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.

1 . A system for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, comprising: 
 a fluid container 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;    a mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus; and    an adapter mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining said selected container regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container, 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 oriented transversely with respect to said base,    the restraining members including at least one first restraining member configured to engage said first container when said first container is received within said adapter as said selected container to position its coincident center of gravity and central geometric axes along the motion axis of said mixing apparatus, and    the restraining members further including at least one second restraining member configured to engage said second container when said second container is received within said adapter as said selected container to position its central geometric axis at an offset from the motion axis of said mixing apparatus sufficiently that its center of gravity axis is positioned along the motion axis of said mixing apparatus,    whereby the restraining members are configured to engage said selected container to position its center of gravity axis along the motion axis of said mixing apparatus regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container.    
   
   
       2 . A system for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, comprising: 
 a fluid container 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;    a mixing apparatus including a rotation axis about which the container is rotated by the mixing apparatus; and    an adapter mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining said selected container regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container, 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 oriented transversely with respect to said base,    the restraining members including at least one first restraining member configured to engage and laterally restrain said first container when said first container is received within said adapter as said selected container to position its coincident center of gravity and central geometric axes along said motion axis of said mixing apparatus, and    the restraining members further including at least one second restraining member configured to engage said second container when said second container is received within said adapter as said selected container to position its central geometric axis at an offset from the motion axis of said mixing apparatus sufficiently that its center of gravity axis is positioned along the motion axis of said mixing apparatus,    whereby the restraining members are configured to engage said selected container to position its center of gravity axis along the motion axis of said mixing apparatus regardless of whether said selected container is said first container or said second container.    
   
   
       3 . A system for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, comprising: 
 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;    a mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus; and    an adapter mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining the fluid container, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said container therein, said body having a base through which the motion axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and adapter sides oriented transversely with respect to said base,    a number of said sides configured to engage said fluid container to position its central geometric axis at an offset from the motion axis of said mixing apparatus sufficiently that its center of gravity axis is positioned along the motion axis of said mixing apparatus when said fluid container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides.    
   
   
       4 . A system for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, comprising: 
 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;    a mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus; and    an adapter mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining the fluid container, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said container therein, said body having a generally square lateral cross-sectional shape, including a base through which the motion axis of the mixing apparatus extends when said adapter is mounted on the mixing apparatus and adapter sides oriented transversely with respect to said base,    at least some of said adapter sides configured to engage said fluid container to position its central geometric axis at an offset from the motion axis of said mixing apparatus sufficiently that its center of gravity axis is positioned along said motion axis of said mixing apparatus when said fluid container is received within said adapter between said adapter sides.    
   
   
       5 . A system for mixing a fluid in a fluid container, comprising: 
 a fluid container having its center of gravity axis offset with respect to its central geometric axis;    a mixing apparatus including a motion axis about which the container is moved by the mixing apparatus; and    an adapter mountable on the mixing apparatus for receiving and restraining the container, said adapter including a generally cup-shaped body for receiving said 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 oriented transversely with respect to said base,    at least some of said restraining members configured to engage said container to position its central geometric axis at an offset from the motion axis of said mixing apparatus sufficiently that its center of gravity axis is positioned along said motion axis of said mixing apparatus when said container is received within said adapter.