FR2860991A1 - Plaster and water mixer e.g. for use by children, comprises shaker with plastic cup, lid and agitator - Google Patents

Abstract

The mixer for plaster and water used to mould an article such as a figurine is in the form of a shaker with a cup (11), a lid (12), an agitator (13) that goes inside it and a stopper (14) e.g. of rubber, that is opened for pouring the mixture. The agitator consists of a ring (134) and two or more inner branches (131, 132, 133) forming apertures inside it. The mixer for plaster and water used to mould an article such as a figurine is in the form of a shaker with a cup (11), a lid (12), an agitator (13) that goes inside it and a stopper (14) e.g. of rubber, that is opened for pouring the mixture. The agitator consists of a ring (134) and two or more inner branches (131, 132, 133) forming apertures inside it. The shaker components are of a plastic material and can be designed for once-only or repeated use and the cup can have markings for accurate measurement of ingredients.

Description

2860991 1

  Device for preparing a mixture of water and plaster, and corresponding method

  The field of the invention is that of making moldings, in particular by children. Thus, the invention relates to the molding of small objects, such as figurines, as a game or leisure.

  These molded objects are generally made of plaster. It is therefore necessary to achieve a homogeneous mixture of plaster (powder) and water, so as to obtain a fluid material that can be introduced into a mold. This material will then harden. We can then unmold the object, or molding.

  This technique is of course known for a long time. In particular, we have developed play-based techniques for children, allowing them to make figurines as easily as possible.

  In children's applications, several objectives must be taken into account: the mixture must be easy to dose and mix; the system must be safe and clean (plaster or water must not spread in the child's room ...); all must be strong and easy to maintain; the whole must be of reduced cost; it is necessary to be able to realize a large number of different casts.

  The basic technique is to prepare the mixture of water and plaster, for example using a stirrer. It is understood that this approach has many disadvantages. The risks of projections are important, and it is not easy to obtain a homogeneous mixture.

  A particular technique, illustrated in particular by US Pat. No. 3,861,640 and US Pat. No. 3,989,220, consists in placing the mold inside the lower part of a receptacle, into which plaster and plaster are introduced. 'water. The container is then closed using an upper part.

  The whole forms a shaker, which must be shaken so that water and plaster mix. The mixture obtained naturally takes position in the mold located 2860991 2 in the lower part, when the shaker is resting. Just wait until the mixture hardens, then unmold the piece.

  This technique is relatively efficient, compared to the basic technique. However, it is difficult to obtain a homogeneous mixture, or at least to verify that it is homogeneous. In particular, there is a risk that the bottom is denser than the upper part.

  Moreover, this approach limits the number and shapes of figurines or other objects to be molded, since the corresponding molds must be able to be housed inside the shaker.

  Another disadvantage is that these molds are relatively expensive to produce, compared to flexible molds, conventionally used in this field.

  The invention particularly aims to overcome these disadvantages of the state of the art.

  More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a molding compound preparation technique which enables a sufficiently homogeneous mixture to be obtained quickly, simply and efficiently.

  Another object of the invention is to provide such a technique, which is simple to use, and in particular that is usable by a child, without risk of accidents, spurious material projections or other fouling.

  The invention also aims to provide such a technique, which can be used for a large number of molds of any kind and any material, and in particular with flexible molds.

  Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a technique, which is easily industrializable, with a reasonable cost.

  These objectives, as well as others that will appear more clearly later, are achieved with the aid of a device for preparing a mixture of water and plaster for producing a molding of a room such as a figurine, comprising a lower element and an upper element that can be assembled to form a shaker. According to the invention, this device comprises at least one stirring element extending transversely inside said shaker, for improving the homogenization of said mixture (or paste) when said shaker is shaken.

  This stirring element has the function of disturbing the movements of material inside the shaker, so that the mixture is homogenized more rapidly.

  Of course, there may be several brewing elements of various shapes. Advantageously, said stirring element extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said shaker.

  Preferably, it comprises at least one branch defining at least two distinct openings.

  Thus, in a particular embodiment, it comprises at least 3 branches distributed from the center of said brewing element, so as to define a star.

  According to another advantageous aspect of the invention, said stirring element 15 has a peripheral ring.

  In this case, said peripheral ring is advantageously housed in the opening of said lower member and / or said upper member.

  According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, said upper element carries a plug allowing the flow of said mixture.

  Advantageously, said device is made of plastic. According to a particular characteristic, an independent measuring container is also provided, in particular for the determination of water.

  According to an advantageous embodiment, said device is disposable, and contains, before use, a dose of plaster allowing a predetermined number of moldings to be made.

  This avoids the risk of soiling and other disadvantages related to the handling of the plaster. Just add water to the shaker to prepare the mixture.

  The invention also relates to a process for preparing a mixture of water and plaster for producing a molding of a part such as a figurine, using a device as described hereinabove. above.

  Such a method notably comprises the steps of: inserting into said lower element a dose of plaster; insertion in said lower element of at least one (for example 4) dose of water (possibly assisted by the marking of the water level by etching the lower element of the shaker); placing said stirring element on said lower element or said upper element; assembling said lower and upper elements; mixing the plaster and the water, shaking the shaker formed by said lower and upper elements; pouring the resulting mixture into a mold.

  Advantageously, a drying accelerator is added to the plaster, which makes it possible to rapidly carry out the following steps: demolding of said part; painting decoration of said part, very quickly (compared to the drying of the plaster which, conventionally, in the molding technique, takes several hours) after said demolding step.

  These characteristics will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given as a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, among which: FIG. four pieces forming the shaker, according to one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows the parts of Figure 1, partially assembled; Figure 3 illustrates the corresponding shaker, ready for use.

  The invention therefore relates to a simple and effective technique for producing a mixture of plaster and water, in order to produce moldings. It is especially intended for children.

  According to a particular packaging, the invention may be distributed in the form of a batch comprising the device itself (as described below), a dose of plaster (allowing for example two moldings), a doser to measure the amount of water needed, and one or more latex molds (for example two).

  By plaster is meant of course any pulverulent material used for making moldings. It may for example be the materials described in the aforementioned patent documents, or any other suitable material. In particular, a drying accelerator is advantageously added to the plaster, favoring the hardening of the molding (for example in 10 minutes) and allowing painting to be carried out without waiting after demolding. This accelerator can also be chosen so that the casts are less friable.

  In the same way, the water may be pure water, or more generally a suitable liquid, if necessary.

  The device of the invention may in particular be made entirely of plastic material, and therefore be produced in large quantities at reduced cost. As shown in FIG. 1, the device comprises: a cup 11, or lower element; a cover 12, or upper element; a stirring element, or grid, 13; a cap, or obstruction cap, removable 14.

  The cup 11 and the lid 12 are designed to assemble tightly to form a shaker. The lid 12 thus comprises an edge conventionally clinging to the edge of the cup, which has a bulge for this purpose. Other methods of attachment (screwing for example) are of course conceivable.

  The stirring element 13 has, in the embodiment described, three branches 131, 132, 133, connected at their center and defining a star. The shape and the number of branches, and more generally of the stirring element can of course be modified, as long as they improve the homogenization of the mixture, as explained later.

  The ends of the three branches 131 to 133 are connected to a peripheral ring 134.

  As seen in Figure 2, this ring 134 is defined to be housed in the upper part of the cup 11. A groove may be provided for this purpose. One can also simply exploit the frustoconical shape of the cup.

  The crown could also be mounted in the same way in the cover 12. Advantageously, the cup 11 and the lid 12 cooperate to maintain in a fixed position the stirring element 13.

  According to another approach, it can be provided that the stirring element 13 retains a certain mobility, for example in rotation. It is also possible to provide several (for example 2) separate stirring elements.

  The function of this element is to disturb the movement of the plaster and the water inside the shaker, so that the mixing is done more quickly, and more homogeneously.

  In Figure 2 (which has the elements seen from above, slightly in perspective), it is also noted that the plug 14 closes the opening 121 formed in the upper part of the plug 12. It is via this opening that the mixture will be poured in the mold. A link 141 makes it possible to secure the stopper 14 to the cover 12, even when it is open.

  A dosing container 21 may also be provided for the dosing of water.

  When the lid 12 is secured to the cup 11, as shown in Figure 3, an airtight shaker is obtained, which can be shaken without risk.

  Note in this figure 3 that the cup is not purely frustoconical, but rather frustoconical staircase, five areas being defined, which can be used in particular for the assay. It is also possible to provide a marking, for example by etching, in particular to identify the necessary water level.

  Although this is not mandatory, the device is advantageously transparent, or translucent, to facilitate dosages and control the quality of the mixture.

  The method of using this device is very simple.

  Firstly, a dose of plaster is placed, which may be measured with the metering device 21 or supplied pre-dosed into the cup 11.

  According to an advantageous embodiment, the plaster is directly conditioned in the shaker (which is then for single use). This avoids the use of a bag, which must be cut with scissors, and which introduces the risk of spreading the plaster. This also makes it easier to dispense, by providing the appropriate amount for the mold used.

  The brewing element 13 is then placed on the cup 11 and the lid 12 is then added to form and close the shaker.

  Then opens the cap 14 (which is for example rubber), then poured through the opening 121 the amount of water required, and for example 4 volumes of water measured with the aid of the metering device 21. There is no risk of dirt on clothing, table or floor, or clogging a sink.

  After closing the cap 14, the shaker is shaken, preferably by directing the lid 12 downwards. This facilitates mixing.

  When the mixture is homogeneous, the cap 14 is opened, and the mixture is poured through the opening 121 inside a mold (which may be of flexible material, such as latex, or rigid, and made in two parts assembled).

  After a few minutes (typically 10 minutes), the mixture became hard, and can be removed from the mold. In the meantime, the shaker pieces have been cleaned for future use (if not for single use).

  Thus, it is possible to quickly and efficiently make the mixture of plaster and water, without contact with the material, and without risk of dispersion out of the container.

Claims (1)

8 claims   1. Device for preparing a mixture of water and plaster for producing a molding of a part such as a figurine, comprising a lower element and an upper element that can be assembled to form a shaker, characterized in that it comprises at least one stirring element extending transversely inside said shaker, to improve the homogenization of said mixture when said shaker is shaken.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said stirring element extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said shaker.   3. Device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one branch defining at least two separate openings.   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises at least 3 branches distributed from the center of said brewing element, so as to define a star.   5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said stirring member has a peripheral ring.   6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said peripheral ring is housed in the opening of said lower member and / or said upper member.   7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said upper member carries a plug for the flow of said mixture.   8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is made of plastic.   9. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises an independent measuring container.   10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that 2860991 9 it contains, before use, a dose of plaster to achieve a predetermined number of moldings.   11. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, said plaster comprises a drying accelerator.   12. A method for preparing a mixture of water and plaster for producing a molding of a workpiece such as a figurine, using a device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. , characterized in that it comprises the steps of: insertion into said lower element of a dose of plaster; inserting in said lower element at least one dose of water; placing said stirring element on said lower element or said upper element; assembling said lower and upper elements; mixing the plaster and the water, shaking the shaker formed by said lower and upper elements; pouring the resulting mixture into a mold.   13. The method of claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises the following steps: demolding said part; painting decoration of said piece, a few minutes after said demolding step. 15