U.S. patent application number 13/780783 was filed with the patent office on 2013-10-10 for food processor.
The applicant listed for this patent is David M. Audette. Invention is credited to David M. Audette.
Application Number | 20130264405 13/780783 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49291522 |
Filed Date | 2013-10-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130264405 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Audette; David M. |
October 10, 2013 |
FOOD PROCESSOR
Abstract
Food processing assemblies for rotating processing tools inside
a container are disclosed. A portion of the processing assembly is
rotationally fixed relative to the container in at least one
rotational direction while the processing assembly is driven. In
some embodiments, one end of the food processing assembly may be
rotationally fixed to a container lid in at least one rotational
direction. The processing tool may include a transmission system,
where a portion of the transmission is rotationally fixed to the
container in at least one rotational direction.
Inventors: |
Audette; David M.; (Webster,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Audette; David M. |
Webster |
MA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49291522 |
Appl. No.: |
13/780783 |
Filed: |
February 28, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61621662 |
Apr 9, 2012 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
241/277 ;
366/279; 366/314 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 43/0722 20130101;
B01F 2013/108 20130101; B01F 7/00275 20130101; A47J 43/085
20130101; A47J 43/046 20130101; B01F 13/1044 20130101; A47J 43/04
20130101; B01F 7/00641 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
241/277 ;
366/279; 366/314 |
International
Class: |
A47J 43/08 20060101
A47J043/08; A47J 43/07 20060101 A47J043/07; B01F 7/16 20060101
B01F007/16 |
Claims
1. A food processing apparatus comprising: a container having a
food-containing volume; a lid for the container; and a rotatable
processing assembly having a portion that is engageable with the
lid, wherein, when the lid is engaged with the container and the
portion of the processing assembly is engaged with the lid, the
portion of the processing assembly and the lid are rotationally
fixed relative to each other in at least one rotational
direction.
2. The food processing apparatus of 1, wherein the drive coupler is
external to the food-containing volume.
3. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a
base with a drive coupler, wherein: the container operatively
interacts with the base; and a driven coupler of the processing
assembly operatively interacts with the drive coupler of the
base.
4. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing
assembly includes a transmission system.
5. The food processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the
transmission system comprises a planetary gear system.
6. The food processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein a portion of
the transmission system remains rotationally fixed relative to the
container when the processing assembly is driven.
7. The food processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the portion of
the transmission system that remains rotationally fixed relative to
the container includes a ring gear.
8. The food processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the ring gear
is rotationally fixed relative to the second end of the processing
assembly and the lid when the processing assembly is driven.
9. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second end
of the processing assembly comprises a lid coupling comprising at
least one protrusion, and an underside of the lid comprises at
least one indentation that is configured to receive the at least
one protrusion.
10. The food processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least
one protrusion and the at least one indentation are slanted
relative to a longitudinal axis of the processing assembly.
11. The food processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the lid
coupling comprises a plurality of protrusions, and the underside of
the lid comprises a plurality of indentations that are configured
to receive the protrusions.
12. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second
end of the processing assembly comprises a rounded tip, and an
underside of the lid further comprises a recess that is configured
to receive the rounded tip.
13. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, with the
processing assembly engaged with the drive coupler, engaging the
lid with the container causes the second end of the processing
assembly to rotate until the second end is received into an
underside of the lid.
14. The food processor apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion of
the processing assembly that is engageable with the lid is
removably engageable with the lid.
15. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion
of the processing assembly that is removably engageable with the
lid comprises an end of the processing assembly.
16. The food processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion
of the processing assembly and the lid are rotationally fixed
relative to each other in two rotational directions.
17. A food processing apparatus comprising: a container having a
food-containing volume; a lid for the container; and a rotatable
processing assembly, wherein, when the processing assembly is
driven by a drive coupler, a portion of the processing assembly is
rotationally fixed relative to the container in at least one
rotational direction.
18. The food processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein: the food
processing assembly includes a transmission system; and a portion
of the transmission system remains rotationally fixed relative to
the container in at least one rotational direction when the
processing assembly is driven.
19. The food processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the
transmission system comprises a planetary gear system.
20. The food processing apparatus of claim 19, wherein the portion
of the transmission system that remains rotationally fixed relative
to the container includes a ring gear.
21. The food processing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the ring
gear is rotationally fixed relative to the lid via intermediate
components.
22. The food processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the portion
of the processing assembly that remains rotationally fixed relative
to the container is removably connected to the lid.
23. The food processing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the portion
of the processing assembly that remains rotationally fixed relative
to the container is removably connected to a member that extends
from the lid.
24. The food processing apparatus of claim 17, wherein the portion
of the processing assembly is rotationally fixed relative to the
container in two rotational directions.
25. A method comprising: removably engaging a lid with a container
having a food-containing volume such that the lid removably engages
a first portion of a rotatable processing assembly; and rotating a
second portion of the processing assembly to process food; wherein
the first portion of the processing assembly that is engaged to the
lid cannot rotate relative to the lid in at least one rotational
direction as the second portion of the processing assembly
rotates.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of removably engaging
a lid with the container causes the first portion of the processing
assembly to rotate until the first portion is in a position wherein
the first portion cannot rotate relative to the lid in at least one
rotational direction
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first portion cannot rotate
relative to the lid in two rotational directions.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/621,662,
filed on Apr. 9, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] Aspects herein generally relate to a processing assembly for
a food processing apparatus and methods of processing food using a
processing assembly. More specifically, aspects disclosed herein
relate to a food processing apparatus with a food processing
assembly, where a portion of the food processing assembly is
rotationally fixed to the container in at least one rotational
direction when the processing assembly is driven.
DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART
[0003] Food processors such as blenders use rotating blades to
process food. In some food processors, the rotating blades are part
of a rotating processing assembly which is supported by a container
lid at an upper end. The upper end of the processing assembly fits
into recess on the underside of the container lid, and the upper
end is free to rotate within the recess when the processing
assembly is driven.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to one embodiment of the invention, a food
processing apparatus includes a container with a food-containing
volume, a lid for the container, and a rotatable processing
assembly having a portion that is engageable with the lid. When the
lid is engaged with the container and the portion of the processing
assembly is engaged with the lid, the portion of the processing
assembly and the lid are rotationally fixed relative to each other
in at least one rotational direction.
[0005] According to another embodiment of the invention, a food
processing apparatus includes a container with a food-containing
volume, a lid for the container, and a rotatable processing
assembly. When the processing assembly is driven by a drive
coupler, a portion of the processing assembly is rotationally fixed
relative to the container in at least one rotational direction.
[0006] According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a
method includes removably engaging a lid with a container having a
food-containing volume such that the lid removably engages a first
portion of a rotatable processing assembly. The method also
includes rotating a second portion of the processing assembly to
process food. The first portion of the processing assembly that is
engaged to the lid cannot rotate relative to the lid in at least
one rotational direction as the second portion of the processing
assembly rotates.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to
scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical
component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by
a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be
labeled in every drawing. Various embodiments of the invention will
now be described, by way of example, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0008] FIGS. 1A-1B are cross-sectional views that depict a
processing assembly with a transmission system in accordance with
an aspect of the invention;
[0009] FIG. 2 is a side view that depicts the processing assembly
depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B;
[0010] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view that depicts the interface
between a drive coupler and a driven coupler in accordance with an
aspect of the invention;
[0011] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view that depicts the
transmission system depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B;
[0012] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view that depicts a lid
coupling in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0013] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view that depicts the
underside of a lid in accordance with an aspect of the
invention;
[0014] FIG. 7 is a perspective view that depicts a first blade
assembly in accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0015] FIG. 8 is a top view that depicts a second blade assembly in
accordance with an aspect of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 9 is a side view that depicts the second blade assembly
depicted in FIG. 8;
[0017] FIG. 10 is a perspective view that depicts the second blade
assembly depicted in FIG. 8;
[0018] FIG. 11 is a top, cross-sectional view of an alternative
embodiment; and
[0019] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view that depicts a
transmission system integrated into a container base in accordance
with an aspect of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Blenders and food processors can be arranged to rotate one
or more processing tools to process food. In some conventional
devices, the processing tools are part of a processing assembly
having an upper end supported by the container lid, where the upper
end is free to rotate relative to the container lid.
[0021] Provided herein are embodiments where a portion of a
processing assembly remains rotationally fixed in at least one
rotational direction relative to the container when the processing
assembly is driven. According to one aspect, the processing
assembly includes a transmission system, and a portion of the
transmission system is rotationally fixed relative to the container
in at least one rotational direction.
[0022] By providing an arrangement where the end of the processing
assembly can be rotationally fixed relative to the container in at
least one rotational direction, a portion of the processing
assembly can be held stationary during rotation of the processing
tools. In some cases, such an arrangement may permit the processing
assembly to include a transmission system that is located within
the container, where the transmission system requires some portion
of the transmission system to be held stationary when the
transmission system is driven.
[0023] With the transmission being internal to the container,
transmissions having different speed ratios may be easily exchanged
by using different processing assemblies. For example, a first
processing assembly may have a transmission with a speed ratio of
4:1, and a second processing assembly may have a transmission with
a speed ratio of 3:1, and the user can decide which ratio to use
simply by choosing which processing assembly to place in the
container.
[0024] In addition, with the transmission being part of the
processing assembly and the processing assembly being removable
from the container in some embodiments, if the transmission is
damaged, the transmission can be easily replaced simply by
substituting in a new processing assembly.
[0025] In some cases, by providing an arrangement where an end of
the processing assembly is rotationally fixed relative to the
container lid, rotational wear between the processing assembly and
the lid may be avoided or reduced.
[0026] The container lid and processing assembly may be configured
in some embodiments such that the upper end of the processing
assembly is rotationally fixed relative to the lid when the lid is
engaged with the container, but the lid can be separated from the
upper end when the lid is removed from the container.
[0027] As used herein, the term "processing tool" refers to any
tool used to process foods and other materials. Processing tools
may include, but are not limited to, a blade assembly, a whisk, an
ice crushing assembly, a dicing assembly, a grater, a shredder, a
shredder/slicer assembly, a cubing attachment, a dough hook, a
whipping attachment, a slicer attachment, and a french fry cutter.
In some cases, a processing tool may be a tool that is used to
clean the food processor container. A blade assembly may contain a
single blade or more than one blade. As used herein, the term
"food" includes any solid or liquid comestible, and any mix between
a solid and a liquid.
[0028] As used herein, the terms "connected," "attached," or
"coupled" are not limited to a direct connection, attachment, or
coupling, as two components may be connected, attached, or coupled
to one another via intermediate components.
[0029] According to one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a food
processing apparatus 1 includes a lid 400, a container 200, and a
base 100. The container 200 removably engages with the base 100 via
a locking mechanism 105 which includes a collection of protrusions
and indents on the base 100 and the container 200. The container
can be removably fixed to the base by placing the container 200
onto the base 100 and twisting the container 200 relative to the
base 100 to engage the mechanical locking mechanism 105 between the
container 200 and the base 100 as is well known. Any suitable
locking mechanism can be used, as this aspect is not so limited.
For example, the container may engage with the base by pressing the
container down onto the base or by sliding the container laterally
onto the base.
[0030] In some embodiments, the container does not lock or engage
with the base, but instead only operatively interacts with the
base, for example to receive rotational power from the base.
[0031] The container 200 may be any suitable volume and design. In
some cases, the container is a small single-serve jar that may be
used as a drinking cup after the processing assembly is removed
from the jar. In some cases, the container is a larger pitcher that
can hold multiple servings. The container may include a handle and
a spout to facilitate pouring of contents and/or the lifting and
moving of the container. The lid 400 may include a hole through
which food can pass such that food can be added to or removed from
the food-containing volume 205 without removing the lid 400 from
the container 200. A cap may be used to cover or uncover such a
hole in the lid. The cap may attach to the lid in any suitable
manner, for example, via threads that allow the cap to be screwed
onto the lid, by a hinge that connects the cap to the lid, or via
an interference fit, as this aspect is not limited in this
regard.
[0032] As seen in FIG. 1A, the food processing apparatus 1 includes
a transmission system 300 that is located inside the
food-containing volume 205. As used herein, the "food-containing
volume" is the volume in the container within which food is located
during food processing. For example, as seen in FIG. 1B, the
food-containing volume 205 is the space between the lowest surface
401 of the lid 400, the bottom inner surface 203 of the container
200, and the sides of the container 200. As seen in FIG. 2, a first
processing tool 250 is vertically spaced from a second processing
tool 370 along a longitudinal direction 217 of the processing
assembly 215.
[0033] The transmission system may be vertically positioned between
the vertical position of the first processing tool and the vertical
position of the second processing tool. As shown in FIG. 1A,
transmission system 300 is vertically positioned between the
vertical position of the first processing tool 250 and the vertical
position of the second processing tool 370. That is, the
transmission system is between a horizontal plane that includes the
first processing tool and a horizontal plane that includes the
second processing tool. If the transmission system 300 were to be
shifted horizontally to be offset from the rotational axes of the
first and second processing tools, the transmission system 300
would still be considered vertically positioned between the height
of the first processing tool 250 and the height of the second
processing tool 370. In some embodiments, for example the
embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the transmission system may be
positioned directly between the first and second processing tools.
That is, the transmission system is positioned both horizontally
and vertically between the processing tools, in some case with the
tools and the transmission aligned along the same axis. As used
herein, the term "positioned between" refers to a relative physical
location rather than a relative operational location within the
path of power delivery. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A,
transmission system 300 is physically located between first and
second processing tools 250, 370. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
1A, the longitudinal axes of the transmission system 300, first
processing tool 250, and second processing tool 370 are collinear
with the longitudinal axis 217 of the processing assembly. In
embodiments where the transmission system is collinear with the
axes of rotation of the first and second processing tools, but the
transmission system has a smaller diameter than the shafts upon
which the first and second processing tools are mounted, the
transmission system is still considered to be positioned directly
between the first and second processing tools. That is, in some
embodiments, the processing tools may have an inner diameter that
is attached to the shaft such that the tools do not extend inwardly
all the way to the axis of rotation. If the transmission has a
small diameter, imaginary vertical projections extending from the
transmission would not directly intersect the processing tools.
However, such a transmission arrangement would be considered to be
positioned directly between the first and second processing
tools.
[0034] The base 100 includes a motor 110 which is connected to a
drive shaft 120, which in turn is connected to a drive coupler 130.
The drive coupler 130 interfaces with a driven coupler 210 of the
processing assembly 215, as shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments,
the drive coupler 130 and the driven coupler 210 can be removably
coupled to one another. In one embodiment, the driven coupler 210
is attached to the container 210 such that, when the container 200
is lifted off the base 100, the driven coupler 210 is removed from
the drive coupler 130. In other embodiments, the drive coupler 130
may be permanently attached to the driven coupler 210.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the interface between the
drive coupler 130 and the driven coupler 210. The drive coupler 130
may include a recess with a plurality of protruding teeth 131. Any
suitable number of teeth 131 may be used. When the recess of the
drive coupler 130 receives the driven coupler 210, the motor 110
becomes connected to the processing assembly 215.
[0036] As shown in FIG. 1A, the motor 110 rotates the drive shaft
120, which rotates the drive coupler 130, which in turn drives the
driven coupler 210. Rotation of the driven coupler 210 causes a
first blade shaft 220 to rotate, which in turn causes a first blade
holder 260 and the first blade assembly 250 to rotate. In the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the axes of rotation of the first
blade shaft 220, an output shaft 366, and the drive coupler 130 are
collinear. Ball bearings 230 or other bearings may be included
facilitate to rotation of the first blade shaft 220 within the
bottom opening 201 of the container 200, and a lip seal 240 may be
used to seal off the bottom opening 201 of the container 200 such
that fluid cannot flow through the bottom opening 201. The ball
bearings 230 also may serve to attach the first blade shaft 220 to
the container 200.
[0037] As seen in FIGS. 1A and 4, a transmission coupling 270
removably attaches to the top of the first blade holder 260 and
couples the input shaft 280 of the transmission system 300 to the
first blade holder 260. The transmission coupling 270, blade holder
260 and first blade shaft 220 serve as intermediate components that
connect the input shaft 280 of the transmission system 300 to the
drive shaft 120, thereby allowing the transmission system 300 to be
driven by the motor 110.
[0038] The transmission system receives power from an input shaft
and drives an output shaft. The input shaft is driven at a certain
speed and direction by the motor. In some cases, the input shaft is
directly driven at the same speed as the motor, and in some cases,
gear reductions, overdrives or other suitable transmission systems
may be used such that the input shaft rotates at a speed and/or a
direction different from that of the motor. The transmission system
receives power from the input shaft at a first speed and direction,
and drives the output shaft at a different speed and/or direction.
In some embodiments, the transmission system may be a reduction
type transmission where the transmission system drives the output
shaft at a speed that is lower than that of the input shaft, but at
a higher torque than the input shaft. In other embodiments, the
transmission system may be an overdrive type transmission where the
transmission system drives the output shaft at a speed that is
higher than that of the input shaft, but at a lower torque than the
input shaft.
[0039] In some embodiments, the transmission system drives two or
more processing tools at the same speed as one another, but at a
speed different from that of the motor. In some cases, the
processing tools are driven by the output shaft.
[0040] In some embodiments, shown in FIGS. 1A and 4, the
transmission system 300 is a reduction type transmission where the
transmission system 300 drives the output shaft 366 at a speed that
is lower than that of the input shaft 280. Of course, it should be
appreciated that any type of transmission system is possible, as
this aspect is not limited to a reduction type transmission.
[0041] In one embodiment, the transmission system 300 is a
planetary gear system with a sun gear 320 and a plurality of planet
gears 330 surrounding the sun gear 320. The planetary gear system
may have any number of planet gears, including 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, or more planet gears, as this aspect is not limited in this
regard. As best seen in FIG. 4, the input shaft 280 of the
transmission system 300 is coupled to a sun gear 320 via a sun gear
coupling 310. In this embodiment, the sun axis is collinear with
the longitudinal axis of the processing assembly 217. Rotation of
the sun gear 320 about the sun axis 217 causes the planet gears 330
to both rotate about their own individual planet axes and revolve
around the sun gear 320 within the ring gear 380. The ring gear 380
is held fixed to the lid 400 by the stationary shaft 390, as
discussed below in detail.
[0042] The planet carrier includes two plates: an upper plate 341
and a lower plate 340. Each planet gear rotates about an axle that
passes through the planet gear along the planet gear's longitudinal
axis. The upper end of each axle is attached to the upper plate
341, and the lower end of each axle is attached to the lower plate
340. Revolution of the planet gears 330 around the sun gear 320
causes the upper and lower plates 341, 340 to rotate about the sun
axis 217. The lower plate 340 is rotationally fixed to a planetary
drive coupling 350 which in turn is rotationally fixed to the
bottom cap 360. Thus, rotation of the lower plate 340 about the sun
axis 217 causes the planetary drive coupling 350 and the bottom cap
360 to rotate about the sun axis 217 as well. The bottom cap 360 is
fixed to transmission housing 362, which is fixed to or integrally
formed with the output shaft 366. Thus, rotation of the bottom cap
360 about the sun axis 217 causes rotation of the transmission
housing 362, output shaft 366 and second blade assembly 370 about
the sun axis 217 as well. As seen in FIG. 1A, bearings 368 and 396
permit the output shaft 366 and the second blade assembly 370
rotate about the stationary shaft 390, while the stationary shaft
390 is held rotationally fixed to the lid 400.
[0043] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the output shaft
366 and the transmission housing 362 are integrally formed with one
another. In other embodiments, the output shaft and transmission
housing may be separate components that are attached to one another
either directly or via intermediate components.
[0044] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 4, the transmission
system 300 is a reduction type transmission. One rotation of the
sun gear 320 results in less than one revolution of the planet
gears 330 around the sun gear 320, and therefore less than one
rotation of the lower plate 340, planetary drive coupling 350,
bottom cap 360, and output shaft 366. Accordingly, the transmission
system 300 outputs a rotation speed to the second blade assembly
370 that is lower than the input rotation speed of the input shaft
280. The input to output rotation speed ratio of the transmission
system 300 is determined by the gear ratio between the sun gear 320
and the ring gear 380. In one embodiment, the planetary gear system
provides an input to output rotation speed ratio of approximately
4.8 to 1. In some embodiments, the first processing assembly 250 is
rotated at 24,000 RPM, and the second processing assembly is
rotated at 5,000 RPM. It should be appreciated that any suitable
input to output rotation speed ratio may be used, and the first and
second processing assemblies may be rotated at any suitable
rotation speed, as this aspect is not limited in this regard. Gear
systems other than planetary gear systems such as a step gear
system, worm gears, beveled gears, and/or spur gears may be used in
some embodiments.
[0045] According to another aspect, a portion of the transmission
system is rotationally fixed relative to the container in at least
one rotational direction. In some embodiments, the portion of the
processing assembly is arranged to be rotationally fixed to the lid
in only one rotational direction, i.e. either clockwise or
counterclockwise about the rotational axis of the processing
assembly. In other embodiments, a portion of the processing
assembly is arranged to be rotationally fixed to the lid in both
rotational directions, i.e. both clockwise and counterclockwise. As
used herein, "rotationally fixed" means rotationally fixed in at
least one rotational direction, i.e., only clockwise, only
counterclockwise, or both clockwise and counterclockwise about the
rotational axis of the processing assembly. Further, "rotationally
fixed" encompasses arrangements in which small rotational movements
may occur. For example, the rotational interaction between the lid
and the processing assembly may permit a portion of the processing
assembly to initially rotate a small amount, such as less than
rotation in some cases, before further rotation is prevented. In
such an arrangement, the arrangement would still be considered as
being rotationally locked.
[0046] In a planetary gear system, one of the sun gear, planet
carrier, or ring gear is held stationary to produce an output the
differs from the input. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 4,
the ring gear is rotationally fixed relative to the container. In
such an arrangement, the planetary gear system serves as a
reduction type transmission. The ring gear may be held stationary
relative to the container in any suitable manner. In some
embodiments, the ring gear may be fixed to the lid of the container
via intermediate components. In one embodiment, as best seen in
FIG. 1A, the ring gear 380 is fixed to a stationary shaft 390. The
stationary shaft 390 is connected to a lid coupling 392, and the
lid coupling 392 is rotationally fixed to the lid 400 (though lid
400 may be removed from lid coupling 392 when the blender is not in
operation). In some embodiments, the lid coupling may be positioned
such that the lid coupling is recessed further into the lid than
shown in FIG. 1A.
[0047] In some embodiments, the end of the processing assembly and
the underside of the lid cooperate with one another to rotationally
fix the end of the processing assembly relative to the lid. In some
cases, elements located at the end of the processing assembly
cooperate with elements located on the underside of the lid to
facilitate interaction between the processing assembly and the lid.
In some embodiments, these elements are removably engageable such
that the lid is removable from the processing assembly. A
self-seating arrangement may be used in some embodiments so that
the lid engages with the processing assembly when the lid is
positioned on the container. For example, as the lid is pushed
downwardly onto the container, the lid may include slanted elements
which rotate complementary slanted elements on the processing
assembly until the end of the processing assembly and the lid are
operationally engaged.
[0048] It should be appreciated that a portion of the processing
assembly may be rotationally fixed to the lid via one or more
intermediate components, as opposed to direct engagement with the
lid. For example, a portion of the processing assembly may be
rotationally fixed to an extension or protrusion that is integral
with or connected to the lid, or to a component that is
rotationally fixed to the lid, and as a result, the portion of the
processing assembly may be rotationally fixed to the lid as
well.
[0049] One embodiment is shown in FIG. 5, which depicts an enlarged
view of the lid coupling 392. Lid coupling 392 includes a rounded
bull nose tip 393 and a series of slanted fan blade protrusions
395. FIG. 6 depicts an enlarged view of the underside of the lid
400, which includes a recess 493 that receives the bull nose tip
393 of the lid coupling 392. The underside of the lid 400 also
includes a series of slanted fan blade indentations 495 that
cooperate with the protrusions 395 of the lid coupling 392. When
the container 200 is engaged with the base 100 and the driven
coupler 210 of the processing assembly 215 is engaged with the
drive coupler 130, the lid 400 engages with the lid coupling 392 by
pressing the lid 400 down into the top opening 202 of the container
200. As the lid 400 is pressed downwardly to engage with the
container 200, the lid coupling 392 rotates about the axis 217
until the fan blade protrusions 395 of the lid coupling 392 slide
into the slanted indentations 495 of the underside of the lid. As
such, the lid coupling 392 self-seats into a position in which the
coupling 392 can be received into the lid recess 493. Once the lid
coupling 392 is accepted into the lid recess 493 and the lid 400 is
engaged with the top opening 202 of the container, the lid coupling
392 is rotationally fixed relative to the lid 400 and the container
200 due to the receipt of the lid coupling protrusions 395 into the
indentations 495 of the lid underside, and thus the lid coupling
392 can no longer rotate. Consequently, the stationary shaft 390
and the ring gear 380, which are fixed relative to the lid coupling
392, become rotationally fixed relative to the lid 400 and the
container 200 as well.
[0050] Although FIGS. 5 and 6 depict lid coupling 392 as having a
series of protrusions 395, and the underside of lid 400 having a
series of indentations 495, it should be appreciated that any
number of protrusions and indentations may be used, as this aspect
is not limited in this regard. A single protrusion and indentation
may be used, or a plurality of protrusions and indentations may be
used. In another embodiment, the elements on the lid coupling and
the lid underside may be reversed. That is, the lid coupling may
have the indentations and the lid underside may have the
protrusions, as this aspect is not limited in this regard.
[0051] Various aspects of the lid coupling and the lid underside
may be of any suitable shape and arrangement to cooperate with one
another. In one embodiment, a lock and key type arrangement may be
used, where the end of the processing assembly engages with the lid
underside in only a single orientation. As another example, the lid
underside may include a helical groove or thread that cooperates
with a protruding tab on the end of the processing assembly such
that the process of engaging the lid with the container causes the
processing assembly to rotate as the protruding tab on the
processing assembly travels along the helical groove until the lid
is fully engaged with the container. Of course, it should be
appreciated that the features may be reversed, in that the helical
groove is on the processing assembly and the protruding tab is on
the lid underside. As another example, instead of a helical groove,
a slanted portion may be on the lid underside, and a protruding tab
may be on the processing assembly, or vice versa, and the slanted
portion cooperates with the protruding tab to cause the processing
assembly to rotate until the lid is fully engaged with the
container. In some cases, a stop feature such as a vertical recess
or pocket may be located at the end of the helical groove or
slanted portion such that the protruding tab slides down into the
recess to inhibit further rotation of the end of processing
assembly relative to the lid. As yet another example, two
cooperating helixes or slanted portions may be used, one on the lid
underside and one on the end of the processing assembly.
[0052] It should be appreciated that the ring gear can be
rotationally fixed relative to the container without attaching to
the lid. In some embodiments, instead of attaching to the lid, the
ring gear may be held against the walls or other interior portion
of the container. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, in some
embodiments, the ring gear 380 may be attached to laterally
extending arms 410 which extend outwardly from the processing
assembly to contact the internal walls of the container. The
container may have a square, rectangular, or otherwise polygonal
shape, where two adjacent walls of the container meet at a vertex
204. The arms extend outwardly and abut against the vertices 204 of
the container from the inside of the container such that the ring
gear cannot rotate within the container due to the abutment between
the arms and the vertices of the container. In such an arrangement,
the top end of the processing assembly need not be rotationally
fixed to the lid. Instead, the top end of the processing assembly
may be free to rotate relative to the lid.
[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, the ring gear is attached to
two arms that extend from the transmission housing 362 at a 180
degree angle relative to one another, and the cross-section of the
food-containing volume of the container is approximately square
shaped. When the ring gear is placed into the container, the arms
slide down two vertices of the container that are also at a 180
degree angle relative to one another. The length of the two arms
and the diameter of the ring gear are equal to the diagonal of the
cross-section of the food-containing volume. Because the ring gear
and arms span the longest local dimension of the food-containing
volume, the ring gear cannot rotate within the food-containing
volume. Of course, it should be appreciated that any suitable
cross-sectional food-containing volume shape can be used and any
number of arms may be used, as this aspect is not so limited.
[0054] In other embodiments, the planetary gear system may be
configured to drive the output shaft in a direction opposite to
that of the input shaft by changing which portion of the planetary
gear system is held stationary. In one arrangement, instead of the
ring gear being held stationary, the planet carrier is held
stationary, the ring gear serves as the output shaft, and the sun
gear rotates with the input shaft. In such an arrangement, the
planetary gear system drives the output shaft in a direction
opposite to that of the input shaft and at a speed that is lower
than that of the input shaft.
[0055] In yet further embodiments, the planetary gear system can be
configured as an overdrive type transmission where the output speed
is higher than the input speed. To achieve this result, in one
arrangement, the sun gear is held stationary, the planet carrier
rotates with the input shaft, the ring gear serves as the output
shaft. In such an arrangement, the output shaft of the transmission
system rotates at a speed higher than that of the input shaft.
[0056] Of course, it should be appreciated that the transmission
system is not limited to a planetary gear system, as this aspect is
not limited in this regard. For example, in some embodiments, the
transmission system may utilize a step gear arrangement. In some
embodiments, the transmission system may utilize a clutch and
pressure plate arrangement.
[0057] According to one aspect, with the transmission system
located within the food-containing volume, the transmission system
is housed in a transmission system housing in an arrangement that
prevents the entry of foods into the transmission system
housing.
[0058] In some embodiments, as seen in FIGS. 1A and 4, the
transmission system 300 is enclosed by a bottom cap 360, a
transmission housing 362, and a top cap 394. The top cap 394 is
attached to the transmission housing 362, and the transmission
housing 362 is attached to the bottom cap 360. A lip seal 365 is
located within the transmission housing 362 to create a seal
between the top cap 394 and the stationary shaft 390 and prevent
entry of fluid into the transmission housing 362. The bottom cap
360 is fixed to the transmission housing 362. A bearing 231 is
located between the input shaft 280 and the bottom cap 360 such
that the input shaft 280 and the bottom cap 360 can rotate at
different speeds relative to one another. A lip seal 364 seals
against the bottom cap 360 and the input shaft 280 to prevent entry
of fluid into the transmission housing 362.
[0059] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 4, the bottom cap 360 and the top
cap 394 are screwed onto the transmission housing 362 via a series
of threads. In some cases, the top and bottom caps 360, 394 can be
unscrewed from the transmission housing 362 to permit access to the
transmission system 300 for component replacement or maintenance.
In some embodiments, the top and bottom caps 360, 394 are
permanently attached to the transmission housing 362. The top and
bottom caps 360, 394 may attach to the transmission housing 362 in
any suitable manner, such as through an interference fit, via
mechanical fasteners, with an adhesive, or via ultrasonic welding.
The top and/or bottom caps 360, 394 may also be integrally formed
with the transmission housing 362.
[0060] According to yet another aspect, the processing tool that is
rotated at a higher speed may be used for a method of processing
that benefits from a higher rotation speed, such pureeing or
liquefying. The processing tool that is rotated at a lower speed
may be used for a method of processing that uses a lower rotation
speed, such as shredding, grating, slicing, or chopping.
[0061] In some embodiments, the processing tool that is rotated at
a higher speed may include blades with an upward and/or downward
blade pitch. Such an arrangement may help to create a vortex effect
within the food-containing volume to enhance mixing and circulation
of the food, thereby promoting more effective pureeing of the food.
In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the first blade assembly 250
includes two upwardly angled blades 252 and two downwardly angled
blades 254. In some cases, the blades 252 and 254 may be formed
from a single unitary body, as shown in FIG. 7. In other cases, the
blades 252 and 254 may be joined together via welding, an adhesive,
or other suitable arrangement.
[0062] In some embodiments, the blades of the processing tool that
is rotated at a lower speed may have a blade pitch that is smaller
than that of the blades of the processing tool that is rotated at a
higher speed. A smaller blade pitch may permit the processing tool
to more easily chop, shred, grate, and/or slice. In some cases,
sharp, thin blades with a smaller blade pitch for chopping and
slicing may be susceptible to breaking or snapping at high rotation
speeds, and thus a lower rotation speed may help to mitigate this
risk. In other cases, however, blades with small blade pitches may
not be susceptible to such breaking or snapping and may be rotated
at high speeds. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, second blade
assembly 370 includes blades 372-375. As shown in FIG. 9, each
blade 372-375 may have little to no blade pitch and may thus be
nearly or substantially flat. In some cases, the first blade 372
and the second blade 373 may be formed from a single unitary
component. In other cases, the first blade 372 and the second blade
373 may be separate blades. The first and second blades 372, 373
may be attached to the output shaft 366 and/or the transmission
housing 362 in any suitable manner such as by overmolding, with
fasteners, with mechanical locking arrangements, with an adhesive,
or by other suitable manner. Similarly, in some cases, the third
blade 374 and the fourth blade 375 may be formed from a single
unitary component or may be separate blades. The third and fourth
blades 374, 375 may be attached to the output shaft 366 and/or the
transmission housing 362 via overmolding, fasteners, mechanical
locking arrangements, adhesives, or by other suitable manner. In
some cases, the blades 372-375 may be removable from their
corresponding shafts for cleaning, sharpening or replacement.
[0063] In some embodiments, the container may also include a
transmission system in the bottom of the container, external to the
food-containing volume. As shown in FIG. 12, a transmission system
301 may be integrated into the base 375 of the container 200, where
the transmission system 301 is positioned external to the
food-containing volume 205. The transmission system 301 may change
the speed and/or direction of shaft 221 relative to that of the
driven coupler 210. Shaft 221 may then serve as or be coupled to
the first blade shaft 220 shown in FIG. 2. In this manner, an
additional transmission system 301 may be integrated into the
processing assembly 215 of FIG. 2.
[0064] The transmission system 301 may serve as a reduction type
transmission or an overdrive type transmission. Where the
transmission system 301 is a reduction type transmission, the
transmission system 301 may have any suitable gear reduction, as
this aspect is not limited in this regard, For example, the
transmission system 301 may have a gear reduction ratio of 2:1,
3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 8:1, 9:1, or 10:1. Where the transmission
system 301 is an overdrive type transmission, the transmission
system 301 may have any suitable overdrive ratio, as this aspect is
not limited in this regard, For example, the transmission system
301 may have an overdrive ratio of 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7,
1:8, 1:9, or 1:10. The transmission system 301 may be any suitable
transmission system, such as, but not limited to, a planetary gear
system, a step gear system, worm gears, beveled gears, and/or spur
gears.
[0065] The above described components may be made with various
materials, as the invention is not necessarily so limited.
[0066] The above aspects may be employed in any suitable
combination, as the present invention is not limited in this
respect. Additionally, any or all of the above aspects may be
employed in a food processing apparatus; however, the present
invention is not limited in this respect, as the above aspects may
be employed to process materials other than food.
[0067] Having thus described several aspects of at least one
embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various
alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to
those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and
improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are
intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of
example only.
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