Patent Publication Number: US-10758086-B2

Title: Container for food processing system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/802,706, filed Jul. 17, 2015 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/111,244, filed Feb. 3, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This application is directed to a food processor, and more particularly, to an attachment for use with a food processor. 
     Food processors, such as blenders generally include containers or multi-sized containers or jars mounted on a base unit. These containers or multi-sized containers or jars are commonly used to process a plurality of different food products, including liquids, solids, semi-solids, gels and the like. It is well-known that blenders are useful devices for blending, cutting, and dicing food products in a wide variety of commercial settings, including home kitchen use, professional restaurant or food services use, and large-scale industrial use. They offer a convenient alternative to chopping or dicing by hand, and often come with a range of operational settings and modes adapted to provide specific types or amounts of food processing, e.g., as catered to particular food products. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one embodiment, a container configured for use with a food processing system includes a container body configurable with a food processing base. The container body includes an interior wall and an exterior wall arranged in contact at a first end. The interior wall and the exterior wall are formed from a single piece of non-resilient material. A chamber is defined by the container body. A collar is mounted to the first end of the container body to form a seal between the collar and the contact between the interior wall and the exterior wall. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said collar includes an annular undercut and said first end of said container body includes an annular protrusion, said annular protrusion being complementary to and receivable within said annular undercut. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said undercut of said collar is configured to shrink about said protrusion. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative in further embodiments said collar includes a plurality of engagement members for securing the container to a base of the food processing system. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said collar is formed from a plastic material. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said collar includes a coupling mechanism for securing said the container to a cutting assembly. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in her embodiments said couplimg mechanism is formed about, an interior surface of said collar. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said collar is directly coupled to said first end. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said collar includes at least one protrusion operable to assist with a crushing operation of the food processing system. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments a space is formed between at least a portion of said interior wall and said exterior wall. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said space is filled with an insulating material. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said container body further comprises a pressure relief mechanism configured to reduce a pressure of said chamber when said pressure exceeds a defined pressure threshold. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said defined pressure threshold is between about 2 and 7 psi. 
     In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, in further embodiments said pressure relief mechanism is configured to deform when said pressure within said chamber exceeds said defined pressure threshold. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification embodies several aspects of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
       The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification embodies several aspects of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an example of a food processing system; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a base of a food processing system; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a cutting assembly configured for use with the container according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the cutting assembly of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a coupled cutting assembly and container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another coupled cutting assembly and container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of a pressure relief system of the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of another pressure relief system of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective cross-sectional view of a pressure relief mechanism of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of another pressure relief mechanism of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of another pressure relief mechanism of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 18  is a cross-sectional view of yet another pressure relief mechanism of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 19  is a cross-sectional view of yet another pressure relief mechanism of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view of yet another pressure relief mechanism of a container configured for use with the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of a pressure relief system of the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 22  is a cross-sectional view of another pressure relief system of the food processing system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The detailed description explains embodiments of the present disclosure, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to the  FIG. 1 , an example of a multi-functional food processing system  20  is illustrated in more detail. In general, the food processing system  20  can be adapted to perform any food processing or blending operation including as non-limiting examples, dicing, chopping, cutting, slicing, mixing, blending, stirring, crushing, or the like. Although the food processing system  20  illustrated and described herein is a personal blender system, other food processing systems are within the scope of the present disclosure. The food processing  20  system includes a base  22  having a body or housing  24  within which a motorized unit (not shown) and at least one controller (not shown) are located. The base  22  includes at least one rotary component, such as a drive coupler  26  (see  FIG. 2 ) for example, driven by the motorized unit within the body  24 . The base  22  additionally includes a control panel or user interface  28  with one or more input devices  29  for turning the motorized unit on and off and for selecting various modes of operation, such as pulsing, blending, or continuous food processing. The at least one drive coupler  26  is configured to engage a portion of an attachment  30  coupled to the base  22  for the processing of food products located within an interior of the attachment  30 . This will become more apparent in subsequent FIGS. and discussion. 
     A plurality of interchangeable attachments  30  varying in size and/or functionality may be configured for use with the base  22 . For example, in  FIG. 1 , the attachment  30  connected to the food processor base  22  is a clear plastic container. Other examples of attachments  30  configured for use with the base  22  include a grinder attachment and a spiralizer attachment for example. Another example of an attachment  30  configured for use with the food processing system  20  is illustrated in  FIGS. 3-11 . As shown, the apparatus is a container  30  including a body  32  having an interior wall or surface  34 , an exterior wall or surface  36 , and a first end  38  coupled to a portion of both the interior wall  36  and the exterior wall  36 . Together the interior wall  34  and the first end  38  of the body  32  define a cavity  42  within which at least one food item to be processed is received. Generally, the second end  40  of the container  30  is closed or sealed and the first end  38  of the container  30  is open such that food products to be processed may be inserted into the cavity  42  of the container  30  via the first end  38 . Although the container  30  illustrated and described herein includes a body  32  having an interior and exterior wall  34 ,  36 , it should be understood that embodiments where the body  32  includes only a single wall are also within the scope of the disclosure. 
     The interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36  may be arranged in physical contact at only one of a first end  38  and a second opposite end  40  of the body  32 , such as the first end  38  at contact point  44  for example. Embodiments where the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36  are arranged in contact at both the first end  38  and the second end  40  are also within the scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the interior wall  34  is formed from a first non-resilient material (i.e. non-plastic material) and the exterior wall  36  is formed from a second non-resilient material. The first and second non-resilient materials may be the same, or alternatively, may be different. In embodiments where the first and second non-resilient material are the same stainless steel, the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36  may be formed from a single sheet of stainless steel material. However, in other embodiments, at least one of the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36  may be formed from a plastic material or another suitable material. The contact point  44  between the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36  may be formed via rolling, bending, or any other suitable forming technique. For example, the interior and exterior walls  34 ,  36  may be formed by rolling a flat sheet into a cylinder and then welding the walls together, such as at contact point  44 . 
     A space generally exists between the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36 . In some embodiments, the container body  32  includes an insulating material  46  such as foam, aerogel, fiberglass or polymeric material, among others, arranged within the space, between the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36 . In other embodiments, the space between the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36  may be a vacuum or filled with air. In one embodiment, an aperture  48  is formed at the second end  40  of the container  30  for introducing the insulating material  46  between the interior wall  34  and the exterior wall  36 . 
     One or more protrusions  50  extending towards a center of the cavity  42  may be formed in the interior wall  34  of the container  30 . As shown, a plurality of protrusions  50  are formed about the periphery of the interior wall  34  and extend at least partially between the first end  38  and the second end  40 . The plurality of protrusions  50  may be substantially identical or may differ. Inclusion of at least one protrusion  50  on the interior wall  34  may improve the efficiency of the blending process when the container  30  is attached to a base  22  by breaking helping to break up any food products arranged within the cavity  42 . More specifically, the ribs or protrusions  50  may help to disrupt the swirling of the food products, thereby facilitating the blending or break down of the food or liquid products therein. 
     Alternatively, or in addition, the container  30  may include one or more recesses  52  extending towards a center of the cavity  42 , formed in the exterior wall  36  of the container  30 . As shown, a plurality of substantially identical recesses  52  are formed about the periphery of the exterior wall  36  and extend at least partially between the first end  38  and the second end  40 . However, the plurality of recesses  52  may differ. In operation, the recesses  52  may facilitate a user in holding or securing the container  30  in his or her hand by providing additional traction for fingers to engage within the recesses  52 . In some embodiments, one or more of the recesses  52  and protrusions  50  are substantially aligned with one another. In other words, formation of the protrusions  50  about the interior wall  34  may lead to corresponding formation of recesses  52  about the exterior wall  36 . Alternatively, the protrusions  50  and the recesses  52  need not be in substantial alignment and formation of one need not necessarily lead to the formation of the other. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the container  30  may include one or more markings  54 , such as formed within the interior wall  34  for example. The at least one marking  54  extends at least partially between the first end  38  of the container  30  and the second, opposite end  40 . The markings  54  generally include numbers, markers, or other indicators configured to help a user quantify the amount of food products or fluids within the cavity  42 . 
     In one embodiment, the second end  40  of the container  30  includes a structure  56 , such as a bubble or concaving feature (see  FIG. 7 ). In operation, the structure  56  facilitates in the mixing or blending process by mitigating the challenges created by the angular corners of the second end  40  of the container  30 . Food products may have a tendency to get stuck at the bottom of second end  40 . By incorporating the structure  56 , the mixing or blending process is disturbed so as to improve the processing of the food products contained within the container  30 . 
     A collar  60  is arranged adjacent the first end  38  of the container  30 . In one embodiment, the collar  60  includes a plurality of outwardly extending guides or tabs  62  configured to secure the container  30  to the base  22  of the food processing system  20 . In other embodiments, these tabs  62  may be integrally formed with the body  32  of the container  30 . The collar  60  may be formed from a plastic material, such as a thermoplastic, polyester, or more specifically, a glycol-modified polycychlohexylenedimethylene terephthalate (PCTG) for example. In one embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the collar  60  is disposed about periphery of the exterior wall  36  of the container  30  near the first end  38 , such as via a snap fit connection for example. In such embodiments, a coupling mechanism  64  configured to secure the container  30  to a cutting assembly  70 , for example a plurality of threads, is formed in the interior wall  34  adjacent the first end  38 . In another embodiment, illustrated in  FIGS. 4-6 , the collar  60  is directly coupled to the first end  38  of the container  30 , such as via bonding or another suitable attachment process. In such embodiments, the may collar  60  include an annular undercut and the first end  38  of the container  30  may include a complementary annular protrusion receivable within the undercut. The collar  60  may be heated prior to being connected to the container  30  such that once coupled, the material of the collar  60  shrinks over the protrusion at the first end  38 . When the collar  60  is attached directly to the end  38  of the container  30 , the coupling mechanism  64  configured to secure the container  30  to a cutting assembly  70  is formed in an interior surface  66  of the collar  60  adjacent a distal end  68  thereof. The collar  60  may additionally include a plurality of protrusions similar to the protrusions  50  formed in the interior wall  34  to assist with crushing ice. 
     An example of the cutting assembly  70  is illustrated in  FIG. 9 . Although the cutting assembly  70  is described herein with reference to container  30 , the cutting assembly  70  may additionally be configured for use with other attachments of the food processing system  20 , such as the clear plastic container shown in  FIG. 1  for example. The cutting assembly  70  is configured to removably couple to the first end  38  of the container  30  or the collar  60  mounted thereto. In one embodiment, the cutting assembly  70  is generally formed from a plastic material and includes a coupling mechanism  72 , such as a plurality of threads complementary to the threads  64  formed in the container  30  or collar  60 . When attached, the cutting assembly  70  seals the first end  38  of the container  30  such that the food products contained within the chamber  42  are unable to escape the container  30 . As shown, the rotatable cutting assembly  70  includes a spindle  74  configured to rotate about an axis A and having a blade assembly  100  mounted thereto. 
     An example of a blade assembly  100 , illustrated in  FIG. 10 , further includes a plurality of cutting blades  110  extending radially outward at an angle from the spindle  74 . Each of the cutting blades  110   a - d  has a sharp cutting edge  112 , a blunt spine edge  114 , and a cutting blade face  118  there between. In general, two or more of the cutting blades  110   a - d  may be included in pairs. Furthermore, one or more of the cutting blades  110   a - d  generally can extend both radially outward from the spindle  74  and longitudinally upward or longitudinally downward along the spindle  74 . For example, in accordance with the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the cutting blades  110   a - d  can include a first pair of opposing cutting blades  110   a ,  110   b  extending radially outward from the spindle  74  and longitudinally downward along the spindle  74 , as well as a second pair of opposing cutting blades  110   c ,  110   d  extending radially outward from the spindle  74  and longitudinally upward along the spindle  74 . The first pair of opposing cutting blades  110   a ,  110   b  are “opposing” in that they are disposed around the spindle  74  separated by an angular displacement of about 180 degrees. The second pair of opposing cutting blades  110   c ,  110   d  likewise are “opposing” in that they are disposed around the spindle  74  separated by an angular displacement of about 180 degrees. As depicted, the first pair of opposing cutting blades  110   a ,  110   b  and the second pair of opposing cutting blades  110   c ,  110   d  are disposed around the spindle  74  separated from each other by an angular displacement of about 90 degrees. 
     Although four cutting blades  110   a - d  are depicted in the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 10 , it should be appreciated that any other number of cutting blades  110   a - d  (e.g., one, two, three, five, six, etc.) alternatively can be included in the blade assembly  100 . Furthermore, although the cutting blades  110   a - d  are generally separated by about 90 degree increments in the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment, it should be appreciated that the cutting blades  110   a - d  alternatively can be separated by any other suitable amount(s), which may be a uniform or variable amount among the plurality of cutting blades  110   a - d.    
     In addition to the cutting blades  110   a - d , the blade assembly  100  further includes a plurality of transition sections  120  located between the spindle  74  and the plurality of cutting blades  110 . Each of the transition sections  120   a - d  define the angle at which each of the cutting blades  110  extend longitudinally downward (in the case of blades  110   a ,  110   b ) or longitudinally upward (in the case of blades  110   c ,  110   d ). In other words, the bends in the blade assembly  100  forming the angles of each of the cutting blades  110   a - d  exists in the transition sections  120   a - d.    
     A gusset  130 , as described above, is integrally formed on at least one of the plurality of transition sections  120 . The gusset  130  forms a raised portion  124  on the top surface  122  and a cavity  126  on the bottom surface  128 . Although one gusset  130  is depicted in the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , it should be appreciated that any other number of gussets  130  (e.g., one, two, three, four, etc.) alternatively can be included in the blade assembly  100 . While the gusset  130  is shown as being integrally formed on the upper pair of cutting blades  110   c ,  110   d , one or more gussets could also be likewise formed on the lower pair of cutting blades  110   a ,  110   b.    
     In addition to the cutting blades  110   a - d  and the transition sections  120   a - d , the blade assembly  100  can include at least one crushing blade  140  extending longitudinally outwardly from the spindle  74  (e.g., vertically upward, as oriented in  FIG. 10 ). Each crushing blade  142  has a first edge  144 , a second edge  146 , and a crushing blade face  148  there between. In the embodiment of  FIG. 10 , two crushing blades  142  are disposed around the spindle  74  separated by an angular displacement of about 180 degrees. The two crushing blades  142  are substantially parallel to each other, as depicted. The crushing blade face  148  of each crushing blade  142  can be substantially flat and each can have a top edge that is sloped (e.g., by 45 degrees, or any other amount) relative to a plane containing a direction of rotation of the blade assembly  100 . It should be noted that the first edge  144  and second edge  146  represent smaller dimensions of the blade, while the crushing blade face  148  is a relatively substantially greater dimension, as would be interpreted in accordance with the customary labels for these parts of a knife blade or similar structure. In one embodiment, the rotational speed of the spindle  74  is between about 12,000 rpm and about 22,000 rpm. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the cutting assembly  70  includes a coupling  78 , complementary to the at least one drive coupler  26  of the base  22 , disposed at the underside of the cutting assembly  70 . When coupled to the container  30 , the at least one blade  76  is disposed within the chamber  42  such that rotation thereof is adapted to facilitate processing and/or blending of the food products arranged therein. Once the cutting assembly  70  is secured to the container  30 , the container  30  may be connected to the base  22  of the food processing system  10 . 
     The container  30 , and possibly any of the other attachment configured for use with the base  22 , may be configured to slidably connect thereto. Alternatively or in addition, the attachment  30  may be configured to rotatably connect to the base  22  such that the attachment  30  is locked relative to the base  22 . In one embodiment, the plurality of tabs  62  extending from the collar  60  are configured to align with a plurality of complementary openings (see  FIG. 2 ) formed in the base  22 . Rotation of the attachment  30  causes the tabs  62  to engage adjacent channels, thereby preventing unintended separation of the attachment  30  from the base  22  during operation of the food processing system  20 . 
     When the container  30  is mounted to the base  22 , at least a portion of the cutting assembly  62  is received within the base  22 . The coupling  78  of the cutting assembly  70  is positioned adjacent to and in contact with the at least one drive coupler  26  of the base  22  such that the motorized unit and the cutting assembly  70  within the container  30  are mechanically coupled. As a result, the motorized unit can be adapted to drive rotation of the cutting assembly  70  about axis A to perform one or more food processimg and/or blending operations when one or more buttons  29  of the user interface  28  on the base  22  are actuated. 
     During operation of the food processing system  20 , rotation of the cutting assembly  70  increases the pressure and heat within the chamber  42  of the container  30 . In one embodiment, the temperature within the chamber  42  may exceed 80° C. In the event of excessive heat and pressure build up within the container  30 , damage to the container  30  and/or the cutting assembly  70  may occur. In one embodiment, the container  30  includes a pressure relief system configured to prevent pressure within the cavity or chamber  42  from exceeding a predetermined threshold, such as between about 2-7 psi for example. To prevent the heat and/or pressure within the chamber  42  from exceeding the threshold, the system  20  may include a timing mechanism T operably coupled to the motorized unit via a controller C (see  FIG. 13 ). The threshold is associated with a predetermined length of time. In one embodiment, the timing mechanism is configured to monitor a length of time that the attachment  30  is coupled to the base  24 . In such embodiments, the timing mechanism may be reset once the attachment  30  is separated from the base  24 . In another embodiment, the timing mechanism is configured to monitor a length of time that the motorized unit configured to drive rotation of the cutting assembly about an axis X is operational. In such embodiments, the timing mechanism may be reset once the motorized unit comes to a complete stop and/or remains stopped for a set period of time. In embodiments where the period of time monitored by the timing mechanism exceeds the predetermined length of time, power may be removed from the motorized unit. In addition, the system  20  may require that certain conditions be satisfied prior to restarting operation, such as unplugging the system  20  from a power source for example. Although the timing mechanism T is illustrated in conjunction with an attachment having an interior wall  34  and an exterior wall  36 , the timing mechanism T may be used on any attachment  30  configured for use with the food processing system  20 . 
     Alternatively, or in addition, the pressure relief system may include venting air from within the cavity  42  to outside the container  30  to reduce pressure. In one embodiment, the coefficient of thermal expansion is different between the interior and exterior walls  34 ,  36  of the container  30  and the collar  60 . As a result, during operation of the food processing system  20 , the collar  60  and container  30  may partially separate to generate a small fluid flow path through which air from within the cavity  42  may escape. Alternatively or in addition, the pressure relief system includes a pressure relief mechanism  80  configured to deform when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds a threshold. In some embodiments, deformation of the pressure relief mechanism  80  is elastic. For example, a seal  82  arranged between the container  30  and the collar  60  ( FIG. 14 ) may be configured to compress and create a fluid path when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds a threshold. 
     In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 15 , a portion of the container  30 , such as structure  56  for example, may be formed as a pressure relief mechanism  80  via inclusion of a biasing mechanism  84 . When the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds a threshold, the force acting on the structure  56  causes the biasing mechanism  84  to compress, thereby increasing the volume of the chamber  42  and reducing the pressure therein. In the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment, deformation of the pressure relief mechanism  80  is also configured to fluidly couple an opening  86  to the chamber  42 , allowing air from within the cavity  42  to vent outside the container  30 . Once the pressure within the container  30  drops to below the threshold, such as via opening  86  or by removing the cutting assembly  70 , the biasing force of the biasing mechanism  84  will return the structure  56  to its original position. Although the pressure relief mechanism  80  is illustrated and described as being positioned adjacent the second end  40  of the container  30 , another mechanism  80  arranged at any location is within the scope of the present disclosure. However, by positioning the mechanism  80  adjacent the second end  40  of the container  30 , only air and not the food being processed within the container  30  may be vented through opening  86 . 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 16 and 17 , the pressure relief mechanism  80  may alternatively be configured to plastically deform when the pressure within cavity  42  exceeds a threshold. In one embodiment, the pressure relief mechanism  80  includes one or more areas  88  having a reduced wall thickness relative to the remainder of the container  30  and/or collar  60 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 16 , an area  88  having a reduced wall thickness may be formed in the portion of the collar  60  configured to overlap with the cutting assembly  70 . Due to the excessive heat within the cavity  42 , the thin walled areas  88  tend to soften. In combination with the heat, when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds the threshold, the pressure relief mechanism  80 , specifically the softened area  88  will deform, such as by protruding outwardly. Although the entire area  88  is illustrated as having a reduced wall thickness, embodiments where only a perimeter of the area  88  has a reduced wall thickness is also within the scope of the disclosure. In one embodiment, the portion of the collar  60  including the one or more areas  88  having a reduced wall thickness additionally includes a plurality of corrugations formed about the periphery thereof ( FIG. 17 ). The corrugations  89  are configured to prevent the formation of a secondary seal between the collar  60  and the cutting assembly  70  when the one or more areas  88  deform. 
     In another embodiment, a pressure relief mechanism  80  is formed as a seal adjacent an opening  90  in the container  30 , the collar  60 , and/or the cutting assembly  70 . With reference to  FIG. 18 , when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds the threshold, the pressure relief mechanism  80  is forced through the opening  90  and may separate from the container  30 . In some embodiments, the plastic deformation of the pressure relief mechanism  80  may be configured to prevent future use of the container  30  and/or collar  60  with the food processing system  20 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 19 and 20 , the pressure relief mechanism  80  may include a sealing member  91 , such as a ball for example, coupled to a biasing mechanism  84  and arranged adjacent an opening  90 . In one embodiment, the pressure relief mechanism  80  is disposed within the spindle  74  of the cutting assembly  70 . During normal operation of the system  20 , the sealing member  91  seals a fluid flow path through opening  90 . However, when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds the threshold, the pressure applies a force on the ball  91 , thereby compressing, or alternatively, extending the biasing mechanism. As a result of the pressure, the sealing member  91  moves out of a sealing position to allow a fluid flow through the opening  90 , thereby releasing pressure from within the cavity  42 . 
     In yet another embodiment, the food processing system  20  is configured to sense when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds a predetermined threshold and stop operation thereof. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 21 , the system  20  may include a sensor, illustrated schematically at S, configured to monitor at least one parameter of a portion of the system  20 , for example the shaft of the cutting assembly  70 . Upon detection that the parameter has passed a predetermined threshold indicative of excessive pressure, a controller C operably coupled to the sensor S removes power from the motorized unit within the base  22 , and therefore from the drive coupler  26 . Alternatively, the connection between the drive coupler  26  and the coupling  78  of the cutting assembly  70  may be interrupted when the pressure within the cavity  42  exceeds a threshold. As illustrated in  FIG. 22 , the coupling  78  of the cutting assembly  70  and the drive coupler  26  are indirectly coupled via a connection member  92 . In one embodiment, the connection member  92  may be formed from a heat sensitive material. When the pressure within the chamber  42  exceeds the threshold, the elevated temperate will cause the connection member  92  to melt, thereby decoupling the cutting assembly  70  and the drive coupler  26 . In another embodiment, the heat sensitive material may be configured to expand, thereby preventing rotation of the drive coupler  26  about the axis A. Alternatively, the connection member  92  is a clutch configured to selectively disengage from one of the coupling  78  and the drive coupler  26  in response to excessive pressure. 
     Inclusion of a pressure relief system in container  30  allows the container  30  to be manufactured from a greater variety of materials including non-resilient materials such as stainless steel. In addition, the insulated double-walled configuration of the container  30  limits the amount of heat transfer from the container  30 , thereby maintaining processed foods at a desired temperature for an extended period of time. 
     All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein. 
     The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosure (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure. 
     Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of those embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the disclosure to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.