, to the motion transmission mechanisms and components of the mixing apparatus  10 . 
     Therefore, in order to accommodate such laterally offset or shifted center of gravity axis  88  of the square paint container  70 , the larger-radiused corner or side portion  48  laterally restrains and urges the paint container  70  laterally toward the opposite corner of the adapter bucket  20 , as is illustrated in  FIGS. 11 through 12 . Referring specifically to  FIG. 12 , this lateral shifting or offset relationship results in the condition discussed above, wherein the central geometric axis  86  of the paint container  70  and the shallower, larger-radiused corner or side portion  48  are on opposite sides of the center of gravity axis  88  of the paint container  70 . 
     This arrangement also results in the adjacent sides  30 , which are interconnected by the larger-radiused corner  48 , being spaced apart from the sides of the paint container  70 , while the adjacent sides  32  of the adapter bucket  20  generally flatly engage and laterally restrain the sides of the paint container  70 . However, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the adapter bucket  20  can still accommodate, receive and laterally restrain a conventional, cylindrical paint container  50 , with the cylindrical paint container side  54  being tangentially engaged by a number of transversely upstanding protrusions or tabs  29  on the base  28  of the adapter bucket  20 . As mentioned above, the preferred pair (or pairs) of the spring clips  40  vertically restrain the cylindrical paint container  50 . No lateral shifting of the cylindrical paint container  50  (for balance purposes) is needed since its central geometric axis and center of gravity axis  60  are the same. However, even the regular cylindrically-shaped paint container  50  would have to be similarly shifted if the paint (and thus the center of gravity) were displaced due to the provision of handle cut-outs or other such impingements into the interior of the container. 
     As mentioned above, the locator cut-out portion  36  on the adapter bucket  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 10 through 12 , provides a visual indication to a user of the proper orientation of the paint container  70 , with its handle  84  located adjacent to the locator cut-out portion  36 . 
     As an alternate to the visual indication provided by the locator cut-out portion  36  shown in  FIGS. 10 through 12 ,  FIG. 13  illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention, wherein the adapter bucket  20  includes one or more “dimples” or other such protrusions  96  protruding laterally inwardly from its sides  32 . Such protrusions % can thus engage the handle cut-out portions  82  in the paint container  70  in order to provide the user with positive “detent” type of indication that the paint container  70  is properly oriented within the adapter bucket  20 . 
     Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the present invention has broad utility and wide-ranging application. Alternate embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those shown and described herein, as well as variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention, as described in the drawings, the foregoing description thereof, and the appended claims, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention, as defined in the following claims.