Abstract:
A mixer comprising a mixer body having a motor for driving a mixing element and a bowl for receiving a material to be mixed. The mixer further includes at least one pin mounted onto one of the mixer body or the bowl and a mounting bracket mounted onto the other of the mixer body or the bowl. The mounting bracket has an opening sized to receive the pin therein to removably and pivotably couple the mixer body and the bowl.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a mechanism for mounting a mixer bowl to a mixer body, and more particularly, to a mechanism for pivotably mounting a mixer bowl to a mixer body. 
     Mixers are used to mix and blend a wide variety of products, such as food, chemicals, etc. The mixers typically include a mixer body having a motor that drives a generally vertically-extending mixing element. The mixers include a bowl that is located below the mixing element, and receives the mixing element and the materials to be mixed. The bowl is typically detachable from the mixer body to aid in loading and unloading the products into the bowl. 
     In most existing mixers, the mixer bowl is vertically movable such that the bowl can be lowered away from the mixing element and an overhang portion of the mixer body. The products to be mixed can then be added or removed from the bowl, or the bowl can be detached from the mixer body. However, even after the bowl is lowered, it can be inconvenient for the user to access the mixer bowl due to the location and orientation of the mixer body (more particularly, the overhang portion) relative the mixer bowl. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a mechanism for mounting a mixer bowl to the body of the mixer which improves the user&#39;s access to the mixer bowl, and is thereby more convenient to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a mechanism for coupling a mixer bowl to a mixer body such that the mixer bowl can be pivoted away from the mixer body and quickly and easily coupled and uncoupled from the mixer body. The mechanism enables the bowl to pivot away from the mixer body, which improves access to the bowl and is more convenient to use. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the invention is a mixer comprising a mixer body having a motor for driving a mixing element, the mixer including a bowl for receiving a material to be mixed. The mixer further includes a pin mounted onto one of the mixer body or the bowl, and a mounting bracket mounted onto the other of the mixer body or the bowl. The mounting bracket has an opening sized to receive the pin therein to removably couple the mixer body and the bowl. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mixer including one embodiment of the mounting mechanism of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of part of the mixer of FIG. 1, with the mixer bowl spaced slightly away from the mixer body; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mixer body and mixer bowl of FIG. 2, with the bowl coupled to the mixer body and in the loading position; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mixer body and mixer bowl of FIG. 3, with the mixer bowl in its closed position; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the mixer body and mixer bowl of FIG. 4, with the mixer bowl in its use position; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a mixer body and a mixer bowl illustrating an alternate embodiment of the mounting mechanism of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of a mixer body and a mixer bowl illustrating an alternate embodiment of the detent mechanism. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a mixer, generally designated  10 , which includes a mixer body  12  having a generally vertically-extending main portion  13 , and a overhang portion or transmission head  14 . A generally downwardly-extending mixing element  16  (such as a hook) is removably connected to the mixer body  12  by a coupling component (not shown), such as a bayonet-style attachment that is well known in the art. The mixer  10  includes a motor (not shown) that rotates the mixing element  16  about its central axis. A mixer bowl  18  is mounted to a yoke  20  of the mixer body  12 , which is shaped to closely receive the mixer bowl  18  therein. The mixer bowl  18  includes a bowl body  19  that contains the products to be mixed (not shown). A mounting mechanism, generally designated  22 , pivotably couples the bowl  18  to the yoke  20  and mixer body  12 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting mechanism  22  includes a pair of downwardly-extending pins  24 ,  26 , each pin being mounted to the mixer bowl  18  by a pin arm  28 ,  30  that protrudes generally radially outwardly from the bowl body  19 . The mounting mechanism  22  further includes a pair of brackets  32 ,  34  that are mounted (preferably by casting) onto a distal end of the yoke  20 , each bracket  32 ,  34  having a hole  36 ,  38  formed therein. As shown in FIG. 2, the pins  24 ,  26  are generally axially aligned, as are the holes  36 ,  38 . To mount the mixer bowl  18  to the mixer body  12 , the bowl  18  is positioned such that the pins  24 ,  26  are aligned with the holes  36 ,  38  in each bracket  32 ,  34 , as shown in FIG.  2 . The mixer bowl  18  is then lowered such that the pins  24 ,  26  are received in the corresponding holes  36 ,  38 , and the pin arms  28 ,  30  engage the top surface of the corresponding mounting bracket  32 ,  34 , as shown in FIG.  3 . After each pin  24 ,  26  is received in a hole  36 ,  38 , each pin/bracket combination forms a hinge about which the mixer bowl  18  can pivot, and the bowl  18  is shown in its loading/unloading position in FIG.  3 . The pins  24 ,  26  preferably have tapered tips to guide the pins  24 ,  26  into the mounting brackets  32 ,  34 . 
     The mixer bowl  18  can then be pivoted to its closed position, as shown in FIG.  4 . In this position, the mixer bowl  18  is received within the yoke  20 , and the bowl  18  is aligned such that the mixing element  16  can be received in the mixer bowl  18  when the mixer bowl is raised relative to the mixing element. As shown in FIG. 3, the mixer  10  preferably includes a detent mechanism, generally designated  40 , to maintain the bowl  18  in its closed position. The detent mechanism  40  is preferably located on an opposed side of the bowl  18  relative the hinge mechanism  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the detent mechanism  40  includes a relatively soft, deformable washer  42  having an opening formed  44  therein mounted on the yoke  20 . The detent mechanism  40  also includes a forwardly extending peg  46  mounted on the bowl  18 . The opening  44  in the washer  42  is slightly smaller than the largest portion of the peg  46 , such that when the mixer bowl  18  is moved to its closed position, the peg  46  is forced into the washer  42 , which retains the peg  46  therein by an interference fit. In this manner, the detent mechanism  40  helps to maintain the mixer bowl  18  in the closed position. 
     In order to move the bowl from its closed position (FIG. 4) to its use position (FIG.  5 ), the yoke  20  is raised vertically by moving the yoke base  50  along a pair of vertically-extending tracks  52 ,  54 . Typically, a crank (not shown) or some other similar mechanism is used to raise the yoke  20 . As the yoke  20  is raised, it also raises the bowl  18  to its use position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. When the bowl  18  is in the use position, the mixing element  16  can be received in the bowl  18  such that the mixing element  16  can mix the contents of the bowl  18 . The mixer bowl  18  includes a locking bracket  60  (FIGS. 3 and 4) having an opening  64 , and the mixer body  12  includes a generally downwardly-extending locking pin  62 . When the mixer bowl  18  is moved to its use position (FIG.  5 ), the locking pin  62  is received in the opening  64  in the locking bracket  60  to retain the mixer bowl in the use position; that is, the locking pin/locking bracket combination prevents the mixer bowl  18  from pivoting about the mounting mechanism  22 . 
     The mixer body  12  includes a rotatable coupling member or output component (not shown) for removably receiving the mixing element  16 , the output component and mixing element each including an axis of rotation. When the bowl  18  is in its use position, the bowl  18  is located such that the central axis of the bowl  18  is generally aligned with the axis of rotation of the output component such that the mixing element can be rotated and mix the contents of the bowl without hitting the edges of the bowl  18 . Each pin  24 ,  26 ,  24 ′  26 ′ and hole or opening  36 ,  38 ,  36 ′  38  includes a central axis that extends generally parallel to the central axis of the bowl when the bowl  18  is mounted to the mixer body  12 . 
     In order to move the bowl from its closed position (FIG. 4) to its use position (FIG.  5 ), the yoke  20  is raised vertically by moving the yoke base  50  along a pair of vertically-extending tracks  52 ,  54 . Typically, a crank (not shown) or some other similar mechanism is used to raise the yoke  20 . As the yoke  20  is raised, it also raises the bowl  18  to its use position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. When the bowl  18  is in the use position, the mixing element  16  can be received in the bowl  18  such that the mixing element  16  can mix the contents of the bowl  18 . The mixer bowl  18  includes a locking bracket  60  (FIG. 4) having an opening  64 , and the mixer body  12  includes a generally downwardly-extending locking pin  62 . When the mixer bowl  18  is moved to its use position (FIG.  5 ), the locking pin  62  is received in the opening  64  in the locking bracket  60  to retain the mixer bowl in the use position; that is, the locking pin/locking bracket combination prevents the mixer bowl  18  from pivoting about the mounting mechanism  22 . 
     The mounting mechanism  22  enables the mixer bowl  18  to be pivoted out from under the overhang portion  14  of the mixer body  12  to its loading/unloading position (FIG.  7 ). This provides easier access to the bowl  18  for loading and unloading materials in the bowl, and is therefore more convenient to use. When the bowl  18  is pivoted into its loading/unloading position, it is also easer to grip and lift the mixer bowl off of the yoke  20  and to mount the mixer bowl  18  back onto the yoke  20 . For example, when in the loading/unloading position both handles  66  of the bowl  18  are pivoted away from the mixer body  12 , and can be easily gripped by the user without having to maneuver around the overhang portion  14  of the mixer body  12 . 
     Any variety of pins and brackets may be used for mounting the mixer bowl  18  to the mixer body  12 . For example, nearly any shape pin  24 ,  26 , preferably having a generally circular, or nearly circular (i.e. hexagonal, elliptical, etc.), cross section, may be used. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, the pins  24 ′,  26 ′ may be located on the yoke  20 , and the pin arms  28 ′,  30 ′ may have holes  36 ′,  38 ′ therein such that the pin arms  28 ′,  30 ′ form the mounting brackets. Similarly, the peg  46  of the detent mechanism  40  may be located on the mixer body  12  and the washer  42  may be located on the bowl  18 . The locking bracket  60  may be located on the bowl  18  and the locking pin  62  may be located on the mixer body  12 . The holes  36 ′,  38 ′ may be located on nearly any surface of the yoke  22  or of the mixer body  12 . For example, the holes  36 ′,  38 ′ in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 may be located on a lip (not shown) or other various mounting surfaces of the mixer body  12 . 
     Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and variations thereof are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.