FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970) &
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10; rule 13)
A PORTABLE STIRRER
GOEL SCIENTIFIC GLASS WORKS LTD.,
an Indian Company,
of C-31/A, Sardar Estate,
Ajwa Road, Vadodara - 390019.
Gujarat, India.
Inventors: Goel Hemant Haricharan
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates to laboratory equipment.
Particularly, the present disclosure relates to laboratory stirrers/agitators.
BACKGROUND
An important equipment in all laboratories is a stirrer/agitator which is used to stir and mix contents in a laboratory vessel, typically a glass flask. Stirrers used in laboratories range from simple mechanically rotated stirring rods to electric stirrers wherein the stirring rod is rotated by electrically operated components. All stirrers include a stirring blade, affixed to an end of the stirring rod that comes in contact with the glass flask contents, to enable proper mixing/stirring of contents in the glass flask.
Conventional electric stirrers include a motor coupled to the stirring rod whereby the rotation of the motor causes the stirring rod to rotate. The motor is vertically mounted on a stand above the glass flask to enable the stirring rod to extend within the glass flask. However, the conventional electric stirrer assembly consisting of the stand, the motor coupled with the stirring rod and the external control unit makes the electric stirrer very heavy and inconvenient to move from one place to another. Furthermore, the motor mounted on the stand can cause the stand to vibrate when the motor is operating.
In certain situations, hazardous chemical vapors are produced during mixing of different chemical contents in a glass flask and inhaling the hazardous chemical vapors may adversely affect the health of persons working in a laboratory. Hence, the mouth of the glass flask needs to be plugged to prevent the

hazardous chemical vapors produced during the mixing process from escaping into the atmosphere. Conventional electric stirrers do not have any means to plug the mouth of the glass flask. As a result external plugs are generally used to plug the mouth of the glass flask during the mixing process. However, the external plug needs to be modified to enable the stirring rod to pass through it. This can potentially damage the plug causing it to leak some amount of the harmful chemical vapors. At the same time the external plug can hinder smooth rotation of the stirring rod passing through it, causing improper mixing which can lead to impure/unstable final product.
Furthermore, the conventional electric stirrer assembly makes the electric stirrer cumbersome to operate and inconvenient to port. Additionally, due to its weight, extra structural support needs to be provided to the conventional electric stirrer. The assembly of the conventional electric stirrer occupies a lot of space in the laboratory. Setting up leak proof assembly is important to protect persons working in the laboratory from hazardous chemical vapors. However, assembling the conventional electric stirrer is a time consuming process which necessitates the use of skilled assistant and/or operator.
Hence there is a need for a stirrer that can overcome the drawbacks of the conventional electric stirrer and serve as a reliable replacement for the conventional electric stirrer.
OBJECTS
Some of the objects of the present disclosure, aimed to ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide a useful alternative, are listed herein below.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a compact, light weight, and portable stirrer.
Another object of the present is to provide a stirrer that is easy to handle and operate.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a stirrer that is easy to setup.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a stirrer that has negligible noise and vibration.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a stirrer that is occupies less space in a laboratory.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a stirrer that consumes less power.
Another object of the preset disclosure is to provide a stirrer that creates a leak proof assembly with a laboratory vessel.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description which is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
SUMMARY
In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a portable stirrer for stirring contents in a laboratory vessel, the stirrer adapted to be freely rested on a mouth of the laboratory vessel, the stirrer comprises:

• a housing adapted to accommodate a motor and a electrical control unit therein, the housing comprising a user interface adapted to enable users to give commands to operate the stirrer, the electrical control unit adapted to receive the commands and to electrically actuate the motor based on the commands, the user interface including a display unit adapted to display the commands;
• a stirring rod threadably coupled to the motor within the housing, the stirring extending out from a bottom end of the housing; and
• a supporter coupled to the bottom end of the housing, the supporter adapted to pass the stirring rod therethrough, the supporter further adapted to completely cover the mouth of the laboratory vessel when the stirrer rests on the mouth of the laboratory vessel.
Generally, the laboratory vessel is a glass flask.
Typically, the housing is made of polypropylene.
Typically, the motor is a universal motor.
Typically, the electrical control unit comprises at least one microprocessor.
Typically, the user interface is at least one of a plurality of buttons and a
keypad.
Typically, the commands are selected from the group consisting of starting rotation of the stirring rod, stopping rotation of the stirring rod, setting a time duration of rotation of the stirring rod and setting a speed of rotation of the stirring rod.

Typically, the display unit is selected from the group consisting of seven segment display, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and Light Emitting Diode (LED) display.
Typically, the supporter is made of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
The portable stirrer of the present disclosure will now be described with the help of accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a schematic representation of a conventional electric stirrer; and
Figure 2 illustrates a schematic representation of a portable stirrer in accordance with the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Stirrers are important equipment used in laboratories to stir and mix contents in a laboratory vessel. Stirrers used in laboratories range from simple mechanically rotated stirring rods to electric stirrers. Referring to figure 1, a schematic representation of a conventional electric stirrer is illustrated. The conventional electric stirrer (100) comprises multiple parts assembled together. The conventional electric stirrer (100) typically comprises a stirring rod (101) coupled to a motor (102) whereby the rotation of the motor (102) causes the stirring rod (101) to rotate. The motor (102) is vertically mounted on a stand (103) such that the motor (102) is positioned above the laboratory vessel, typically a glass flask (not shown), to enable the stirring rod (101) to extend

within the glass flask. Additionally, a paw clip (105) is used to hold the glass flask neck. Typically, the motor (102) is held in an adjustable coupling such as a cross fixer (104) which is coupled to the stand (103) thereby mounting the motor (102) on the stand (103). The adjustable coupling (104) enables the motor
(102) to be positioned at a desired location on the stand (103). The motor (102) can be lowered/raised on the stand (103) with the help of the adjustable coupling (104), thereby lowering/raising the stirring rod (101) coupled to the motor (102). The stand (103) is typically made of iron to enable the stand to support the motor mounted thereon. The motor is powered and controlled by an external control unit (106). The stand base is suitably made to support the stand
(103) and the laboratory vessel / glass flask. However, the conventional electric stirrer (100) assembly consisting of the stand (103) with stand base, the motor (102) coupled with the stirring rod (101) and the external control unit (106) makes the conventional electric stirrer (100) very heavy and inconvenient to port, handle and operate. Each part of the conventional electric stirrer needs to be assembled one-by-one thereby necessitating the use of skilled assistant and/or operator to assemble the conventional electric stirrer (100). Furthermore, the height and length of the stirring rod needs to be adjusted each time a new glass flask is placed in the stand, making it a time consuming process.
Thus to overcome these aforementioned limitations, the present disclosure envisages a portable stirrer that is compact, lightweight, easy to set-up handle and operate.
The portable stirrer of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description

relates purely to the examples and preferred embodiments of the disclosed stirrer and its suggested applications.
The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
The portable stirrer of the present disclosure can be conveniently used in small, medium and large laboratories and research and development centers, various chemical industries, pharmaceutical industries, pilot plants, school and college laboratories, and the like. The portable stirrer of the present disclosure is used without any external heavy supporting parts such as stand, adjustable coupling, and the like.
Referring to figure 2, a schematic representation of a portable stirrer in accordance with the present disclosure is illustrated. The portable stirrer (200) of the present disclosure rests directly on a mouth of a glass flask. The stirrer (200) comprises a stirring rod (201), a specially designed housing (202) to accommodate a motor (not shown) and an electrical control unit (not shown) therein, and a supporter (203) coupled to the housing. The housing (202) is typically made of polypropylene material. The motor is typically a universal motor. The motor is wired to the electrical control unit within the housing,

whereby the electrical control unit actuates and controls the motor. The electrical control unit typically includes at least one microprocessor. The stirrer is typically powered through an AC to DC adapter having input range of 90V -230V, 0.8 Amps, 50-60 Hz and output of 12V, 2.0 Amps, and 24 Watts. The stirring rod (201) is threadably coupled with the motor in the housing (202) and extends out through a bottom end (204) of the housing (202). The stirring rod (201) is adjustable thereby enabling the stirrer (200) to be used with a wide variety of glass flasks. The supporter (203) coupled to the housing is suitably designed and structured to enable the stirring rod (201) to pass therethrough and to support and balance the housing (202) while the stirrer (200) freely rests on the mouth of the glass flask. Furthermore, its design and structure enables the supporter to completely cover the mouth of the glass flask, thereby preventing hazardous chemical vapors produced during the stirring/mixing of the contents in the glass flask from escaping into the atmosphere. The supporter (203) is typically made of PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene).
A user interface is provided on the housing (202) to enable users give commands to operate the stirrer (200) as desired. The user interface is wired to the electrical control unit within the housing (202) whereby the user given commands are transferred to the electrical control unit. The user interface comprises a plurality of buttons to enable users to give commands to operate the stirrer. The user given commands are received by the electrical control unit whereupon the electrical control unit actuates the motor based on the commands. Alternatively, the user interface can be a keyboard. The user interface includes a display unit (205) provided on the housing (202) to display the commands. The display unit (205) is wired to the control unit within the housing (202). The display unit is typically a seven segment display. Alternatively, the user interface can be a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or a

Light Emitting Diode (LED) display. A 'start' button (SI) and a 'stop' button
(52) is provided on the housing (202), to give a command to start the rotation of the stirrer and stop the rotation of the stirrer, respectively. A 'set time' button
(53) is provided on the housing (202) to enable users to give a command to set a desired time duration of rotation of the stirring rod (201). A 'potentiometer' button (P) is provided on the housing (202) to enable users to give a command to set a desired speed of rotation of the stirring rod (202). The time and speed of rotation of the stirring rod (201) can be viewed on the display unit (205) provided on the housing (202). Alternatively, a touch screen can be used as both user interface and display unit.
In accordance with one embodiment, upon pressing the 'start' button (SI), the stirring rod (201) rotates at a pre-defined speed. The rotation of the stirring rod can be interrupted by pressing the 'stop' button (S2). When the 'start' button (S1) is pressed, the control unit actuates the motor at the pre-defined speed, whereby the rotation of the motor causes the stirring rod (201) coupled to the motor to rotate at the pre-defined speed. Similarly, when the 'stop' button (S2) is pressed, the control unit stops actuating the motor thereby stopping the rotation of the stirring rod (201). In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, upon pressing the 'start' button (S1), the control unit actuates the motor and causes the motor to rotate at 100 rpm, whereby the stirring rod (201) coupled to the motor rotates at the speed of 100 rpm and stops rotating upon pressing the 'stop' button (S2). The speed of rotation of the stirring rod (201) is 'displayed on the display unit (205).
Furthermore, the 'set time' button (S3) and the 'potentiometer' button (P) enable users to customize the time and speed of rotation of the stirring rod (201) as per their requirement. The display unit (205) provided on the housing enables

users to view the time and speed of rotation of the stirring rod (201) being set by them. The control unit sets a time of rotation of the motor upon pressing the 'set time' button (S3) and a speed of rotation of the motor upon turning the 'potentiometer' button (P). Thereafter pressing the 'start' button causes the control unit to actuate the motor for the set time duration at the set speed, whereby the rotation of the motor causes stirring rod (201) coupled to the motor to rotate for the set time duration at the set speed. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, upon pressing the 'set time* button (S3) once, the control unit sets the time of rotation of the motor to thirty seconds and upon turning the 'potentiometer' (P) button by ten degrees, the control unit sets the speed of rotation of the motor to 50 rpm. Thereafter pressing the 'start' button causes the control unit to actuate the motor for thirty seconds at 50 rpm, whereby the rotation of the motor causes stirring rod (201) coupled to the motor to rotate for thirty seconds at 50 rpm. Similarly, upon pressing the 'set time' button (S3) twice, the control unit sets the time of rotation of the motor to one minute and upon turning the 'potentiometer' (P) button by twenty degrees, the control unit sets the speed of rotation of the motor to 100 rpm. Thereafter pressing the 'start' button causes the control unit to actuate the motor for one minute at 100 rpm, whereby the rotation of the motor causes stirring rod (201) coupled to the motor to rotate for one minute at 100 rpm. Thus, users can set the time and speed of rotation of the stirring rod (201) as desired. The time and speed of rotation of the stirring rod (201) is displayed on the display unit (205).
The motor used in the stirrer (200) is typically a universal motor that facilitates powerful stirring, at the same time being noiseless and vibration free. Furthermore, threadable coupling facilitates easy interchange of the stirring rod (201).

The portable stirrer of the present disclosure has very little requirement of assembling parts. The portable stirrer can be adjusted quickly thereby enabling the stirrer to be used with a wide variety of glass flasks. Thus the portable of the present disclosure overcome the drawbacks of the conventional electric stirrer and serves as a reliable replacement for the conventional electric stirrer.
TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE
The technical advancements offered by the portable stirrer of the present disclosure include the realization of:
• a compact, light weight, and portable stirrer;
• ease of handling and operation;
• ease of assembling and set-up;
• negligible noise and vibration;
• occupying less space in a laboratory;
• less power consumption; and
• creating a leak proof assembly with a laboratory vessel.
Throughout this specification the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
The use of the expression "at least" or "at least one" suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the invention as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.
The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the invention, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

We. Claim:
1) A portable stirrer for stirring contents in a laboratory vessel, said stirrer
adapted to be freely rested on a mouth of the laboratory vessel, said stirrer
comprising:
• a housing adapted to accommodate a motor and a electrical control unit therein, said housing comprising a user interface adapted to enable users to give commands to operate said stirrer, said electrical control unit adapted to receive said commands and to electrically actuate said motor based on said commands, said user interface including a display unit adapted to display said commands;
• a stirring rod threadably coupled to said motor within said housing, said stirring rod extending out from a bottom end of said housing; and
• a supporter coupled to said bottom end of said housing, said supporter adapted to pass said stirring rod therethrough, said supporter further adapted to completely cover the mouth of the laboratory vessel when said stirrer rests on the mouth of the laboratory vessel.

2) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said laboratory vessel is a glass flask.
3) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing is made of polypropylene.
4) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motor is a universal motor.

5) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical control unit comprises at least one microprocessor.
6) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said user interface is at least one of a plurality of buttons and a keypad.
7) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said commands are selected from the group consisting of starting rotation of said stirring rod, stopping rotation of said stirring rod, setting a time duration of rotation of said stirring rod and setting a speed of rotation of said stirring rod.
8) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said display unit is selected from the group consisting of seven segment display, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), and Light Emitting Diode (LED) display.
9) The portable stirrer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said supporter is made of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).