Mixer blade attachment with flexible fins

Abstract

An attachment to a mixer blade wipes the sides of a container and produces a mixture that is uniform and consistent. The attachment is placed onto the mixer blade either temporarily or permanently. After the attachment is on the mixer blade, the rotating spin of the mixer blade and the angular positioning of the flexible fins wipe the mixture on the sides of the container to the center of the container. By using a flexible material for the fins, the fins come into direct contact with the container while not damaging the container. The direct contact allows for the complete wiping of each side of the container. The attachment is easily cleaned.

1 . An improved blade for a device for mixing a material, the device having a drive shaft, comprising:
 a means for attaching the blade for rotation to the drive shaft, about an axis of rotation defined by the drive shaft;   a mixing body, disposed about the axis of rotation, the mixing body having, when viewed in profile, a pair of rays that extend outward, forming an obtuse angle, from a vertex, the outward ends of the rays connected to a pair of curved arms that join together at a bottom of the body, the vertex and the bottom of the body aligned along the axis of rotation; and   a means for wiping a surface proximate to the mixing body as the drive shaft rotates the mixing body, the wiping means being disposed on at least the pair of curved arms.   
     
     
         2 . The blade of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the wiping means comprises a plurality of elastomeric fins.   
     
     
         3 . The blade of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each fin is arranged along the curved arms at an oblique angle that directs the material downwardly as the mixing body rotates.   
     
     
         4 . The blade of  claim 2 , wherein:
 each fin is arranged along the curved arms at an oblique angle that directs the material downwardly as the mixing body rotates.   
     
     
         5 . The blade of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the mixing body is attached at the vertex to the drive shaft attaching means.   
     
     
         6 . The blade of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the fins are in a spaced-apart relationship along the curved arms with the fins alternatingly positioned in the axial direction, between bilaterally symmetrical sides of the mixing body.   
     
     
         7 . The blade of  claim 4 , wherein the fins are in a spaced-apart relationship along the curved arms, with the fins alternatingly positioned in the axial direction, between first and second bilaterally symmetrical sides of the mixing body. 
     
     
         8 . The blade of  claim 2 , wherein:
 each elastomeric fin comprises silicone rubber.   
     
     
         9 . The blade of  claim 1 , wherein said means for attaching the blade to the drive shaft is a metal insert. 
     
     
         10 . The blade of  claim 9 , wherein the blade is molded over the metal insert. 
     
     
         11 . An improved blade for a device for mixing a material while wiping an internal surface of a container for the material, the device having a drive shaft, comprising:
 a means for attaching the blade for rotation to the drive shaft, about an axis of rotation defined by the drive shaft;   a mixing body, disposed about the axis of rotation, the mixing body having, when viewed in profile, a pair of rays that extend outward, forming an obtuse angle, from a vertex, the outward ends of the rays connected to a pair of curved arms that join together at a bottom of the body, the vertex and the bottom of the body aligned along the axis of rotation; and   a plurality of downwardly-angled flow channels disposed on at least the pair of curved arms between the mixing body and the internal surface.   
     
     
         12 . The blade of  claim 11 , wherein:
 each downwardly-angled flow channel is defined by one of the curved arms, a pair of fins, each of which is disposed along the curved arm at an oblique angle thereto, and the internal surface.   
     
     
         13 . An improved blade for a device for mixing a material, the device having a drive shaft, comprising:
 a mixing body, comprising:
 a means for attaching the blade to the drive shaft, about an axis of rotation defined by the drive shaft; 
 a pair of elongate members, extending generally radially from the drive shaft-attaching means, from which a first end of each of the elongate arms originates; and 
 a pair of curved arms, each curved arm originating at a second end of the corresponding elongate member, the respective second ends of the curved arms joining together at a bottom of the body, along the axis of rotation; 
 the elongate members and curved arms disposed about the axis of rotation; and 
   a means for wiping a surface proximate to the mixing body as the blade rotates, the wiping means disposed on at least the pair of curved arms.   
     
     
         14 . The blade of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the wiping means comprises a plurality of elastomeric fins.   
     
     
         15 . The blade of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each fin is arranged along one of the pair of curved arms at an oblique angle that directs the material downwardly as the mixing body rotates.   
     
     
         16 . The blade of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the fins are in a spaced-apart relationship along the curved arms with the fins alternatingly positioned in the axial direction, between bilaterally symmetrical sides of the mixing body.   
     
     
         17 . The blade of  claim 14 , wherein:
 each fin is angled so that a downwardly-directed surface of each fin directs the material downwardly as the blade rotates.