Abstract:
A lid for a blender jug incorporated a citrus juicer that is capable of discharging into the interior of the jug.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention pertains to lids for blenders and more particularly to a lid with citrus juicing functionality. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The term “blender” is used to refer to a domestic or commercial countertop device having a square, round or other jug that is removably mounted on a motorised base. The motor in the base provides rotating power to a blade assembly located in the jug. Blenders of this type are well known, for example, appearing on the applicant&#39;s web site www.breville.com.au. When the blades of a blender are operating, liquids in the jug are propelled up the inner walls of the jug and a lid is required to prevent those liquids from spilling. 
         [0003]    Users wishing to add ingredients to a jug while the lid is on sometimes have the option of removing a portion of the lid, such as a central measuring cap. 
         [0004]    Users wishing to add a fresh citrus juice to the contents of a blender jug will normally juice the citrus fruit in a separate device or appliance and add the juice to the blender jug, either by removing the lid or a portion of it. 
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY 
       [0005]    It is an object of the disclosed technology to provide a lid with citrus juicing functionality. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, there is provided a lid comprising an outer part and an inner part. The outer part makes a sealing engagement with the jug and supports the inner part above it. The inner part comprises a juicing auger. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0007]    In order that the invention be better understood, reference is now made to the following drawing figures in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a blender with a citrus juicing lid. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the blender and lid shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the lid shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the lid shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an underside perspective view of the outer part of the lid depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an underside perspective view of the underside of the inner part of the lid shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an underside perspective view of the lid shown in  FIG. 1 , in an initial position. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  illustrates the structure shown in  FIG. 7  in an intermediate or closed position. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is an underside perspective of the lid depicted in  FIG. 7 , in an open position. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a square lid incorporating a citrus juicer. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a cross section of the device depicted in  FIG. 10 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view, sectioned to illustrate an alternate inner part or juicing auger. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a blender  100  has a base  101  within which is an electric motor. The motor drives a blade assembly located in the blender&#39;s jug  102 . The jug  102  has a lid  104  and an optional handle  103 . The lid  104  has an outer part  105  with peripheral seals that engage the jug  102  typically against an interior surface. The lid  104  also has nested within it an inner part  108  with or forming a citrus juicing auger  106 . In this example, the outer part has a pull ring  107  for withdrawing the lid  104  from the jug  102 . 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a lower part of the jug  102  comprises a rotating coupling  201  that engages a cooperating coupling associated with the base&#39;s motor. In this example the inner and outer parts engage one another with a bayonette-like attachment. The inner part with the auger  106  rotates relative to the outer part and in doing so, allows or blocks the flow of juice from the lid to the interior of the jug  202 . 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the outer part  105  of the lid  104  comprises a generally cylindrical (or other shaped) sidewall  301  having or supporting one or more circumferential seals retaining ribs  302  that conform to the jug. An elastomeric seal fits within the ribs. The upper part of the jug sealing sidewall  301  terminates in an optional radially extending flange  303  with an underside that abuts the upper rim of the jug when the lid is in place. In this example, the upper rim  303  carries an integral pull ring  107 . The floor of the outer part  105  features at its lowest point, a circular collection trough  304 . The floor  305  tapers or slopes down from the sidewall  301  toward the trough  304  so that juice runs toward and is collected in the trough  304 . Radially inward of the trough  304  and above it, the floor forms a generally cylindrical throat  306  having an inwardly directed upper rim  307 , the rim having a central opening  308 . The rim  307  may support an underside surface  308  of the juicing auger  106 . The throat can support the auger from below and provides features that cooperate with the inner part as will be explained. 
         [0023]    The inner or auger part of the lid  108 ,  309  comprises or contains a centrally located juicing auger or cone  106 . A continuous and perforated juicing floor  310  and optional perforated upright sidewall  311  extend between the juicing auger  106  and the inner sidewall, in some embodiments extending to the upper rim  312  of the outer part. In preferred embodiments, the outer surface  313  of the rim  312  pilots against the interior of the sidewall  301  of the outer part  104 . The inner part  104  also has a descending, generally cylindrical collar  314  comprising spaced apart tabs or protrusions  340  that extend into the trough  304  and act to regulate fluid flow. 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , an arcuate opening or gateway  500  is formed through the outer part  104  in the area of the throat  306  and trough  304 . The lowest edge  501  of the gateway  500  extends into the trough  304  and allows the trough to drain into the interior of the jug  102 . A lower edge  502  of the gateway  500  has features that cooperate with the inner part. These features include one or more vertical channels or female bayonette features  503  and a detent feature  504 . The gateway  500  has, for example, one lateral edge  505  adjacent to the vertical channel  503  and another lateral edge  506  that limits the rotational movement of the inner part. One or more and in this case, two identical gateway openings  500  are provided in the area of the throat  306 , diametrically opposite to one another. 
         [0025]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the collar  314  of the inner part has at least one, but in this example, four vertical extensions or tabs  601  between which are located flow recesses  602 . The tabs cooperate with the gateways  500 . 
         [0026]    Radially inward of the collar  314  and located on an inner surface of the lower part are formed a pair of inwardly extending locating fingers or male bayonette features  603 . The locating fingers  603  are adapted to be received by and travel along the vertical channels  503  until the tabs  601  of the inner part contacts the trough  304  or otherwise reaches the lower limit of travel whereupon the auger can rotate to open and close the gateways  500 . Male detent and alignment features  604  are located so that the locating finger  603  is between them. An upper and outer rim  605  of the inner part may have one or indicators, being in this example protruding or extending pointers  606  to facilitate alignment with textual or graphic markings on the upper rim of the outer part. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , the inner part  108  is installed onto the outer part by aligning the locating fingers  603  with the vertical channels  503 . In this orientation, the inner part can be lowered fully into the outer part and which location the finger  603  is clear of the channel  503 . 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , rotating the inner part  108  relative to the outer part  104  causes a first male detent feature  604  to engage the cooperating detent feature  504  formed on the lower edge of the opening  500 . In this orientation, liquid flow from the upper part into the interior of the jug is blocked by the spaced apart extensions on the collar  314  of the inner part  108 . As suggested by  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the upper side of the floor of the outer part  104  comprises, raised portions or mounds  701  that define channels that promote flow toward the gateways. The raised portions or mounds  701  partially define (between them) the gateways  500  through which liquid can travel downwardly and out of the lid when the gateways are not blocked by the extensions of the collar  314 . 
         [0029]    Thus, as shown in  FIG. 9 , when the inner part  108  is rotated, the gateways  500  that were blocked or covered by tabs  314  are exposed or cleared and liquid can flow out of the trough  304 , past the tabs or extensions  314  and down into the interior of the jug. In this open position, a second detent feature  901  of the inner part engages the detent feature  504  on the lower edge of the opening  500 . A lateral edge of the locating finger  603  abuts a lateral edge  506  of the through opening  500  limiting the extent of rotational movement of the inner part. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 10 , the construction of a citrus juicing lid for a blender is not limited by the shape of the jug on to which the lid is fitted. In the example of  FIG. 10 , the auger mechanism previously described is fitted into a generally square lid for a square jug (with rounded corners). In this example, the round flange  303  shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  is essentially replaced with a square flange  802 . Sealing with the jug is accomplished on a rim  803  of the flange. The upper surface of the flange can have auger alignment markings  810 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , a sidewall or rim  803  extending below the flange  802  has a peripheral groove  804  that carries the peripheral seal  805 . In this example, the ring-like pull  806  is carried on an upper surface of the square flange  802 , preferably in one of the corners and directed toward the centre of the lid as suggested by  FIG. 10 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 12 , an inner part or juicing auger  901  has a surrounding, generally flat or angled juicing floor  902  lacking the upright sidewalls depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . In this example, the juicing floor  902  has an array of perforations  903  and extends to the inside diameter  904  of the cylindrical sidewall. 
         [0033]    Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms. 
         [0034]    As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the use of the ordinal adjectives “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner. 
         [0035]    Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “example” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments. 
         [0036]    Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Any claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention. 
         [0037]    Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining” or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a microprocessor, controller or computing system, or similar electronic computing or signal processing device, that manipulates and/or transforms data. 
         [0038]    Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination. 
         [0039]    Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. 
         [0040]    While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to particular details of construction, these should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as limitations to the scope of the invention.