Drive shaft locking cap and related mixing system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016008776-A1
Application number	US-201414330896-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A mixing system includes a housing having a motor mount rotatably coupled thereto, the motor mount having a passage extending therethrough. A drive shaft is removably positioned within the passage of the motor mount. A cap includes a main body removably coupled to the motor mount and an actuator coupled to the main body so as to be pivotable between a first position and a second position with respect to the main body. The actuator producing a camming action when the actuator is pivoted such that when the actuator is in the first position, the actuator pushes the drive shaft against the motor mount so that the main body is locked to the motor mount and so that rotation of the motor mount causes rotation of the drive shaft and when the actuator is in the second position, the actuator is disengaged from the drive shaft and the cap is removable from the motor mount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cap comprising:
a main body comprising:
a tubular base having a lower end and an opposing upper end with an interior surface extending therebetween, the interior surface bounding a passage extending through the base;
a pair of arms upwardly extending from the upper end of the base, the arms being disposed on opposing sides of the passage and at least partially bounding the passage therebetween; and
an attachment mechanism downwardly extending from the lower end of the main body, the attachment mechanism being configured to attach the main body to an external device; and
an actuator pivotably coupled to the arms so as to be at least partially disposed within the passage of the main body, the actuator comprising:
a cam having a curved camming surface, a pivot axis extending through the cam about which the actuator pivots; and
a handle extending from the cam, the actuator being pivotable relative to the main body between a first position and a second position, the curved camming surface extending further downward into the passage of the main body when the actuator is in the second position than when the actuator is in the first position.

2 . The cap recited in claim 1 , wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a pair of legs extending downward from the lower end of the tubular main body on opposite sides of the passage, each leg having a locking channel recessed thereon that faces the passage.

3 . The cap recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a throughhole extending through the cam along the pivot axis; and a rod passing through the throughhole and coupling with the pair of arms.

4 . The cap recited in claim 1 , further comprises a resilient detent projecting from one of the pair of arms, the actuator striking against the resilient detent when the actuator is pivoted from the second position to the first position.

5 . A mixing system comprising:
a housing having a motor mount rotatably coupled thereto, the motor mount having a passage extending therethrough; a drive shaft removably positioned within the passage of the motor mount; a cap comprising:
a main body removably coupled to the motor mount; and
an actuator coupled to the main body so as to be pivotable between a first position and a second position with respect to the main body, the actuator producing a camming action when the actuator is pivoted such that:
when the actuator is in the first position, the actuator pushes the drive shaft against the motor mount so that the main body is locked to the motor mount and so that rotation of the motor mount causes rotation of the drive shaft; and
when the actuator is in the second position, the actuator is disengaged from the drive shaft and the cap is removable from the motor mount.

6 . The mixing system recited in claim 5 , wherein the actuator comprises a cam having a pivot axis extending therethrough about which actuator pivots, the cam having a curved camming surface that extends asymmetrically about the pivot axis.

7 . The mixing system recited in claim 5 , wherein the main body of the cap comprises a first attachment mechanism and the motor mount comprises a second attachment mechanism, the first attachment mechanism being releasably attached to the second attachment mechanism to secure the cap to the motor mount.

8 . The mixing system recited in claim 7 , wherein the first attachment mechanism comprises opposing locking channels formed on the main body of the cap and the second attachment mechanism comprises retainers outwardly extending from an outer surface of the motor mount, the retainers being received within the locking channels to attach the cap to the motor mount.

9 . The mixing system recited in claim 7 , wherein the first and second attachment mechanisms are configured such that a twisting action is used to attach the cap to the motor mount.

10 . The mixing system recited in claim 5 , wherein one of the drive shaft and the motor mount has a notch and the other of the drive shaft and the motor mount comprises a locking pin that is receivable within the notch, the locking pin being received within the notch when the actuator is in the first position.

11 . The mixing system recited in claim 5 , further comprising an impeller coupled with the drive shaft.

12 . The mixing system recited in claim 11 , further comprising a container having a compartment, the impeller being disposed within the compartment of the container.

13 . The mixing system recited in claim 12 , wherein the container comprises a flexible bag comprised of a polymeric film, the compartment of the flexible bag being sterile.

14 . A method comprising:
inserting a drive shaft into a passage of a tubular motor mount; attaching a cap to the motor mount so as to retain the drive shaft within the motor mount; and pivoting an actuator of the cap from a first position to a second position so that a cam of the actuator pushes the drive shaft against the motor mount so as to lock the cap to the motor mount and so that rotation of the motor mount causes rotation of the drive shaft.

15 . The method recited in claim 14 , wherein attaching the cap to the motor mount comprises rotating the cap with respect to the motor mount.

16 . The method recited in claim 15 , wherein rotating the cap with respect to the motor mount causes retainers extending outward from an outer surface of the motor mount to be received within locking channels on a main body of the cap to attach the cap to the motor mount.

17 . The method recited in claim 14 , wherein the step of inserting the drive shaft comprises positioning a locking pin on one of the drive shaft or the motor mount within a notch on the other one of the drive shaft or the motor mount.

18 . The method recited in claim 14 , further comprising rotating the motor mount while the actuator is in the second position so as to cause the drive shaft and cap to concurrently rotate therewith.

19 . The method recited in claim 14 , further comprising coupling an impeller to the drive shaft.

20 . The method recited in claim 14 , further comprising using the drive shaft to mix a culture of cells or microorganisms within a compartment of a container.

Assignees

• Life Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Hayes Mark
• Hurd Jeffery
• Kjar Steven R
• Woods Whitt F

Classifications

• B01F15/0085

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• F16D1/02 Primary

  for connecting two abutting shafts or the like · CPC title

• B01F7/002 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F7/22

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/00922

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic