IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0278762
(2014-05-15)
|
등록번호 |
US-8960999
(2015-02-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Ochoa, Gian-Carlo
- Duffy, Brendan J.
- Penna, Chris
- Van Deursen, Gary
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
7 인용 특허 :
18 |
초록
▼
A beverage mixing system includes a housing, a sealing feature, a locking feature, and an agitator. The housing has an opening separating inner and outer surfaces and a boss that extends through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointin
A beverage mixing system includes a housing, a sealing feature, a locking feature, and an agitator. The housing has an opening separating inner and outer surfaces and a boss that extends through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointing toward the opening. The agitator has a base, a shaft, and a mixing element coupled to the base such that the base, in cooperation with the sealing feature, circumferentially seals the opening of the housing to form a cavity defined by the inner surface. The shaft passes through the inner bore. The locking feature when engaged permits independent or simultaneous translational and rotational movement of the shaft while an area between the terminus of the boss and the shaft remains mechanically sealed during the movement against liquid or powder encroachment into a clean area of the inner bore.
대표청구항
▼
1. A compounding module for use in a beverage mixing system, the compounding module comprising: a housing having an opening separating an inner surface from an outer surface, and a boss extending through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminu
1. A compounding module for use in a beverage mixing system, the compounding module comprising: a housing having an opening separating an inner surface from an outer surface, and a boss extending through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointing toward the opening;a sealing feature and a locking feature;an agitator having a base, a shaft, and a mixing element coupled to the base such that the base, in cooperation with the sealing feature, circumferentially seals the opening of the housing to form a cavity defined by the inner surface, the shaft passing through the inner bore, the locking feature when engaged permitting independent or simultaneous translational and rotational movement of the shaft while an area between the terminus of the boss and the shaft remains mechanically sealed during the movement against liquid or powder encroachment into a clean area of the inner bore. 2. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the shaft of the agitator engages at least a portion of the inner bore of the boss in a sealing fashion. 3. The compounding module of claim 1, further comprising a seal positioned in the inner bore of the boss, the seal being separate and distinct from the housing and from the agitator. 4. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein the agitator rotates relative to the housing in response to (1) a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system engaging an inner bore of the shaft of the agitator and (2) the drive shaft rotating relative to the housing. 5. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein the agitator translates relative to the housing in response to (1) a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system engaging an inner bore of the shaft of the agitator and (2) the drive shaft translating relative to the housing. 6. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein an inner bore of the shaft of the agitator includes an anti-rotational feature therein that mates with a corresponding anti-rotational feature of a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system when the drive shaft is engaged with the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator such that rotation of the drive shaft causes the rotational movement of the shaft. 7. The compounding module of claim 6, wherein the anti-rotational feature of the shaft of the agitator includes a plurality of agitator splines defining a plurality of agitator channels therebetween, and wherein the anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft includes a plurality of drive shaft splines, the mating of the anti-rotational feature of the agitator with the corresponding anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft including positioning the plurality of drive shaft splines in the agitator channels. 8. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein the locking feature includes a collet that is integral with the shaft of the agitator, the collet being configured to engage a notch of a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system to lock the agitator to the drive shaft such that translation of the drive shaft results in the translational movement of the shaft. 9. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein the housing and the boss are formed as a monolithic component. 10. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein the mixing element includes a plurality of mixing blades that extend generally perpendicular from the base. 11. The compounding module of claim 1, wherein the compounding module includes a pharmaceutical material therein. 12. A compounding module for use with a beverage mixing system, the compounding module comprising: a housing defining an interior cavity and including a boss that extends from a first end of the housing into the interior cavity towards a second opposing end of the housing, the boss defining an inner bore; andan agitator including a base, a shaft, and a mixing element, the shaft of the agitator extending from the base and being slidably coupled to the boss such that the agitator is movable between a sealed position and an unsealed position, a portion of the shaft of the agitator defining an inner bore to be engaged by a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system during operation of the beverage mixing system,wherein when the drive shaft engages the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator, the boss of the housing in conjunction with the shaft of the agitator isolate the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing. 13. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the shaft of the agitator engages at least a portion of the inner bore of the boss in a sealing fashion, thereby aiding the isolation of the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing. 14. The compounding module of claim 12, further comprising a seal positioned in the inner bore of the boss to aid in isolating the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing when the agitator is in the sealed position and in the unsealed position, the seal being separate and distinct from the housing and from the agitator. 15. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the boss and the shaft of the agitator isolate the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing when the agitator is in the sealed position and when the agitator is in the unsealed position. 16. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the housing includes a lid portion and a side wall portion extending away from the lid portion, and wherein the boss has a first end and a second opposing end, the first end of the boss being integral with the lid portion of the housing, and wherein the interior cavity of the housing is generally defined by (i) an inner surface of the side wall portion of the housing, (ii) an inner surface of the lid portion of the housing, (iii) an outer surface of the boss of the housing, (iv) an inner surface of the base of the agitator, and (v) a portion of an outer surface of the shaft of the agitator. 17. The compounding module of claim 16, wherein (i) the inner surface of the side wall portion of the housing, (ii) the inner surface of the lid portion of the housing, and (iii) the outer surface of the boss of the housing are a contiguous surface. 18. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the housing has an outer surface that is contiguous with a bore surface of the inner bore of the boss, thereby forming a first surface of the housing, and wherein the housing has an interior surface that is contiguous with an exterior surface of the boss, thereby forming a second surface of the housing, the first and the second surfaces of the housing being separated by an end surface of the boss. 19. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the agitator is operable to rotate relative to the housing and wherein the agitator is operable to translate relative to the housing. 20. The compounding module of claim 19, wherein the agitator is operable to rotate and translate relative to the housing simultaneously or independently. 21. The compounding module of claim 19, wherein the agitator rotates relative to the housing in response to (1) the drive shaft engaging the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator and (2) the drive shaft rotating relative to the housing. 22. The compounding module of claim 19, wherein the agitator translates relative to the housing in response to (1) the drive shaft engaging the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator and (2) the drive shaft translating relative to the housing. 23. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator includes an anti-rotational feature therein that mates with a corresponding anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft when the drive shaft is engaged with the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator such that rotation of the drive shaft causes rotation of the agitator. 24. The compounding module of claim 23, wherein the anti-rotational feature of the shaft of the agitator includes a plurality of agitator splines defining a plurality of agitator channels therebetween, and wherein the anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft includes a plurality of drive shaft splines, the mating of the anti-rotational feature of the agitator with the corresponding anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft including positioning the plurality of drive shaft splines in the agitator channels. 25. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the shaft of the agitator includes a collet, when the agitator is in the unsealed position, the collet engages a notch of the drive shaft, thereby locking the agitator to the drive shaft such that translation of the drive shaft results in corresponding translation of the agitator. 26. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the inner bore of the boss is sized and shaped to allow a portion of the shaft of the agitator to fit therein and wherein the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator is sized and shaped to allow a portion of the drive shaft of the beverage mixing system to fit therein. 27. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the second end of the housing is open and includes a first sealing feature, and wherein the base of the agitator includes a second corresponding sealing feature that mates with the first sealing feature of the housing when the agitator is in the sealed position. 28. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the inner bore of the boss is separate and distinct from the interior cavity of the housing. 29. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the housing and the boss are formed as a monolithic component. 30. The compounding module of claim 12, wherein the mixing element includes a plurality of mixing blades that extend generally perpendicular from the base. 31. A method of mixing a beverage using a compounding module and a beverage mixing system, the method comprising: coupling the compounding module to the beverage mixing system, the compounding module including an agitator slidably coupled to a housing defining an interior cavity, the housing including a boss that extends from a first end of the housing into the interior cavity towards a second opposing end of the housing, the agitator having a base, a shaft, and a mixing element;non-rotationally engaging the shaft of the agitator with a drive shaft of the beverage mixing system;causing the agitator to move from a sealed position to an unsealed position such that the agitator translates relative to the housing;rotating the drive shaft thereby causing the agitator to rotate in a corresponding manner;during the rotating and during the translating, isolating the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing the boss of the housing and the shaft of the agitator. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the shaft of the agitator engages at least a portion of an inner bore of the boss in a sealing fashion, thereby aiding the isolation of the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing. 33. The method of claim 31, further comprising positioning a seal in an inner bore of the boss to aid in the isolating of the drive shaft from the interior cavity of the housing when the agitator is in the sealed position and in the unsealed position, the seal being separate and distinct from the housing and from the agitator. 34. The method of claim 31, wherein the rotating comprises causing the agitator to rotate relative to the housing. 35. The method of claim 31, wherein the non-rotationally engaging comprises engaging an anti-rotational feature in an inner bore of the shaft of the agitator with a corresponding anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft of the beverage mixing system. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the anti-rotational feature of the shaft of the agitator includes a plurality of agitator splines defining a plurality of agitator channels therebetween, and wherein the anti-rotational feature of the drive shaft includes a plurality of drive shaft splines, the non-rotationally engaging including positioning the plurality of drive shaft splines in the agitator channels. 37. The method of claim 31, further comprising engaging a collet of the shaft of the agitator with a notch of the drive shaft to lock the agitator to the drive shaft such that translation of the drive shaft results in translation of the agitator. 38. The method of claim 31, wherein the housing and the boss are formed as a monolithic component. 39. The method of claim 31, wherein the mixing element includes a plurality of mixing blades that extend generally perpendicular from the base. 40. The method of claim 31, wherein, prior to the causing, the compounding module includes a pharmaceutical material therein. 41. A compounding module including nutraceutical material for use with a nutraceutical beverage mixing system, the compounding module having a sealed configuration and an unsealed configuration, the compounding module comprising: a housing having a first end and a second opposing end defining an interior cavity, the housing including a boss that extends into the cavity from the first end of the housing towards the second end of the housing and defines an inner bore, the inner bore of the boss to allow a portion of a drive shaft of the nutraceutical beverage mixing system to pass therethrough, the second end of the housing being open and including a sealing feature; andan agitator including a base, a shaft, and a plurality of mixing elements, the shaft of the agitator having a first end adjacent to the base and a second opposing end, the shaft of the agitator extending generally perpendicular from the base, the shaft of the agitator to slide within the inner bore of the housing, the plurality of mixing elements extending generally perpendicular from the base, a portion of the shaft of the agitator defining an inner bore to be engaged by the drive shaft, the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator having a plurality of agitator splines therein, the plurality of agitator splines defining a plurality of agitator channels therebetween to receive a plurality of drive shaft splines of the drive shaft when the drive shaft is engaged with the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator, the second end of the shaft of the agitator including a collet to engage a notch of the drive shaft when the compounding module is in the unsealed configuration, the base including a sealing feature to mate with the sealing feature of the housing when the compounding module is in the sealed configuration,wherein when the drive shaft is engaged with the inner bore of the shaft of the agitator, the boss of the housing in conjunction with the shaft of the agitator isolate the drive shaft from the nutraceutical material when the compounding module is in the sealed configuration and the unsealed configuration. 42. The compounding module of claim 41, wherein the nutraceutical material includes a pharmaceutical.
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