Sample Paint Adapter With Movable Counterweights for Balanced Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixing apparatuses struggle to accommodate and balance smaller containers, such as sample size paint cans, during mixing, especially when multiple containers are used simultaneously, leading to rotational imbalance and inefficient mixing.
Innovation Solution
A self-balancing adapter with movable counterweights that adjust to offset the weight of smaller containers, maintaining rotational balance by displacing counterweights as vessels are inserted or removed, allowing for seamless integration into standard mixers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a standard size container is used in a mixing apparatus, then the mixer is designed to receive and mix paint within a larger can, but smaller sample size containers cannot be accommodated
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is divided into multiple recesses (first recess, second recess, third recess) that can independently accommodate different sized containers. Each recess can be selectively loaded or unloaded, allowing the adapter to adapt to various container configurations without changing the mixer itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves multiple functions: it accommodates standard size containers, sample size containers, and combinations thereof in a single device. The counterweight system provides universal balance compensation that works regardless of which specific recesses are loaded, making the adapter versatile for different mixing scenarios.
2Productivity
If multiple smaller containers are mixed in a single mixing cycle, then productivity increases, but rotational balance becomes challenging to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter includes a counterweight mechanism with movable weights that automatically adjust to compensate for the weight distribution of loaded containers. When containers are placed in recesses, the counterweight system shifts to maintain the center of gravity aligned with the rotation axis, enabling balanced operation even with multiple partially loaded recesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The counterweight system is designed to be movable and adjustable rather than fixed. The counterweights can shift position dynamically based on the loading configuration, allowing the adapter to maintain balance across different productivity scenarios from single container to multiple containers.
3Ease of operation
If sample size containers are used, then ease of operation improves for handling, but the mixer cannot properly receive and balance these smaller containers
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter acts as an intermediary device between the sample size containers and the mixer. It provides a standardized interface that the mixer can reliably receive, while the adapter's internal recesses are designed to securely hold the smaller containers, ensuring both ease of loading and reliable mixing operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-balancing adapter for use with a mixer, the adapter having a body configured to interface with the mixer as a unit, the body having a front and a back, left and right edges, a top and a bottom, and a vertical axis passing through the top and the bottom, where the front has at least a first recess configured to receive and hold a first vessel substantially within the body; and the adapter having at least one movable counterweight configured to be displaced when the first vessel is received in the first recess such that the movable weight at least partially offsets a weight of the first vessel within the body with respect to the vertical axis.