Vortex Mixer Drive with Sensor-Triggered Coast-Down
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vortex mixers interrupt the mixing process undesirably when sample containers are repositioned or exchanged, leading to operational inefficiencies due to immediate stop and restart requirements.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus continues to operate at mixing speed for a defined coast-down time after a stop signal is generated, allowing for container replacement or repositioning without interruption, and can be controlled by sensors or a separate switch for continuous operation without manual actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the drive stops instantly after generation of the stop signal, then the mixing process is interrupted quickly, but the mixing process is interrupted undesirably when sample containers are repositioned or exchanged
Solution Approach 1:
The drive is designed to continue running for a predetermined coast-down time after receiving a stop signal, proactively preparing for potential container exchanges or repositioning operations before they occur, thus maintaining mixing continuity without requiring operator intervention
2Ease of operation
If the drive continues to move for a defined coast-down time, then the mixing process continues during container replacement, but the drive stops slower
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system transitions from a static stop-response mode to a dynamic coast-down mode, where the stop behavior is adjusted based on operational context, allowing smooth continuation during container exchanges while still achieving eventual cessation when no further mixing is required
3Productivity
If the mixing process stops instantly, then the drive responds quickly to stop signals, but operational efficiency decreases due to repeated stop and restart
Solution Approach 1:
The mixing action is maintained continuously through the coast-down period even after stop signals are generated, eliminating interruptions and restarts that would otherwise occur during routine container handling operations, thus preserving productive mixing time
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for shaking individual sample containers including an upper end with an opening and a lower closed end, the apparatus including a holder with which the sample container can, with its lower end, be brought into engagement such that, when the holder moves, the lower end of the sample container is also moved; a drive connected to the holder and moving the holder for shaking the sample container in a, particularly, horizontal plane; a sensor which, once a sample container is arranged at a defined position in the holder, generates a start signal and, once the sample container is removed from the defined position in the holder, generates a stop signal for the drive, wherein the drive is designed such that it continues to move the holder for a defined coast-down time after a stop signal has been generated by the sensor.