Fluid mixing apparatus adapter bucket

Abstract

An improved adapter bucket for a mixing apparatus adapted for mixing paints or other fluids can selectively receive either conventional cylindrical containers or non-conventional, non-cylindrical containers therein and restrain either of such container types on the apparatus during mixing operations. The adapter bucket is configured to properly register either of such containers types so that its center of gravity axis is colinearly aligned with the rotation axis of the bucket and the mixing apparatus, regardless of whether the containers' center of gravity axes and central geometric axes are coincident and colinear with each other or laterally offset with respect to each other.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a selected container, said selected container being selected from a group including a first container having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis and a second container having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body including a base through which the motion axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of restraining members extending transversely from said base, at least some of said restraining members engaging each said selected container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said motion axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container.  
     
     
         2 . An adapter according to  claim 1 , wherein said first container has a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side, and said second container has a generally polygonal lateral cross-sectional shape with a number of substantially straight container sides, at least some of said restraining members tangentially engaging said first container when said first container is received within said adapter, and at least some of said restraining members generally flatly engaging said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, at least a pair of said restraining members being laterally spaced apart from said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, an intermediate one of said restraining members interconnecting said pair of spaced apart restraining members and tangentially engaging said second container when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         3 . An adapter according to  claim 2 , wherein said spaced apart restraining members and said central geometric axis of said second container are on opposite sides of said motion axis when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         4 . An adapter according to  claim 1 , wherein said first container has a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side, and said second container has a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape with substantially straight second container sides and second container corner portions interconnecting adjacent container sides, at least some of said restraining members tangentially engaging said first container when said first container is received within said adapter, at least some of said restraining members generally flatly engaging said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, and an intermediate one of said restraining members interconnecting said pair of spaced apart restraining members and tangentially engaging a corner portion of said second container when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         5 . An adapter according to  claim 4 , wherein said intermediate one of said restraining members is a radiused corner of a side portion of said adapter.  
     
     
         6 . An adapter according to  claim 4 , wherein said spaced apart restraining members and said central geometric axis of said second container are on opposite sides of said motion axis when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         7 . An adapter according to  claim 4 , wherein said second container includes a cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions, said intermediate one of said restraining members tangentially engaging a second container corner portion opposite said second container corner portion having said cut-out handle portion formed therein.  
     
     
         8 . An adapter according to  claim 7 , further including a visual alignment indicator in order to indicate to a user a correct orientation for the second container when it is being inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         9 . An adapter according to  claim 7 , further including at least one registry protrusion protruding inwardly from at least one restraining member, said registry protrusion engaging the cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions when the second container is inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         10 . An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a selected container, said selected container being selected from a group including a first container having a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side and having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis and a second container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape with substantially straight second container sides interconnected by second container corner portions and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of restraining members extending transversely from said base, at least one of said restraining members engaging and laterally restraining said selected container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said motion axis when said selected container is received within said adapter regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container.  
     
     
         11 . An adapter according to  claim 10 , wherein four of said restraining members tangentially engage and laterally restrain said first container when said first container is received within said adapter, and a first two other of said restraining members generally flatly engaging and laterally restraining said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, a second two other of said restraining members being spaced apart from said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, an intermediate corner portion interconnecting said spaced apart restraining members and tangentially engaging said second container when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         12 . An adapter according to  claim 11 , wherein said corner portion is a radiused corner.  
     
     
         13 . An adapter according to  claim 11 , wherein said spaced apart restraining members and said central geometric axis of said second container are on opposite sides of said rotation axis when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         14 . An adapter according to  claim 10 , wherein said second container includes a cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions, said intermediate adapter corner portion tangentially engaging a second container corner portion opposite said second container corner portion having said cut-out handle portion formed therein.  
     
     
         15 . An adapter according to  claim 14 , further including a visual alignment indicator in order to indicate to a user a correct orientation for the second container when it is being inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         16 . An adapter according to  claim 14 , further including at least one registry protrusion protruding inwardly from at least one restraining member, said registry protrusion engaging the cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions when the second container is inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         17 . An adapter according to  claim 10 , further including at least a pair of spring clips mounted on said adapter, said spring clips releasably engaging and vertically restraining at least said first container when said first container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         18 . An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a selected container, said selected container being selected from a group including a first container having a generally circular lateral cross-sectional shape with a generally cylindrical first container side and having its center of gravity axis coincident with its central geometric axis and a second container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape with substantially straight second container sides interconnected by second container corner portions and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and a number of restraining members extending transversely from said base, said restraining members engaging and laterally restraining said selected container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said motion axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container, at least some of said restraining members tangentially engaging and laterally restraining said first container when said first container is received within said adapter, and a first two other of said restraining members generally flatly engaging and laterally restraining said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, a second two other of said restraining members being spaced apart from said second container when said second container is received within said adapter, an intermediate radiused adapter corner portion interconnecting said spaced apart restraining members and tangentially engaging and laterally restraining one of said second container corner portions when said second container is received within said adapter, said spaced apart restraining members and said central geometric axis of said second container being located on opposite sides of said rotation axis when said second container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         19 . An adapter according to  claim 18 , said intermediate adapter corner portion tangentially engaging a second container corner portion opposite said second container corner portion having said cut-out handle portion formed therein.  
     
     
         20 . An adapter according to  claim 18 , further including at least a pair of spring clips mounted on said adapter, said spring clips releasably engaging and vertically restraining at least said first container when said first container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         21 . An adapter according to  claim 18 , wherein said second container includes radiused container corner portions interconnecting adjacent pairs of said second container sides, said adapter including radiused adapter corner portions interconnecting adjacent pairs of some of said restraining members, said intermediate radiused corner portion interconnecting said spaced apart restraining members having a greater radius than that of any of the other of said radiused corner portions.  
     
     
         22 . An adapter according to  claim 21 , wherein said second container includes a cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions, said intermediate radiused corner portion interconnecting said spaced apart restraining members tangentially being located to engage and laterally restrain a second container corner portion opposite said second container corner portion having said cut-out handle portion formed therein.  
     
     
         23 . An adapter according to  claim 21 , wherein said cut-out handle portion includes a handle integrally formed with said second container and spaced laterally apart from a portion thereof, said intermediate radiused corner portion of said adapter being located to engage a second container corner portion opposite said second container handle portion.  
     
     
         24 . An adapter according to  claim 22 , including a visual alignment indicator in order to indicate to a user a correct orientation for the second container when it is being inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         25 . An adapter according to  claim 22 , further including at least one registry protrusion thereon, said registry protrusion engaging the cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions when the second container is inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         26 . An adapter according to  claim 18 , further including at least a pair of spring clips mounted on said adapter, said spring clips releasably engaging and vertically restraining at least said first container when said first container is received within said adapter.  
     
     
         27 . An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a fluid container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and adapter sides extending transversely from said base, a number of said sides engaging said fluid container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said rotation axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides.  
     
     
         28 . An adapter according to  claim 27 , further including a visual alignment indicator on at least one of said adapter sides in order to indicate to a user a correct orientation for said fluid container when it is being inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         29 . An adapter according to  claim 27 , wherein said fluid container includes a cut-out handle portion formed therein, said adapter further including at least one registry protrusion protruding inwardly from at least one adapter side, said registry protrusion engaging the cut-out handle portion formed in said fluid container when the second container is inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         30 . An adapter for a mixing apparatus for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, the mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the fluid container is rotated by the mixing apparatus, said adapter being mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining a fluid container having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape and having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said selected container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the rotation axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and adapter sides extending transversely from said base, said sides engaging said fluid container and positioning its center of gravity axis along said rotation axis when said selected container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides.  
     
     
         31 . An adapter according to  claim 30 , further including a visual alignment indicator on at least one of said adapter sides in order to indicate to a user a correct orientation for the second container when it is being inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         32 . An adapter according to  claim 30 , further including at least one registry protrusion protruding inwardly from at least one adapter side, said registry protrusion engaging the cut-out handle portion formed in one of said second container corner portions when the second container is inserted into the adapter.  
     
     
         33 . An adapter according to  claim 30 , wherein the mixing apparatus also includes a revolution axis external to said adapter, said adapter being mountable on said mixing apparatus for revolution about said revolution axis.