Patent ID: 7874719

Claim:
A mixer drive apparatus for rotating an impeller, the apparatus comprising: a motor housing; a motor secured within the motor housing, the motor including an output shaft; a magnetic coupling comprising a first magnetic coupling portion and a second magnetic coupling portion, the first magnetic coupling portion being secured to the output shaft in alignment with a central axis of the output shaft, the impeller being secured to the second magnetic coupling; a bearing housing; a bearing secured within the bearing housing, the second magnetic coupling portion being rotationally secured along a central axis of the bearing; and a fastener to releasably fasten the bearing housing to the motor housing, the fastener comprising: an L-shaped slot disposed within the motor housing; and a threaded wing screw configured to mate with a threaded bore disposed in the bearing housing, the threaded wing screw extending radially outwardly from the bearing housing, the threaded wing screw being configured to releasably engage the L-shaped slot, wherein rotation of the threaded wing screw in a first direction is configured to fasten the motor housing to the bearing housing and rotation of the threaded wing screw in a second direction is configured to facilitate release of the motor housing from the bearing housing, wherein the first magnetic coupling portion and the second magnetic coupling portion are magnetically coupled in response to the bearing housing being fastened to the motor housing and the first magnetic coupling portion being configured to urge the second magnetic coupling portion to rotate in response to rotation of the first magnetic coupling portion, wherein the first magnetic coupling portion is magnetically decoupled from the second magnetic coupling portion in response to the motor housing being removed from the bearing housing.