GB2319951A - Mixing bowl - Google Patents

Abstract

A container 1, within which materials are mixable, of such construction and form that the container is both flexible and capable of being turned inside-out to facilitate discharge of a mixed content 9, and to provide in the turned inside-out condition a container within which materials are mixable. The container may be formed of rubber or plastics material having smooth surfaces, and comprising a flat base 4 and side wall 5.

Description

MIXING CONTAINER This invention relates to the formation and constuction of containers utilised for the mixing of materials.

The use of containers for the purposes of mixing materials is well known. In view of the wide range of materials to be mixed the associated mixing containers take many different shapes and sizes.

In practice, the containers used for mixing purposes have different functions and applications dependent upon the type of material to be mixed, the amounts of materials required for a particular mixing operation, and the desired/intended application of the mixed materials.

In particular but not exclusively, the container of the present invention is relevant to the so-called 'Do it Yourself' (DIY) applications, markets and industries.

It has been found, in practice, that following the mixing of settable/hardenable materials in a mixing container, it is often difficult thoroughly to clean out set/hardened residue from mixing containers following the setting/hardening of the materials that may remain within in the mixing container following discharge of the mixed materials or following the utilisation of the amount of mixed material required for a particular purpose. Thus, frequently in practice, it is found that a hard coating of mixed material residue remains on the inside surface of the container. This hard layer has frequently not only been found to be very difficult and awkward to remove but additionally its presence can have an adverse effect upon succeeding mixing operations by causing contamination of the materials being subsequently mixed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container which intended to have particular application for use in the the mixing of materials that harden rapidly after mixing and/or after introduction to each other and which is of such construction as to facilitate the subsequent cleansing thereof.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for the mixing of materials, comprising forming a bowl shaped container for receiving materials to be mixed, the container having a inner surface and an outer surface and being formed from a material having a sufficient flexibility as to enable the container to retain its materials to be mixed shape whilst being capable of being turned inside-out whereby the inner and outer surfaces are functionally interchangable so that they are alternately available to form the inside surface of the container.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a container, within which materials are mixable, of such construction and form that the container is both flexible and capable of being turned inside-out to facilitate discharge of a mixed content, and to provide in the inside-out condition a container within which materials are mixable.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how to carry the same into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure l schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view of the container of the invention; Figure 2 is a plan elevation of the container of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates the container of Figure 1, during the introduction of material required to be mixed; Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 illustrating a filled container; Figure 5, is a view similar to Figure 1 after the main content of the container has been removed and illustrating a hardened residue left within the container; Figure 6 illustrates a stage in the process of turning the container inside-out; Figure 7 illustrates the container of Figure 1 after having been turned inside-out; and Figure 8 illustrates an inverted container now empty container ready to receive a new materials charge.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1 in which the embodiment of a container 1 shown therein includes first and second surfaces 2 and 3. As shown in the Figure 1 the first surface 2 forms the container outside surface and the second surface 3 provides the inside surface. The container is formed to provide a base region 4 and wall region 5. As may be noted from the plan elevation of Figure 2 the container has a top annular surface 6.

In other embodiments the container can dispense with a flat bottom region and have a profile that is continuously curved, for example, in the manner of a part sphere. As further possibioities the profiles can be stepped if considered for what ever purpose considered advantageous.

The Figure 3 very schematically illustrates the introduction of materials 7 to be mixed from an associated packaging/container 8. Such materials can be in a hydrated or un-catalysed state. Figure 4, for convenience, illustrates the container 1 after having been filled with the material(s) 7, and whilst it is being allowed to re-hydrate, catalyse or undergo any other chemical process for causing the materials to harden to a degree suitable for the required purpose of utilisation of the materials introduced into the container 1.

Once the materials have completed the aformentioned process/reaction considered appropriate the material is discharged/removed from the container. Figure 5 very schematically illustrates the container following discharge of the hardened/settled material from the container.

In practice, the hardening/setting materails are either bodilly transfered to a user position or are progressively used from the mixing container 1. This latter option is frequently adopted when a continuously supply of the setting/hardening material is to be available for use.

As may be noted following the discharge of the bulk of the material or at a point where the mixed materials have se/hardening or otherwise changed to a condition deemed not suitable for use it is the usual situation that a residue of the mixed material 7 remains in the form of a, i.e., hardened coating 9 over at least a part of the inside surface 3 of the container 1.

In accordance with the proposal of the present invention this residue coating is removed by turning the flexible container 1 inside-out so that the aforesaid first surface 2 becomes the inside surface and the aforesaid second surface 3 becomes the outside surface.

This process is schematically illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Thus as may be seen in Figure 6. The turning of the container 1 inside out is effected by exerting pressure on the base region 4 in the direction of the arrows 10 thereby to push the bottom region 4 upwardly relative to the top surface 6. This pressure is continued until the container has been turned inside-out so that the initially outside surface 2 becomes the inside surface of the container. The inside-out condition of the container 1 is schematically represented by Figure 7. As will be noted the residue coating 9 is now located on the outside of the container thereby facilitating the total removal thereof. It will be understood that it is more than likely that since the coating 9 comprises hardened materials the latter fragments and more easily breaks away from the adjacent container surface 3 during the operation of turning of the container inside-out.

Following the completion of the removal of the residue coating 9 the container can be used for mixing purposes in its inside-out position. In this case the surface 2 is that providing the interior of the container 1. Following the second use of the mixing container the latter would once again be turned inside-out thereby bringing the container effectively back to the position shown in Figure 1 to be ready to receive a fresh charge (i.e., the third) of materials required to be mixed.

From the forgoing it will become apparent that the essence of the construction of the container is that it should be of such construction and form that it is both flexible as to be capable of being turned inside-out and is additionally such that the container is invertable to enable use of the container after having been turned inside-out as the turned inside-out container presents a concave surface which can immediately be used for further mixing even though the final cleaning of the residue away from the new outside surface may well have needed some form of cleaning agent which needs to be fully dry before the surface can be recontacted by materials to be mixed.

In practice, the combined features of flexiblility and being turnable inside-out results in it being possible to leave residue i.e., waste materails in the container so that they can harden further of perhaps even completely harden to a condition which facilitates the cracking away of the residue 9 during the turning inside-out of the container in view of the stretching of the material of the contained during the turning of the container inside-out.

In practice, the container can be of any convenient form provided that it is capable of being turned inside-out to provide when so turned a container suitable for receiving a charge of materials to be mixed.

It will be appreciated that the container of the invention is particularly suitable to applications requiring the mixing of small quantities of materials which are required to be mixed frequently by reason of, for example, having a characteristic of too rapidly hardening beyond the condition for their use and in that it could save time in avoiding having to provide new mixing surfaces/containers as each application of materials harden to the point at which they can be readily removed from a mixing surface.

A further useful feature of the container of the invention is that excess/waste materials can be left in the container to harden further or completely so that upon turning the container inside-out these waste materaials initally on a concave surface are subsequent to the turning inside-out of the container on a convex surface. The action of turning the container inside-out causes the waste materials to break away from the container. In view of the curvature of the now convex external surface the hardened materials are effectively attached to the container convex surface by a three dimensional tangent contact only thereby enabling the materials to fall away from the container easily.

The material for forming the container can be of any one considered appropriate provided that it is inert to the materials to be mixed therein and that it exhibits the required degree of flexibility. For example, a natural material such as rubber. Alternatively, a plastics material may be used. The specific choice of material being to a great extent determined by the need for it to be inert the materials to be mixed. For many materials to be mixed the container can be formed from silicones, neoprenes, polypropolenes, polyurathenes, etc., can be used provided that the selected material satisfies the additional requirement of having sufficient flexibility to enable a suitable container made therefrom to be capable of being for being turned inside-out whilst being able to maintain the required container shape when containing materials to be mixed.

A convenient mode of forming the container is by a moulding process.

Claims (8)

1 A method of forming a container for the mixing of materials, comprising forming a bowl shaped container for receiving materials to be mixed, the container having a inner surface and an outer surface and being formed from a material having a sufficient flexibility as to enable the container to retain its materials to be mixed shape whilst being capable of being turned inside-out whereby the inner and outer surfaces functionally interchange so that they are alternately available to form the inside surface of the container.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, and in which the container is formed as to have a base and upstanding wall.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, and in which the container is formed as a smoothly surfaced bowl.

4. A container, within which materials are mixable, of such construction and form that the container is both flexible and capable of being turned inside-out to facilitate discharge of a mixed content, and to provide in the inside-out condition a container within which materials are mixable.

5. A container for the mixing of materials, comprising forming a bowl shaped container for receiving materials to be mixed, the container having a inner surface and an outer surface and being formed from a material having a sufficient flexibility as to enable the container to retain its materials to be mixed shape whilst being capable of being turned in-side out whereby the inner and outer surfaces functionally interchange so that they are alternately available to form the inside surface of the container.

6. A container as claimed in claim 4 or 5, and in which the container is formed as to have a base and an upstanding wall.

7. A container as claimed in claim 4 or 5, and in which the container is formed as a smoothly surfaced bowl.

8. A container for the mixing of materials, the container being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures of the accomanying drawing.

8. A method of mixing materials substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the Figures of the accomanying drawing.