Mixer blade attachment with flexible fins
The present invention is an attachment to a mixer blade for wiping the sides of a container and producing 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 mixer having a drive shaft, comprising:
a means for attaching the blade to the drive shaft;
a mixing body, disposed about an axis of rotation defined by the drive shaft attaching means, 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 come to a noticeable but blunt point at a bottom of the body, the vertex and point aligned along the axis of rotation; and
an elastomeric sheath, disposed on at least the pair of curved arms, the elastomeric sheath further comprising means for wiping a surface proximate to the mixing body as the mixing body is rotated by the drive shaft.
2. The blade of claim 1 , wherein said elastomeric sheath is permanently attached to said mixing body.
3. The blade of claim 1 , wherein said elastomeric sheath is a snap-on sleeve.
4. The blade of claim 1 , wherein said means for wiping a surface comprises a plurality of fins.
5. The blade of claim 4 , wherein each fin is arranged on the sheath at an oblique angle to the axis of rotation such that one edge of each fin is closer to the drive shaft.
6. The blade of claim 5 , wherein the oblique angle is such that, for each fin, the edge thereof axially closer to the drive shaft precedes the opposite edge of the fin when the mixing body is rotated by the drive shaft.
7. The blade of claim 6 , wherein the fins are in a spaced-apart relationship along the elastomeric sheath, with the fins alternatingly positioned in the axial direction, between bilaterally symmetrical sides of the mixing body.
8. The blade of claim 6 , wherein said elastomeric sheath is permanently attached to said mixing body.
9. The blade of claim 6 , wherein the elastomeric sheath is adhered to said mixing body using a chemically applied tie layer.
10. The blade of claim 6 , wherein said elastomeric sheath is a snap-on sleeve.
11. The blade of claim 4 , wherein the mixing body is attached at the vertex to the drive shaft attaching means.
12. The blade of claim 4 , wherein the fins are in a spaced-apart relationship along the elastomeric sheath, with the fins alternatingly positioned in the axial direction, between first and second bilaterally symmetrical sides of the mixing body.
13. The blade of claim 4 , wherein the mixing body is attached at the vertex to the drive shaft attaching means, and the elastomeric sheath is disposed on the curved arms.
14. The blade of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric sheath is adhered to said mixing body using a chemically applied tie layer.
15. The blade of claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric sheath comprises silicone rubber.
16. The blade of claim 1 , wherein said means for attaching the blade to the drive shaft is a metal insert.
17. The blade of claim 16 , wherein the blade is molded over the metal insert.
18. An improved blade for a mixer having a drive shaft, comprising:
a 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 each ray connected to one of a pair of curved arms that come to a noticeable but blunt point at a bottom of the body, the mixing body having an axis of rotation defined by a line passing from the vertex and the point;
a silicone rubber sheath permanently affixed along the curved arms, the sheath comprising a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the curved arms to wipe a surface proximate thereto, each fin arranged on the sheath at an oblique angle to the axis of rotation; and
means for attaching the drive shaft to the mixing body, located at the vertex.