An apparatus for stirring the contents of a beverage cup without removing the lid. The lid of the cup is equipped with a rotating disk. A shaft having a finger tab at its top and a paddle device at its bottom traverses the disk in an offset position relative to the center of the disk. When the disk is rotated by the shaft, the paddle is dragged through the beverage, thus stirring the beverage.

A sample agitation system for an automated sampling device is described. In an example implementation, the sample agitation system includes a sample probe configured to contact a sample positioned within a sample vessel. Further, the sample agitation system includes an actuator coupled to the sample probe that is configured to stir the sample positioned within the sample vessel in one or more rotational directions. The directions may include, but are not limited to, clockwise motion, anti-clockwise motion, or the like. In some implementations, a sample probe support arm can be coupled to the sample probe and/or the actuator. The actuator can move the sample probe support arm in a translational, a rotational, and/or a vertical direction to rotate the sample probe and stir the sample.

A method of making a personal care composition that involves using a mixer to combine a personal care composition chassis with microcapsules. The mixer has a housing, a first fluid inlet, a second inlet, a fluid outlet and a rotor connected to the housing. The rotor has blades positioned within the housing to define cells between neighboring blades and the housing. The personal care composition chassis, which includes surfactants and water, is advanced along a flow path from the first fluid inlet toward the fluid outlet, while the microcapsules are transferred from the second inlet to the flow path by rotating the rotor. Air in the microcapsule composition is directed from inside the cells toward the second inlet, and the microcapsule composition is combined with the personal care composition chassis to form the personal care composition. The personal care composition is advanced from the outlet.

A method of making a personal care composition that involves using a mixer to combine a personal care composition chassis with microcapsules. The mixer has a housing, a first fluid inlet, a second inlet, a fluid outlet and a rotor connected to the housing. The rotor has blades positioned within the housing to define cells between neighboring blades and the housing. The personal care composition chassis, which includes surfactants and water, is advanced along a flow path from the first fluid inlet toward the fluid outlet, while the microcapsules are transferred from the second inlet to the flow path by rotating the rotor. Air in the microcapsule composition is directed from inside the cells toward the second inlet, and the microcapsule composition is combined with the personal care composition chassis to form the personal care composition. The personal care composition is advanced from the outlet.

A machine (1) for stirring a liquid food substance has: a container (10) delimiting a cavity (11) with a bottom (12) and a peripheral wall (13) for containing the liquid food substance to be stirred; an impeller (20) comprising an impelling member (21) which is configured to be rotated in the cavity (11), the impeller (20) including an arrangement of driven magnetic elements (26) in the form of permanent magnets; and a motor (30) having an output shaft (31) that is magnetically coupled to the impelling member (21) via the container bottom (12) and/or peripheral wall (13) for driving the impelling member (21), the output shaft (31) driving an arrangement of driving magnetic elements (36,36) that cooperate magnetically with the driven magnetic elements (26) so as to drive the impeller (20) in rotation. One of the driven magnetic elements (26) is positioned to: generally face a first driving magnetic element (36) in a generally attraction orientation relative to said one driven magnetic element (26), the first driving magnetic element (36) driving this one driven magnetic element (26) in rotation; and be off-set relative to a second driving magnetic element (36) in a generally repulsion orientation relative to the one driven magnetic element (26), the second magnetic element (36) driving the one driven magnetic element (26) in rotation.

The enclosed offset pail mixer is an invention which allows for safe, efficient and clean mixing of liquid solutions and liquid mechanical mixtures. The mixer includes a moveable head assembly that is constrained to two positions. In the operating position, the mixer geometry substantially encloses the moving parts of the mixer, preventing personnel from coming in contact with moving parts. The geometry also acts to contain dusts and vapors. A safety control circuit ensures that the impeller motor will not operate unless the vessel and the shroud are both in their respective operating position. In the operating position, the impeller shaft axis is strategically offset from the vessel axis to reduce large vortices and associated aeration. When the movable head is in the retracted position, the impeller is positioned over a removable drip cup to prevent residue from dripping on the floor or machine frame.

Provided is a blending system comprising a cup and a motor base. The motor base may include a sipping mechanism and a plug that operatively opens and closes access to the sipping mechanism. In a closed position, the plug may seal the sipping pathway at or near the internal wall and at or near the external wall. In an open position, the plug may insert into a plug receptacle adjacent the sipping pathway. The plug receptacle and sipping pathway may be sealed from contents of the cup in a closed position. The electrical components of the motor base, such as one or more of the motor, battery, drive shaft, and blade assembly, may be offset from a central axis of the motor base to accommodate the sipping mechanism. The blending system may be portable.

A mixer for combining food constituents into a homogeneous mass includes an eccentric drive mounted on a mixing head of the mixer, where the eccentric drive is configured to rotate around a central axis of a mixing area and rotate an offset rotational axis of a drive shaft in an orbit about the central axis of the mixing area. An angled beater attachment for the mixer further includes a top mounting portion operably coupled to the drive shaft of the stand mixer, a bottom beater portion disposed above the mixing area, and a beater support member operably coupled with a support shaft of the bottom beater portion. The bottom beater portion is driven by the drive shaft about an angled rotational axis that extends at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the mixing area.

A mixer for combining food constituents into a homogeneous mass includes an eccentric drive mounted on a mixing head of the mixer, where the eccentric drive is configured to rotate around a central axis of a mixing area and rotate an offset rotational axis of a drive shaft in an orbit about the central axis of the mixing area. An angled beater attachment for the mixer further includes a top mounting portion operably coupled to the drive shaft of the stand mixer, a bottom beater portion disposed above the mixing area, and a beater support member operably coupled with a support shaft of the bottom beater portion. The bottom beater portion is driven by the drive shaft about an angled rotational axis that extends at an acute angle relative to the central axis of the mixing area.

A disposable container comprising a side wall, top and bottom, wherein the side wall comprises a first flexible material and the bottom comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material. The side wall top and bottom are joined together to define the container with an interior compartment for keeping a fluid inside the container. The bottom comprises at least one opening that is fluid-tightly covered with an assembly comprising a second flexible material. The assembly comprises at least one port which provides access to the interior compartment of the container. The invention also relates to a mixing system comprising the disposable container.