Abstract:
A stir stick assembly is disclosed having a stir stick body with a control end and a stirring end, opposite the control end. The stir stick body includes a plurality of sections that are detachably mated together. The stir stick body further defines a passageway extending from the control end to the stirring end.

Description:
This is application is a continuation of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/490,152 filed Jul. 25, 2003 and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/490,227 filed Jul. 25, 2003. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a stir stick and more particularly to a stir stick adapted for use with a blender apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Blenders, smoothie makers and beverage mixers have become increasingly popular for making frosty drinks, such as milkshakes or smoothies. Milkshakes are typically made of ice cream and/or milk, and flavored as desired, with or without additives, such as candies, chocolates, peanut butter, flavored syrups, etc. Smoothies are typically healthier than milkshakes and are made with ice, frozen yogurt or sorbet, and fruit juice, and can include additives such as fruit, vitamins or supplements. Milkshakes, smoothies and other frosty drinks are hereinafter collectively referred to as “frozen beverages.” 
     Restaurants and specialty food stores prepare frozen beverages using commercial quality blenders. When consumers attempt to replicate the frozen beverage recipes at home, they typically find their standard kitchen blender to be inadequate for the task. A disadvantage of the known kitchen blenders is that the blender gets clogged or otherwise stalled by the drink ingredients. Another disadvantage is that the ingredients are not sufficiently circulated through the blades so that large pieces of ice, fruit or other ingredients remain even after the beverage is fully mixed. 
     To ensure proper chopping and mixing of the ingredients, it is often necessary to supplement the blending by stirring the ingredients with a spoon or spatula. If the-blender is in operation when stirring the ingredients with a spoon or spatula, there is a danger of hitting the mixing blades with the spoon or spatula and this could result in contamination of the food, damage to the blender or injury to the person holding the spoon or spatula. Also, material pushed into the blades when the lid is not on the blender container is likely to be thrown upward out of the container by the rapidly rotating blades which will make a mess of walls, cabinets or counter space in the vicinity of the blender. 
     To avoid the danger and mess created by stirring the ingredient while the blender is in operation, the user must interrupt the blending process by turning the blender off, removing the lid and then stirring the ingredients. The disadvantage of this process is that it inconveniently lengthens the preparation time and adds numerous additional steps to the preparation process. 
     Thus, it is desirous to provide a stir stick for a blender apparatus that enables the user to stir the ingredients without presenting a danger to the user or creating a mess. 
     SUMMARY OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A stir stick assembly is disclosed having a stir stick body with a control end, and a stirring end opposite the control end. The stir stick body includes a plurality of sections that are detachably mated together. The stir stick body further defines a passageway extending from the control end to the stirring end to facilitate the addition of ingredients to the blender without requiring the user to turn the blender off. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick of the present invention as used in a blender apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick assembly of the present invention in a partially assembled state; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a first section of the stir stick of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a first section and a second section interlocked to form a preferred embodiment of the stir stick of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick of the present invention as used in a blender apparatus; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick of the present invention as positioned in the lid of a blender container with a lid placed thereon; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the stir stick lid installed directly in the lid of the blender container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  depicts a preferred embodiment of the stir stick assembly  10  of the present invention as positioned in a blender apparatus  100 . For ease of reference, the stir stick assembly  10  is described as being used with a blender apparatus  100 . However, it is envisioned that the stir stick assembly  10  of the present invention can be used with a variety of devices including smoothie makers, food processors or other mixing devices. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the stir stick assembly  10  includes a first section  12  and a second section  14 . The first and sections  12 ,  14  are shown as halves, however, the size of the sections can vary such that one is larger than the other. The first and second sections  12 ,  14  are mateable to form a stir stick. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in  FIG. 3 , the first section  12  includes a first interlocking member  16  that corresponds to a second interlocking member  18  on the second section  14 . The first interlocking member  16  is configured to securely engage the second interlocking member  18  to form a stir stick. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 through 5 , the first interlocking member  16  is a tapered channel having a wide end  20  at a first end  26  of the first section  12 , and a narrow end  22  at the second end  28  of the first section  12 . 
     In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 3 through 5 , the second interlocking member  18  is a protrusion adapted to fit into the tapered channel that is the first interlocking member  16 . The shape of the second interlocking member  18  corresponds to the shape of the first interlocking member  16 , such that the second interlocking member  18  has a wide end  30  at a first end  36  of the second section  14 , and a narrow end  32  at the second end  28  of the second section  14 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the first and second sections  12 ,  14  mate with each other as the first interlocking member  16  engages the second interlocking member  18 . The assembly of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick will now be discussed in reference to FIG.  3 . To assemble the stir stick, the narrow end  32  of the protruding second interlocking member  18  is inserted into the channel of the first interlocking member  16  at the wide end  20  of the first interlocking member  16 . The narrow end  32  of the second interlocking member  18  slides toward the narrow end  22  of the first interlocking member  16  in the direction designated as A in FIG.  3 . The first and second interlocking members  16 ,  18  are sized such that when the narrow end  32  of the second interlocking member  18  arrives at the narrow end  22  of the first interlocking member  16 , the first and second sections  12 ,  14  are secured to each other, and the second interlocking member  18  can not be moved any further in direction A. At this point, the stir stick is in an assembled configuration. 
     In the assembled configuration, the first end  26  of the first section  12  is substantially aligned with the first end  36  of the second section  14 ; and the second end  28  of the first section  12  is substantially aligned with the second end  38  of the second section  14 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first section  12  defines a first concave groove  24  therein and the second section  14  defines a second concave groove  34 . In an assembled configuration, the first and second concave grooves  24 ,  34  form a passageway  40  for liquid or solids to be added to the beverage mix in the blender  100 . 
       FIG. 6  depicts a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the stir stick assembly  10  as installed in a blender apparatus  100 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the stir stick assembly  10  provides a passageway  40  therethrough. The stir stick assembly is preferably installed in an opening  102  in the lid  104  of the blender apparatus. The diameter  106  of the opening  102  in the blender lid  104  is preferably larger than the diameter  42  of the stir stick assembly  10  to allow sufficient clearance for one to move or rock the stir stick back and forth or up and down in order to facilitate the mixing of the frozen beverage. The diameter  106  of the opening  102  can be varied to increase or decrease the clearance for the rocking or movement of the stir stick assembly. 
     To prevent the stir stick assembly  10  from falling through the opening  102  of the blender lid  104 , the stir stick assembly  10  is provided with a collar  44  that extends beyond the opening  102 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the collar  44  is a continuous flange around the periphery of the stir stick assembly  10 . However, the collar  44  can be any known structure that prevents the stir stick assembly  10  from falling through opening  102 . For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the collar  44  is a plurality of tabs that extend radially from the stir stick assembly. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stir stick assembly  10  is installed in an opening in the center of the blender lid  104 . The central position of the stir stick assembly  10  enables the user to be able to stir the frozen beverage from the center of the mixture. Furthermore, the stir stick assembly  10  is preferably positioned such that the outlet  48  of the passageway  40  is positioned directly above the blades  110 . The passageway  40  enables the user to add ingredients to the frozen beverage while the blender is in use without the frozen beverage splattering out of the blender. Liquid poured through the inlet  46  of the passageway  40  will exit at the passageway outlet  48 , directly above blades  110 . The outlet  48  is preferably positioned to facilitate the mixing of the added ingredients with the frozen beverage by delivering the added ingredients to the mixing blades  110  or very close to the mixing blades  110 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , to prevent seepage of liquid from the passageway  40  and to further secure the second interlocking member  18  with the first interlocking member  16 , the first section  12  preferably includes a seal edge  60 . The seal edge  60  preferably contacts the outermost edge  62  of the second section  14 , providing a seal to prevent escape of liquid from the passageway  40 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the passageway  40  is not in use, a cap  50  is provided to cover the passageway inlet  46 . Cap  50  preferably has the same shape as the passageway inlet  46  and is dimensioned to cover the inlet. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, cap  50  includes a cylindrical body  52  and a disc-shaped top  54 . The cylindrical body  52  fits around a top portion of the stir stick. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the cylindrical body  52  carries at least one interlocking member  56 , and preferably a plurality of interlocking members  56 . The interlocking members  56  are positioned on the inner surface of the cylindrical body  52 . The stir stick preferably carries interlocking members  66  corresponding to the interlocking members  56  on the cap  50 . The cap  50  is removably attached to the stir stick by positioning the cap on the stir stick and twisting the cap to align the interlocking members  56  and  66 . When the interlocking members  56  and  66  are aligned, it is not possible to move the cap axially with respect to the stir stick. In this regard, the cap is locked onto the stir stick. To unlock the cap, the cap is rotated with respect to the stir stick such that the interlocking members  56  and  66  are not aligned. The cap will then be removable from the stir stick. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , in a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the stir stick is not used, cap  50  is dimensioned to cover the opening  102  in the blender lid  104 . Specifically, the cylindrical body  52  of the cap  50  is positioned in the opening  102  and the disc-shaped top  54  is dimensioned to prevent the cap  50  from falling into opening  102 . Thus, cap  50  can serve a dual purpose of covering the stir stick and covering the blender lid opening, when the stir stick is not used. 
     After each use, the stir stick can be disassembled to facilitate the cleaning of the stir stick. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the second section  14  slides in the direction D with respect to first section  12 , moving the narrow end  32  of the second interlocking member  18  away from the narrow end  22  of the first interlocking member  16 . When the stir stick is disassembled, the first and second section  12 ,  14  separate and each section can be separately cleaned. 
     It is envisioned that any known interlocking members can be used to detachably secure the first and second sections of the stir stick to each other. As such, the invention should not be limited to the specific interlocking members described herein. 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.