Patent Description:
A food processor includes a base that supports a processing bowl. A spindle extends into the bowl. The spindle is driven by a motor in the base. The bowl is covered by lid having a feedtube. The spindle is adapted to carry a number of different cutting blades, referred to here as accessories.

<CIT> describes a food processor in which the cutting blade of the accessory is indirectly driven by the spindle. The accessory has a circular cutting blade that rotates about an axis that is offset from the spindle. The circular cutting blade is parallel to, and spaced from, a positioning plate so that food stuffs fed in via the feed chute are sliced at a desired thickness. The complex drive arrangement requires two drive shafts, one being the central spindle and the second being an outer sleeve around the central spindle, driven at a slower speed. The outer sleeve rotates the circular cutting blade such that it orbits that central axis of the bowl while it is spinning at a higher speed about the offset disc axis.

The cutting blades within different accessories may operate more effectively at the speeds other than that of the drive spindle.

The typical spindle is driven by the motor in the base at approximately <NUM> rpm. In order to make continuous, longitudinal, helical spiral cuts in food such as vegetables ("spiral cuts"), a slower spindle speed is required. <CIT> also discloses an accessory device for a food processor.

It is an object of the technology to provide an accessory for a food processor, the accessory being adapted to make spiral cuts. The present invention is directed to an accessory device according to claim <NUM>.

Accordingly, there is provided an accessory comprising a body within which is located a power train. The power train couples to the food processor's spindle and serves to rotate a cutting disk at a slower rotational speed than the spindle. The spindle is offset from the cutting disk. The accessory fits within the bowl, beneath the lid such that the body is immobilised relative to the bowl and the lid. The cutting disk of the accessory is maintained in alignment with the lid's feedtube.

In preferred embodiments, the cutting disk is maintained in alignment with a secondary feed chute formed through an insert that is received by the feedtube.

In order that the invention be better understood, reference is now made to the following drawing figures in which:.

As shown in <FIG>, a food processor <NUM> may have a conventional base <NUM>, with an internal motor, external user interface <NUM> and a coupling component such as a female drive coupling <NUM>. The top of the base <NUM> receives a bowl <NUM>. An intermediate coupling associated with and often built into the bowl drives a removable food processor spindle <NUM>. The upper end of the spindle has a metal tip with splines <NUM> that are used to engage a variety of accessories, as is well known in the art. The lower end of the spindle engages the intermediate coupling. The bowl <NUM> has a mouth opening or upper rim <NUM>. Bayonet features, such as female bayonet features <NUM> are located below the rim <NUM> and are used to engage complimentary features of the lid and draw the lid into engagement with and seal with the rim <NUM>. The bowl may have a handle <NUM> and a spout <NUM>. Unlike a conventional bowl, the bowl, <NUM> in this example has an internal circumferential, rim or flange <NUM>, having an upper surface <NUM> for supporting an accessory. As will be explained, the internal rim <NUM> will be used to support and locate a static spiral cutting accessory <NUM> in the space between the flange <NUM> and the underside of the bowl's lid <NUM>.

The lid <NUM> has a rim <NUM> that rests on the mouth opening <NUM> when the lid is engaged with the bowl. The lid <NUM> has a cylindrical side wall <NUM> that supports one or more liquid seals <NUM> and complimentary bayonet features <NUM>, as may be required to engage the bowl in the correct sealing position and alignment. The lid <NUM> has a feedtube <NUM> that may feature an auxiliary handle <NUM> within which may be located safety interlock features relating to safe operation of the motor in the base. In this example, the feedtube <NUM> is provided with an insert <NUM>, the insert <NUM> provides a secondary feedchute <NUM>, being circular in cross section and having a cooperating cylindrical pusher <NUM>.

As suggested by <FIG>, the spiral cutting accessory <NUM> has at least a portion of its external circumference <NUM> shaped and configured to closely cooperate with the interior surface of the bowl and be located by it. In the example of <FIG>, the lower rim <NUM> of the accessory <NUM> rests squarely on the upper surface 111a of the internal flange <NUM>.

The accessory <NUM> has a through opening <NUM> that receives the terminal end <NUM> of the spindle <NUM>. Rotation of the spindle causes the rotation of the accessory's offset cutting disk <NUM>. In this example, the cutting disk <NUM> is a removable spiral cutting accessory insert that is driven by a gear train located within the accessory <NUM>. When located within the food processing bowl <NUM>, on top of the internal flange <NUM>, rotation of the accessory <NUM> relative to the bowl is prevented with a mechanical interlocking. In this example, the lower rim <NUM> of the accessory <NUM> has a notch <NUM> that engages a generally vertical rib (not shown) located above and adjacent to the flange <NUM> in the area of the top of the handle <NUM>. Multiple ribs and notches may be provided.

Activation of the base's motor causes a rotation of the spindle <NUM>. The machine quality splines <NUM> of this spindle drive the input or drive gear of a mechanical power train located within the accessory <NUM>. The power train within the accessory reduces the rotational speed provided by the spindle to a lower rotational speed required by the cutting disk <NUM>. In one example, food is loaded through the secondary cutting chute <NUM> and urged into the cutting disk <NUM> by the pusher <NUM>. Food is thus passed through the rotating cutting disk <NUM> and subsequently collected in the bowl <NUM>. In preferred embodiments, the feedtube or the secondary cutting chute are the same diameter as the working diameter of the cutting disk, or smaller.

As shown in <FIG>, the spiral cutting accessory <NUM> has a main body <NUM> that is fully locatable within a food processor bowl cover. The accessory <NUM> is immobilised relative to the bowl and lid within which it is contained. In this example, the power train <NUM> has an input or drive gear <NUM> that is located within the body <NUM>. The drive gear <NUM> has a central bore <NUM> that mechanically engages with and is rotationally controlled by the splines <NUM> on the top of the spindle <NUM>.

In this example, the central bore <NUM> has shoulders <NUM>, <NUM> that are located and supported for rotation at one end by a bearing, journal or opening <NUM> in the body, and a second bearing, journal or opening <NUM> located in a cover or body component <NUM> that seals the interior of the accessory from the environment. In this example, the drive gear <NUM> form a fixed planet gear in a planetary gear type power train. In this example, two other fixed planet gears <NUM>, <NUM> are supported within the accessory so all of the planet gears engage the sun gear <NUM> for rotation and location. As suggested by <FIG>, the power train is supported and preferably sealed within the accessory so that rotating movement of the drive gear results in a gear reduction of the sun gear <NUM>. In this example, the gear reduction is approximately <NUM>:<NUM>.

The sun gear <NUM> is supported for rotation, in this example, by a through opening, journal, bearing, sleeve or fixture formed through the main body <NUM>, generally illustrated by reference number <NUM>. The journal <NUM> supports a first or lower sleeve <NUM> on the sun gear <NUM>. On the other side of the sun gears array of teeth <NUM> there is located a second or upper sleeve <NUM> that is supported by a through opening <NUM> located on the cover <NUM>. The sun gear <NUM> may also have features located in or along its bore <NUM>, <NUM> for engaging, locating and driving a removable spiral cutting disk insert such as a spiral cutting disk insert <NUM>. In this example, the cutting disk insert <NUM> has a perimetral flange <NUM> that sits above and may be supported by the upper surface of the cover <NUM>. The cutting disk insert <NUM> has descending side walls, for example, cylindrical side walls <NUM> having optional engagement features <NUM> that may be driven by the sun gear <NUM>. The cutting disk insert <NUM> supports one or more cutting blades <NUM> and may have a food centring or guide feature, here illustrated by an upright cylindrical or hollow post <NUM> having a sharpened or penetrating upper edge <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the body <NUM> preferably isolates the power train <NUM> from the environment by the provision of appropriate polymeric seals <NUM>. Seals <NUM> are provided against the shoulders of the sun gear and in the area of the drive gear <NUM>. The cover <NUM> may be affixed to the edge of the body <NUM> by ultrasonic welding <NUM>, or otherwise, e.g. utilising mechanical engagement and optional peripheral seals <NUM>. <FIG> suggests that the cutting disk <NUM> is isolated by seals from the power train. In this example, the locating feature <NUM> is a thin hollow cylinder that allows food to pass through it. The upper rim of the cylinder may be sharpened or treated. In this example, the cutting blade <NUM> terminates at one end immediately adjacent to or in contact with the outside surface of the feature <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the accessory <NUM> fits over the splines <NUM> to provide input power to the drive gear <NUM>. The lower rim <NUM> is seated above the internal rim or flange <NUM> and the body is prevented from rotating. The bore of the sun gear <NUM> is in alignment with the feedtube <NUM> and more particularly with the optional secondary feedtube <NUM> formed through or otherwise defined by the insert <NUM> (if there is one).

<FIG> also suggests that the precision rounded tip <NUM> of the spindle <NUM> can be stabilised by a receiving bushing <NUM> that is accessible from an underside of the lid <NUM>. The stabilisation provided by the bushing <NUM> is enhanced by a snug interconnection between side wall and seals <NUM>, <NUM> of the lid and the interior surfaces of the bowl <NUM>. The receiving bushing <NUM> may be hard plastic or metal supported by a softer resilient polymer.

As shown in <FIG>, the lower or supporting rim <NUM> of the accessory <NUM> is provided with one or more notches or other features <NUM> that are restraint by a cooperating male features <NUM>, located within the mouth opening area of the jug <NUM>. This keying or engagement <NUM>, <NUM> prevents the accessory <NUM> from rotating relative to the bowl when driven by the spindle <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates that the accessory <NUM> in the example has a single continuous edge-two-edge-engagement with the interior of the bowl. The contact between the accessory <NUM> and the bowl <NUM> need not be continuous or singular. <FIG> also shows that the rotational centre of the cutting disk <NUM> is laterally offset from the rotational centre of the spindle <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the accessory <NUM> is immobilised with reference to the bowl <NUM>. Rotation of the spindle <NUM> drives the cutting disk <NUM>. The rotational speed of the output gear or sun gear <NUM> may be different from and is preferably less than the rotational speed of the spindle <NUM>. A food <NUM> is urged through the feedtube <NUM> or secondary feedchute <NUM> directly onto the cutting disk and into engagement with it. Spiral cut foods <NUM> are conveniently collected within the bowl <NUM>. In this example, the feedtube insert <NUM> cooperates with a safety cut out mechanism <NUM> in the same way as the feedtube's primary pusher (not shown) would. The particular mechanical lockout <NUM> cooperates with a linkage <NUM> that passes through the handle <NUM> of the bowl <NUM>. The linkage <NUM> cooperates with a sensor, switch or microswitch <NUM> located in the base <NUM>.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms as long as they fall under the scope of the appended claims.

As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "example" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an example" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments as long as they fall under the scope of the appended claims.

Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. Any claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the scope of the appended claims, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention.

Claim 1:
An accessory device (<NUM>) for a food processor (<NUM>) having a bowl (<NUM>) with a lid (<NUM>) within which rotates a central spindle (<NUM>), the device comprising:
a body (<NUM>) having an exterior shaped to cooperate with an interior surface of the bowl (<NUM>) and one or more engagement features (<NUM>) configured to mechanically interlock with the bowl (<NUM>) such that the body is immobilised against rotation relative to the bowl (<NUM>) and the lid (<NUM>);
a cutting disc (<NUM>); and
a power train (<NUM>) for driving the cutting disc;
the body (<NUM>) having a first opening (<NUM>) for receiving an end of the spindle (<NUM>) and for coupling the power train (<NUM>) to the spindle (<NUM>) and a second through opening (<NUM>) for locating the cutting disc (<NUM>);
wherein,
when the first opening receives the end of the spindle and the cutting disc is aligned with the second through opening, the cutting disc is offset from a rotational centre of the spindle; and
rotation of the spindle causes rotation of the cutting disc relative to the body.