Agitating – Mixing chamber removable from stirrer and support – Mixing chamber mounted within container
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-06
2001-07-31
Soohoo, Tony G. (Department: 1723)
Agitating
Mixing chamber removable from stirrer and support
Mixing chamber mounted within container
C366S197000, C366S332000, C366S347000, C366S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267498
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for blending, mixing and/or homogenizing the contents of a bag and, more particularly, of a sterile plastic bag holding clinical samples, for instance used in laboratories, in hospitals, in the food industry, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide sterile plastic bags for holding samples, such as the plastic bag disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,829 issued on Oct. 15, 1996 to Lafond. In this patent a disposable sterile plastic bag B is disclosed for holding samples in blenders during the mixing thereof, the bag B comprising a two-ply sheet flexible material integrally joined at opposed side edges thereof (or the bag may be made from a tube) and joined at the upper and lower ends thereof respectively by upper and lower heat seals with a sealed sample receiving chamber being defined between the two plastic sheets inwardly of the bag's side edges and upper and lower sealed ends. Inwardly of the upper seal, there is defined a tear-off line transversely across the two sheets and parallelly to the upper seal thereby forming a detachable strip outwardly of the tear-off line. When the sample is ready to be introduced in the bag, the detachable strip is removed from the bag by pulling it so as to cause rupture of the two sheets at the tear-off line. The bag's chamber is thus sterile when the sample is introduced therein and the bag and its contents can then be inserted in a blending machine, also called a homogenizer or a mixer. The bag's sterility does not depend on how the bag is packaged or on the integrity of the packaging's seal as the bag is itself sterile until the detachable strip is removed therefrom, that is until the bag is ready to be used.
Generally, commercial homogenizers or blenders used in laboratories to mix samples include a casing having a door which is pivoted to the casing the which, when open, reveal a chamber in the casing. In this chamber, there is provided paddles that are adapted to be repeatedly displaced by a motor. When the contents of a bag are to be mixed or blended, the door of the homogenizer is opened and the plastic bag and its contents are inserted into the homogenizer's chamber and the door is then closed such as to trap the upper end of the bag between the door and the casing while a lower portion of the bag and its contents are located in the chamber. The door, when closed, traps the upper end of the bag and thus firmly secures the same in a generally upright position in the homogenizer. The homogenizer is then switched on and the paddles, in a reciprocating movement, repeatedly pound the plastic bag and thus cause its contents to mix. After the homogenizer has been switched off, the door is opened and the bag is removed therefrom with the blended sample being now appropriately mixed and, for instance, ready for analysis.
In known homogenizers or blenders, the pivotable door cannot be removed from the rest of the blender. Furthermore, any rupture of the bag in the blender causes its contents to flow into the chamber of the blender and possibly onto the surface on which the homogenizer rests. This requires that the blender be extensively cleaned and there are some contamination risks in the laboratory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an improved device for mixing or blending the contents of a bag and having a pivotable door that can be easily removed from the remainder of the device.
It is also an aim of the present invention to provide an improved device for blending or mixing the contents of a bag and comprising a pivotable door having a container located below the bag, when the latter is secured in the device, such that if the bag ruptures, its contents find their way into the door's container.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a device for blending or mixing the contents of a bag comprising an improved paddle driving mechanism which allows a paddle to be detached from a paddle shaft of the driving mechanism such that the paddle can be removed from the device, for instance, for cleaning purposes.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a blending device for mixing contents of a bag, comprising a casing defining a chamber and comprising a mixer and a door, wherein when a bag is at least partly positioned in said chamber and said door is closed, said mixer may be operated to act on the bag and cause a content thereof to be mixed, said door defining a collection container adapted to extend in said chamber when said door is closed and to extend under the bag, whereby at least most of the contents of the bag spilling therefrom while the bag is in said blending device and said door is closed will be collected by said container.
Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a blending device for mixing contents of a bag, comprising a casing defining a chamber and comprising a mixer and a door, wherein when a bag is at least partly positioned in said chamber and said door is closed, said mixer may be operated to act on the bag and cause a content thereof to be mixed said door being removably connected to said causing.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a blending device for mixing contents of a bag, comprising a casing defining a chamber and comprising a mixer and a door, wherein when a bag is at least partly positioned in said chamber and said door is closed, said mixer comprising at least one paddle, motor means and transmission means mounted to said paddle, said motor means being adapted to impart motion to said transmission means such as to displace said paddle in a cyclic motion, said paddle being adapted to repeatedly act on the bag and cause a content thereof to be mixed, said paddle including a paddle assembly which comprises a detachable locking mechanism for removably mounting said paddle to said transmission means, whereby said paddle may be disconnected from said transmission means and removed from said casing.
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Jalbert Steve
Lafond Danielle
Labplas Inc.
Soohoo Tony G.
Swabey Ogilvy Renault
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