Abstract:
An apparatus includes a motor configured to move a platform on a predetermined orbit. The platform is connected to the motor, and the platform is configured to receive one or more vessels. Material included in each of the one or more vessels is mixed when the platform is moved on the predetermined orbit. The platform is sloped down, with respect to a horizontal axis, in a direction from any point along the predetermined orbit toward the center of the orbit.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a vortex apparatus, and more particularly, to a vortex apparatus having a sloped platform. 
       DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0002]    A vortex apparatus is an apparatus used for mixing fluid and/or solid material. A vortex apparatus may include a platform on which one or more containers may be loaded. The platform and the containers may be referred to as attachments. Each container may include the fluid and/or solid material which needs to be mixed. The platform may be orbited around a predetermined path at a high speed. The orbiting of the platform creates a vortex in the containers. Thus, the contents of each of the containers may be mixed. 
         [0003]    Over the years, the power and speed of the vortex apparatuses has increased. In addition, the attachments have become larger and heavier. Due to their increased weight, the attachments wobble during a vortex operation. As a result, a portion of the power expended by the vortex apparatus during a vortex operation is used to wobble the attachments. Thus, a mixing efficiency of the vortex apparatus is reduced and power consumption thereof is increased. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus includes a motor configured to move a platform on a predetermined orbit. The platform is connected to the motor, and the platform is configured to receive one or more vessels. Material included in each of the one or more vessels is mixed when the platform is moved on the predetermined orbit. The platform is sloped down, with respect to a horizontal axis, in a direction from any point along the predetermined orbit toward the center of the orbit. 
         [0005]    According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a mixing apparatus includes a motor and a platform connected to the motor. The platform is configured to receive a vessel, the vessel including material to be mixed. The motor is configured to move the platform along a predetermined orbit to mix the material included in the vessel. The vessel is sloped with respect to a vertical axis such that the vessel is mirrored about the vertical axis when disposed at diametrically opposite locations along the predetermined orbit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]    The above and other features and aspects of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0007]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a vortex apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  illustrates an enlarged region C of  FIG. 1 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a vortex apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0010]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, the sizes and relative sizes of elements and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. 
         [0011]    It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on,” “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it can be directly on, connected, or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. 
         [0012]    As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
         [0013]    A vortex apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, orbits (e.g., moves) a platform on a predetermined orbit to mix fluids and/or solids included in a container. The container is disposed on the platform. The platform does not rotate about itself. For example, as the platform travels on the predetermined orbit, a stationary object that is spaced apart from the vortex apparatus faces a same portion of a vertical exterior surface of the platform. 
         [0014]    At any point along its orbit, the platform is tilted toward the center of the orbit. For example, the platform is tilted downward, with respect to a horizontal axis, toward the center of the orbit. In other words, the platform is tilted downward, with respect to the horizontal axis, in a direction starting from any point along the orbit and traveling toward the center of the orbit. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a vortex apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2  illustrates an enlarged region C of  FIG. 1 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a vortex apparatus, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 , a vortex apparatus  10  includes a body  102  and a platform  104 . The platform  104  includes a support part  130  and a protrusion  132 . One or more containers  140  may be disposed in the support part  130  and fastened to the support part  130 . Each of the containers  140  may include a fluid, a solid, and/or a semi-solid for mixing during a vortex operation of the vortex apparatus  10 . The solid may be material or elements in solid form, for example, sand, salt, powder material, etc, or a mixture of powered or granular material. The fluid may be gas, liquid, gel, or a mixture thereof. However, it is understood that a fluid does not resist shear stress and that a solid resists shear stress. The semi-solid may include material that includes physical attributes of a solid and a fluid. For example, the semi-solid may resist shear stress in some circumstances and may not resist shear stress in other circumstances. A semi-solid may include, for example, protein-bound iodine. 
         [0017]    The vortex operation includes orbiting the platform  104  along an orbit R as shown by two curved arrows in  FIG. 1 . The orbit R may be a circular path around a vertical axis Y. For example, the orbit R may be a circular path that is parallel to a horizontal axis X. The horizontal axis X extends parallel to a horizontal plane on which the body  102  is supported. The vertical axis Y extends along a direction that is perpendicular to the horizontal axis X. The platform  104  does not rotate around the vertical axis Y when it is orbited on the orbit R. A clamp that may be used to prevent the platform  104  from rotating around the vertical axis Y is omitted from  FIGS. 1 to 3  for clarity of illustration. 
         [0018]    A vortex may be caused within each of the containers  140  during the vortex operation. For example, the vortex includes a first surface elevation of the fluids and/or solids inside of a container  140  being higher than a second surface elevation of the fluids and/or solids. 
         [0019]    The body  102  includes a housing  110 , a motor  112 , a drive shaft  114 , an eccentric  116 , and an offset shaft  118 . 
         [0020]    The motor  112  may rotate the drive shaft  14  about an axis of the drive shaft  14  that extends along the vertical axis Y. The motor  112  causes the platform  104  to orbit along the orbit R by rotating the drive shaft  114 . The motor  112  may be connected to a first end of the drive shaft  114  to rotate the drive shaft  114 . A second end of the drive shaft  114  may be connected to the eccentric  116 . 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the second end of the drive shaft  114  is connected to a bottom surface of the eccentric  116 , between a first end F and a centerline C-C of the eccentric  116 . The centerline C-C is an imaginary line that passes through a center of the eccentric  116 , and may be parallel to the vertical axis Y. A first end of the offset shaft  118  may be connected to a top surface of the eccentric  116 , between a second end S and the centerline C-C of the eccentric  116 . The first and second ends F and S may be opposite to each other. In other words, the drive shaft  114  and the offset shaft  118  are spaced apart from each other by a distance along the horizontal axis X. 
         [0022]    The first end of the offset shaft  118  may be pivotally connected with the eccentric  116 . The second end of the offset shaft  118  may be pivotally connected with the protrusion  132 . 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  illustrates the vortex apparatus  10  at a state where the protrusion  132  is at a location A of an opening  120  of the housing  110 . As described above, the two curved arrows in  FIG. 1  illustrate the orbit R of the platform  104 . Thus, at location A, the platform  104  is disposed at a first point along the orbit R. The center of the orbit R may correspond to the center of the opening  120 . For example, the center of the orbit R may correspond to a region of the opening  120  that is disposed between location A and location B. 
         [0024]    Line I-I of  FIG. 1  is an imaginary line that illustrates the alignment of the platform  104  with respect to the horizontal axis X. The containers  140  may extend perpendicularly to the line I-I. θ 1  is an angle formed between the horizontal axis X and the line I-I. θ 1  may be about 1° to about 2°. Accordingly, the containers  140  may form an angle θ 2  with respect to the vertical axis Y. θ 2  may be equal to θ 1  in magnitude. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, θ 1  is equal to 1.25°. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the eccentric  116  is sloped with respect to the horizontal axis X by θ 1 . For example, a line II-II is an imaginary line that illustrates the alignment of the eccentric  116 . The line may form the angle θ 1  of about 1° to about 2° with the horizontal axis X. As describe above, at location A, the platform  104  is disposed at a first point along the orbit R. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the angle θ 1  is formed in a direction from the first point along the orbit R toward the center of the orbit R. For example, when the protrusion  132  is located at location A, the imaginary line I-I, in a direction starting from the first point along the orbit R, toward the center of the orbit R, forms the angle θ 1  downward with respect to the horizontal axis X. 
         [0026]    Accordingly, the platform  104  forms the angle θ 1  downward with respect to the horizontal axis X, in a direction from the first point along the orbit R toward the center of the orbit R, when the protrusion  132  is disposed at the location A. In addition, when the platform  104  is disposed at the first point along the orbit R, each of the containers  140  forms the angle θ 2  of about 1° to about 2° with respect to the vertical axis Y, as shown in  FIG. 1 . In the case when the containers  140  have a varying shape, the angle θ 2  is measured against the vertical axis Y with respect to an imaginary line passing through a middle of the varying shape of each of the containers  140 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , the platform  104  reaches location B of the opening  120  as it travels on the orbit R. At location B, the platform  104  is disposed at a second point along the orbit R. As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the eccentric  116  and the platform  104  form the angle θ 1  downward with the horizontal axis X. In this case, the angle θ 1  is formed in a direction from the second point of the orbit R toward the center of the orbit R. For example, when the protrusion  132  is located at location B, the imaginary lines I-I and II-II, in a direction starting from the second point along the orbit R, toward the center of the orbit R, form the angle θ 1  downward with respect to the horizontal axis X. 
         [0028]    In addition, in  FIG. 3 , the containers  140  form the angle θ 2  with the vertical axis Y in a direction opposite to that of the containers  140  in  FIG. 1 . For example, the containers  140  in  FIG. 3  lean in a direction opposite to that of the containers  140  in  FIG. 1 . In other words, each of the platform  104  and the containers  140  lean in opposite directions with respect to the vertical axis Y at diametrically opposite locations along the orbit R. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the arrangement of the eccentric  116 , offset shaft  118 , platform  104  and containers  140  may be mirrored with respect to the vertical axis Y at diametrically opposite locations along the orbit R. 
         [0029]    Accordingly, the platform  104  is sloped downward in a direction from the location along the orbit R in which the platform  104  is located, toward the center of the orbit R. In other words, when the platform  104  is disposed at any point along the orbit R, the platform  104  is sloped downward toward the center of the orbit R from the point along the orbit R in which the platform  104  is disposed. 
         [0030]    As a result of the platform  104  and containers  140  being sloped as described above, a wobbling of the platform  104  is reduced during a vortex operation of the vortex apparatus  10 . In addition, an efficiency of mixing the fluids, solids, and/or gas included in the containers  140  is increased and a power consumption of the vortex apparatus  10  is decreased. 
         [0031]    It is understood that the arrangement of the components of the vortex apparatus  10  may be variously modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the eccentric  116  may be sloped by an angle greater than or less than θ 1 , as long as the platform  104  and containers  140  are sloped downward toward the center of the orbit R as described above. In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the offset shaft  118  may be parallel to the vertical axis Y or may form an angle with the vertical axis Y, as long as the platform  104  and the containers  140  are sloped downward toward the center of the orbit R as described above. 
         [0032]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.