EP2669000A1 - Mixing device with storage for a holder device - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (2) i.e. free-standing mixing device, has two supports (8) including bearing areas with two rotational degrees of freedom, without substantial translatory effect. A joint bearing mounts the supports to the chassis (4) and another joint bearing mounts a receiving device (6) to the supports. The bearings include a guidance device (28) for guiding the rotation of the receiving device relative to the chassis during the mixing movement. The bearings are spaced apart from each other with a rotational degree of freedom. The joint bearings are selected from any of a universal joint and a ball joint. An independent claim is also included for a method for mixing contents of laboratory vessels.

Description

The present invention relates to a mixing device, in particular for mixing laboratory vessel contents with a receiving device for receiving mixed material and having a drive, by means of which the receiving device relative to a normal stationary chassis in a mixing movement can put, in which the receiving device on a closed Path, recurring periodically to a certain position in a certain orientation in space moves, preferably in a horizontal plane of movement only translationally and cyclically, in particular on a circular path, and with a storage that guides the receiving device in the mixing movement.

Mixing devices in which laboratory vessel contents are mixed are well known. For this purpose, mixing devices are known to have receiving devices for a wide variety of mix containers. Such receptacles may also consist of a pedestal structure on which a holder for the mix containers is kept interchangeable in order to make the mixer useful for various vessels. Especially for laboratories, there are mixers that can mix even small amounts of liquid, that small containers in suitable holders, so-called "exchange blocks" are also summarized in very large groups of two, three or even four-digit number. Such exchangeable blocks and also the reaction vessels can be standardized. For example, there are 0.2 ml, 0.5 ml, 1.5 ml and 2.0 ml tubes - and suitable replacement blocks for this purpose. There are also exchangeable blocks for cryo vessels, for Falcon vessels (1.5 ml and 50 ml), for glass vessels and beakers, for microtiter plates (MTP), for deep well plates (DWP), for slides (slides) and for PCR plates with 96 or 384. single vessels. This list is not exhaustive, but indicates in which large variety laboratory vessels or Mischgut-vessels exist, for which the mixers should be suitable. For this purpose, a standardization of the base structure of exchange blocks can be made.

Because these exchange blocks are basically designed so that the individual vessels are inserted from above into it, has for the known mixer one circular translatory cyclic mixing movement established, which proceeds essentially in a horizontal plane. For this purpose, in the known mixers usually an electric motor eccentric drive is responsible to put a recording device in this circular movement. The latter is stored in known different ways: For example, is known a bearing in linear bearings (so-called ball bushes) or in linear bearings in the two horizontal directions. But is also known a film hinge bearing or storage in a swing frame, in which the receiving device is mounted resiliently in a frame in the two horizontal directions, for example by coil springs.

These known types of bearings all have different disadvantages. The storage in linear bearings or linear bearings is structurally complex, requires accurate adjustment and can therefore be susceptible to interference. The Filmschanierlagerung is inexpensive and structurally quite simple, but can lead to fatigue failure. The use of a swing frame leads to an increased axial load on the drive and requires a certain height. In addition, the drive must do additional work against the spring elements used in the swing frame. This also increases the risk that a swing frame may be damaged. Furthermore, the alignment of a swing frame with respect to the eccentric drive in a mixer is very expensive.

Typically, such mixers are driven at a rotational frequency of 200 rpm to 1,500 rpm. Depending on the mixture required for the mix, but also on mixed-mechanical parameters, the frequency of the mixing movement is known to be adjustable.

From the mixing movement, in particular the circular mixing movement described as preferred, the problem of unbalance arises physically. This is known to be solved by a suitably placed counterweight, which communicates with the rotary driven receiving adapter and rotates to compensate for the imbalance.

Also known bearings are in the DE 20018633U1 and the US5655836 described, in which the receiving device in the form of a "table" stands on supports with hinged bearings at both ends, which are equidistant from each other in all the supports. This proves to be problematic that the possible in this arrangement and under the influence of the mixing forces acting in the mixing forces also allow an unwanted twisting and / or tilting of the table against a (properly fixed) chassis (z-stroke), where the main plane of the receiving device (and thus also held by her Mischgut vessels) can move clearly from the horizontal plane - whereby there is a risk that container contents are spilled and unwanted twisting and / or tilting of the receiving device are no longer returned by the drive can.

From the DE 102 32 202 A1 a generic mixing device for laboratory vessel contents is known in which a receiving device for the vessels is mounted and guided by means of joint bearing supports. However, this device involves the risk of unwanted twisting and / or tilting of the receiving device during the mixing movement.

The present invention has for its object to provide a mixing device which avoids the problems of said previous solutions mentioned or at least reduced. In particular, the present invention has for its object to provide a mixer with spherical bearings, in which the risk of unwanted rotation and / or tilting of the receiving device is reduced.

This object is achieved by a device for mixing with the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments are specified in the subclaims.

According to the invention, a mixing device has in particular for mixing laboratory vessel contents a receiving device for receiving mixed material and a drive and a storage. By the drive can be the recording device guided relative to a designated stationary chassis led by the storage in a mixing movement.

Preferably, the mixing movement is a translational movement of the entire recording device (driven by the drive and guided by the forced guidance of the bearing) on a path in the space which extends substantially in the horizontal plane, ie in the x and y direction in a three-dimensional coordinate system. The maximum deviations of the web in a vertical (ie perpendicular to the horizontal plane) direction (z-direction), is preferably 5% of the height (in the vertical direction) of the smallest used Mischgut vessels, more preferably 1% and particularly preferably 0, 2% of the height of the smallest used mix container. Deviations from the horizontal plane in the vertical are preferably not more than 0.2 mm, more preferably not more than 0.05 mm, and particularly preferably not more than 0.02 mm. When assessing the quality of a circular path that is as flat as possible, acceleration sensors which measure the acceleration of the recording device in all three spatial directions (x, y, z) are preferably used. The magnitude of the acceleration vectors should always be constant for a given rotational frequency, with the z component being as low as possible, and the x and z components being out of phase with each other. At a rotational frequency of 3000 rpm, the effective value for the acceleration vector in the z-direction is less than or equal to 50 m / s ² , preferably less than or equal to 20 m / s ² and particularly preferably less than or equal to 10 m / s ² , this being Value also depends on the weight load of the mixing device. For example, at 3000 rpm, the RMS value is 10 m / s ² when the mixing device as a receiving device carries an exchangeable block weighing 500 g. To determine the acceleration in the z direction, a uniaxial sensor (M352C65, M353B15) from PCP Piezoelectronics Inc. was used. Furthermore, a triaxial sensor (356A22) from PCP Piezoelectronics Inc was used to determine the quality, ie uniformity, of the concentricity.

Quite generally speaking, the mixing movement is a movement of the receiving device on a closed, so to speak annular and somehow spatially three-dimensionally extending path which at least predominantly translational, but can also perform rolling movements when it only periodically returns to at least one particular position in a particular orientation in space. Really preferably, the pick-up device reverts to each point of the web in space, and is a periodic movement so that each point of the web in space is reached again and again at equal intervals - or in other words, so that the pick-up device interrupts periodically same place. The preferred circular or elliptical planar path is also referred to as the orbital path. Shown in the three-dimensional coordinate system, the preferred circular path of movement of the mixing device according to the invention is predominantly on the x-axis (abscissa) and y-axis (ordinate) spanned horizontal plane. Movements in the direction of the z-axis (applicate) are preferably less pronounced and show up in the mixing device as a kind of up and down movement of the receiving device and thus also the vessels located therein with content. The movement in the direction of the z-axis is called a z-stroke.

The storage according to the invention holds and guides the receiving device during this mixing movement so that the dynamic up and down movement of the receiving device is preferably reduced as much as possible. This dynamic up and down movement is known in the art as the already mentioned z-stroke. A z-stroke during the mixing movement is disadvantageous in most applications, and therefore undesirable, since it can lead to wetting and thus contamination of the vessel lid, or squirts the sample out of the vessel in open vessels.

The storage has at least two supports. The at least two supports can either be of equal length or alternatively have different lengths. For columns of different lengths, a leveling over the other components, such as the receiving device or the chassis must be done to align the recording device again in a horizontal plane. Each of these supports according to the invention has at least two spaced storage areas (spherical plain bearings), which - at least substantially - no translational and at least two (linearly independent) have rotational degrees of freedom. Bearing areas (spherical plain bearings) are the areas of the support that are in direct contact with a bearing or parts of a bearing. A support can be both one-piece and multi-part. In a multi-part support at least two parts each have at least one storage area. The at least two storage areas of a support can be located at different positions of the support. Preference is given to the terminal arrangement, in which a bearing is located at both ends of the support, since this simplifies the assembly of the mixing device according to the invention. The storage area is a short elastic bar section where its flexural elasticity accounts for the two rotational degrees of freedom (which, however, are then limited in their range of motion, for example, by the plastic deformation limit or breaking strength of the bar).

Alternatively, the bearing areas may comprise sliding bearings each having at least one rotational degree of freedom about an axis deviating from the extension direction of the support (approximately the vertical as intended). Preferably, the axes of rotation are perpendicular to the direction of extension.

According to the invention, it is possible to realize the (at least) two rotational degrees of freedom by means of two separate bearings. Preferably, however, the storage area has only one warehouse. This can realize all three rotational degrees of freedom (x, y and z), preferably even with axes crossing in one point (fulcrum) (eg as a ball joint). Or in another embodiment, the directions of one rotational degree of freedom of both bearings of the respective storage area are perpendicular to each other - possibly even crossing at a point (pivot point) (cross or "gimbal" joint). In another possible embodiment, the directions of the one rotational degree of freedom of both bearings are horizontal.

The bearings have, at least essentially, no translational degrees of freedom, ie a person skilled in the art understands a bearing without translational degrees of freedom, wherein he accepts deviations in the usual tolerance range. These unwanted deviations can happen For example, resulting from the elastic and / or plastic or deformation of the elements of the bearing, but due to the choice of materials - elastic and / or plastic deformation are not wanted, unless explicitly elastic bearing elements are used - should be negligible.

Of these storage areas so stored one the respective support on the chassis and the other the receiving device to the support. For the purposes of this invention, the bearing area (spherical plain bearing) is a short elastic rod section in which its bending elasticity makes up the two rotational degrees of freedom, possibly a universal joint (also known as a cardan joint) or a ball and socket joint (ball joint). A provided with the ball joints support is here called ball support. The storage according to the invention has a guide device, which during the mixing movement, the rotation of the receiving device relative to the chassis.

By means of this guide device, which is preferably form-fitting, an unwanted, in particular chaotic, rotation of the receiving device relative to the chassis can be effectively prevented.

The drive of the mixing device according to the invention is initially able to set the receiving device in a mixing movement, which, as mentioned, preferably runs in a circular translatory cyclical manner in a plane. In other words, "circular translationally cyclical" can be described by the fact that in such a mixing movement according to the invention all points of the receiving device perform a repetitive circular motion with essentially the same radius, angular velocity and angular position about a respective center in plane-parallel planes. The mixing movement preferably proceeds in substantially horizontal planes, so that exchange blocks accommodated in receiving adapters of the receiving device, for example, are reliably mixed with reaction vessels held vertically in them, ie, without spilling the vessel contents during conventional filling. The drive is preferably via an eccentric, which is rotatably mounted in the receiving device. Here, the offset between the axis of the drive shaft and the parallel to it axis of the eccentric determines the orbit radius of the mixing movement. This offset, the Also referred to as the amplitude of the eccentric determined at constant column length, the inclination of the columns and thus the distance between the receiving device and chassis.

The storage of the receiving device according to the invention allows a positive guidance of the receiving device, wherein the storage is easy to assemble and yet the axial forces emanating from the receiving device, are absorbed by the storage. Furthermore, the storage according to the invention enables the construction of mixers with a small overall height. The advantages of the storage according to the invention are thus simple assembly and very strong reduction of the load of the drive in the axial direction. The latter point increases occupational safety and the life of the drive. Thus, the storage according to the invention is particularly suitable for use in mixing devices which have to carry high loads, such as large filled laboratory vessels (eg Erlenmeyer flasks (2000 ml).) Since space in a laboratory is always limited, the low overall height of the invention is Mixers also beneficial.

Furthermore, this storage already in principle allows to set the radius of this circular path by establishing geometry parameters such as the support length or even on the device by the user to make adjustable. The circular path radius is preferably between 0.5 mm and 5 mm and particularly preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm. The circular path frequency can be reduced due to the new storage to values up to 50 rev / min. But it can also (especially at high loading weight of the vessels) frequencies of 2,000 rev / min, preferably 2,500 rev / min, and even 3,000 rev / min and to be driven more.

Preferably, the storage has two, three or four of the supports, which, for example, like stool legs or table legs in principle store the receiving device as a tabletop on the chassis as a base. For example, if the joint bearings, in particular the pivot points of the joint bearing a support equidistant from each other as the joint bearings, in particular the pivot points of the joint bearings of all other supports, this results in a mobility of the recording device always in a plane-parallel alignment over the chassis (Movement of the plane through the cradle pivot bearings against the plane through the chassis pivot bearings). Since the supports carry the axial / vertical loads, a mixer is all the more resilient, the more supports it has.

If the distance between the chassis and the receiving device is determined, for example, by suitable positive guidance, this translational mobility exists, for example, for equally long, parallel supports only on a circular path with a fixed radius. This is essential to achieve a smooth mixing motion on a circular planar path, i. a stable mixing movement without tilting and with reduced z-stroke.

In this mixing device according to the invention, the angle of inclination of each individual support relative to the chassis remains constant over the entire revolution of the mixing movement, since the supports can not twist against each other. In addition, in a mixing device according to the invention having supports of the same length, over the entire length of which the imaginary points a, b, c, d etc. are distributed, the distance remains the same between one of these points and one of the respective equivalent points a during the mixing process ', b', c, 'd' etc., on one of the other supports. Without these features, there would be an unwanted twisting of the two levels against each other.

Consequently, the determination of this distance is a first example of a guide device according to the invention, which leads during the mixing movement, the rotation of the receiving device relative to the chassis. The distance (and thus the radius of the circular path) is ultimately determined by the amplitude with which the eccentric moves the receiving device relative to the chassis, wherein the eccentric is mounted on the chassis. If the distance of the plane of movement of the receiving device from the chassis even configured adjustable, for example, in this way, the radius of the circular path of the mixing movement can be set on the mixing device according to the invention

Even if the distance from the chassis level to the receiving device by the drive shaft in the point of application of the drive shaft - that is set by the eccentric - on the receiving device, is in the remaining points, a change of Distance is possible by an unwanted tilting of the recording device relative to the chassis plane to the point of attack.

In the mixing device according to the invention, however, the distance between the chassis level and the recording device at the remaining points remains unchanged. The distance remains unchanged at all points, since the angle of inclination of each individual support relative to the chassis is kept constant over the entire circulation of the mixing movement, and the supports can not twist against each other. This feature - the inclination angle of each support relative to the chassis remains the same - thus eliminates unwanted twisting of the two planes, namely the plane of movement of the cradle (the plane through the cradle pivot bearings relative to the chassis plane (plane through the chassis pivot bearings) is unwanted, and it is in the present invention to minimize them, as this leads to an uncontrolled mixing movement, which is disadvantageous (z-stroke).

This unwanted rotation is reduced or prevented by the guide device according to the invention. The guide device according to the invention leads during the mixing movement, the rotation of the receiving device relative to the chassis, wherein reducing / preventing this unwanted twist falls under this inventive guiding the rotation. The guide device according to the invention preferably performs such that the unintentional rotation is equal to zero. Shown as projecting into the x, y planes, it can be seen that the guide means causes the supports to always be deflected in the same direction, i. the guide device synchronizes the column movement.

The guide device according to the invention includes, for example, bearings, rods, cams, rails, webs, links and combinations thereof. The guide device according to the invention can likewise consist of a magnetic field. In this embodiment, both the receiving device and the chassis each carry at least one compatible magnetic element, ie, in attracting interaction elements selected from the group of magnets, magnetizable elements, permanent magnets, electromagnets and current-carrying Coils or a combination thereof. Examples of permanent magnets are those of a ferromagnetic material such as iron, nickel, cobalt, neodymium-iron-boron, samarium-cobalt.

By establishing a magnetic field between the receiving device or parts thereof and the chassis, or parts thereof, a positive guidance is achieved, so that the inclination angle of each support relative to the chassis remains constant over the entire cycle of the mixing movement. An adjustable embodiment is possible, for example by regulating the currents in a current-carrying coil by means of a control device. The control device regulates the current flow and thus the strength of the magnetic field or regulates the polarity on the basis of received signals (for example: manual inputs with respect to the current density, the weight and / or the viscosity of the vessel contents, sensor signal with respect to the detected weight and / or viscosity) the coil and thus the direction of the magnetic field. Thus, depending on weight, vessel and / or vessel contents (viscosity) a directed movement in the vertical direction, i. to achieve a shaking motion (up and down motion, vibration) of the pickup device that continues to move on its orbit. This is an advantage of this embodiment

Preferably, the guide means has at least one web of two of the supports of the invention with each other. It stores a bearing that has no translational and only one rotational degree of freedom (hinge joint) the web on one support, and a second hinge joint supports the bridge on the other support. The two hinge joints are rotatable about mutually parallel axes. Thus, the orientation of these two supports in the plane, which is oriented at right angles to the two parallel hinge joint axes, fixed: the supports can rotate only in this plane against each other. Thus, in principle, a 3-dimensional ("skewed") twisting (twisting) of the two supports against each other by means of the web blocked. A skewed twisting (twisting) of the supports against each other is a prerequisite for the unwanted twisting of the two supported on the supports levels (as already indicated above: when twisting the two levels against each other changes the concomitant inclination of the columns at the same time the distance between the planes). The unintentional rotation of the planes relative to one another is consequently significantly reduced by the guide device according to the invention, the web attaching to the supports in interaction with the hinge joints. It is known to the person skilled in the art that compressions and expansions of the supports and webs can not be completely ruled out, which also cause unwanted twisting. The axes of the hinge joints are each mounted centrally between the respective joint bearings of the two supports connected by the web. This is especially true for two different length supports that are connected by a bridge and hinge joints. In a device with a plurality of supports, for example, four, in which each two supports have the same length, it does not matter between which of the supports the web is arranged with hinged joints, as long as the axes of the hinge joints in each case centrally between the respective joint bearings are arranged.

In order to illustrate that due to the bearing of the web over the two hinged joints on, for example, two equally long, parallel supports there is no unwanted twisting, the system can also be described as follows: An imaginary straight line (ie projected in for a better understanding, indeed not present straight line), a so-called connecting line, which starts at one of the two parallel hinge joint axes and perpendicular to the two hinge joint axes, always remains parallel to an imaginary connecting line (ie a straight line not projected for better understanding) during the mixing movement, which connects the two bearing joints with each other on the chassis and to an imaginary connecting line (that is, a projected for better understanding actually not present straight line), which connects the two bearing joints on the exception device with each other.

Preferably, the following distances to the device according to the invention are the same size: between two supports, the distance between the pivot points of the joint bearing on the chassis from each other and the distance between the pivot points of the pivot bearing on the receiving device from each other. With equally large distances between The pivot points on one support and the pivot points on the other support, ie in columns of the same length, can result in the storage according to the invention a parallelogram arrangement of these fulcrums. Preferably, when all the supports of the device, the pivot points of the joint bearings of two supports on the chassis and the pivot points of the joint bearings of the same two supports on the receiving device equidistant from each other and if all pivot points on the chassis have the same arrangement as all pivot points on the receiving device, results on each two supports to each other always a parallelogram-shaped arrangement of the fulcrums - and form-fitting guided a storage of the mixing movement according to the invention. This is even forced, if, for example, as already described above, the movement plane of the receiving device is set at a certain distance from the chassis by suitable additional storage.

Preferably, the supports according to the invention have a length between 700 mm and 5 mm; more preferably a length of 300 mm to 10 mm; and more preferably a length of 150 mm to 20 mm. In an inventive embodiment of the supports with spherical bearings, the supports have a length of 35 mm, measured from the pivot point / center of the ball of the ball and socket joint. Then have the spherical plain bearings, designed as a ball and socket joint, a ball diameter between 60 mm and 3 mm; more preferably a ball diameter between 30 mm and 5 mm; and more preferably a ball diameter between 20 mm and 7 mm. In an embodiment of the ball and socket joint according to the invention, the ball diameter is 13 mm. This results in a preferred sliding speed in the joint of between 0 and 0.2 m / s in the pairing metal / plastic and also in the reverse choice of material - advantageous in particular if the ball at least its articulated surface made of polished metal such as VA steel or aluminum ( anodised) or ceramic and the pan has at least its plastic articulation surface such as abrasion-resistant, slip-modified thermoset or thermoset. The preferred sliding speed can also be achieved by reversing the choice of material, ie the ball consists at least on its surface of a plastic, in particular an abrasion-resistant sliding-modified thermoplastics or thermosets and the pan, at least their Articulated surface made of a polished metal such as stainless steel or aluminum (anodized) or ceramic.

In the designed as a ball and socket joint pivot bearing several variants can be distinguished. In one variant, the ball is rigidly connected to the support, and the pan is only indirectly over the ball in conjunction with the support. In a second variant, the arrangement is reversed, i. The pan is rigidly connected to the support and the ball is only indirectly above the pan in conjunction with the support. The depending on the variant with the support only indirectly connected part of the ball and socket joint, however, is in rigid contact with the chassis or recording device. The second variant is preferred since a mixing device according to the invention with this arrangement of the bearing is particularly easy to assemble.

The mixing device according to the invention may comprise, in addition to the receiving device, the drive and the bearing according to the invention, at least one heating element, preferably a controllable heating element. This is preferably embodied by a Peltier element or a resistance heating element, e.g. a heating foil. In a preferred embodiment, the mixing device further comprises a cooling device, e.g. a Peltier element. This can be used in a particularly preferred embodiment for heating and cooling. In different tempering devices, e.g. when using a Peltier element, the complementary use of heat sinks and fans makes sense. The heating or cooling element tempered the laboratory vessel and thus also the contents therein.

With the mixing device according to the invention, a method for mixing laboratory vessel contents can be operated. In this case, a laboratory vessel with content is placed on the mixing device and then put the mixing device into operation. In this mixing method, it is also possible to temper the contents of the laboratory vessels, ie to set by controlled heating and cooling to a temperature. Thus, a simultaneous mixing and tempering is possible with the device according to the invention.

The mixing device according to the invention has various uses: first, it can be used as a freestanding mixing device, i. be used as a single independent laboratory device in the laboratory. Another use is their use in a laboratory machine, e.g. from the preparation of the sample through the mixing to the final analysis. Another use is the use in an incubator in which samples, especially living cells, a controlled atmosphere (temperature, humidity, gas) are exposed, wherein the mixing device according to the invention provides for the uniform movement of the sample to be incubated.

The following brief description of the device according to the invention provides the following advantages: simple mountability of the bearing and reduction of the load on the drive in the axial / vertical direction. Another advantage that results from both the high load capacity of the storage as well as wide range of possible speeds (50 rpm - 3000 U / min) is the suitability of storage for both small light laboratory vessels, eg. B Eppendorf tubes Microtiter plates, slides that can be filled with very small volumes (maximum volumes: 0.1 ml, 0.2 ml, 0.5 ml, 1.5 ml and 2.0 ml) as well as large, heavily filled laboratory tubes , Falcon tubes, glass jars, Erlenmeyer flasks (eg up to 2000 ml), beakers etc.

According to the invention, therefore, a mixing device with a receiving device for receiving mixed material and with a drive by which the recording device can move relative to a chassis in a mixing movement, in which the recording device on a closed path, periodically to a certain location in a recurring, moved, and with a storage, which leads the receiving device in the mixing movement, wherein the storage at least two supports each having two spaced joint bearings, each having no translational and at least two rotational degrees of freedom, of which a joint bearing supports the support on the chassis and the other joint bearing the receiving device on the support, wherein the bearing has a guide device which guides the rotation of the receiving device relative to the chassis during the mixing movement.

A device according to the invention may be characterized in that at least one of the joint bearings is a universal joint or a ball joint or joint region with two bearings spaced apart from one another, each with only one rotational degree of freedom.

A device according to the invention may be characterized in that the guide device has at least one web which connects two of the supports with each other, wherein a hinge joint, which has no translational and only one rotational degree of freedom, supports the web on one support and another hinge joint Bridge on the other support and wherein the two hinge joints are rotatable about mutually parallel axes.

In this latter refinement, it is preferred that the axes of the hinge joints are mounted centrally on the chassis and on the receiving device between the respective pivot bearings of the two supports connected by the web.

In this last-mentioned embodiment, it is preferred for the web to embrace the support on which it is mounted, or for the support to embrace the web at the hinge joint.

A device according to the invention may be characterized in that the pivot points of the joint bearings of a support are equidistant from each other as the pivot points of the joint bearings of another support.

In this latter embodiment, it is preferred that the pivot points of the pivot bearings of a support are equidistant from each other as are the pivot points of the pivot bearings of all the other supports.

A device according to the invention may be characterized in that the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the spherical plain bearings of two supports on the chassis and the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the spherical plain bearings of the same supports on the receiving device are equidistant from each other.

In this latter embodiment, it is preferred that the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the spherical plain bearings of all supports on the chassis and the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the spherical plain bearings of the same supports on the receiving device are equidistantly spaced from one another.

A device according to the invention may be characterized in that only the supports and / or the drive do not transmit a weight force acting on the receiving device into the chassis.

A device according to the invention may be characterized in that the device comprises a controllable heating element selected from the group of Peltier elements and resistance heating elements and heating foils.

The invention also provides a method for mixing laboratory vessel contents, wherein a laboratory vessel with contents is placed on the device according to one of claims 1 to 9 and then the mixing device is put into operation.

In this case, the content of the laboratory vessel can be tempered.

According to the invention, the use of the device according to the invention as a freestanding mixing device or as part of a laboratory machine or incubator.

Figur 1

zeigt schematisch eine räumliche Ansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Mischen,

Figur 2

zeigt schematisch eine räumliche Ansicht einer alternativen erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Mischen ohne Aufnahmevorrichtung,

Figur 3 a

zeigt eine schematische räumliche Ansicht einer Ausgestaltung einer Baugruppe einer erfindungsgemäßen Lagerung, bei der der Steg die Kugelstütze, an der er gelagert ist, beim Scharniergelenk gabelförmig umgreift und bei der die Kugeln der Kugel-Pfanne-Gelenke an der Kugelstütze angeordnet sind,

Figur 3 b

zeigt eine räumliche Ansicht einer körperhaften Ausgestaltung der erfindungsgemäßen Lagerung nach Figur 3 a,

Figur 3 c

zeigt eine schematische räumliche Ansicht einer alternativen Ausgestaltung der Baugruppe gemäß Figur 3 a. bei der die Kugelstütze den Steg beim Scharniergelenk gabelförmig umgreift und bei der die Pfannen der Kugel-Pfanne-Gelenke an der Kugelstütze angeordnet sind,

Figur 3 d

zeigt eine räumliche Ansicht einer körperhaften Ausgestaltung der erfindungsgemäßen Lagerung nach Figur 3c,

Figur 4

zeigt eine räumliche Ansicht einer Ausgestaltung eines erfindungsgemäßen Gelenklagers,

Figur 5 a, b und c

zeigen mehrere schematische räumliche Ansichten von alternativen Anordnungen der erfindungsgemäßen Kugelstützen einer Vorrichtung zum Mischen nach Figur 1, bei der die Kugelstützen paarweise unterschiedlich von Stegen mit einander verbunden sind,

Figur 6

zeigt eine räumliche Ansicht einer körperhaften Ausgestaltung einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zum Mischen,

Figur 7

zeigt eine räumliche Ansicht der körperhaften Ausgestaltung der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung nach Figur 6 als Außendarstellung mit einem Gehäuse und

These and other advantages and features of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1

shows schematically a spatial view of a device according to the invention for mixing,

FIG. 2

2 shows a schematic view of an alternative device according to the invention for mixing without a receiving device,

Figure 3 a

shows a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of an assembly of a storage according to the invention, in which the web, the ball support on which it is mounted, at the hinge joint bifurcated surrounds and in which the balls of the ball and socket joints are arranged on the ball support,

FIG. 3 b

shows a spatial view of a physical embodiment of the storage according to the invention FIG. 3 a,

FIG. 3 c

shows a schematic perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the assembly according to FIG. 3 a. in which the ball support engages around the web in the form of a fork at the hinge joint and in which the pans of the ball and socket joints are arranged on the ball support,

FIG. 3 d

shows a spatial view of a physical embodiment of the storage according to the invention Figure 3c .

FIG. 4

shows a spatial view of an embodiment of a joint bearing according to the invention,

Figure 5 a, b and c

show several schematic spatial views of alternative arrangements of the ball supports according to the invention of a device for mixing FIG. 1 in which the ball supports are connected in pairs differently from webs,

FIG. 6

shows a spatial view of a physical embodiment of a device according to the invention for mixing,

FIG. 7

shows a spatial view of the physical configuration of the device according to the invention FIG. 6 as external presentation with a housing and

In the various figures, each corresponding construction elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1 is a mixing device 2 recognizable with a chassis 4 and a receiving device 6, which are each shown schematically only as rectangular plates. As can be seen from the spatial view, the receiving device 6 is supported on four supports 8, 10, 12, 14. The supports have a (not shown here) circular cylindrical basic shape each with a joint ball 16 each of a hinge bearing at both ends of the respective support. Each of the joint balls 16 is arranged in a ball socket in the bottom of the receiving device 6 or in the top of the chassis 4. The pivot points (centers) of the bearing balls are equidistant from each other on all supports (distance a).

In FIG. 1 It can be seen that the pivot points (centers) of the joint bearing 16 of the supports 8 and 10 and the supports 12 and 14 in the chassis 4 have the same distance A as the distance B between the pivot points (centers) of the pivot bearing 16 of the same two supports 8 and 10 and the same applies to the distances C and D between the pivot points (centers) of the pivot bearing 16 of the supports 10 and 12 and the supports 8 and 14. Thus, results in the device 2 according to FIG. 1 between each pair of the four supports 8, 10, 12 and 14 a parallelogram arrangement of the respective four pivot points (midpoints).

As it turned out FIG. 1 results, the four pivot points (centers) of the bearing balls 16 at the upper ends of the four supports on a (horizontal) plane 6 are arranged and the four pivot points (centers) of the bearing balls 16 at the respective lower ends of the four supports on a (horizontal) Level 4 plane parallel to it. This inventive storage allows a mixing movement of the receiving device 6 along the arrow 18 in a circular translational recurring.

The recording device 6 is driven in this mixing movement 18 by an eccentric 20, which sits on a vertical, rotationally driven shaft 22. The eccentric 20 is slidably mounted in a through hole 24 in the receiving device 6 and sets with its eccentricity E between the eccentric axis and the shaft axis, the radius of rotation 18 fixed. This determined by the positive engagement of the joint bearing 16 - as long as clearance and tolerances are disregarded, so in principle - then the distance between the chassis 4 and the receiving device 6 (perpendicular to the plane of movement of the mixing movement 18).

In FIG. 1 It can be seen that the pivot bearings 16 allow such a swivel angle S of the support (for example 10) relative to the receiving device 6 (and thus also relative to the chassis 4) that in the mixing movement 18, the circular path of the pivot points of the pivot bearing 16, the receiving device stored on the support (for example, 10), in plan view of the plane of movement 18 (top view not shown) are approximately equal.

In FIG. 1 It can also be seen that the supports 8 and 10 are connected by a web 28 and the supports 12 and 14 by a web 30 together. At both ends of the webs 28, a hinge joint 32 supports the respective web on one of the supports 8, 10, 12 or 14. The hinge joints 32 so store the respective web 28, 30 on the respective support rotatable about mutually parallel axes 34 Example, the axis of rotation of the hinge joint 32 at the left end of the web 28 in FIG. 1 parallel to the axis of rotation of the hinge joint 32 a right end of the web 28 in FIG. 1 ,

Each about the two parallel axes at its two ends rotatably hinged to the ball supports 8 to 14 webs 28, 32 is a guide device which during the mixing movement 18, the rotation of the receiving device 6 relative to the chassis 4 so that this rotation during the entire period a recurrence - that is, during the entire mixing movement 18 - equal to zero (in other words always translational).

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a mixing device 2 according to the invention FIG. 2 the corresponding construction elements of the device 2 are numbered identically as in FIG FIG. 1 even if it is not identical, but only functionally appropriate construction elements.

In contrast to the device 2 according to FIG. 1 has the device 2 according to FIG. 2 only two supports 10, 12. Here is the (vertical) distance of the receiving device 6 (not shown) fixed by the chassis 4 by a horizontal collar 36 at the lower end of the eccentric 20.

FIG. 3 a and b show a possible embodiment of a storage according to the invention, as they are in principle in FIG. 2 is shown. In FIG. 3 a is, however, recognizable that the supports 10, 12 (each as a plastic molding - see FIG. 3 b) carry lateral bearing balls 16, which protrude into bearings 38 and thus each form a joint stock. This lateral orientation of the joint bearing allows for easy mounting by simultaneous snap both bearing balls of a ball support into the respective bearing shell. The web 28 is (also as a plastic molding - see FIG. 3 b) mounted on the two hinge joints 32, which here, however, include the respective ball support fork-shaped. The pins of the hinge joints 32 penetrate vertically through plane-parallel, flat outer surfaces 40 on the supports 10 and 12 therethrough. The flat outer surfaces 40 on the support 10 and the support 12 abut against the flat inner sides 42 of the forked ends of the web 28.

The bearing shells 38 into which the bearing balls 16 protrude at the upper end of the supports 10, 12 are according to FIG. 3b arranged in a plastic molded part 44 and also the bearing shells 38, in which the bearing balls 16 protrude at the lower end of the two supports 10 and 12. Thus, the (same) distance between the respective bearing shells 38 and between the hinge joints 16 constructively accurate and tightly tolerated namely specify in each case only one component.

Figure 3 c and d show an assembly ( Figure 3c schematically and 3d figure the physical embodiment), the according to FIG. 3 a and b essentially completely correspond to the reversal of the effective area on the one hand in the spherical plain bearings and on the other hand in the bifurcation: in FIG. 3c and d at the hinge joint, the ball-stud engages around the bridge in a bifurcated manner and not vice versa, and the pans (and not the balls) of the ball-and-socket joints are arranged on the ball-support.

FIG. 6 shows in a physical embodiment of two modules according to FIG. 3b with the supports 8, 10, 12, 14 and the webs 28, as they store a receiving device 6 on a chassis 4. Rotationally driven on this device 2, the receiving device 6 on the chassis 4 by a motor 46 via an eccentric 20 in a through hole 24 in the receiving device 6. With a housing 47, this device 2 in FIG. 7 shown.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the joint bearings, of the bearing balls 16 and the bearing shells 38, such as in FIG. 3 to be formed. Visible, the bearing shell 38 has three slots 48 which are uniform on the circumference of the Edge 50 of the ball opening 52 of the bearing shell 38 are distributed. A spring ring 54 on the outside about the bearing shell 38 biases the walls of the bearing shell 38 inwardly against the bearing ball 16.

Figure 5 a, b and c show several schematic spatial views of alternative arrangements of the ball supports according to the invention of a device for mixing FIG. 1 , in which the ball supports are connected in pairs differently by webs with each other.

The ball supports are in FIG. 5 shown most schematically without pan, the chassis 4 and the receiving device 6 only highly schematically each dashed as planes. In Fig. 5 a repeats the mutually rectangular arrangement of the four ball supports 8 to 14 - although, however, the ball supports 10 and 12 and 8 and 14 are connected by hinge-webs 56 and 58 with each other. Fig. 5b shows a mutually triangular arrangement of three ball supports 8, 10 and 60 - wherein only the ball supports 8 and 10 are connected by the hinge joint web 28 with each other. The third ball support 60 stands alone and thus supports the receiving device 6 on the chassis 4 as three legs a stool. Fig. 5c Finally, a mutually hexagonal arrangement of six ball supports 8 to 14 and 62 and 64 - wherein (as in FIG. 1 ) Each two ball supports 8 and 10 by a hinge joint web (28, 30 and 66) are connected to each other.

Claims (13)

Mixing device with - A receiving device (6) for receiving mix and with - A drive (20, 22) through which the receiving device (6) relative to a chassis (4) in a mixing movement (18) can be offset, in which the receiving device (6) on a closed path, periodically to a certain Location in a particular orientation in space recurring, moving, and with - A storage, the receiving device (6) in the mixing movement
leads,
characterized in that the storage - At least two supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) each having two spaced joint bearings (16) in the form of elastic rod sections, each having no translational and at least two rotational degrees of freedom, of which a pivot bearing (16) supports the support (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) on the chassis (4) and the other joint bearing (16) the receiving device (6) on the support (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64), and - A guide means (28, 30, 32) which during the mixing movement (18), the rotation of the receiving device (6) relative to the chassis (4) leads. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide means (28, 30, 32) at least one web (28, 30) which connects two of the supports (8, 12, 62) with each other, wherein a hinge joint (32), which has no translatory and only one rotational degree of freedom, supports the web (28, 30) on one support (10, 14, 64) and another hinge joint (32) supports the web (28, 30) on the other support (8, 10, 12, 14, 62, 64) and wherein the two hinge joints (32) are rotatable about mutually parallel axes. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the axes of the hinge joints (32) are centered between the respective spherical bearings (16) of the two supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 62, 64) connected to the chassis by the web (28, 30) (4) and are mounted on the receiving device (6). Apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the web (42) engages around the support (40) on which it is mounted, or the support the fork at the hinge joint fork-shaped. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the pivot points of the joint bearings (16) of a support (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) are equidistant from each other as the pivot points of the joint bearings (16) another support (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64). Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pivot points of the joint bearings (16) of a support (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) are equidistant from each other as the pivot points of the joint bearing (16) of all other supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64). Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the joint bearing (16) of two supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) on the chassis (4) and the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the joint bearings (16) of the same supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) on the receiving device (6) equidistant from each other. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pivot points and / or axes of rotation of the joint bearings (16) of all supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) on the chassis (4) and the pivot points and / or axes of rotation the pivot bearing (16) of the same supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) on the receiving device (6) equidistant from each other. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that only the supports (8, 10, 12, 14, 60, 62, 64) and / or not the drive (20, 22) transmit a weight force acting on the receiving device (6) into the chassis (4). Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device (2) comprises a controllable heating element selected from the group of Peltier elements and resistance heating elements and heating foils. Method for mixing laboratory vessel contents, wherein a laboratory vessel with contents is placed on the device (2) according to one of claims 1 to 10 and then the mixing device (2) is put into operation. A method according to claim 11, wherein the content of the laboratory vessel is tempered. Use of the device according to one of claims 1 to 10 as a freestanding mixing device (2) or as part of a laboratory automaton or incubator.

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