Fluid mixing method and apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for mixing fuel and oil, to achieve a desired mixture ratio, includes calculating a required number of fuel units, to be mixed with a predetermined volume of oil, for achieving the desired mixture ratio, as a function of calculation terms including the desired mixture ratio and an arbitrarily selected correlation number correlating the predetermined volume of oil to the desired mixture ratio. The required number of fuel units is thus calculated without the use of a calculation term equaling the predetermined volume of oil, thereby facilitating accurate mixing of even custom mixture ratios with simple calculations that can be done mentally.

1 . A method for mixing fuel and oil to achieve a desired mixture ratio, the method comprising, calculating a required number of fuel units to be mixed with a predetermined volume of oil, for achieving the desired mixture ratio, as a function of calculation terms including the desired mixture ratio and an arbitrarily selected correlation number correlating the predetermined volume of oil to the desired mixture ratio, to thereby allow the required number of fuel units to be calculated without the use of a calculation term equaling the predetermined volume of oil.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the calculation terms used in the function consist of the desired mixture ratio and the correlation number.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the correlation number is a positive, non-negative, whole number integer value.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the function consists of multiplying the desired mixture ratio by the correlation number.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the function consists of dividing the desired mixture ratio by the correlation number.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further including selecting a predetermined volume of oil that is correlated to the desired mixture ratio by a correlation number which is readily mentally divisible into the desired mixture ratio to provide a quotient equal to the number of fuel units required.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the function consists of dividing the desired mixture ratio by the correlation number.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including selecting a predetermined volume of oil that is correlated to the desired mixture ratio by a correlation number which can readily be mentally multiplied times the desired mixture ratio to provide a product equal to the number.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the correlation number is a positive, non-negative, whole number integer value.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a table cross-referencing potential desired mixture ratios to required fuel unit quantities calculated by the function using the correlation number.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined volume of oil is unknown at the time of calculating the required number of fuel units.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding the determined number of fuel units to the predetermined volume of oil.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising packaging the predetermined volume of oil in an oil container.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising adding a packaging allowance volume of oil to the predetermined volume of oil in the oil container, to thereby form combined contents of the oil container.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing instructions for the manner in which the predetermined volume of oil portion of the combined contents of the oil container are to be transferred to a mixing vessel, to thereby facilitate delivery of the entire predetermined volume of oil to a mixing container.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising mixing the predetermined volume of oil and the determined number of fuel units in a mixing vessel.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising conducting the mixing at a liquid fuel pump, the pump having a meter providing an indicated amount of liquid fuel pumped, wherein said mixing further comprises pumping the liquid pump and dispensing pumped liquid into the mixing vessel until the indicated amount equals the determined amount of fuel units and placing the amount of oil into the mixing vessel.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the liquid fuel is dispensed into the mixing vessel after the predetermined amount of oil is placed into the storage vessel.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising packaging the predetermined volume of oil in an oil container, to provide a contents of the oil container, and adding the contents of the oil container to the mixing vessel.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 adding a packaging allowance volume of oil to predetermined volume of oil in the oil container, to thereby form combined contents of the oil container;    providing instructions for transferring the predetermined volume of oil portion of the combined contents from the oil container into the missing vessel; and    transferring the predetermined volume of oil portion of the combined contents of oil container into the mixing vessel, in accordance with the provided instructions.    
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for mixing fuel and oil to achieve a desired mixture ratio, the apparatus comprising: 
 an oil container containing a predetermined volume of oil for mixing with a required number of fuel units, for achieving the desired mixture ratio;    the predetermined volume of oil being calculated as a function of calculation terms including the desired mixture ratio and an arbitrarily selected correlation number correlating the predetermined volume of oil to the desired mixture ratio, to thereby allow the required number of fuel units to be calculated without the use of a calculation term equaling the predetermined volume of oil.    
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions for calculating the required number of fuel units using the correlation number.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the correlation number is marked on the oil container.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a table cross-referencing potential desired mixture ratios to required fuel unit quantities calculated by the function using the correlation number.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the table includes required fuel unit quantities in two or more different standard units of measurement, for which the required number of fuel units is calculated using the same correlation number.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a packaging allowance volume of oil in addition to the predetermined volume of oil in the oil container, to thereby form combined contents of the oil container.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein neither the packaging volume of oil nor the combined contents of the oil container are specified.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising transfer instructions for the manner in which the predetermined volume of oil portion of the combined contents of the oil container are to be transferred to a mixing vessel, to thereby facilitate delivery of the entire predetermined volume of oil to a mixing container.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the transfer instructions are attached to the oil container.  
     
     
         30 . A method for mixing fuel and oil to achieve a desired mixture ratio, the method comprising: 
 selecting two or more units of measurement in which it may be desirable to calculate a required number of fuel units to be mixed with a predetermined volume of oil, for achieving the desired mixture ratio; and    arbitrarily selecting a correlation number that can be used for calculating a required number of fuel units, in one or the other of the two units of measurement, to be mixed with a predetermined volume of oil, for achieving the desired mixture ratio, as a function of calculation terms including the desired mixture ratio and the arbitrarily selected correlation number;    the correlation number thereby correlating the predetermined volume of oil to the desired mixture ratio in such a manner that the required number of fuel units can be calculated in either or both of the selected units of measurement with the correlation number and without the use of a calculation term equaling the predetermined volume of oil.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising, providing a table cross-referencing potential desired mixture ratios to required fuel unit quantities as calculated by the function using the correlation number for both of the selected systems of units.  
     
     
         32 . A method for mixing two or more fluids to achieve a desired mixture ratio, the method comprising, calculating a required number of units of a first liquid to be mixed with a predetermined volume of a second liquid, for achieving the desired mixture ratio, as a function of calculation terms including the desired mixture ratio and an arbitrarily selected correlation number correlating the predetermined volume of the second liquid to the desired mixture ratio, to thereby allow the required number of units of the first liquid to be calculated without the use of a calculation term equaling the predetermined volume of the second liquid.