Reciprocating fluid agitator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9675944-B2
Application number	US-201414335619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A fluid mixing assembly comprising a fluid agitating element adapted to reciprocate within a fluid between a first position and a second position. The fluid agitating element having an internally disposed magnetic member adapted to couple with an external drive device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mixing assembly, comprising:
a fluid agitating element;
a magnetic member engaged with the fluid agitating element; and
a diffusing element comprising a sidewall having a thickness defined by opposing surfaces and a plurality of apertures positioned along the sidewall and extending through the thickness, wherein the mixing assembly further comprises a valve element, the valve element extending at least partially around the diffusing element, wherein the valve element comprises a plurality of gates, the gates at least partially aligned with the apertures, and wherein the valve element is adapted to permit fluid flow in a single radial direction.

2. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a support, wherein the fluid agitating element is coupled to the support, and wherein the fluid agitating element is adapted to translate along the support.

3. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic member is adapted to magnetically couple to a drive device, wherein the mixing assembly has a central axis, wherein the drive device has a central axis, and wherein the central axis of the mixing assembly is adapted to misalign with the central axis of the drive device.

4. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing assembly is adapted to generate a plurality of vortex rings within a fluid in response to a linear oscillation of the magnetic member.

5. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the diffusing element comprises a radial flange extending radially inwardly from the sidewall.

6. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid agitating element is radially tapered.

7. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic member is hermetically sealed within the fluid agitating element.

8. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising a support, wherein the fluid agitating element is coupled to the support, and wherein the fluid agitating element is adapted to translate along the support.

9. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing assembly has a buoyancy, wherein a fluid to be mixed has a buoyancy, and wherein the buoyancy of the mixing assembly is less than the buoyancy of the fluid.

10. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic member is adapted to magnetically couple to a drive device, and wherein the drive device comprises a rotating driving magnet.

11. The mixing assembly according to claim 10 , wherein the mixing assembly has a central axis, wherein the drive device has a central axis, and wherein the central axis of the mixing assembly is adapted to misalign with the central axis of the drive device.

12. The mixing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the mixing assembly further comprises a rigid vessel, and wherein a flexible vessel is adapted to be disposed within the rigid vessel.

13. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures have substantially the same size.

14. The mixing assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of apertures have substantially the same shape.

15. The mixing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the diffusing element has an inner surface area, A DE , wherein the apertures define an area, A P , and wherein A DE is at least 1.1 A P .

16. The mixing assembly according to claim 15 , wherein A DE is no greater than 10 A P .

Assignees

• Saint Gobain Performance Plastics Corp

Inventors

• Werth Albert A

Classifications

• B01F5/0689

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F13/0863

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/108

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0685 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F25/45211

  the elements being cylinders or cones which obstruct the whole diameter of the tube, the flow changing from axial in radial and again in axial · CPC title