Two part compounded material mixer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745388-B2
Application number	US-201916664365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2019
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for mixing a compounded material. A first selected amount of a base part for the compounded material and a second selected amount of an activator part for the compounded material to form a total amount of the compounded material is determined. The first selected amount of the base part is pumped by a pump system from a set of base part sources connected to the pump system into a container. The second selected amount of the activator part is pumped by the pump system from a set of activator part sources connected to the pump system into a container. The base part and the activator part in the container are mixed by a mixing system for a predetermined amount of time that is sufficient to activate the compounded material for use.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A material mixing system that comprises:
a cap configured to connect to:
a transport system; and
a container that comprises:
a first opening at a first end configured to receive the cap;
a central axis;
a second opening at a second end that comprises a gasket that encircles:
the central axis; and
a shaft, disposed within the container, that comprises a mixer selected from a set of mixers;

a container holder configured to receive, retain, and move the container along the central axis;
a pump system, wherein the pump system is configured to pump a base part and an activator part of a compounded material into the container through the transport system;
a mixing system, wherein the mixing system is configured to:
connect to the shaft; and
mix the base part and the activator part of the compounded material in the container; and

a controller in communication with the pump system and the mixing system, wherein the controller is configured to:
control the pump system to pump a first selected amount of the base part and a second selected amount of the activator part into the container in which the first selected amount and the second selected amount is based on a total amount of activated compounded material desired; and
control the shaft and the container holder to mix the base part and the activator part in the container when in the container holder for a predetermined amount of time that is sufficient to activate the compounded material for use.

2. The material mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the pump system comprises:
a first set of pumps configured to pump base parts; and
a second set of pumps configured to pump activator parts.

3. The material mixing system of claim 2 , further comprising:
the second opening configured to dispense the activated compounded material;
a set of base part sources connected to the first set of pumps; and
a set of activator part sources connected to the second set of pumps.

4. The material mixing system of claim 3 , wherein the set of base part sources correspond to a set of types of base parts and the set of activator part sources correspond to a set of types of activator parts.

5. The material mixing system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to:
select sources from the set of base part sources and the set of activator part sources to create a type of compounded material that is desired based upon the type of compounded material, a type of base part, and a type of activator part.

6. The material mixing system of claim 3 , further comprising:
the container further configured to:
retain the activated compounded material;
detach from the container holder;
engage with a compounded material injection system; and
dispense the activated compounded material through the second opening; and

the transport system configured to connect the pump system to the set of base part sources and the set of activator part sources.

7. The material mixing system of claim 6 , wherein the transport system is comprised of at least one of: a tube, a rigid tube, a flexible tube, a hose, a conduit, a hollow cylinder, a pipe, or some other hollow structure.

8. The material mixing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an input system in communication with the controller and configured to:
receive a user input of the total amount of the compounded material to be activated; and
send the user input to the controller.

9. The material mixing system of claim 5 , wherein the input system is selected from at least one of a physical control, a human machine interface, a touch screen display, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a client computer, smart glasses, or a server computer.

10. The material mixing system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive the user input from the input system, wherein the user input includes the total amount of the compounded material to be activated;
determine the first selected amount for the base part based on the total amount of the compounded material to be activated: and
determine the second selected amount for the activator part based on the total amount of the compounded material to be activated.

11. The material mixing system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive the user input from the input system, wherein the user input includes an identification of a type of the compounded material and the total amount of the compounded material to be activated;
select the base part and the activator part based on the type of the compounded material; and
select the first selected amount for the base part and the second selected amount for the activator part based on the type of the compounded material and the total amount of the compounded material to be activated.

12. The material mixing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the pump system to pump:
the first selected amount of the base part from a base part source that corresponds to a base part type for the compounded material selected into the container; and
the second selected amount of the activator part from an activator part source that corresponds to an activator part type for the type of the compounded material selected into the container.

13. The material mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing system further comprises a spindle configured to rotate about the central axis with the container in the container holder.

14. The material mixing system of claim 13 , wherein the spindle is configured to:
rotate about the central axis; and
engage and move the shaft and the mixer selected from the set of mixers such that the base part and the activator part in the container are mixed.

15. The material mixing system of claim 14 , wherein the set of mixers comprises at least one of: a static mixer, a mixing paddle, a whisk, a beater, or a spiral mixer.

16. The material mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the activated compounded material is at least one of: a paste, a silicon sealant, a polysulfide sealant, a urethane sealant, an epoxy adhesive, a solvent free adhesive, a resin, an epoxy, and combinations thereof.

17. The material mixing system of claim 1 further comprising:
the transport system configured to connect the pump system to the container.

18. The material mixing system of claim 1 further comprising:
the transport system configured to:
transport the base part from a set of base part sources to the container; and
transport the activator part from the set of activator part sources to the container.

19. The material mixing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to communicate with the pump system and the mixing system via a wireless communications link.

20. The material mixing system of claim 1 further comprising:
the cap configured to cover and seal the first opening in the container.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Lautt Matthew N

Classifications

• B29B7/242 Primary

  in measured doses · CPC title

• B01F31/24

  the containers being submitted to a rectilinear movement · CPC title

• B01F35/8821

  involving controlling · CPC title

• B29B7/244

  of several materials · CPC title

• G05D11/133

  with discontinuous action · CPC title