Abstract:
A food processor includes a base, a motor disposed within the base, a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor and extending outwardly from the base, the output shaft being rotatable upon actuation of the motor, a bowl mounted on the base for containing food items, a modular lid for covering the bowl and having an opening therein, and a removable attachment receivable by said opening.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to food processors and, more particularly, to a modular lid assembly for a food processor. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Food processing devices providing a number of different types of food preparations, such as mixing, grinding, chopping, slicing, grating, shredding, or other processing operations, are well known. Existing food processing devices typically include a base housing an electric motor, a drive shaft driven by the motor, a bowl receivable on the base and a lid or cover having a feed tube releasably mounted to the bowl. A rotatably driven blade is mounted to the drive shaft to process one or more food items inside the bowl. 
         [0003]    While existing food processing devices are generally suitable for what is regarded as ordinary performance, there is room for improvement in terms of ease of use, expanded functionality and modularity. For example, existing food processing devices typically have a single size, fixed-position feed tube. While generally suitable for processing large food items, such feed tube may not be ideal for other processing operations, such as the spiral cutting of smaller food items, or for blending a fixed set of ingredients that are added directly to the bowl prior to processing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a food processor. 
         [0005]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a food processor having a modular lid assembly. 
         [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a food processor having a modular lid assembly that can be easily and quickly configured in dependence upon the type of processing operation to be carried out. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a food processor having a modular lid assembly that can be easily and quickly configured in dependence upon the size of food item to be processed. 
         [0008]    These and other objects are achieved by the present invention. 
         [0009]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, a food processor is provided. The food processor includes a base, a motor disposed within the base, a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor and extending outwardly from the base, the output shaft being rotatable upon actuation of the motor, a bowl mounted on the base for containing food items, a modular lid for covering the bowl and having an opening therein, and a removable attachment receivable by said opening. 
         [0010]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, a modular lid for a food processor is provided. The modular lid includes a generally circular body configured to be received atop a bowl and an opening formed in the body. The opening is configured to allow passage of food items into the bowl and is further configured to removably receive one of a cover configured to completely close off the opening, a feed tube having a generally oval feed tube aperture, and a spiral feed tube having a generally cylindrical feed tube aperture. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention will be better understood from reading the following description of non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein below: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a food processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded parts view of a food processor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a processing bowl and modular lid therefor, utilized with a flat cover, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, perspective view of the food processing bowl, modular lid and flat cover of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a processing bowl and modular lid therefor, utilized with a large feed tube, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is an exploded, perspective view of the food processing bowl, modular lid and large feed tube of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a processing bowl and modular lid therefor, utilized with a spiral feed tube, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded, perspective view of the food processing bowl, modular lid and spiral feed tube of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a food processor  10  according to the present invention is shown. The food processor  10  includes base housing  12  having a motor (not shown) disposed within. The motor is preferably a conventional electric motor that is reversible and has a variable speed between approximately 500-3,500 RPM. The motor is operatively engaged with a drive shaft  16  to cause the drive shaft  16  to rotate. The motor is oriented such that the drive shaft  16  extends upwardly from the motor, extending outwardly and/or protruding from a top surface of the base housing  12 . The base housing  12  may include a user interface electrically connected to the motor to enable a user to control the speed of the motor. As is known in the art, the user interface may include one or more knobs, dials, buttons, toggle switches or the like. A terminal end of the drive shaft  16  extends outwardly from the base housing and has a plastic adapter shaft  18  engageable and rotatable therewith. A distal end of the adapter shaft  18  includes a blade coupling configured to engage a cutting blade or other attachment, as discussed hereinafter. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the food processor  10  also includes a bowl  20  removably securable on the base housing  12 . Preferably, the bowl  20  has a plurality of protrusions that slidingly engage within corresponding slots in the base housing to retain the bowl  20  on the base housing  12 . For example, the bowl  20  may be retained on the base  12  via a bayonet style coupling, as is known in the art, that resists forces in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Extending upwardly from the center of the bottom wall of the bowl  20  is a generally cylindrical central tube sized to accommodate the drive shaft  16  therethrough when the bowl  20  is secured to the base housing  12  in an assembled position. A handle  22  is integrally molded to the sidewall of the bowl and extends outwardly therefrom, to provide the user with a gripping surface with which to pick up, carry, and otherwise handle the bowl  20 . In an embodiment, the bowl  20  may also be provided with a slicing disc adjustment mechanism  24  configured to mate with the lower end of the adapter shaft  18  and operable from outside the bowl  20  by a user to vary the slice thickness of food items. In addition, the bowl  20  may be provided with a wiper element  26  having a plurality of scraper blades that contact the inner sidewall of the bowl  20 . The wiper element  26  is selectively rotatable by a user about the inner periphery of the bowl  20 , via rotation of a knob  29  accessible above the bowl  20 , to scrape the sides of the bowl  20  during processing of food items. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a smaller capacity bowl  27  may be mounted to the base  12  in lieu of the larger capacity bowl  20 , such as when a smaller volume of food is to be processed. In an embodiment, the bowl  20  has a 16-cup capacity and the smaller bowl  27  has a 4-8 cup capacity. 
         [0023]    As best shown in  FIG. 2 , the bowl  20  may also include an optical channel  31  on the periphery thereof. The optical channel  31  is configured to receive an optical signal generated by the control unit within the base  12  to ensure the bowl  20  is properly seated on the base  12 , and a lid is properly seated on the bowl  20 . For example, when an optical signal sent from the base is reflected and received back at the base by an optical sensor, this indicates that the base, bowl and lid are in proper position for food processing. This “optical interlock” ensures that the motor will not operate, and the processing tool will not rotate, unless the bowl and lid are in proper position. 
         [0024]    Although the base housing  12  is shown as being generally square-shaped, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the base housing  12  be of a different shape as long as the base housing  12  can still perform its intended functions, as described herein. Additionally, although the bowl  20  is shown as being removably retained at the top of the base housing  12 , it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the base housing  12  be generally L-shaped when viewed from the side, such that the motor is disposed within the vertically-oriented portion and the bowl  20  is disposed on top of the horizontally-oriented portion. 
         [0025]    As further shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cutting tool  28  is rotatably securable to the drive shaft  16 . In particular, the cutting tool  28  is rotatably fixed to the adapter shaft  18  proximate the terminal end of the drive shaft  16  and is positioned within the bowl  20  above the top edge of the central tube, when in the assembled position. In an embodiment, the cutting tool  28  is a generally circular metallic disk having at least one slicing blade  30  formed therein as is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0026]    Alternatively, a dicing mechanism including a dicing blade  32  and a dicing plate  34  may be utilized in place of the cutting tool  28  in order to dice food items. In connection with the dicing mechanism, a plurality of indexing storage containers  36  may be inserted into the bowl  20  in nested position with the wiper element  26 , below the dicing plate  34 . The wiper element  26  may be selectively rotated by a user to index the storage containers  36  to a desired position beneath the dicing plate  34  to collect diced food items therein. In yet another embodiment, a spiral cutting blade assembly  38  may be utilized in place of the cutting tool  28  in order to cut food items into spiral shapes. 
         [0027]    The food processor  10  further includes a lid  40  that is removably securable to a top of the bowl  20 . The lid  40  defines a substantially circular body sized and dimensioned to cover the bowl  20 , and has an opening  42  formed therein configured to receive one of a flat cover  44 , a large feed tube  46  or a spiral feed tube  48 , as best shown in  FIGS. 3-8 . The opening  42  in the lid may be generally oval or kidney shaped, although other shapes and dimensions are envisioned. As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-8 , and as discussed hereinafter, the flat cover  44 , large feed tube  46  and spiral feed tube  48  each include a lower portion sized and shaped to be received in the opening  42 , and a peripheral flange limiting the insertion depth of the respective flat cover  44 , large feed tube  46  or spiral feed tube  48  into the opening  42  and preventing such components from falling into the bowl  20 . 
         [0028]    Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the modular lid  40  is shown in use with the flat cover  44 . As alluded to above, the flat cover  44  has a lower portion  50  sized and shaped to be received in the opening  42 , and a peripheral flange  52  that contacts the top surface of the lid  40  to prevent the flat cover  44  from falling into the bowl  20 . The flat cover  44  also includes an optical channel  54  that is configured to align with the optical channel  31  on the periphery of the bowl  20  when the flat cover is in place on the lid  40  and the lid  40  is in place atop the bowl  20 . As alluded to above, alignment between the optical channel  54 , optical channel  31  and the base  12  creates an “optical interlock,” ensuring that the cover  44 , lid  40  and bowl  20  are all in proper position for safe operation. 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the modular lid  40  is shown in use with the large feed tube  46 . As alluded to above, the large feed tube  46  has a lower portion  56  sized and shaped to be received in the opening  42 , and a peripheral flange  58  that contacts the top surface of the lid  40  to prevent the large feed tube  46  from falling into the bowl  20 . A generally oval shaped opening extends through the feed tube  46  to allow for the insertion of food items to be processed. The large feed tube  46  similarly includes an optical channel  60  that is configured to align with the optical channel  31  on the periphery of the bowl  20  to establish the “optical interlock” in the manner discussed above. 
         [0030]    As further illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6 , the large feed tube  46  includes a pusher assembly having a first pusher  62 , a second pusher  64 , and a third pusher  66 . The first pusher  62  is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by the feed tube  56  and may be utilized to push large food items through the feed tube  46  and into the cutting tool  28  or other processing implement within the bowl  20 . The second pusher  64  is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by an aperture in the first pusher  62  that defines a smaller feed tube opening. The second pusher  64  may be utilized when somewhat smaller food items are to be processed. For example, when processing somewhat smaller food items, the first pusher  62  may be inserted into the feed tube  46 . In this position, the smaller aperture through the first pusher  62  defines the passageway into the bowl  20 . The second pusher  64  may then be utilized to push the smaller food items through the aperture in the first pusher  62  and into the cutting tool  28  or other processing implement within the bowl  20 . 
         [0031]    Similarly, the third pusher  66  is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by an aperture in the second pusher  64  that defines an even smaller feed tube opening. The third pusher  66  may be utilized when even smaller food items are to be processed. For example, when processing very small food items, the first pusher  62  may be inserted into the feed tube  46  and the second pusher  64  may then be inserted into the aperture in the first pusher  62 . In this position, the small aperture through the second pusher  64  defines the passageway into the bowl  20 . The third pusher  66  may then be utilized to push the small food items through the aperture in the second pusher  64  and into the cutting tool  28  or other processing implement within the bowl  20 . 
         [0032]    In this manner, a user may configure the feed tube  46  and pusher assembly to provide a feed tube opening that best matches the size of the food items to be processed. In particular, when processing food items with a small cross-sectional area such as celery or carrots, a large feed tube opening (having a cross sectional area much greater than that of the food items) is not ideal and can adversely impact processing performance. With the configurable feed tube  46 , however, a user can easily vary the area of the feed tube opening to better match the thickness of the food items to be processed. More specifically, matching the feed tube opening area to the thickness of food items to be processed results in greater stability as the food items are pushed into the cutting tool. As a result, improved processing performance may be realized. 
         [0033]    Importantly, each of the first, second and third pushers have a flange at the top thereof that prevents the pushers from falling through one another and into the bowl when in the nested configuration. Indeed, in the nested configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , the bottom of each pusher is generally coplanar. Preferably, the opening in the feed tube  46 , first pusher  62  and second pusher  64  are generally the same shape but have decreasing cross-sectional areas. In the preferred embodiment, the openings are generally oval in shape. 
         [0034]    Referring now to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the modular lid  40  is shown in use with the spiral feed tube  48 . Like the flat cover  44  and large feed tube  46 , the spiral feed tube  48  has a lower portion  68  sized and shaped to be received in the opening  42  in the lid  40 , and a peripheral flange  70  that contacts the top surface of the lid  40  to prevent the spiral feed tube  48  from falling into the bowl  20 . A generally cylindrical opening extends through the spiral feed tube  48  to allow for the insertion of food items to be processed. The spiral feed tube  48  similarly includes an optical channel  72  that is configured to align with the optical channel  31  on the periphery of the bowl  20  to establish the “optical interlock” in the manner discussed above. 
         [0035]    In connection with the optical interlock feature described above, the optical sensor that receives the optical signal indicating that the components are all in locked and proper position may be positioned either in the base (in which case the optical signal is reflected by the lid attachment/cover/feed tube), or in the lid attachment/cover/feed tube itself. 
         [0036]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 2, 7 and 8 , the spiral feed tube  48  includes a pusher  74  that is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by the cylindrical opening in the feed tube  48  and may be utilized to push food items through the feed tube  48  and into the spiral cutter  38  within the bowl  20 . Like the pushers of the large feed tube, pusher  74  has a flange at the top thereof that prevents the pusher from falling through the opening in the spiral feed tube  48  and into the bowl  20 . 
         [0037]    In an embodiment, the lid  40  may include a pushbutton release that may be activated by a user to release the flat cover  44 , large feed tube  46  or spiral feed tube  48  from engagement with the lid  40 . 
         [0038]    The modular lid  40  of the present invention therefore allows a user to configure the lid  40  in dependence upon the particular processing operation to be carried out as well as the size of the food items to be processed. For example, for blending operations the lid  40  may be fully closed off by utilizing the flat cover  44 . When spiral cutting, the spiral feed tube  48  may be utilized. In addition, during standard food processing operations, the large feed tube  46  may be attached to the lid  40 . In connection with such standard processing, the feed tube opening may be selectively varied by a user by using one or more of the nestable pushers, in order to more closely match the size of food items to be processed. The ability to tailor the size of the feed tube opening to the size of food items to be processed improves processing performance, as a whole. 
         [0039]    Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.