Patent ID: 6634580
Filing Date: 2003-10-21
Classification: A47J

Abstract:
A kitchen appliance (1) comprisinga container (3), which is disposed on a work surface (2) during operation of the kitchen appliance (1) and which serves to hold a substance to be processed, said container having a bottom wall (4) and a circumferential wall (7) having a container rim (8), and bearing means (9) protruding upward from the bottom wall for rotatably supporting a tool drive means (10), a cover (11), which is placed on the container (3) in the area of the container rim (8) and which has an opening (15) for the passage of a portion (25) of the tool drive means (10) and which is removable from the container (3), and a drive arrangement (28), which is mounted on the cover (11) during operation of the kitchen appliance (1) and is coupled to the tool drive means (10) and thereby positions the tool drive means (10) in a driving position and which is removable from the cover (11) and disengageable from the tool drive means (10), in which the tool drive means (10), which is accommodated in the container (3), has a first end zone (20) facing the bottom wall (4) of the container (3), and a second end zone (24) remote from the first end zone (20) and passed through the opening (15) in the cover (11), the first end zone including bearing means (21) for cooperation with the bearing means (9) of the container (3), and the second end zone including a portion (25) of said tool drive means arranged for operable engagement with the drive arrangement 28, and in which the portion (25) of the tool drive means (10), which portion is disposed in the second end zone (24), is disposed in the opening (15) of the cover (11) so as to be clear of the cover (11), and in which a portion of the bearing means (21) of the tool drive means (10) has a clearance from the bearing means (9) of the container (3) so as to allow essentially a pivotal movement of the tool drive means (10) about the bearing means (9) of the container (3) when the drive arrangement (28) is not mounted on the cover (11) and is not coupled to the tool drive means, characterized in that the tool drive means (10) comprises brake means (30) disposed radially outwardly with respect to and remote from the bearing means (21), the braking function of the brake means (30) being disabled and free from contact with the bottom wall (4) when the tool drive means (10) is coupled to the drive arrangement (28) and is thus positioned in its driving position, and the brake means (30) being arranged and adapted to produce a braking action by engaging said bottom wall as a result of the pivotal movement of the tool drive means (10) when the tool drive means (10) is disengaged from the drive arrangement (28) and thus allows the tool drive means (10) to perform a pivotal movement.