Patent Publication Number: US-2005122835-A1

Title: Stand Mixer chute assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INACTION  
      Stand mixers are useful kitchen appliances for mixing food ingredients in a stationary bowl. In a conventional stand mixer, the mixer head is pivotally mounted on a base and includes a motor for rotating a tool, such as a beater, whisk, or bread hook. The tool is eccentrically mounted on the head for rotation about the mounting shaft of the tool, as well as rotation about the center axis of the head.  
      When the head is pivoted into the use position with the tool in the mixing bowl, there is relatively little clearance for introducing food ingredients into the bowl. This minimal clearance makes it difficult to add ingredients as the mixer is operating. One stand mixer manufacturer, KitchenAid, has tried to overcome this problem by providing an accessory which mounts on the top of the bowl and extends around the perimeter of the bowl, with a chute extending therefrom. The KitchenAid chute accessory includes an opening through which the tool extends, but otherwise substantially closes the top of the bowl, and thus limits access to the contents of the bowl without moving the accessory. Also, the bowl cannot be removed from the mixer stand until the accessory chute is removed, since the tool extends through the accessory, even when the head is pivoted upwardly, away from the use position.  
      Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a stand mixer chute assembly which can be quickly and easily set up to allow for the feeding of food ingredients into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.  
      Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a stand mixer chute assembly having a primary body and a secondary body removably fit within the primary body, with the bodies receiving solid and liquid ingredients, respectively.  
      A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a stand mixer chute assembly having an adjustable height.  
      Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a chute assembly for a mixing bowl wherein the forward edge of the chute has a projection to engage the bowl to prevent movement between the chute assembly and the bowl.  
      Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a method of feeding food ingredients from a chute into a mixing bowl.  
      Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a chute assembly for a mixing bowl which is economical to manufacture and durable in use.  
      These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The stand mixer chute assembly of the present invention includes a primary chute body adapted to hold food ingredients, and having a bottom wall, opposite side walls, a rear wall, and an open front edge. A leg supports the body so that the bottom wall is sloped downwardly towards the front edge, with the front edge adapted to overlap the upper edge of the mixing bowl. Thus, food ingredients placed in the chute may be fed into the bowl during operation of the stand mixer. A second chute body is adapted to matingly fit within the primary body such that one body may receive solid ingredients and the other body receive liquid ingredients. The leg is preferably telescoping so that the height of the body is adjustable. The leg is also removably mounted on the body or pivotally mounted to the body for movement between a folded storage position and an extended use position.  
      In the method of the present invention, the chute is set up adjacent the bowl with the front edge of the chute over the edge of the bowl. Food ingredients are deposited into the chute, and then fed by gravity or by scraping into the bowl while the mixer is operating. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the stand mixer chute assembly of the present invention positioned for use with a stand mixer and mixing bowl, and showing the primary and secondary bodies.  
       FIG. 2  is front elevational view of the combination of the stand mixer and chute assembly according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is an elevational view of the chute assembly, with the support leg in a partially folded position.  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded elevational view showing an alternative removable leg for the chute assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      The present invention is directed towards a chute assembly  10  for use with a stand mixer  12  and mixing bowl  14 . The stand mixer  12  is provided with a tool  16 , such as beater, whisk, or bread hook. The stand mixer  12 , bowl  14  and tool  16  are conventional in construction and operation.  
      The chute assembly  10  includes a primary chute body  18  having a bottom wall  20 , opposite side walls  22 , and a back wall  24 . The front edge  26  of the chute body  18  is open.  
      The chute body  18  is supported by aat least one leg  28 . Preferably, the leg  28  includes telescoping sections  30 ,  32  and a base  34 . The telescoping sections  30 ,  32  allow the height of the chute body  18  to be adjustable. As seen in  FIGS. 1-3 , the leg  28  is pivotally connected to the chute body  18  by a pin or bolt  36  extending through a pair of tabs or ears  38  extending downwardly from the bottom wall  20  of the chute body  18 . Thus, the leg  28  can be folded to a storage position and extended to a use position. Alternatively, a leg  28 A can be removably mounted in a socket  40  on the bottom of the chute body  18 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The alternative leg  28 A can be removed for storage of the chute assembly  10 .  
      In use, the leg  28  is moved to the upright extended position, or the leg  28 A is inserted into the socket  40 , and the telescoping sections  30 ,  32  are adjusted to set the chute body  18  at the desired height. The front edge  26  of the chute body  18  rests upon the upper perimeter edge  42  of the bowl  14 . As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a stop member  44  may be provided on the bottom wall  20  of the chute body  18  adjacent the front edge  26  to prevent the chute body  18  from sliding forwardly too far into the bowl  14 . Alternatively, a pair of projections  46  may extend downwardly from the bottom wall  20  of the chute body  18  adjacent the front edge  26  so as to define a channel  48  so as to receive the perimeter edge  42  of the bowl  14 . Thus, the projections  46  prevent the chute body  18  from moving forwardly or rearwardly relative to the bowl  14 . The stop member  44  and projections  48  may have a short length or may be lengthened with a curvature to match the curvature of the bowl edge  42 .  
      Three ingredients may be deposited in the chute body  18 , and then scraped or pushed at the desired time into the bowl  14  for mixing by the tool  16  of the stand mixer  12 , while the tool  16  is rotating. Thus, the chute body  18  will hold particulate ingredients until the user or cook is ready to mix them in the bowl  14 .  
      As a further alternative, a secondary chute body  50  may also be provided. The secondary chute body  50  is adapted to be nested within the primary chute body  18 . The secondary chute body  50  includes a bottom wall  52 , opposite side walls  54 , a rear wall  56 , and an open front edge  58 . The chute body  50  includes a rear hook  60  adapted to extend over the rear wall  24  of the primary body  18  so that the secondary chute body  50  is retained in primary chute body  18 . The front edge  58  of the secondary chute body  50  extends slightly beyond the front edge  26  of the primary chute body  18 . The secondary chute body  50  is used for liquid ingredients, while the primary chute body  18  is used for particulate or powder ingredients, or visa versa. Preferably, the primary chute body  18  is sloped slightly downwardly toward the front edge  26 , so that liquid ingredients put in either of the chute bodies  18  or  50  will flow by gravity into the bowl  14 .  
      It is understood that the exact structure of the chute assembly  10  may be modified from that which is shown in the drawings. For example, the chute bodies  18 ,  50  may have a curved cross sectional shape. Also, the leg  28  may take other shapes which provide stability to the assembly  10 .  
      The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.