Patent ID: 7407322

Claim:
A mixing system, comprising: a vessel having a lower vessel wall; a rotating drive member disposed outside of the lower vessel wall and having at least one drive magnet; a rotatable driven coupling member disposed inside of the lower vessel wall and having at least one driven magnet; a shaft extending inward into the vessel and attached to the driven coupling member; a plurality of impellers extending radially from the shaft; a support frame comprising: at least three legs, with each leg having a lower end affixed to the lower wall of the vessel, and extending upwardly into the vessel, with the three legs each having an upper end; an upper bearing ring that supports the shaft for rotation, wherein each leg upper end supports the upper bearing ring; a lower bearing ring that supports the shaft for rotation; and a plurality of struts, each strut extending radially inward from a respective leg to support the lower bearing ring, wherein the shaft is supported by the upper and lower bearing rings, and the upper and lower bearing rings are supported axially and radially by the legs and the struts, so that the shaft and the driven coupling member are suspended and the driven coupling member is held at an axial location spaced above the lower vessel wall.