Abstract:
A whisk for attachment to a blending appliance including a shaft configured to connect to a source of rotary power, a plurality of flexible filament loops, and a coupling for connecting the shaft to the plurality of filament loops. The plurality of filament loops extend downwardly from the coupling to form a cage. A stem extends downwardly from the coupling in axial alignment with the shaft and disposed centrally within the cage. The stem limits deformation of the plurality of filament loops when force is applied to the shaft of the whisk.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/939,017 filed Feb. 12, 2014, entitled “Whisk With Improved Aeration”. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to cooking devices. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved whisk for preparing food with deformable filament loops for enhanced aeration of the food and a stem that prevents damage to the filament loops if too much pressure is placed onto the whisk. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Whisks used to blend, smooth and aerate food are known. A whisk works by manipulating the surface tension of liquids and then adding air into the food mixture. Adding air to the food mixture significantly changes the surface area of the food and enhances the taste of the food. The use of a whisk also drastically increases the volume of the food. As a result, creamy foods such as whip cream, meringues, omelets, mayonnaise, soufflés, gravy and the like can be made. Such whisks may be hand or electric powered. The more air that is aerated into the food, the fluffier the food. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In an embodiment, there is provided a blending and mixing implement including a shaft configured to connect to a source of rotary power, a a plurality of flexible filament loops, and a coupling for connecting the shaft to the plurality of filament loops. The plurality of filament loops extend downwardly from the coupling to form a cage. A stem extends downwardly from the coupling in axial alignment with the shaft and disposed centrally within the cage. The stem limits deformation of the plurality of filament loops when force is applied to the shaft. 
         [0005]    In an embodiment, there is provided a whisk for attachment to a mixing appliance including a shaft having a first end configured to attach to the mixing appliance, at least one flexible filament loop connected to a second end of the shaft, and a stem downwardly extending from the second end of the shaft and in axial alignment therewith. The stem limits deformation of the filament loop when force is applied to the shaft. 
         [0006]    In an embodiment, there is provided a method of whisking and aerating food including the steps of attaching a whisk to a source of rotary power, inserting the whisk into a container containing food to be whisked, urging the whisk against a bottom of the container such that at least one filament loop is deformed until a stem on the whisk contacts the bottom of the container, and rotating the whisk to blend and aerate the food in the container. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an improved whisk mounted on a conventional stand mixer; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the whisk of  FIG. 1  shown detached from the stand mixer of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the whisk of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the whisk of  FIG. 1  in the normal configuration; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the whisk of  FIG. 1  in the in use or deformed configuration; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the whisk of  FIGS. 1 and 5  in the in use or deformed configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, in an embodiment there is illustrated an improved whisk  100  installed in a stand mixer  10 . The stand mixer  10  is of a conventional type and may include a stand  12  with a base  14  and a hollow upright or pedestal  16  formed integral therewith. A mixing head  18  containing an alternating current electrical motor (not shown) is pivotally mounted on upright  16 . The mixing head  18  has a generally cylindrical portion  19  and includes a speed control knob  20  mounted at a rear portion thereof for controlling the electrical motor (not shown). The whisk  100  is releasably mounted in mixer head  18  for rotation thereby. The mixer head  18  also includes an integral handle  24 . A similar or identical stand mixer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,181, which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
         [0015]    In order to drive the whisk  100 , the electrical motor (not shown) is rotatably connected to a spindle  25  on the underside of the mixing head  18  through appropriate gearing (not shown). A proximal end of the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  is removably fitted in the spindle  25 . In an embodiment, the spindle  25  includes one or more keyways (not shown) formed therein to receive mating keys  112  on the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  adapted for driving engagement therewith. There is an ejector button  35  which is depressed to eject the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  from the spindle  25 . There are many well-known means in the art utilized for the attachment and detachment of a mixing attachment such as the whisk  100  to and from the spindle  25  of a mixer  10  and any of such means may be utilized herein. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment, the whisk  100  may be attached to an electric hand mixer (not shown) having a spindle (not shown) in which the proximal end of the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  is removably fitted. In yet another embodiment, the whisk  100  may be attached to an electric stick mixer (not shown) having a spindle (not shown) in which the proximal end of the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  is removably fitted. The electric stick mixer (not shown) may be powered by electrical power from a conventional source of electrical power or batteries (both replaceable or rechargeable types). In yet another embodiment, the whisk  100  may be attached to or integrally formed as part of a non-electric manual hand mixer (not shown). Typically, these types of mixers include a hand powered crank and gearing which rotate the whisk to blend, smooth and aerate ingredients. Note that the whisk  100  may be attached to any type of device having a source of motive power to rotate the whisk  100  to perform the blending, smoothing and aerating operations on food being prepared as described below. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in an embodiment there is illustrated an exploded view of the whisk  100 . The whisk  100  is comprised of the shaft  110  having the keyed portions  112  on the proximal end which fit into the spindle  25  of the mixer  25  or any of the foregoing embodiments of an electric or non-electric mixer. The whisk  100  also includes a filament loop portion  130  comprised of a plurality of filament loops  131  formed into a cage  130  with each filament loop  131  having a u-shaped bottom end  133  and two free ends  132 . In an embodiment, the plurality of filament loops  131  are comprised of metal wire including but not limited to stainless steel. In an embodiment, the plurality of filament loops  131  are comprised of plastic, bamboo or nylon. The whisk  100  also includes a stem  140  having a plurality of slots  141  at a top end for receiving the ends  132  of the plurality of filament loops  131 . The stem  140  is centrally disposed within the cage formed by the filament loops  131 . The stem  140  is co-axial with the shaft  110 . The stem  140  has a lower end with a base portion  142  that engages the bottom of the mixing container  5  (see also  FIG. 1 ) used to hold the food to be blended by the whisk  100 . A plurality of feet  143  extend from the base portion  142 . The whisk  100  also includes a collar  120  that secures the plurality of filament loop portions  131  into the slots  141  at the top end of the stem  140 . The collar  120  also includes an aperture (not shown) which receives the distal end of the shaft  110  for connecting the shaft  110  to the plurality of filament loops  131 . 
         [0018]    The whisk  100  is a cooking utensil used in food preparation to blend ingredients smooth, or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as whisking. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with a series of filament loops joined at the end. The plurality of filament loops are typically comprised of metal wire including but not limited to stainless steel, but some are made from filaments of plastic, bamboo or nylon for use with nonstick cookware. Whisks are commonly used to whip egg whites into a firm foam to make meringue, of to whip cream into whipped cream. Whisks have differently-shaped filament loops depending on their intended functions. For example, the most common shape is that of a wide teardrop, termed a balloon whisk. Balloon whisks are best suited to mixing in bowls, as their curved edges conform to a bowl&#39;s concave sides. In an embodiment, the whisk  100  is of this type. 
         [0019]    In an embodiment, the whisk  100  is inserted into the spindle  25 . The whisk  100  is rotated by energizing the electrical motor (not shown) by rotating the control knob  20  to a desired speed setting measured in revolutions-per-minute (RPM&#39;s). The cage  130  of the whisk  100  is inserted into the mixing container  5  which may also be mounted on the stand  12 . When the proximal end of the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  is installed in the spindle  25  as shown in  FIG. 1  and the cage  130  is inserted into the mixing container  5 , the mixing head  18  normally imparts a downward force in the direction of arrow  210  on the proximal end of the shaft  110  causing the U-shaped ends  133  of the plurality of filament loops  131  to be urged against the bottom of the mixing container  5 . Normally, the u-shaped ends  133  of the filament loops  131  are slightly longer than the length of the stem  140  and base portion  142 . As such, the plurality of filament loops  131  forming the cage  130  are urged against the bottom of the mixing container  5  when the shaft  110  of the whisk  100  is installed in the mixing head  18  as shown in  FIG. 1 . This causes a displacement of the U-shaped ends  133  of the filament loops  131  in the direction of arrows  210 . This displacement also causes a twisting of the filament loops  131  from their normal position as shown in  FIG. 4  to an offset angular position as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  where the angular offset is represented by the symbol a. The angular offset a is typically in the range 0° to 10° but may may any angle or any range of angles. 
         [0020]    The offset angular deformation of the filament loops  131  causes improved aeration of the food being blended by the whisk  100  as it is rotated resulting in fluffier foods. At the same time, the feet  143  on the base portion  142  of the stem  140  engage the bottom of the container  5  such that the filament loops  131  of the whisk  100  are prevented from being deformed too far in the direction of arrows  210  to prevent damage to the filament loops  131 . When in the maximum deformed configuration, the U-shaped ends  133  of the filament loops  131  are in the same plane as the bottom of the base portion  142  of the stem  140  as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0021]    It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.