Patent Publication Number: US-2015059289-A1

Title: Blending appliance for enhancing product flavor and shelf life

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Appl. 61/870,308, filed 27 Aug. 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Blenders have become an increasingly common kitchen appliance for homes and food/beverage businesses alike. Blenders allow the fast production of smoothies, cocktails, purees, soups, juices, condiments, sauces, baby food, nut butters, and many other foods. A blender is generally a small electric appliance that has a carafe and a lid to hold food product(s) to be blended. The carafe generally contains a blade, or set of blades, that is attached the bottom of the carafe. The carafe is usually filled with the food product and then set atop a base containing a motor with a vertical shaft used to rotate the blades. When rotated, the blades of the blenders and other blending appliances are designed to reduce food products into smaller and smaller pieces. Thus, the proportion of surface area of the food product is greatly increased during the blending process. 
     There are many commercially available blenders today offering a wide array of features. To operate these features, blenders may have user control knobs and switches to control features, such as blade speed and programmed blending cycles. Blenders may also include large-capacity carafes, high-power motors, specially designed blades, and tampers to push products into the blades. 
     Other blending appliances, such as food processors and juicers, also perform a similar function to the traditional blender. Food processors are commonly used in food preparation to blend, grind, shred, and puree food items. Food processors, though, generally have a shorter and wider carafe and may have removable or interchangeable blades. Likewise, many juicers operate in a similar fashion by chopping up fruits, vegetables, greens, etc. and separating the resulting juice from pulp. Other juicers squeeze or compress the products in order to produce juice. 
     However, the blended food products using such blenders, food processors, and juicers may quickly degrade in viability, flavor, and nutrient content. In fact, the inventor has noticed that there are certain food products that make use of a blending appliance undesirable because the food products tend to go rancid before they can be consumed. Therefore, there is a need for an improved blender that improves the flavor, nutrient content, and shelf life of blended drinks and food products. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  are different views of a base of a blending device according to the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  are an elevation view, a cross-sectional view, and a detailed view of a base and a carafe of the disclosed blending device. 
         FIGS. 3   a - 3   b  are an elevational view and a cross-sectional view of a base and carafe of the disclosed blending device. 
         FIG. 3   c  is a cross-sectional view of a blending device lid. 
         FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  are different views of a carafe insert. 
         FIG. 4   c  is a cross-sectional view of a blending device with a carafe insert. 
         FIGS. 4   d - 4   e  are detail views of the blending device in  FIG. 4   c.    
         FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  illustrate a perspective view, a cross-sectional view, and a detailed view of a blending device carafe. 
         FIGS. 6   a - 6   c  illustrate an elevational view, a top view, and a cross-sectional view of a blending carafe with purging lid. 
         FIGS. 6   d - 6   e  are detail views of the carafe and lid in  FIG. 6   c.    
         FIG. 7   a  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a blender with a purge system mounted to the carafe. 
         FIG. 7   b  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a carafe. 
         FIG. 7   c - 7   d  are front and side views of an embodiment of a blender with a purge system mounted to a carafe. 
         FIGS. 8   a - 8   d  are different views of an embodiment of a blender base. 
         FIG. 9   a  is a top view of a carafe. 
         FIG. 9   b  is a cross-section of a carafe of  FIG. 9   a.    
         FIG. 9   c  is a partial front view of a carafe and  FIG. 9   d  is a cross-section therefrom. 
         FIGS. 10   a - 10   e  are a top view, a cross-section, a detail view, a front view, and a bottom view, respectively, of a carafe shell. 
         FIGS. 10   f  and  10   g  are a cross-section and detail view of a carafe shell, respectively. 
         FIGS. 11   a - 11   e  are a front view, a cross-section view, a detail view, a bottom view, and a plan view of a purge system housing. 
         FIGS. 12   a - 12   d  are a plan view, a front view, a detail view, and a bottom view of a carafe insert. 
         FIGS. 13   a - 13   c  are a perspective view, a side view, and a cross-section view of a standalone lid. 
         FIGS. 14   a - 14   d  are a side view, a bottom view, a cross-section view, and another cross-section view of a main body of a standalone lid. 
         FIGS. 15   a - 15   c  are a side view, a bottom view, and a detail view of a mating flange of a standalone lid. 
         FIG. 16  is a schematic of an embodiment of a controller for use with any one or more of the disclosed embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The inventor has discovered that the propensity for food and beverage products (“food product”) to deteriorate is a direct result of the product&#39;s level of oxidation. This oxidation can be observed not only in how quickly the blended food product can deteriorate, but also in the flavor of the blended food product. Due to the rapid movement of the blades and high amount of chaos and turbulence created during the blending process, oxidation of the food product is increased. 
     Since a blender is designed to reduce food products into smaller and smaller pieces, the proportion of available surface area of the food is maximized through the process. If already liquid, or as the food product slurries or becomes more fluid, vortexes may form during the mixing process introducing more of the product to the surrounding air. Through such rapid mixing, the exchange of air with food components ensures that many, if not all, volatile compounds in the food will be destroyed through oxidation. These volatile compounds can include polyunsaturated fats, such as Omega-3, and essential fatty acids. Other oxygen-sensitive products include, but are not limited to, many B vitamins, biotin, and especially antioxidants, which will combine with the oxygen in the air and render the antioxidant property less nutritionally effective once it has been consumed. 
     Disclosed herein is an improved blending appliance and method for purging the air from the airspace above and/or surrounding the food product in the appliance&#39;s carafe or container, and replacing the air with another gas that is compatible with food preparation and greatly reduces the oxidation that the food product undergoes in the blending process. Such purged blending increases the flavor, nutrient value, and shelf life of the blended food product. 
       FIGS. 1   a - 1   d  show an embodiment of a blending appliance having a body (base  100 ) according to the present disclosure.  FIGS. 2   a - 2   b  show a front view and a side cross-sectional view of the base  100  having a carafe or container  200  for the disclosed blending appliance  50 .  FIG. 3   a  shows another side view of the base  100  connected to the carafe  200 , and  FIG. 3   b  is the associated cross-section of  FIG. 3   a  and additionally shows a blade  310  that spins about the centerline  315  of the carafe  200 . The blade  310  is connected to a coupler  290  by a shaft  313 . 
     The blending appliance  50  can be a blender, food processor, juicer, or any other comparable food and/or beverage appliance. Though not so limited, for simplicity, the appliance  50  may be referred to as a blender as discussed herein. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, however, variations in blades, motor, carafe size, and the like can be made without departing from the present disclosure. 
     As shown, the blending appliance  50  comprises two main subassemblies: the base  100  and the carafe  200 . Turning first to the discussion of the base  100 , the base  100  comprises a blender motor  230 , controller  145  having user controls  140 , and other components (voltage regulators, motor cooling fan, wiring, controllers, etc.), which are not shown for clarity. The base  100  may contain a sealable gas port  150  with a gas source connection. Though shown as an electric controller, controller  145  may be a physical control comprising switches either manually or electrically controlling valves or solenoids for example. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1   d , where the user may install a source (e.g., a cartridge  110 ) of compressed or pressured gas (e.g., carbon dioxide “CO 2 ”) for blending. Other gases compatible with food use, such as nitrogen or other inert gas, can also be used as the blending gas. The cartridge  110  may be comparable to CO 2  cartridges used in bike tube fillers, air guns, and CO 2 -propelled pinewood derby cars. The cartridge  110  may be connected to the port  150  by a gas source connection such as threads on the end of the cartridge  110 , by a compression fitting, or by some other method known in the art. The gas port  150  connects to a valve or valve solenoid  160 , which controls when the gas can flow. Various filters, valves, tubing connections, and the like may be provided as necessary. 
     The gas port  150  may be accessed by a gas port retainer  155  that may be used to secure the gas cartridge  110 . The retainer  155  may be a friction, threaded, or press-and-turn type fitting. Additionally, the retainer  155  may be a watertight connection. For example, the retainer  155  can screw into the base  100  by a threaded connection. Any other suitable fitting can also be used to secure or access the cartridge  110 . 
     In some embodiments, instead of a removable cartridge  110 , the port  150  is replaced with a gas source connection such as a threaded connection, compression fitting, or quick-disconnect fitting for an external gas supply, such as a nitrogen gas or CO 2  supply line or larger industrial gas tank (not shown). The port  150  may also be fitted with various adapters to use other commercially available blending gas sources, for example, the CO 2  bottles from Soda-Club or Soda Stream. Some embodiments may have a pressure regulator (not shown) built into the base  100 , while others may simply require the user to limit the pressure of the connected line. In addition to the front, the connection may also be located on any side of the base  100 . 
     The solenoid  160  may be controlled manually (e.g., by one of the controls  140 ), controlled with a purging timer (not shown), or triggered by the user controls  140  to determine how long the gas should be delivered in order to purge the blender carafe  200 . Tubing  170  connects the solenoid  160  to a mount  125  on the top of the base  100 . As shown in  FIG. 2   b , the carafe  200  installs on the base&#39;s mount  125  in a fixed manner so as not to rotate. Various flanges, ribs, or other features can be provided on the mount  125  and the bottom of the carafe  200  to achieve such a fixed mounting. When the carafe  200  installs on the mount  125 , a passage  180  can be formed between the base  100  and the bottom of the carafe  200 . The tubing  170  may have a protrusion  172  extending the tubing  170  into the passage  180 . In some embodiments, there need not be such a passage  180  because the carafe  200  and/or base  100  can comprise a poppet valve (not shown), a fitting, or the like that fits directly over the protrusion  172  to receive the blending gas. 
     A restrictive orifice (not shown) may be installed in-line between the gas inlet and line outlet of the passage  180  in the carafe base  100  for factory-calibrating the purging timer. The orifice would restrict the flow, and as the blender  50  monitors the gas source pressure, the controller  145  in the blender can adjust its timers for how long to purge (lower pressure means longer cycles, but highly-optimized cycles for the life of the canister) and limit the flow rate of the gas into the carafe  200 . As one skilled in the art will recognize, pressure vs. flow across the orifice may influence or determine the purge cycle. 
     Turning now to more details about the carafe  200 ,  FIG. 2   a  shows the carafe  200  connected to the base  100 .  FIG. 2   b  is a cross-sectional view of the blender  50  in  FIG. 2   a . The carafe  200  may be connected to the base  100 , at least in part, by a bottom lip  205  that fits within the a slot  120  of the base&#39;s mount  125 . In one embodiment, the connection forms the passage  180 , discussed above, which is used to transport the gas. This passage  180  can be sealed using various seals (not shown) between the bottom lip  205  and the base&#39;s mount  125 . 
     The carafe  200  can comprise a handle  210  for transporting the carafe  200 , a blending cavity  220  for holding the food product to be blended, and a lid  280  with an ice port  285  for enclosing the blending cavity  220 . Unlike a conventional blender carafe, this carafe  200  has gas channels  240  that can be formed into the carafe&#39;s wall(s)  250 . In other embodiments disclosed herein, gas channels  240  can be formed in other parts of the carafe  200 , such as in the handle  210 , or the carafe  200  can include dual walls with an annulus therebetween providing the channel. 
     The channels  240  can connect the passage  180  at the blade coupling  290  to a hollow rim  260  that can run along the top of the carafe  200 . The hollow rim  260  can comprise small holes  270 , slits, or the like that are formed or drilled into it. The holes  270  allow the blending gas to enter the cavity  220 . The holes  270  may also be used to aim inside of the cavity  220  and point down towards the bottom of the cavity  220 . The rim  260  may run at least a portion of the top circumference of the carafe. 
     Other features can be used to introduce the gas from the channels  240  into the cavity  220  rather than such a rim  260 . In general, the channels  240  may simply have outlets defined at the top of the carafe&#39;s cavity  220 . These outlets can have nozzles or valves to prevent entry of air and food product back into the channel. Such outlets can also be formed along the channels  240  at any suitable point in the cavity  220 . 
     Additionally, the carafe  200  is shown as a unitary component from the bottom end to the top end. It will be appreciated that the bottom end of the carafe  200  may actually comprise a removable blade unit that threads and seals in place on a lower part of the carafe  200 . Such a removable blade unit would be adapted to communicate the blending gas from the base  100  to the channels  240  on the carafe  200 , yet would be removable to allow the blades to be removed, cleaned, or replaced as needed. 
     Upon starting a purged blending cycle, the blender  50  can open the solenoid  160  for a certain period of time (e.g., a few seconds). The gas from the cartridge  110  or other source then runs from the port  150 , through the tubing  170 , and out into the passage  180  beneath the carafe  200  where the channels  240  guide the gas via positive pressure to the top connecting rim  260  on the carafe  200 . Reaching the top rim  260 , the gas can then pass out of the small holes  270  around the rim  260  that may point down inside the blender cavity  220 . Internally, the rim  260  may have a flap or valve feature to allow gas from the channels  240  to enter the rim  260  but prevent reverse flow. The blending gas in the blending cavity  220  that is heavier than air like CO2, can form a blanket on the food product in the blender  50 , displacing or lifting the air in the carafe  200  as it does so. 
     In other embodiments, the channels  240  may also run to the bottom of the cavity  220  to bubble the blending gas up from the bottom of the cavity  220  thus lifting the still air in the cavity  220 . The channels  240  may also run from the passage  180  to the rim  260  and back down to the bottom of the cavity  220 . In embodiments where the blending gas enters the carafe  200  through the bottom, the gas will bubble up through the food products, and then slowly purge out any air as the gas accumulates inside of the carafe  200 . Additionally, a larger volume of blending gas may be used to assist in purging the blending cavity  220 . This may be advantageous when using blending gases that are lighter than air, e.g., helium or nitrogen gas. 
     Other embodiments could also comprise an insert  400  as shown in  FIGS. 4   a - 4   b  allowing an easy way to provide the bottom purging as described above. The insert may be held in place by various means; for example, the insert  400  may snap-in, clip-in, or be held in place by friction. As shown in  FIGS. 4   c - 4   e , the insert  400  may be made to be form-fitting with the interior walls of carafe  200  and have channels  410  that may run from a passage  425  formed in the top of the carafe  200  to the bottom of the carafe  200  to allow the blending gas to go to the bottom of the carafe cavity  220  through exit orifices  430 . The channels  410  may comprise protrusions or ridges that are formed on the inner face of the insert  400  to direct the food product during the blending process. For example, swirl-shaped protrusions on the internal face of the insert  400 may help guide food downward more forcefully, while hard ridges on the internal face of the insert  400  may be good for pushing ice to the middle where it can fall to the blade  310 . 
     In one embodiment, the insert  400  is keyed to the carafe  200  such that the top of the insert channels  420  align with the gas exit holes  270 . The bottom  440  of the insert  400  may be open such that that it can fit easily over the blades  310 . The insert  400  may easily pop out of the carafe  200  for easy washing, this also decreases the likelihood that food product will clog the gas exit holes  270  molded into the carafe  200 ,  405 . The insert may also be used with other types of carafes. For example, an insert  400  may be used to retro-fit an older style blender carafe when equipped with a method to connect a purge gas source such as the purging lid  600  as described in further detail with respect to  FIGS. 6   a - 6   e.    
     Although certain embodiments use internal tubing (e.g.,  170 ) and channels (e.g.,  180 ) to deliver the blending gas, some embodiments, the gas delivered from the base  100  may be conducted using external or internal tubing (not shown) rather than integrated channels and tubing on the carafe  200  and base  100 . This tubing can connect in various ways to the gas from the solenoid  160  in the base  100  and can be connected to or held on the carafe  200  internally or externally using various techniques. For example, one simple technique for purging the blending cavity  220  for blending is to use a CO2 tank with a flow regulator and a hose. The CO 2  is turned on to develop positive pressure which prevents back flow of food products, e.g., yogurt and the like, and the hose is run to the bottom of the blending cavity  220 . Depending on the flow rate, size of the carafe, etc., the cavity  220  may be purged for several seconds, e.g., seven seconds, the hose removed and blending commenced. In the previous example, the ice port  285  may be used to run the hose into the carafe. This provides a suitable exit for the air that is being lifted out and a small area is disturbed when the ice port lid is replaced. Thus, a maximized amount of CO 2  is retained within the carafe  200 . 
     Other techniques can be used to deliver the blending gas from the base  100  to the cavity  220 . For example,  FIGS. 5   a - 5   c  show an embodiment where the handle  210  serves to provide the channel  240 . The handle  210  may be connected to the passage  180 , or to the tube ( 170 ;  FIG. 2   b ) or may be outfitted with a gas connector (not shown) to allow the blending gas to be supplied from an external source. The handle  210 , in that embodiment, could be connected directly to the upper portion of the cavity  220  or could be connected to the hollow rim  260 . 
     As opposed to delivering the blending gas to the cavity  220  using features associated with the carafe  200  itself, a body in the form of a lid for the carafe  200  could be used instead. For example,  FIGS. 6   a - 6   e  show an embodiment with a purging lid  600  for the disclosed body of the appliance. The lid  600  may be used with a non-purging carafe or container  605 , in other words, the lid  600  may be used to retro-fit a customary commercially available blender with its own carafe. The lid  600  may have a gas connection  610  which supplies a passage to a chamber  630  connected to an inner lip passage  640 . The inner lip passage  640  may be deep enough to promote laminar flow of the blending gas into the carafe  605 . The laminar flow may be seen by the arrows in  FIG. 6   c . This allows the blending gas to “slide” down the inner wall of the carafe helping to lift out the ambient gas, i.e., air, rather than mixing it. A valve  620  may also be included in the purging lid to prevent excess pressure from building up and to provide an outlet for the ambient gas. 
     Food products may also benefit from being blended in a slightly pressurized environment, for example, up to 15 psig. A metal or thick polymer carafe  200 ,  605  with a relief valve  320 ,  620  on a threaded or locking lid  280 ,  600  may be used for this purpose. The blender may have pressure-rated bearings and safety features similar to a pressure cooker such as an over pressure plug or a lock to prevent opening the lid while the carafe is under pressure. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3   b , for example, a relief valve  320  on the top of the lid  280  can be used to control or limit the pressure in the carafe  200 . In other embodiments, a gas labyrinth seal  325 , as shown in  FIG. 3   c , may be integrated into the lid  280  to allow the air to vent out without resistance while not allowing food product to escape while blending. This type of seal may be advantageous for use with any blending gas lighter than air, e.g., nitrogen, without allowing the outside air to come back in, even though it may be heavier than the blending gas alone. Sensors, such as a pressure transducer, a weight scale, or a displacement sensor (not shown) can couple to the controller  145  to control the solenoid  160  so that only enough gas is used to displace the air space (also known as head space) in the carafe  200 . This would maximize the number of purged cycles the blending appliance  50  can run on a single cartridge  110 . This is of less concern with a large supply of gas, such as an industrial bottle or building supply line. 
     As noted above, the blending appliance  50  uses a blending gas during blending to improve the longevity, flavor, and nutrient content of blended food. Additionally, the purged blending appliance  50  can also be used to produce sparkling foods, drinks, and treats. To that end, the appliance  50  can be operated with a purge cycle comprising purging and then blending. The purge cycle may be accomplished by activating a single control  140  or by performing separate steps. When the purge cycle is run and the cavity  220  is purged with CO2 or other blending gas (though the entire blending cavity  220  need not be completely purged), the blending process that follows allows extensive exposure of the blended product with the gas. The solubility of a gas such as CO 2  in water is much higher than air. Hence, it will provide an effect similar to that of making still water sparkling. Additionally, any vortex that is formed in the blender  50  provides a good interface to constantly release air from the food product and induce the gas inside of the blender&#39;s cavity  220 . This effect also increases the acidity of the food product due to the formation of carbonic acid. Thus, carbonated cocktails and sparkling smoothies are new food products able to be achieved with the purged blending appliance  50 . Cooks and chefs may also wish to use the purged blender with CO 2  gas to enhance a food product that would benefit from increased acidity. For example, purged blending can substitute for the addition of an acid, for example vinegar or citrus juice, in a recipe. 
     In previous embodiments, many features of the blender  50  have been incorporated into the base. However, another embodiment of a purged blender  700  shown in  FIGS. 7   a  through  9   d  can incorporate some of the features elsewhere. In this embodiment, the blender  700  may consist of two sections: a carafe  701  and a base  801 .  FIG. 7   a  shows a perspective view of the carafe  701  on the base  801 , while  FIG. 7   b  shows a perspective view of the carafe  701 . Additionally,  FIGS. 7   c - 7   d  show different side views of the carafe  701  on the base  801 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7   c , the carafe  701  comprises a shell  760 , a lid  750 , a pour spout  740 , a handle  730 , and a purge system body or housing  710 . In this embodiment as discussed in more detail below, the carafe  701  holds the blending gas canister ( 110 ; See  FIG. 9   d ) in the purge system housing  710  disposed on the carafe  701 , rather than the base. 
     The base  801 , which is shown in  FIGS. 8   a - 8   d , comprises a carafe mount  850  which has mount columns  810  that support the carafe shell  760 . Control inputs on the base  801  control various functions of the blender  700 . For example, an on/off switch  843 , a purge switch  840 , and a speed control knob  845  are used to control power to the blender  700 , purging of the carafe  701 , and the speed of a motor  860  respectively. The motor  860  is controlled by motor controls  865  connected to the motor control switches in the base  801 , e.g., the on/off switch  843  and the speed control knob  845 . The motor  860  is also connected to a shaft coupling  830  that turns the blades ( 310 ; See  FIG. 9   d ) of carafe  701 . 
     The purge switch  840  controls the amount of the blending gas entering the carafe  701 . Purge switch  840  may comprise a momentary switch where the user may control how much blending gas is dispensed by holding down the purge switch  840 . Also, the purge switch  840  may be connected to a separate control, for example, a microprocessor  147  ( FIG. 16 ) that automatically dispenses a certain amount of blending gas. Other control mechanisms for the switch  840  are also envisioned such as a digital switch and/or a relay for example. The carafe mount  850  also has a connector dock  820  to connect to the purge system housing  710  and deliver purging control signals and/or power to the purge system housing  710 . 
       FIG. 9   a  shows a top view of the carafe  701 .  FIG. 9   b  shows a side view of a cross-section of the carafe  701  as noted in  FIG. 9   a .  FIG. 9   b  also shows a cross-section of an insert  900  inserted into the carafe  701 . In some embodiments, the insert  900  may be placed inside the carafe shell  760 , while in other embodiments the carafe shell  760  can be used without an insert  900 . When the insert  900  is not used, the blending gas will enter the carafe  701  at the top to purge the carafe  701  of air and flow down to settle on the food product to be blended. When the insert  900  is used, it creates an annulus  770  through which the blending gas can flow from the top to the bottom of the carafe  701 , causing the blending gas to bubble up through the food product as detailed previously. The insert  900  will be discussed further with respect to  FIGS. 12   a - 12   d.    
     Looking further at the carafe  701  and its features,  FIG. 9   c  shows a front view of carafe  701  with a partial cutaway ( FIG. 9   d , shows a cross-section of the carafe  701  and purge system housing  710 ). The purge system housing  710  has a cartridge chamber cover  720 , which provides access to the cartridge housing  723  and blending gas cartridge  110  for easy replacement of the cartridge. 
     When the control signals indicate, a valve or valve solenoid  713  such as that shown in  FIG. 9   d  will open and allow the blending gas to flow from the blending gas source, e.g., CO 2  cartridge  110 , to the carafe shell gas inlet connector  765 .  FIG. 9   b  shows, in phantom, the location of gas connection passages  717  that are used to connect the purging gas source to the solenoid  713  and from the solenoid  713  to the inlet connector  765 . The gas inlet connector  765  is where the blending gas enters the carafe shell  760 . Similar to previous embodiments, the carafe  701  has a ridge  780  which contains a manifold  783  along the circumference of the ridge  780  that delivers the blending gas to the inside of the carafe  701 . 
     Further details of the carafe shell  760  will now be discussed with reference to  FIGS. 10   a - 10   g .  FIG. 10   a  is the top view of the carafe shell  760 ,  FIG. 10   b  is a cross-section of the carafe shell  760 , and  FIG. 10   c  shows detail of the ridge  780 . As discussed previously, the blending gas enters the ridge manifold  783  via the inlet connector ( 765 ; See  FIG. 9   d ). As shown in  FIG. 10   b , gas delivery ports  785  line the inside of the carafe shell  760  near the top of the carafe shell  760 . As seen in  FIG. 10   c , the ridge manifold  783  supplies the blending gas to the gas delivery ports  785  via connecting passages  789 . When the carafe  701  is used without an insert  900 , the blending gas will enter the carafe  701  from the gas delivery ports  785  purging the carafe  701  of air and flowing down to settle on the food product to be blended in a manner similar to that described previously. 
       FIG. 10   d  shows a front view of the carafe shell  760  with the purge system housing  710  removed. Revealed are three threaded lugs  790  that marry to matching holes in the purge system housing  710 .  FIG. 10   e  is a bottom view of the carafe shell  760 . The lugs  790  can be seen protruding out of the front of the carafe shell  760 .  FIGS. 10   f  and  10   g  show a more detailed view of the manifold inlet  765 , the ridge manifold  783 , and the gas delivery port  785 . 
     Turning now to additional details of the purge system,  FIG. 11   a  shows a front view of the purge system housing  710 . The front of the housing  710  has countersunk holes  715  that open up to the back of the housing  710  to accommodate the lugs  790  of the carafe shell  760 . The purge system housing  710  is held into place on the shell  760  by screws (not shown) that enter the front of the housing  710  and screw into the threaded lugs  790 . 
       FIG. 11   b  shows a cross-section of the purge system housing  710 , and  FIG. 11   c  is a detail view of the connector dock  727  shown in  FIG. 11   b . Dock  727  connects to connector  820  on base  801  to receive the purging control signals.  FIG. 11   d  is a bottom view of the housing  710  showing another view of connector dock  727 .  FIG. 11   e  is a plan view of purge system housing  710  with internals shown in phantom. An electrical conduit  711  provides wires from the connector dock  727  to activate the solenoid  713 . The top of the purge system housing  710  has a gas connection  717  that connects to inlet ( 765 ;  FIG. 9   d ) forming an airtight seal between the housing  710  and the carafe shell  760 . 
     As noted above, the blender  700  can be used with or without an insert  900 , which may depend on the type of food product being blended, the user&#39;s preference, or other considerations. Further details of the carafe insert  900  are discussed with reference to  FIGS. 12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c , and  12   d , which show the carafe insert  900  in plan, side, detailed, and bottom views respectively. Insert  900  may be placed inside the carafe  701  by fitting an aperture  930  formed in the bottom of the insert  900  past the blades ( 310 ;  FIG. 9   d ) in the bottom of the carafe  701 . The insert  900  once installed in the carafe  701  can then be used to detour the purging gas from the gas delivery ports  785  around the top of the carafe shell  760  to the bottom of the carafe  701  thereby introducing the blending gas into the carafe  701  by bubbling up through the food product to be blended. 
     As shown previously with reference to  FIGS. 9   b - 9   d , the insert  900  is held in place by the lid  750  from above and has a lip  920  that rests on the carafe shell  760  forming an annulus  770  between the insert  900  and the carafe shell  760 . With the carafe  900  in place, the blending gas will flow from the gas delivery ports  785  down the annulus  770  and through delivery channels  910  formed in the bottom of the insert  900 . These gas delivery channels  910  allow the blending gas to be introduced in the bottom of the carafe through the openings  917  that are formed between the bottom of the insert  900  and the bottom of the inside of the carafe shell  760 . The openings  917  are formed in the circumference of the aperture  930  formed in the bottom of the insert  900  to clear the blades ( 310 ;  FIG. 9   d ) in the bottom of the carafe  701 . 
     Many variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of this disclosure. For example, distinct passages or channels are shown communicating the gas along the carafe. More or less can be used. In addition, the passage or channel may be formed by a space between inner and outer walls of the carafe or can be formed in other ways. 
     Although shown on the base  801 , the purge switch  840  may also be mounted elsewhere on the system creating a standalone carafe (not shown) that comprises a control system built-in to the carafe to control the valve or solenoid  160 ,  713 , thereby allowing the carafe  701  to be retrofitted to be used with a conventional and/or commercially available blender or blender base. For example, the purge switch  840  may be mounted on the purge system housing  710 . The purge switch  840  may also be, for example, wired or wirelessly mounted on the lid  750 , or the handle  730 . 
     Additionally, the standalone carafe system may be made to rely partially or completely on mechanical systems alone. For example, push-buttons and springs may be used to control the flow of gas into the carafe  701 . 
     In one embodiment, the carafe handle (e.g., handle  730 ) has a thumb switch (not shown) which while pressed allows purge gas to flow into the carafe  701 . In one example, the user could control the amount of gas used by counting a number of seconds to ensure adequate gas flow into the carafe  701 . 
     Other embodiments could use wall power or battery power to control the purging timer, the solenoid  160 , and other control devices (e.g., controller  145 ). The standalone carafe or other embodiments described may also comprise a pressure indicator or other form of gas-level indication, as well as an indicator of available battery power, e.g., on a touch screen or LCD display  141  ( FIG. 16 ). The indications may be quantified as a percentage, a value (pounds per square inch, for example), or the number of remaining purging cycles capable of being performed. 
     In previous embodiments, features of the purging system have been disclosed as being used on the base, the carafe, and the lid of the appliance  50  in various ways and combinations. As an alternative, a standalone lid  950  as described below with reference to  FIGS. 13-15  can be used with a carafe of a blender. In particular,  FIGS. 13   a - 13   c  show the standalone lid  950  which may comprise a main body  970 , a mating flange  960 , and an ice port lid  285 . These components may be separable, e.g., to facilitate ease of washing and maintenance. Additionally, these components may be made to fit together by use of friction or threaded flanges, for example, or compression fittings and the like. 
     In one embodiment, the standalone lid  950  is a purging lid for a blending container, such as a carafe. The purging lid has a body configured to be fitted over the open end of the container for sealing food product within the container. The body has contained therein a pressured gas source and at least one gas passageway for delivering pressured gas from the gas source to the blending container. The gas passageway extends through at least one chamber in the lid  950 . The chamber is in fluid communication with a plurality of exit ports configured to deliver the blending gas to the food product in the blending container coupled to the lid  950 . 
     As specifically shown, the standalone lid  950  comprises its own gas delivery system, described further below, and may be sized, shaped, and spaced to connect to a blender carafe (not shown). The blender carafe may be one of a number of commercially available blenders and carafes thus allowing the standalone lid  950  to be retrofitted with previously known blenders. 
     As with the carafe  701  described above, the standalone lid  950  may be actuated, for example, by mechanical controls with manual flow control. The blending gas may flow through various passages and/or gas tubes and flow into an attached blender carafe via exit ports  965 . 
     The main body  970  may be a molded piece comprising two gas ports  150  ( FIGS. 14   a ,  14   c ) that allow, for example, compressed gas cylinders  110  (not shown) to be installed and held in place by retainers  155 . Ports  150  may be used to install cylinders or external gas sources of one or more types so that the blending gas may be switched between the two gas sources based on the user&#39;s need. For example, one may not want to carbonate their pesto, so in addition to having a CO 2  cylinder, a user may also have an argon or nitrous oxide (N 2 O) cylinder installed for this purpose. In other embodiments, the standalone lid  950  may blend the gasses in a pre-determined ratio. For example, it may be desirable to blend a food product with a small amount of first gas (e.g., one that is relatively expensive). A second gas may be dispensed at the same time to purge the carafe of air, but not fill the carafe with all of the first gas. In another embodiment, the two gasses are dispensed sequentially by a controller  145  and thus the mix of the gasses determined by the time each one is flowed. As will be appreciated, use of the two gas sources in the present embodiment of the standalone lid  950  can be comparably used in other embodiments disclosed herein so that the base  100  of  FIGS. 1   a - 1   d , the purge system  710  of  FIGS. 7   a - 7   d , and other arrangements disclosed herein can include more than one gas source in a similar manner. 
     For controlling the amount of gas flowed into the blending carafe during each use, the standalone lid  950  may use an electrically powered solenoid  160  coupled to the controller  145 , for example, powered by batteries or wall power. The amount of gas used may be controlled by various means. For example, the standalone lid  950  may comprise a pressure transducer (e.g.,  977 ;  FIG. 13   c ) to measure the pressure drop of the gas cartridge  110 . 
     Other methods may also be used to control the gas flow. For example, the standalone lid  950  may comprise a controller  145  coupled to the solenoid  160 . The controller  145  may comprise a timer to limit the gas flow by measuring time of flow. Additionally, the standalone lid  950  may comprise an oxygen sensor (e.g.,  973 ;  FIG. 13   c ) coupled to the controller  145  for measuring the oxygen content of the gas in the carafe. In one embodiment, the controller  145  opens the solenoid  160  releasing the blending gas until the oxygen level in the carafe drops to a predetermined value after which the controller  145  may automatically close the valve. 
     Other sensors  973 ,  977 , etc. may be deployed for this purpose, such as pressure sensors or flow monitors (not shown) that measure for a certain pressure drop or flowed amount of gas to dictate the on/off state of the valve or solenoid. Another sensor  973  that may be used to control the amount of gas to use is a waterproof ultrasonic sensor. This sensor  973  may be mounted on the underside of the lid, for example, to determine the distance from the lid to the top of the food product. A volume of blending gas can then be calculated based on the size and shape of the intended carafe. A database  130  comprising carafe shapes and sizes for making this determination may be stored in the controller  145  in some embodiments. 
     As may be seen in  FIGS. 14   a - 14   d , a battery storage area  971  may hold a battery for a supplying power to the standalone lid  950 . The battery storage area  971  may be kept water tight by a plug ( 975 ;  FIG. 13   b ) in similar manner as retainer  155 . Within the main body  970  may be a channel  976  that may be used to house gas tubing, wire, check valves, a pressure regulator, and a solenoid (not shown). A face plate with switches  973  may be mounted on a front opening  972  of the main body  970 . Switches  973  may be toggle switches, momentary switches, blister buttons, radio buttons, or the like and may be used, for example, to select the blending gas (when more than one canister is provided) and to actuate the gas flow. 
     A touch screen display e.g.,  141 ;  FIG. 16  may also comprise the face plate and user controls  140 . In one embodiment, the touch screen display l 41 is a menu-driven display to operation of the user controls  140  as well as display of other pertinent data such as pressure indications or other forms of gas-level indications and battery power indications. The database  130  may also comprise food product references and blending gas recommendations. Using the database  130 , the display  141  may also provide the recommendations for the type of gas to be used on different food products. In some embodiments, the controller  145  may comprise a microprocessor  147  and the display  141 . The type of carafe used (e.g., size, shape, brand, etc.) may be selected from the display. 
     The front opening  972  may be used as an access area to provide for a simplified assembly. An opening  974  in the top of the main body  970  is sized and spaced to accommodate an ice port lid  285 . This allows for the introduction of ice or other products to a carafe (not shown) fitted below the standalone lid  950  before, during, or after the blending process is underway. In an embodiment, the main body  970  or ice port lid  285  may also comprise a relief valve or seal, similar to that described previously. The channel  976  may be connected by a small molded gas channel (not shown) or by gas tubing (not shown) to the main body gas ring  978 . 
     Passage holes  977  ( FIG. 14   b ) in the main body gas ring  978  provide a route for the gas to exit the main body  970  and into a gas delivery passage  979  that is formed when the main body  970  is attached to the mating flange  960  as may be seen in  FIG. 13   c.    
     The mating flange  960  may attach to the top of a common or commercially available blender carafe (not shown) via a carafe sealing face  967 . In this way, the mating flange  960  may fit on top of and inside the upper opening of the blender carafe such that the carafe sealing face  967  of the mating flange  960  provides a seal between the mating flange  960  and the blender carafe. Exit ports  965  ( FIGS. 15   a - 15   c ) in the carafe sealing face  967  provide gas communication channels between the carafe and the gas delivery passage  979 . The sealing face  967  may also be formed to have a relief passage (not shown) to provide a channel for pressure in the carafe to escape. In an embodiment, the relief passage comprises at least a portion of a pouring spout (not shown) on the carafe. 
     The mating flange  960  may also comprise a main body sealing face  969 . The main body sealing face  969  is sized and shaped to couple the mating flange  960  to the main body  970 . Although shown as a friction fitting, the main body sealing face may attach to the main body  970  in other ways, for example, matching threads on the main body  970  and the mating flange  960 . A stop or lip  968  may separate the main body sealing face  969  from the carafe sealing face  967 . The main body  970  and mating flange  960  may be made in such a way that the blending gas communicates down to the carafe without food products communicating back up into the gas ring  978 . For example, the passage holes  977  may be offset from the exit ports  965 . Additionally, the lid  950  could use baffle plates (not shown) to prevent backflow of food products that may be splashed upward. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 15   a - 15   c  the mating flange  960 , carafe sealing face  967 , and the main body sealing face  969  are round, however they may be made in different shapes. In particular, a number of mating flanges may be provided to a user with the same main body sealing face  969  but having different shaped carafe sealing faces. This will allow the standalone lid  950  to be used with different carafe styles. In another embodiment, the carafe sealing face  967  of the mating flange  960  could also be made such that it elongates at various or variable lengths into the carafe, and/or submerges into the foods mixture to be blended. 
     These embodiments may be combined with some of the features previously described. For example, carafe inserts  400 ,  900  can be made to have openings that line up with the exit ports  965  of the mating flange  960  to help move the blending gas deeper into the blender, etc. 
     The foregoing description of preferred and other embodiments is not intended to limit or restrict the scope or applicability of the inventive concepts conceived of by the Applicant. It will be appreciated with the benefit of the present disclosure that features described above in accordance with any embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter can be utilized, either alone or in combination, with any other described feature, in any other embodiment or aspect of the disclosed subject matter. 
     In exchange for disclosing the inventive concepts contained herein, the Applicants desire all patent rights afforded by the appended claims. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims include all modifications and alterations to the full extent that they come within the scope of the following claims or the equivalents thereof.