Patent Publication Number: US-2010107893-A1

Title: Food processor arrangements

Description:
This invention relates to food processor arrangements, and it relates especially, though not exclusively, to such arrangements adapted for preparing heated beverages, such as soup. 
     Food processing appliances are well known and established as useful and reasonably priced kitchen appliances with a reasonably broad range of capabilities. Because of design constraints, some of which have their origins in the pricing structure which has become established for such appliances, however, food processors do not tend to exhibit the broadly-based functionality of the more expensive stand-mixers. Nevertheless, it has long been proposed to provide food processors with heating capabilities, thereby to permit the preparation of heated beverages and such proposals are currently being revisited and redeveloped. 
     One particularly effective heated beverage processor is described in WO 2005/037036 A1; the processor as described therein being currently marketed as the Kenwood Frothie. This appliance is primarily intended for making hot drinks, such as cocoa and chocolate drinks, which benefit from blending as well as heating, and which can conveniently be dispensed from the working receptacle, or goblet, of the appliance through a tap provided at the base of the goblet. 
     In further developing blending and heating appliances, attention has been directed at the provision of blenders capable of heavier duty operation with the capability, for example, of usage for preparing the ingredients for, and then heating, more substantial comestibles, such as soups. In that regard, certain difficulties are encountered in relation to (a) the stirring and sampling operations that are customarily employed when making soup, and (b) the addition of seasonings by ingredients, such as bay leaves, which are best kept separate from the soup stock. 
     The invention aims to reduce or eliminate at least one of the above difficulties. 
     According to the invention from one aspect, there is provided a food processor arrangement comprising an electrically powered blender having a working receptacle within which ingredients can be processed by means of a macerating tool rotatable by means of an electric motor and heated by means of an electrically powered heater, wherein the receptacle is provided with a lid formed with an aperture through which additional ingredients can be introduced into the receptacle wherein the arrangement further comprises a ladle mounted to a shank dimensioned so as, in use, to pass through said aperture whereby the ladle can be manipulated to sample the content of the receptacle and configured such that the ladle can be used, during operation of the motor and/or the heater of the blender, to manually stir or otherwise manipulate the ingredients without fouling the said tool. 
     Typically, the ingredients may include a liquid stock, as with a soup, and in such circumstances the ladle conveniently comprises a spoon-like portion for sampling, and the aperture in the lid of the receptacle is elongated in one dimension to accommodate withdrawal of the spoon-like portion therethrough. 
     It is preferred that the underside of the spoon-like portion is shaped with a concavity to facilitate pushing floating ingredients down into the stock to ensure thorough heating of such floating ingredients. 
     Conveniently, the shank of the ladle is fitted with a stop configured to interact with a plurality of edge portions of the aperture in the lid of the receptacle to form a stop at such a position as to ensure that the ladle cannot foul the tool. 
     According to the invention from another aspect there is provided a food processor arrangement comprising an electrically powered blender having a working receptacle within which ingredients can be processed by means of a macerating tool rotatable by means of an electric motor and heated by means of an electrically powered heater, wherein an internal wall portion of the receptacle supports a container for seasoning materials intended to impart flavourings and/or aromas to ingredients in a liquid stock. 
     Preferably, the container is provided with at least one foraminate wall structure having apertures sited and dimensioned to allow liquid stock to enter the container, interact with the seasoning materials therein and leave the container, whilst retaining at least a major portion of the seasoning materials within the container. 
     In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the container is located with said at least one foraminate wall structure at or proximate to a region of the receptacle at which relatively high flow rates are imparted to the liquid stock when said tool is rotated by said motor. 
     The said internal wall of the receptacle may conveniently be formed with retaining means permitting at least the said foraminate wall, and preferably the entire container, to be removed for cleaning and/or replacement. 
     In other preferred embodiments of the invention, a range of interchangeable containers, or at least the foraminate walls thereof, formed with differently dimensioned apertures for liquid ingress and egress may be provided for use with differing kinds of flavouring materials. 
    
    
     
       In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, certain embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG. 1  shows, in general perspective view, one example of a typical food processor; 
         FIG. 2  shows in general perspective view, another example of a typical food processor; 
         FIG. 3(   a ) shows a receptacle and an associated ladle components adapted for use in an arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3(   b ) shows a detailed perspective view of part of the ladle component illustrated in  FIG. 3(   a ); and 
         FIG. 4  shows, in similar view to  FIG. 3 , a receptacle and associated components adapted for use in an arrangement according to a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an example of a food processor which can advantageously host an arrangement in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     The food processor  10  shown in  FIG. 1  includes a casing  20  which, as is well known, houses an electric motor (not shown) and a drive system (not shown) disposed and arranged to provide rotational drive outputs for use with a blender section  30  and a food processor section  40 . 
     The blender section  30  comprises a relatively high platform  31 , atop the part  21  of the casing  20  which houses the motor; the platform having associated therewith a relatively high speed drive outlet, typically running at the operational speed of the motor and configured to drive a rotary tool located in the base of a receptacle  32 , such as a goblet. The goblet is typically formed with a spout  33  and a handle  34 , and capped by a removable lid  35 ; the receptacle  32  may take any convenient form, however. An interlock system is normally provided to prevent operation of the motor unless the lid  35  is correctly attached to the goblet  32 . 
     The food processor section  40  comprises a relatively low platform  41  beneath which, and within a lower part  22  of the casing  20 , are provided elements of a speed-reduction system, linked to the motor, which provides, centrally of the platform  41 , a relatively lower speed drive outlet capable of rotating cutting, chopping and other food processing tools inserted into a blender bowl  42 . The bowl  42  has a handle  43 , a lid  44  and a feed-tube  45  through which ingredients can be added to the bowl whilst the motor is running, provided that the lid  44  is in place on the bowl  42 . 
     Usually, the dimensions of the feed tube  45  are configured so as to prevent insertion of a user&#39;s hands or fingers into the bowl therethrough, at least to within touching distance of the rotating tool. Some food processors, however, utilise a wide feed-tube to allow the addition of relatively large ingredients to the bowl. Such wide feed-tubes are provided with further interlocks to protect the user; such further interlocks usually being based around the detection of a pushing device in correct placement in the tube, whereby the user has to employ the pushing device to urge ingredients into the bowl  42 , and the motor will not run unless the pushing device is located in the feed-tube. 
     The present invention can be advantageously applied to food processors of varying kinds, such as (by way of example only) the kind shown in  FIG. 1  and that shown in  FIG. 2 , wherein the processor  50  comprises a box-like casing which supports a single platform  51  which can support and drive (by way of coaxially located drive outlets, as is known) rotary tools comprised in either a blender receptacle (not shown) or a food processor bowl  62 . The bowl  62  has a handle  63 , a lid  64  and a feed-tube  65 , similar to the components  43 ,  44  and  45  of the processor described with reference to  FIG. 1 , and to which similar comments apply. 
     In accordance with one example of the invention, and as shown in  FIGS. 3(   a ) and  3 ( b ), a food processor arrangement of any convenient kind, for example in accordance with either of the configurations shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is provided with a heating capability, for example in the manner described in the aforementioned WO 2005/037036 A1. However the processor and its heating are configured, there is provided a working receptacle  70  within which ingredients can be processed by means of a macerating tool  71 , rotatable by means of the processor&#39;s electric motor, and/or heated by means of the aforementioned heater. The receptacle  70  is provided with a lid  72  formed with an aperture  73  through which additional ingredients can be introduced, before and/or during an operating cycle of the food processor, into the receptacle  70 . 
     The arrangement further comprises a ladle  74 , mounted to a shank  75  which is dimensioned to pass through the aperture  73 , so that the ladle can be manipulated to sample the content of the receptacle  70 . 
     The ladle  74  is further configured so as to be usable, during operation of the motor and/or the heater of the blender, to manually stir or otherwise manipulate the ingredients in the receptacle  70  without fouling the tool  71  and, in this respect, the shank  75  of the ladle is (in this example of the invention), fitted with a stop  76  configured to interact with a plurality of edge portions  77 ,  78  of the aperture  73  in the lid of the receptacle  70  to form a stop at such a position as to ensure that the ladle  74  cannot foul the tool  71 . 
     Typically, the ingredients will include a liquid stock, as with a soup, and in such circumstances the ladle  74  conveniently comprises a spoon-like portion  79  for sampling, and the aperture  73  in the lid of the receptacle is elongated in one dimension to accommodate withdrawal therethrough of the spoon-like portion  79  of the ladle  74 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 3(   b ), it is preferred that the underside of the spoon-like portion  79  of the ladle  74  is shaped with a concavity  80  to facilitate pushing floating ingredients down into the stock to ensure thorough heating of such floating ingredients. 
     As will now be described with reference to  FIG. 4 , the invention further provides, in accordance with a configuration regarded as inventive of itself, and which may be used together with the arrangement described with reference to  FIGS. 3(   a ) and  3 ( b ) or independently thereof, a food processor arrangement of any convenient kind, again comprising an electrically powered blender having a working receptacle  70  within which ingredients can be processed by means of a macerating tool  71  that is rotatable by means of an electric motor and heated by means of an electrically powered heater, but differing from the previously described construction in that an internal wall portion  81  of the receptacle  70  supports a container  82  for seasoning materials intended to impart flavourings and/or aromas to ingredients in a liquid stock. The container  82  is preferably constructed as a basket, with open mesh sides but in any event is provided with at least one foraminate wall structure  83 , the perforations of which are sited and dimensioned to allow liquid stock to enter the container  82 , interact with the seasoning materials therein and leave the container, whilst retaining at least a major portion of the seasoning materials within the container. 
     In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the container  82  is located with the at least one foraminate wall structure  83  at, or proximate to, a region of the receptacle  70  at which relatively high flow rates are imparted to the liquid stock when the tool  71  is rotated by the motor. 
     The said internal wall portion  81  of the receptacle  70  is conveniently formed with retaining means, such as vertically-orientated runner portions  84 ,  85 , permitting at least the said foraminate wall  83 , and preferably the entire container  82 , to be removed for cleaning and/or replacement. The container  82  as a whole, or merely the foraminate wall  83  thereof, depending which is to be removable, is provided with co-operative slider members  86 ,  87  which engage with and slide relative to the runner portions  84 ,  85 , thereby to locate the seasoning container  82  on the portion  81  of the inner wall of the receptacle  70  in which the ingredients are to be processed and/or heated. 
     It will be appreciated that, instead of using runners such as  84 ,  85  to permit removal and insertion of the seasoning container  82  or a wall  83  thereof, latches, suction pads or, indeed, any convenient means of temporary attachment can be used. Criteria which influence the choice of attachment means include ease of cleaning, the magnitudes of the forces transmitted to the container by the agitated fluid during operation of the processing tool and mechanical strength in relation to the dimensions of the container. 
     In other preferred embodiments of the invention, a range of interchangeable seasoning containers  82 , or at least the foraminate walls such as  83  thereof, formed with differently dimensioned apertures for liquid ingress and egress may be provided for use with differing kinds of seasonings.