Food processor

A food processor assembly is disclosed. An example food processor assembly includes an assembly base, a bowl base, a bow, a lid, and a blade storage container. The assembly base includes a rotary input shaft that selectively couples to a coupler of a blender base. The bowl base selectively couples to the assembly base with the rotary input shaft extending through the bowl based. The bowl includes a body and a central column integrally formed with the body though which the rotary input shaft extends. The lid selectively couples to the bowl. The lid includes a feed tube to receive food items. The lid having a first vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl and a second vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl. The blade storage container selectively couples to the lid when the lid in coupled to the bowl in the second vertical orientation.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally related to kitchen appliances and, more specifically food processors.

BACKGROUND

Increasingly, kitchen appliances are becoming multitasking appliances to, for example, save space. For example, a base unit that contains a motor may be able to couple to several different modules that used the motor for various tasks. A food processor is a kitchen appliance that uses input of a motor to drive various blades to manipulate (e.g., blend, chop, shred, slice, etc.) food. A food processor module may fit onto the motorized base. The food processor module engages with the motor to drive a rotary blade to blend, chop, shred, and/or slice food within a bowl of the food processor module.

SUMMARY

A food processing assembly is detachable from a base (sometimes referred to as a “blender base”) that includes a motor and motor control. The food processing assembly selectively engages with the motor to drive a rotary shaft that is selectively couplable to multiple types of blades. The food processing assembly is configured to have a flexible operating configuration, and a storage configuration. In the operation configuration, the food processing assembly is configured to manipulate food. In this configuration, the food processing assembly may be comprised of different food manipulating components (e.g., lids, rotary blades, etc.) to process food in different manners. In the storage configuration, the food processing assembly is configured to store all of its components while minimizing the horizontal space occupied by the food processing assembly. In the storage configuration, the food processing assembly is not able to manipulate food. In some examples, the components of the food processing assembly are configured to interlock with each other in different ways depending on which one of the configurations the food processing assembly is currently in. The food processing assembly may have other features that, for example, improve processing of food and/or facilitate cleaning the food processing assembly.

An example food processor assembly includes an assembly base, a bowl base, a bowl, a lid, and a bald storage container. The assembly base includes a rotary input shaft configured to selectively couple to a coupler of a blender base. The bowl base selectively couples to the assembly base with the rotary input shaft extending through the bowl base. The bowl selectively couples to the bowl base. The bowl including a body and a central column integrally formed with the body though which the rotary input shaft extends. The lid selectively couples to the bowl. The lid includes a feed tube to receive food items to be processed. The lid having a first vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl and a second vertical orientation to selectively couple to the bowl. The blade storage container selectively couples to the lid when the lid is coupled to the bowl in the second vertical orientation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG.1illustrates a perspective view of a food processing system that includes a blender base100and a food processing assembly102, in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. The blender base100includes a motor and an interface to control and receive feedback regarding the motor (e.g., one or more switches, dials, and/or displays, etc.). The blender base100may also include a sensor reader (e.g., a near field communication (NFC) sensor, an radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, etc.) to read a corresponding sensor on attachments (such as, the food processing assembly102, etc.) and motor control circuitry to control the motor based on the value(s) read by the sensor reader. An example blender base with a system to wirelessly detect properties of attachments is “Wireless Food Processor Discs,” filed Mar. 12, 2018, assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/917,914, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. The blender base100may have a configuration such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 10,413,131, titled “Interlocking Blending System,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The blender base100includes a pedestal on which the food processing assembly102selectively sits and/or is attached to—the pedestal may also be configured to have operatively secured thereto a blending container of any appropriate configuration. The blender base100also includes a coupler to interface with the food processing assembly102. The coupler is driven by a rotary output shaft driven by the motor of the blender base100. The coupler may include an internally splined receptacle that is sized to receive corresponding splined connector (sometimes referred to as an “input shaft”) at the base of the food processing assembly102to provide a detachable connection between the blender base100and the food processor assembly102.

As illustrated inFIGS.1-8, the food processing assembly102include multiple selectively attached components that couple together in different configurations to provide for one or more operating configurations and a storage configuration. In the operating configurations, food processing assembly102is configured to process food using various blades. In the storage configuration, the components are attached to limit horizontal space (e.g., counter/cupboard space, etc.) used to store the food processing assembly102. In the illustrated examples, the food processing assembly102includes an assembly base104, a bowl base106, a bowl108, a lid110, blade storage container112, and various blades114a,114b, and114c.

The assembly base104includes a side wall202and a base204that define a cavity sized and configured to selectively receive the coupler of the blender base100. The assembly base104also a rotary input shaft206rotationally coupled to the based204. A proximal end of the rotary input shaft206has a splined connector to attach to the correspondingly splined receptacle of the blender base100. A distal end of the rotary input shaft206includes a connector to selectively couple to the blades114a,114b, and114c. The rotary input shaft206imparts rotary motion to the blades114a,114b, and114c(e.g., 300-2,000 rotations per minute (RPMs), etc.) received from the coupler of the blender base100. The side wall202defines multiple mounting holes208at different locations around the circumference of the side wall202to facilitate attaching the bowl106to the assembly base104at different orientations (e.g., a radial orientation of a handle404of the bowl108relative the controls of the blender base100, etc.).

The bowl base106attaches to the assembly base104and receives the bowl108. The bowl base106includes a base302, a lip304, and a partial side wall306. The lip304extends from the base302and the partial side wall306extends from a portion of the lip304. The base302defines a central hole. When assembled, the rotary input shaft206of the assembly base104extends through and is coaxial with the central hole. The base302, the lip304, and the partial side wall306define a cavity sized and shaped to receive the bowl108. The bowl base106includes a latch308mounted on the partial side wall306. A proximal end of the latch308is configured to selectively engage with one of the mounting holes208, via a lever310, to selectively affix the bowl base106to the assembly base104. A distal end of the latch308may include a mount312that extends beyond the partial side wall306configured to be inserted into and extend through a corresponding hollow portion of the bowl108to, for example, prevent rotation of the bowl108about the bowl base106and/or to secure the lid110.

The bowl108includes a bowl portion402to receive food processed or being processed by the food processor assembly102, an integral handle404, an integral interlock portion406between the bowl portion402and the handle404, and an integral spout408. The bowl portion402includes a lip410to provide for engagement to a latch of a lid, and a hollow central column412to through which, when the food processor assembly102is assembled, the rotary input shaft206extends and the input shaft shield308at least partially extends. The central column412is sized and shaped to receive the input shaft shield308. When the food processor assembly102, the spline mount on the distal end of the rotary input shaft206is exposed to selectively engage with one or more blades114a,114b, and114csuch that the blades114a,114b, and114care operationally within a cavity of the a bowl portion402and do not extend beyond a top of the bowl portion402.

As best illustrated inFIG.8, the lip410may define specific engagement points414which are sized and shaped to receive engagement with the corresponding latches of the lid110to, in some examples, define a specific connection orientation of the lid110. This provides a connection such that the lid110snaps on the bowl108instead of a twist lock connection.

The interlock portion406between the bowl portion402and the handle404defines a cavity through which, when the food processor assembly102is assembled, the mount312extends to facilitate the bowl108not rotating on the bowl base106and/or to provide a physical connection between the lid110and the bowl base106. In some examples, because the bowl108does not include any interlock components (e.g., the mount312) but rather a cavity to for the interlock components, the bowl108is easier to clean as one integrally formed unit without any movable parts.

The feeder lid110includes a top substrate500, an upper side wall502, a lower side wall504, a gasket506, latches508, a hollow feeding tube512, and an interlock514. The upper side wall502extends from the top substrate500. In some examples, the upper side wall502increases in diameter from the top substrate500(sometimes referred as the “initial diameter”) until the outer diameter of the upper side wall502(sometimes referred to as the “final diameter”) is the outer diameter of the bowl portion402. In some examples, the initial diameter is smaller than an inner diameter of the bowl portion402such that the outer diameter of the upper side wall502is the inner diameter of the bowl portion402at some point between the initial diameter and the final diameter. In such a manner, when the lid110is inverted relative the bowl108, a portion of the upper side wall502sits within the bowl portion402. As best shown inFIG.8, in some examples, the upper side wall502may define cavities515proximate the feeding tube512on both sides of the interlock514to, for example, reduce an amount of material used to form the lid110.

The lower side wall504extends from the upper side wall502. The outer diameter of the lower side wall504is approximately the inner diameter of the bowl portion402such that, when the lid110is attached to the bowl108, the lower side wall504fits within the bowl portion402. The gasket506is at an interface between the upper side wall502and the lower side wall504. When the lid110is attached to the bowl108, the gasket506provides a liquid resistant seal between the lid110and the bowl108.

The latches508extend from the interface of the top substrate502and the upper side wall502to provide snapping engagement with the bowl108. The latches508are flexible enough to engage with the engagement points414of the bowl108to affix the lid110to the bowl108and, with some force, disengage with the engagement points414to remove the lid110from the bowl108.

The feeding tube512is configured to fit between the interior wall of the bowl portion402of the bowl108and the central column412of the bowl108. The feeding tube512is sized to receive a large plunger516. The feeding tube512is positioned radially offset from a center of the lid110. This position introduces the food items to the blades114aand114bradially offset from center so that the cutting operation is periodic and sequential for slicing, chopping or shredding. The large tamper516provides for manual translation of food items through the feeding tube512. The large tamper516may include a flange to facilitate the large tamper516being positioned and/or stored within the feeding tube512. The large tamper516defines a secondary feeding tube518to accommodate a small tamper520. The small tamper520provides for manual translation of food items through the secondary feeding tube518. For example, the large tamper516may be used for relatively large food items to be processed and the small tamper520may be used for relatively small food items to be processed. In some examples, the small tamper520may include a flange to facilitate the small tamper520being positioned and/or stored within the secondary feeding tube512. In some examples, the small tamper520may be hollow and may define a hole or passage521sized to drizzle liquid into the bowl108to, for example, create an emulsification with the food item in the bowl108. In some examples, as best illustrated byFIG.7, feeding tube512includes a rib522that extends into an interior of the lid110to prevent food items becoming trapped between the tampers516and520and a top of the interior of the lid110. The large tamper516includes a tab524with a keyed protrusion526centered on and protruding from the tab224. The protrusion526is configured to interfaces with the interlock514when the small tamper520is used to resist movement of the large tamper516that may be caused by food items being pushed through the secondary feeding tube518.

The interlock514is affixed to the lid110such that the interlock514extends along the feeding tube512, and in some examples, at least partially embedded into the feeding512. A proximal end of the interlock514is configured to, when the lid110is affixed to the bowl108, the interlock514slides over a portion of the mount312. In some examples, the proximal end of the interlock514also includes an extension526that defines a slot in which a wall of the interlock portion406is received such at the extension530extends into a cavity defined by404. As best shown inFIG.8, the distal end of the interlock514defines a keyed slot528to accept the keyed protrusion526.

The blade storage container112includes a base602and a lid604. The base602includes a central pillar606to receive the blades114aand114b. The base602includes an interior wall608and an exterior wall610. The interior wall608and the exterior wall610define a first set of notches612to, for example, facilitate manipulating the blades114aand114bthat are stored in the blade storage container112about the pillar606. The exterior wall610defines a second set of notches614that form engagement points616to facilitate the lid604selectively attaching to the base602. As best illustrated inFIGS.3and6, the second set of notches614is configured to, when the food processing assembly102is in a storage configuration, accommodate (e.g., not interfere with, etc.) the latches508that extend from the lid110of the food processing assembly102. The interior wall608and the exterior wall610define a space between them to receive the lower side wall504of the lid110of the food processing assembly102.

The lid604includes a connector616, wings618, and latches620. When the lid602is attached to the base602, (i) the connector616receives and slides over the central pillar606, (ii) the wings618fit within the first set of notches612so that the lid604forms a barrier against outside object entering the blade storage container112, and (iii) the latches620engage with the engagement points616.

The food processing assembly102has an operational configuration (FIGS.1and2) and a storage configuration (FIGS.3and5). In the operation configuration, (a) the food processing assembly102is assembled to process food items using the blender base100, (b) the bowl base106is connected to the assembly base104, (c) the bowl108slide onto the bowl base106, (d) one of the blades114a,114b, and114cis attached to the rotary input shaft206, and (e) the lid110is connected to the bowl108in an operating orientation where the feeding tube512is exterior to the bowl108. In the storage configuration, (a) the food processing assembly102is assembled to process food items using the blender base100, (b) the bowl base106is connected to the assembly base104, (c) the bowl108slid onto the bowl base106, (d) the processing blade114cis attached to the rotary input shaft206, (e) the lid110is placed in the bowl108in a storage orientation where the feeding tube512and a portion of the upper side wall502is interior to the bowl108, (0the base602of the blade storage container112is sitting on the lid110such that the lower side wall504is in the space between the interior wall608and the exterior wall610of the storage container112, (g) the disc blades114aand114bare stored about the pillar606, and (h) the lid604of the blade storage container112is affixed to the base602.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to just the embodiments disclosed, but that the disclosure described herein is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications and substitutions without departing from the scope of the claims hereafter. The claims as follows are intended to include all modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the claims or the equivalent thereof