Patent Description:
Blended fruit smoothies, milkshakes and protein shakes are becoming increasingly popular among health conscious people. In these blended drinks, fresh fruits and/or vegetables can be mixed together with, if desired, vitamins and protein supplements to provide fresh nutritious foods in a convenient, portable form.

While it is advantageous to blend carefully selected ingredients at the peak of their freshness, it is often not practical to do so. To have fresh fruits and vegetables available every day, for example, one may need to frequently go shopping for such fruits/vegetables, give the fruits/vegetables time to ripen and then make sure that the fruits/vegetables do not over ripen. Moreover, working with fresh fruits and vegetables usually generates organic wastes, is often messy and inevitably requires clean up. This means a lot of time and attention.

In a fast moving society, there is a demand for a fresh, nutritious blended drink that can be selected and prepared quickly. Better yet, such a fresh, blended drink should be available at a place that can be easily accessed, such as a convenience store or one's home.

F'Real Foods, LLC, a subsidiary of Rich Products Corporation, has made a business of making fresh, nutritious smoothies and milkshakes available at easily accessible locations, such as convenience stores. F'Real Foods starts with fresh ingredients, such as fresh fruits and milk, which it pre-blends into smoothies and milkshakes. The pre-blended smoothies and milkshakes are then hard frozen in sealed cups before they are shipped to convenience stores at many different locations. The frozen pre-blended smoothies and milkshakes are then stored in a freezer at the convenience store next to a commercial size blending machine. When the convenience store consumer wants a fresh smoothie or milkshake, the consumer simply selects the desired frozen, pre-blended smoothie or milkshake from the convenience store freezer, tears the seal off the top of the smoothie/milkshake cup and then places the smoothie/milkshake cup in a blending machine cupholder built into the blending machine. The consumer can then start the commercial sized blending machine to blend the frozen smoothie/milkshake to a desired consistency.

F'Real Foods, LLC has numerous U. patents and U. published patent applications pertaining to its commercial size blending machine and processes for preparing smoothies/milkshakes, including <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT>; <CIT> and <CIT> as well as <CIT>; <CIT>and<CIT>.

The popularity of F'Real Foods, LLC's convenience store smoothies and milkshakes has led to a demand to make the same sort of smoothies and milkshakes available for home use. Nonetheless, creating a smoothie/milkshake blender for home use poses a much different set of design problems than creating a smoothie/milkshake blender for commercial use. For example, space is often in short supply inside a kitchen at home. While a convenience store blender can be made to be tall, a homeowner will often want a blender at home to fit within a tight space between an upper kitchen cabinet and a lower kitchen cabinet. Moreover, a convenience store blender should be made of heavy duty materials, such as stainless steel, to withstand repeated, rugged use. By contrast, such a heavy duty, stainless steel blender would be too expensive for most homeowners. While homeowners appreciate having a rugged, reliable blender, they would want such a blender to be lighter in weight and less expensive than the blenders used in convenience stores. This is also true in some commercial settings where space is at a premium and money is tight. Thus, there is a demand in the art for a rugged blender for home or commercial use that is compact in size and can still blend frozen smoothies/milkshakes reliably.

The US Patent Application Publication <CIT> discloses a mixing machine which is designed for mixing the contents inside a vessel being held by a cupholder which as such is held by a carriage. This publication specifically addresses the use of a splash shield being positioned so as to shield the opening of the vessel during mixing. After the material within the vessel is mixed by a mixing element, the splash shield is separated from the vessel by the mixing machine and rinsed by a nozzle(s) on the mixing machine.

A blender is disclosed in the US-patent <CIT>. This blender has a bed and a support arm extending from the front side of the bed for a blending container to rest thereon. The blender further comprises a safety protective cover being positioned on top of the blending container ad it has a support arm being up and down movable. A support arm is provided which extends from the front side of the bed. A crank is disposed on a lateral side of the bed for moving this support arm up and down. Only after the blending container is ascended and located, the blender is activated so that the safety in use can be ensured.

The present invention is directed to a blender that is compact enough for either home or commercial use, rugged enough to blend frozen beverages, simple to use and safe. The blender of the present invention comprises the features of claim <NUM>. It is further disclosed a blender that includes an upper housing, with a front housing door, that covers the moving blending machinery and prevents injury to the user. The blender also preferably includes a cupholder receiving area which allows the user to safely insert a frozen beverage cup inside a cupholder for blending. The cupholder may either be removable or permanently affixed to the blender. When the cup is properly inserted in the cupholder and residing in the cupholder receiving area, a start button or multiple start buttons will preferably light up to indicate that the blender is ready to blend the frozen contents in the cup. Multiple start buttons may be used, for example, to provide the user with a choice of several different consistencies for the blended beverage (e.g., thick, medium or thin). When the user then presses a start button, a cupholder lip will preferably be grasped by the clamping jaw of an elevator assembly in the case of a removable cupholder to lift the cupholder upward. As the cupholder is lifted upward, a cup cover will be pressed over the top opening of the cup to prevent spillage during blending. The elevator assembly will then continue to lift the cupholder upward until the rotating cutter blades of a spindle assembly make contact with the frozen beverage. The rotating cutter blades of the spindle assembly will cut through layers of the frozen beverage while the cupholder continues to be lifted until the cupholder has been lifted to the point where the rotating cutter blades are mixing frozen beverage at the bottom of the cup. To achieve a desired consistency for the smoothie/milkshake, the elevator assembly may raise and lower the cupholder multiple times while the rotating cutter blade of the spindle assembly is in operation. When the desired consistency of the smoothie/milkshake is obtained, the elevator assembly lowers the cupholder back to its original position in the cupholder receiving area of the blender. At that point, the user can remove the cupholder from the blender, separate the cup from the cupholder and then enjoy the blended smoothie/milkshake from the cup.

The blender has several preferred features which allow it to perform safely and reliably. For example, in order to prevent the cup from spinning inside the cupholder when the rotating cutting blades are blending the frozen beverage, both the cup and cupholder preferably have complementary anti-rotational surfaces. The anti-rotational surfaces of the cup preferably include vanes that protrude from the bottom of the cup. These vanes mate with complementary vanes on the bottom of the cupholder to prevent the cup and cupholder from rotating with respect to one another when the rotating cutter blade is in operation. As additional safety features, sensors or switches are preferably built into the blender to make sure the cupholder is properly positioned and the front housing door is latched in a locked, closed position before the rotating cutter blade starts moving. In order to make sure that the cupholder is raised during blending in a reliable, even way, multiple lead screws or multiple belt drives of the elevator assembly are preferably actuated by a single motor to lift the cupholder in a balanced linear motion.

To facilitate cleaning, the front housing door can be opened to expose the spindle and lead screw assemblies. The spindle preferably includes a quick release coupling member, a rotating shaft, cup cover and rotating cutting blades. To facilitate cleaning of the spindle assembly, the quick release coupling member allows the spindle to be quickly detached from the blender. The rotating shaft is preferably housed in an outer sleeve for structural/alignment purposes and to keep the shaft free from food/beverage particles. Slidably attached to the outside of the outer sleeve and trapped between the quick release coupling member and the rotating cutting blades is a moveable cup cover.

In the preferred embodiment, the spindle assembly can be easily removed for cleaning by turning a quick release coupling member at the top of the spindle assembly and then pulling the spindle assembly downward. Alternatively, a pivotable lever can be used to detach the spindle assembly from the remainder of the blender. A cup cover is constructed on the spindle assembly to reduce the need for blender cleaning. As the elevator assembly begins to pull the cupholder upward during operation, the spindle assembly cup cover firmly attaches to the top of the cup to prevent beverage from splashing out during blending. When the elevator assembly pulls the cupholder upward and the clamping jaw presses the cup cover over the top of the cup, a lever lock mechanism preferably ensures that the cup cover stays clamped to the cup.

In one preferred embodiment, the cupholder is removable and has a generally cylindrically shaped body having a bottom and open top. A removable cupholder upper lip is preferably formed along the upper edge of the cupholder body. The cupholder upper lip preferably has an overhanging front portion that allows a user to slide his or her fingers underneath the overhang to conveniently push the removable cupholder into the cupholder receiving area of the blender or pull it out. The cupholder upper lip preferably has substantially straight edges to prevent the cupholder from rotating during the blending process. On the sides of the cupholder lip are preferably two lip indentations which allow a user to grip the cup when it is inserted into the cupholder and easily remove the cup from the cupholder.

<FIG> illustrates a preferred blender <NUM> of the present invention as it would be viewed from the outside. This blender <NUM> has an upper housing <NUM> and a cupholder receiving area <NUM>. The upper housing <NUM> encloses the moving parts of the blender <NUM> and, in order to prevent injury to the user, the upper housing <NUM> blocks the user from touching the moving parts while those moving parts are in operation. On the front of the upper housing <NUM>, there is a hinged front housing door <NUM> that can be opened by pressing the front door latch <NUM>. This front housing door <NUM> allows the user to access the moving parts of the blender <NUM> for cleaning and maintenance while those moving parts are not in operation. In contrast to the upper housing <NUM>, the cupholder receiving area <NUM> is preferably open in order to allow a product to be inserted under the upper housing <NUM> before blending. In the preferred embodiment, the cupholder receiving area <NUM> preferably consists of stand <NUM> which connects the cupholder receiving area base <NUM> to the upper housing <NUM>. Those of skill in the art will, nonetheless, recognize that other designs can be used for the cupholder receiving area <NUM> so long as a product can be inserted under the upper housing <NUM> before blending.

<FIG> shows how a removable cupholder <NUM> can be inserted into the cupholder receiving area <NUM> of the blender <NUM>. The product to be blended, such as a frozen smoothie, milkshake or protein shake, is preferably inside the removable cupholder <NUM> itself or within a cup <NUM> (<FIG>) that is placed within the cupholder <NUM>. Those of skill in the art will recognize that other sorts of containers besides cupholder <NUM> and/or cup <NUM> can be used to hold the food or beverage product so long as the container fits within the cupholder receiving area <NUM> and can be operated upon by the blender machinery. While the blender <NUM> of the present invention is constructed to be rugged enough to blend frozen food and/or beverage products, those of skill in the art will readily recognize that the food products do not need to be frozen. For example, the blender <NUM> of the present invention can also blend beverages having fresh, unfrozen fruits, vegetables and/or dairy products. Nonetheless, if the food and/or beverage products to be blended are frozen, it is preferred that water, milk or other liquid be added on top of the frozen food and/or beverage products before blending to place less strain on the blending machinery and to produce a better product consistency. This added liquid is preferably within the range of <NUM> to <NUM> % by volume as compared with the volume of the frozen food and/or beverage. The liquid may either be added manually by the user or automatically by the blender. In some embodiments where the user manually adds the liquid, the blending machinery may even include a sensor to sense whether sufficient liquid has been added before blending and, if not, remind the user to add liquid.

A start button <NUM> is preferably located on the front housing door <NUM> of the upper housing <NUM>. In a preferred embodiment, the start button <NUM> will light up briefly (e.g., for <NUM> seconds) with a green color when the blender is plugged into an electrical outlet and light up briefly again with a green color when a cupholder <NUM> has been properly inserted within the cupholder receiving area <NUM>. In an alternative embodiment, the start button <NUM> can light up in a different color, such as red, when the blender <NUM> is not yet ready for operation. This alternative embodiment is less preferred because the start button will be lit up for longer periods and thus draw more electricity. In the preferred embodiment, pushing the start button <NUM> will only activate the blender <NUM> for operation when the start button <NUM> is or has been green in color. Determining whether the blender <NUM> is ready for operation will preferably depend on such factors as whether the front door latch <NUM> is properly closed and whether the cupholder <NUM> has been placed in its proper position in the cupholder receiving area <NUM>. In a further alternative embodiment, a visual display (not shown) can be included on the front door <NUM> near the start button <NUM> that tells the user in words why the blender <NUM> may not yet be ready for operation. For example, the visual display can tell the user to close the front door latch <NUM> or correctly position the cupholder <NUM>. In some embodiments, multiple start buttons <NUM>-<NUM> (<FIG>) may be used. For example, different start button may offer the user a choice of different consistencies for the end product, such as thick <NUM>, medium <NUM> or thin <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates how the blender <NUM> of the present invention might be positioned between an upper cabinet <NUM> and a lower cabinet <NUM> in a typical kitchen at home. In some home kitchens, the distance between the upper cabinet <NUM> and the lower cabinet <NUM> can be <NUM> inches or less. To accommodate its use in such tight kitchen spaces, the preferred blender <NUM> of the present invention has been designed to be as compact as possible. For example, the cupholder receiving area <NUM> has been designed to allow the cup <NUM> and a removable cupholder <NUM> to be slid in horizontally. This is a distinguishing feature between this particular preferred blender <NUM> of the present invention and the much taller blenders currently in commercial use by F'Real Foods. In F'Real Foods' commercial blenders, the cupholder is built into the commercial blender so that a cup having frozen beverage is placed into the commercial cupholder from above while the cupholder is attached from below to the commercial blender. In order to make the blender <NUM> of the present invention as compact as possible, there is not enough space to allow the cup <NUM> to be placed into the cupholder <NUM> from above while the cupholder <NUM> is attached from below to the blender <NUM>. Instead, the cupholder <NUM> in this particular embodiment is preferably separate from the blender <NUM>. For this embodiment, the cup <NUM> is preferably placed in the cupholder <NUM> outside the blender <NUM> so that the combined cup <NUM>/cupholder <NUM> can be horizontally inserted together into the cupholder receiving area <NUM>. As those of skill in the art will recognize, though, certain inventive features of the present invention, such as the removable spindle and balanced linear cupholder lifting mechanism, may be used in both removable cupholder blenders and blenders, such as F'Real Foods' present commercial blenders, that have the cupholder permanently affixed to the blender.

<FIG> illustrates an alternative embodiment where the blender <NUM> has the same compact size, but has the cupholder <NUM> is attached to an extension of the blender <NUM>, rather than separate from the blender <NUM>. In the <FIG> embodiment, two rails <NUM> are used to attach the cupholder <NUM> to the blender <NUM>. The rails <NUM> are preferably telescoping so that the cupholder <NUM> can be horizontally pulled out and then pushed into the cupholder receiving area <NUM> as the rails <NUM> expand and contract. Preferably, the cupholder <NUM> is permanently attached to the rails <NUM> in this embodiment so that it will never be inadvertently separated from the blender and misplaced. As those of skill in the art will recognize, though, the cupholder <NUM> could also be separable from the rails <NUM>, which would have the advantage of making the cupholder <NUM> easier to clean.

<FIG> provides a close up view of a preferred form of a cupholder <NUM> of the present invention. As those of skill in the art will recognize, the cupholder <NUM> can do more than simply hold a cup with food or beverage. For example, as previously noted, the food or beverage can be placed directly within the cupholder <NUM> thereby obviating the need to also use a cup. Further, if one wanted to use the blender <NUM> of the present invention to mix non-food products, such as paints, the cupholder <NUM> could be used to hold those non-food products. For these reasons, the cupholder <NUM> acts as a product positioning device whether that product is contained in a cup or not.

In its preferred form, the cupholder <NUM> of the present invention preferably has a generally cylindrically shaped body <NUM> having a bottom <NUM> and open top <NUM>. A cupholder upper lip <NUM> is preferably formed along the upper edge of the cupholder body <NUM>. The cupholder upper lip <NUM> preferably has an overhanging front portion <NUM> that allows a user to slide his or her fingers underneath the overhang to conveniently push the cupholder <NUM> into the cupholder receiving area <NUM> or pull it out. The cupholder <NUM> preferably also has substantially straight side edges <NUM> to prevent the cupholder from rotating during the blending process. While <FIG> shows the substantially straight edges <NUM> on the upper lip <NUM> of the cupholder, the substantially straight side edges <NUM> could also be formed on other parts of the cupholder <NUM>, such as the cupholder bottom, and still achieve the same anti-rotational function. On the sides of the cupholder lip <NUM> are preferably two lip indentations <NUM> which allow a user to grip the cup <NUM> when it is inserted into the cupholder <NUM> and easily remove the cup <NUM> from the cupholder (<FIG>). A presence indicator <NUM> is preferably placed at the rear of the cupholder lip <NUM>. In one embodiment, the presence indicator <NUM> can take the form of a magnet which can be sensed by the blender <NUM> to indicate that the cupholder is properly positioned in the cupholder receiving area <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates how a cup <NUM>, having upper lip <NUM>, can be placed in the cupholder <NUM> before they both are inserted into the cupholder receiving area <NUM> of the blender <NUM>. In one preferred embodiment, the cup <NUM> contains frozen food or beverage product. In that preferred embodiment, frozen food or beverage fills the cup between one half and three quarters of the way from the bottom of the cup to the top of the cup. In this preferred embodiment, liquid is added on top of this frozen food or beverage, either manually or automatically, to facilitate the blending process but, again, space is left between the top of the fluid and the top of the cup <NUM> before blending. It is helpful to leave space at the top of the cup because the food or beverage tends to expand in volume during blending as air is whipped into the mixture. Leaving room at the top prevents the blended food or beverage from overflowing and thereby creating a mess that needs to be cleaned. Rings <NUM> or other markers can be placed on the cup to tell the user the maximum height recommended for adding liquid.

<FIG> shows a bottom perspective view of a preferred cup <NUM> of the present invention having an anti-rotational surface <NUM>. Anti-rotational surfaces <NUM> which can advantageously be used in the blender <NUM> of the present invention are described in F'Real's <CIT> and <CIT>. In a preferred form, as described in <CIT>, the cup's anti-rotational surface <NUM> preferably has multiple vanes <NUM> which protrude downward from a generally flat bottom cup surface <NUM>. The vanes <NUM> are each preferably substantially triangular in cross-section and extend outwardly from a protruding center portion <NUM> such that no two vanes <NUM> are angularly separated by <NUM> degrees. The protruding sides of the vanes <NUM> are preferably steep to better seat the anti-rotational surface <NUM> in a complementary cupholder anti-rotational surface <NUM> (<FIG>) and also to create a drive surface <NUM> which locks the anti-rotational surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> together. In some embodiments, the drive surface <NUM> of the vanes <NUM> forms an overhanging surface. To help the anti-rotational surfaces <NUM> properly seat in the cupholder <NUM>, a protruding rim <NUM> can be formed around the periphery of the vanes <NUM>.

<FIG> is a top view looking down into the base of the cupholder <NUM> and illustrating the complementary anti-rotational surface <NUM> of the cupholder <NUM>. In a preferred embodiment, the anti-rotational surface <NUM> of the cupholder <NUM> also has vanes <NUM> of substantially triangular cross-section. As illustrated in <FIG>, when the cup vanes <NUM> contact the cupholder vanes <NUM>, the leading triangular apexes of the respective vanes <NUM>, <NUM> will tend to deflect the vanes <NUM>, <NUM> away from one another and cause gravity to fully drop the cup <NUM> into the cupholder <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates how the anti-rotational surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> of the cupholder <NUM> and cup <NUM> engage with one another so that their respective vanes <NUM>, <NUM> intermesh on the same horizontal plane. After the vanes <NUM>, <NUM> have intermeshed, those vanes <NUM>, <NUM> prevent the cup and cupholder from rotating with respect to one another as the food or beverage product is being blended in the cup <NUM>. Of course, in those embodiments where the food or beverage product is blended in the cupholder <NUM> without use of a cup <NUM>, there would be no need for the complementary anti-rotational surfaces <NUM>, <NUM>.

In addition to showing complementary anti-rotational vanes <NUM>, <NUM>, <FIG> also shows how the cupholder's magnetic presence indicator <NUM> can interact with a cupholder presence sensor <NUM>. If the cupholder presence sensor <NUM>, for example, senses a strong enough magnetic field coming from magnetic presence indicator <NUM>, it can send a signal to a microcontroller <NUM> (<FIG>) in the blender indicating that the start button(s) <NUM> should temporarily light up in the color green to indicate to the user that the blender can be activated for blending by pushing the start button <NUM>. By contrast, if the cupholder presence sensor <NUM> fails to sense a strong enough magnetic field, it can send a signal or fail to send a signal to microcontroller <NUM> indicating that the start button(s) <NUM> should not be activated. In addition to, or as an alternative to the magnetic presence sensor <NUM>, other mechanical or electro-mechanical means, such as a switch, can be employed to determine whether the cupholder <NUM> is properly positioned so that the start button(s) <NUM> can be activated.

<FIG> illustrate the progression of steps involved in blending frozen food or beverage into, for example, a smoothie, milkshake or protein shake using the blender <NUM> of the present invention. To better understand how the blending machinery works, these steps are illustrated with the front housing door <NUM> in an open position. Nonetheless, as previously noted, the blending machinery, for safety reasons, should not be operated with the front housing door <NUM> open. As such, for purposes of understanding the operation of the blender <NUM> of the present invention, one should assume that the front housing door <NUM> would be closed when the steps in <FIG> take place.

<FIG> illustrates how the preferred elevator assembly <NUM> has its clamping jaw <NUM> and the spindle assembly <NUM> has its cup cover <NUM> in their lower most resting positions before the cupholder <NUM> is inserted into the cupholder receiving area <NUM> to begin the blending process. <FIG> illustrates the next step of having the user insert the cupholder <NUM>, preferably including a cup <NUM> having frozen food or beverage, into the cupholder receiving area <NUM>. The cupholder <NUM> should be inserted so that the upper lip <NUM> of the cupholder rests within the lower clamping jaw <NUM> of the elevator assembly <NUM>. At this point in the process, there has not yet been any motorized movement of the blender <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates the beginning step of motorized blending. After a start button <NUM> is pushed to begin activation of the blender <NUM>, the elevator assembly <NUM> pulls the lower clamping jaw <NUM> upward using its motorized dual lead screws <NUM> to the point where the lower <NUM> and upper <NUM> clamping jaws come together to firmly secure the cupholder <NUM> and clamp the cup cover <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM> against the top of the cup <NUM> to prevent food or beverage from spilling out during blending.

In <FIG>, blending of the food or beverage product is taking place. At the bottom of the spindle assembly (<FIG>), there are preferably rotating cutting blades <NUM> that are used to cut through and blend the food or beverage product. While rotating cutting blades <NUM> are the preferred blending tool for the present invention, particularly where the food or beverage to be blended is frozen, those of skill in the art will recognize that other blending tools, such as whisks, may also be used in appropriate circumstances. In the preferred blender <NUM> of the present invention, the rotating cutting blades <NUM> remain at a constant, predetermined height while the cupholder <NUM> moves up and down. As the elevator assembly <NUM> moves the cupholder <NUM> up and down, the rotating cutter blades <NUM> operate at different levels of the food or beverage product. For example, in the position shown in <FIG>, the rotating cutting blades <NUM> would be blending at a level which is one quarter to one half of the way down through the food or beverage in the cup <NUM> or cupholder <NUM>. To achieve even blending and good consistency, the rotating cutting blades <NUM> should work at all levels of the food or beverage present in the cup <NUM> or cupholder <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates what happens when the elevator assembly <NUM> raises the cupholder <NUM> to its highest point. When the cupholder <NUM> reaches its highest point, the rotating cutting blades will be spinning at or near the bottom of the cup <NUM> or cupholder <NUM>.

When the cupholder <NUM> is subsequently lowered, the progression of steps is the opposite of those shown in <FIG>. In other words, the cupholder <NUM> begins at the highest level as shown in <FIG> and gradually is lowered to the positions shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and then <FIG>. To get the best blending and consistency, the cupholder <NUM> is preferably raised and lowered multiple times while the rotating cutting blades <NUM> are spinning and before the cupholder <NUM> is released from the clamping jaw <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. <FIG> illustrates one such multiple pass protocol. In the <FIG> protocol, the cupholder <NUM> is raised and lowered twice by the elevator assembly <NUM> before the cupholder <NUM> is released in the resting or "home position". In the <FIG> embodiment, the "home position" corresponds to the cupholder position illustrated in <FIG>, the "low position" corresponds to the cupholder position illustrated in <FIG> and the "high position" corresponds to the cupholder position illustrated in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows a cross-section view of the preferred spindle assembly <NUM> of the present invention. The spindle assembly <NUM> preferably includes a quick release coupling member <NUM>, a rotating shaft <NUM>, cup cover <NUM> and rotating cutting blades <NUM>. The quick release coupling member <NUM> connects the spindle assembly <NUM> to the blender <NUM>. To facilitate cleaning of the spindle assembly <NUM>, the quick release coupling member <NUM> allows the spindle assembly <NUM> to be quickly detached from the blender <NUM> as illustrated in <FIG>. Rotating motion generated by the spindle motor <NUM> (<FIG>) is translated to the rotating cutting blades <NUM> through the rotating shaft <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM> which preferably passes through the quick release coupling member <NUM>. The rotating shaft <NUM> is preferably housed in an outer sleeve <NUM> for structural/alignment purposes and to keep the shaft free from food/beverage particles. Slidably attached to the outside of the outer sleeve <NUM> and trapped between the quick release coupling member <NUM> and the rotating cutting blades <NUM> is a moveable cup cover <NUM>. The purpose of the cup cover <NUM> in the preferred embodiment is to press onto the top lip <NUM> of the cup <NUM> in order to prevent food or beverage from spilling out of the cup <NUM> or cupholder <NUM> during blending. The cup cover <NUM> is preferably constructed from a combination of a hard plastic base <NUM> and a soft plastic or rubber seal <NUM>. The hard plastic base <NUM> maintains a resilient shape for the cup cover <NUM> while the soft plastic or rubber seal <NUM> makes a tight, flexible fit with the top of the cup <NUM>. Alternatively, the cup cover <NUM> can be molded from a single plastic to reduce costs. As illustrated in <FIG>, the cup cover <NUM> is clamped to the top of the cup <NUM> by the clamping jaw <NUM> before blending and moves up and down the outer sleeve <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM> with the clamping jaw <NUM> during blending.

At the bottom of the spindle assembly <NUM> are the rotating cutting blades <NUM>. The purpose of the rotating cutting blades <NUM> is to cut through the food or beverage during blending, particularly if they are frozen. While most of the non-electrical parts of the blender <NUM> of the present invention are preferably made from plastic, the rotating cutting blades <NUM> are preferably made from a rust proof metal, such as stainless steel. In the preferred embodiment, the rotating cutting blades <NUM> include radially extendable cutting blades <NUM> (see also, <FIG>). One embodiment of these radially extendable cutting blades <NUM> is disclosed in <CIT>. The purpose of the radially extendable cutting blades <NUM> is to compliment the rotating cutting blades <NUM> by adjusting to sections of the cup <NUM> or cupholder <NUM> with different radiuses. For example, most cups are not perfectly cylindrical, but rather have a larger radius at their top than at their bottom. The cup <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> shows a cup with this sort of varying radius. By having radially extendable cutting blades <NUM> complimenting the rotating cutting blades <NUM>, the radially extendable cutting blades <NUM> can extend their blending radius to the edge of the cup <NUM> even though that radius changes from the top of the cup to the bottom of the cup.

<FIG> shows an alternative embodiment for the spindle assembly <NUM> of the present invention which further includes a spindle assembly spring <NUM> and illustrates a spindle connector <NUM> which couples the rotating shaft <NUM> of the spindle assembly to the spindle assembly pulley <NUM>. The spindle assembly spring <NUM> is useful for pressing the cup cover <NUM> against the top of the cup <NUM> in those embodiments, for example, that do not have a clamping jaw <NUM> to perform that function (see, e.g., <FIG>). The disadvantage of this spindle spring <NUM> embodiment, as compared with the preferred clamping jaw <NUM> embodiment, is that, in the alternative spindle spring embodiment <NUM>, the spring <NUM> will compress as the cup cover <NUM> and cupholder <NUM> are raised during blending thereby creating a variable load on the dual lead screw motor <NUM> (<FIG>) as compared with a more constant load that the clamping jaw <NUM> creates.

<FIG> shows a second alternative spring embodiment for the spindle assembly <NUM> of the present invention. In this second alternative embodiment, the spring(s) <NUM> are held in place between an upper spindle assembly plate <NUM> and the cup cover <NUM> by one or more rods <NUM>. The rods <NUM> are preferably permanently affixed to the upper spindle assembly plate <NUM> but allowed to penetrate through holes <NUM> in the cup cover <NUM> so that the cup cover <NUM> can move up and down with the cup and cupholder during the blending process. While the cup cover <NUM> moves up and down with the cup and cupholder, the springs <NUM> nonetheless assure that the cup cover <NUM> continues to be attached to the top of the cup during the blending process. Flanges or other stops (not shown) are preferably present on the bottom of the rods <NUM> so the cup cover <NUM> does not fall off the rods when the cup is separated from the cup cover <NUM> at the completion of the blending process. As compared with the <FIG> embodiment, this second alternative spring embodiment has the advantage of more evenly positioning the cup cover <NUM> around its periphery to prevent the cup cover <NUM> from tilting in a way that allows beverage to leak during the blending process.

<FIG> illustrate how the spindle assembly can be quickly and easily removed from the blender <NUM> of the present invention for periodic cleaning. To begin the removal process, one must first open the front housing door <NUM> by unfastening the front door latch <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates the spindle assembly <NUM> in its locked, operational position after the front housing door <NUM> has been opened. To make sure the spindle assembly <NUM> is in a proper locked, operational position before blending, the preferred blender <NUM> of the present invention uses a combination of a peg <NUM> on the front housing door <NUM> and a complementary opening <NUM> on the quick release coupling member <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM>. In order for the front housing door <NUM> to close, the peg <NUM> must fit into its complementary spindle assembly opening <NUM>. If the peg <NUM> and opening <NUM> are not properly aligned, the front housing door <NUM> will not close due to the interference of peg <NUM> with the surfaces adjacent to opening <NUM>. Alternatively, as those of skill in the art will recognize, the parts can be reversed so that the peg is on the spindle assembly <NUM> and the opening is on the front housing door <NUM>. As previously noted, if the front housing door <NUM> is not closed, the blender <NUM> will preferably be prevented from operating.

As shown in <FIG>, removal of the spindle assembly <NUM> from the blender <NUM> requires, in the preferred embodiment, that the quick release coupling member <NUM> be turned to the right to place it in an unlocked position. As shown in <FIG>, after the quick release coupling member <NUM> is in an unlocked position, it can be pulled down to detach the spindle assembly <NUM> from the rest of the blender <NUM>. Finally, as shown in <FIG>, the spindle assembly <NUM> can be pulled away altogether from the blender <NUM> to allow it to be cleaned. Reattaching the spindle assembly <NUM> to the blender after it has been cleaned is simply a matter of repeating the steps shown in <FIG> in reverse order. While one mechanism for removing the spindle assembly <NUM> from the blender has been illustrated, those of skill in the art will recognize that other mechanisms can be used to remove the spindle assembly <NUM> from the blender <NUM>.

For example, <FIG> and <FIG> illustrate an alternative quick release coupling mechanism to remove the spindle assembly <NUM> from the blender <NUM>. In this alternative embodiment, instead of manually turning a quick release coupling member <NUM> with one's hand to release the spindle assembly <NUM>, one instead slides a pivotable release lever <NUM> from one side to the other (e.g., from left to right) to engage the quick release coupling member <NUM>. Affixed to the middle of the release lever <NUM> is a pivot peg <NUM> which actuates coupling member peg <NUM> attached a quick release coupling ring <NUM> on the blender. As the coupling member peg <NUM> moves from side to side in the arcuate slot <NUM>, it rotates the quick release coupling ring <NUM> and has the same effect as manually turning the quick release coupling member by hand in the preferred embodiment of <FIG>. Those of skill in the art will recognize that there are additional mechanisms to detach a spindle assembly from a blender, including internal blender mechanisms that are activated by pressing a button or using a different type of lever.

<FIG> shows a cut away, section view of the elevator assembly <NUM>. In its preferred form, this elevator assembly <NUM> includes clamping jaw <NUM>, dual lead screws <NUM>, clamping jaw drive nuts <NUM>, clamping jaw springs <NUM> and a clamping jaw lever lock mechanism <NUM>. The clamping jaw <NUM> includes upper clamping jaw <NUM> and lower clamping jaw <NUM>. As can be most clearly seen in <FIG>, the "upper" clamping jaw <NUM> is actually a U-shaped part that fits into a U-shaped annular space in "lower" clamping jaw <NUM>. While part of lower clamping jaw <NUM> is physically lower than the upper clamping jaw <NUM>, there is also a portion of lower clamping jaw <NUM> that wraps around the outside of upper clamping jaw <NUM> at the same height as upper clamping jaw <NUM>. The purpose of upper <NUM> and lower <NUM> clamping jaws is to collectively clamp onto the upper lip <NUM> of the cupholder <NUM> using opposing surfaces <NUM>, <NUM> and press the cup cover <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM> against that upper lip <NUM> of the cup <NUM> (see also, <FIG>). This clamping action is aided by clamping jaw springs <NUM> which continually bias the upper clamping jaw <NUM> downward. Once the cupholder <NUM> is firmly secured by the clamping jaw <NUM> and the cup <NUM> is covered, the clamping jaw <NUM> can raise and lower the cupholder <NUM> during the blending process through the actions of the dual lead screws <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a slightly modified form of the <FIG> elevator assembly <NUM>. In the <FIG> embodiment, wings <NUM> are attached to the lower clamping jaw <NUM> in such a way that they will vertically constrain the cup lip <NUM> during blender operation so that the cup <NUM> will stay in the cupholder <NUM>. If the rubber seal <NUM> of the cup cover <NUM> fits tightly to the cup lip <NUM>, it can cause the cup cover <NUM> to stick to the cup <NUM>. Consequently, when the blending process is finished and the lower clamping jaw <NUM> is returned to the "home position", the cup cover <NUM> may cause the cup <NUM> to be pulled out of the cupholder <NUM>. If so, it will be more difficult for the user to remove the cupholder <NUM> and cup <NUM> from the blender <NUM> once the blending process is finished. The wings <NUM> in the <FIG> embodiment vertically constrain the cup lip <NUM> in such a way that the cup lip <NUM> will separate from the cup cover <NUM> when the lower clamping jaw <NUM> is returned to the "home position" and, thus, the cup <NUM> and cupholder <NUM> will always remain together while they are in the blender.

Returning to <FIG>, using dual lead screws <NUM> is the preferred way to raise and lower the cupholder <NUM> in the blender <NUM> of the present invention. If only a single lead screw were used on one side of the clamping jaw <NUM>, cantilevered loads with resulting moments and torque would be created on the opposing side of the clamping jaw <NUM> by the pull of gravity and by the resistance of the product being blended by the blender <NUM>. This torque would not only lead to greater wear on the elevator assembly <NUM> but could cause the elevator assembly <NUM> to jam or break and, for that reason, a single lead screw is not preferred. By using a lead screw <NUM> on each side of the clamping jaw <NUM> turning at the same rate, the clamping jaw <NUM> is raised and lowered without significant cantilevered moments. Using at least two lead screws allows for reliable operation and a longer life for the blender <NUM> of the present invention by creating a balanced linear raising and lowering motion. To have the dual lead screws <NUM> turn at the same rate, the dual lead screws <NUM> are preferably connected to the same motor <NUM> (<FIG>). In the preferred embodiment, pulleys <NUM> of the top of each lead screw <NUM> are connected to each other and the dual lead screw motor <NUM> through a common belt or chain <NUM> (<FIG>). As the dual lead screw motor <NUM> turns, the pulleys <NUM> on each lead screw <NUM> are turned at the same rate. As those of skill in the art will recognize, the movement of the dual lead screws <NUM> can alternatively be synchronized through other means including the use of gears (not shown) rather than a belt <NUM> or chain.

The dual lead screws <NUM> are each attached to the lower clamping jaw <NUM> through clamping jaw drive nuts <NUM>. A clamping jaw drive nut <NUM> is more clearly shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. The drive nut <NUM> has an interior thread <NUM> which wraps around and meshes with the thread <NUM> of the lead screw <NUM>. While the dual lead screws <NUM> are preferably constructed from machined metal, such as stainless steel, the drive nut <NUM> can be formed from either metal or plastic. The drive nut <NUM> is connected to the lower clamping jaw <NUM> through the interaction of the U-shaped channel <NUM> on the drive nut <NUM> with a matching protrusion <NUM> on the lower clamping jaw <NUM> as well as cross shaped protrusions <NUM> on two sides of the drive nut <NUM> which fit into openings <NUM> on the lower clamping jaw <NUM>. The lower clamping jaw openings <NUM> are preferably oval in shape to allow a small degree of angular and horizontal translational movement for the cross shaped protrusions <NUM>. To the extent the drive nuts <NUM> and lead screws <NUM> are not perfectly machined or suffer wear over time, the small degree of angular and horizontal translational movement allowed by the drive nut cross shaped protrusions <NUM> and oval openings <NUM> will help avoid any binding action as the clamping jaw <NUM> is driven up and down the lead screws <NUM>. As those of skill in the art will recognize, other shapes for the drive nut protrusions and lower clamping jaw openings can be used to allow a small degree of angular and horizontal translational movement. For example, the drive nut protrusion can be circular in shape and fit within a larger oval opening.

<FIG> shows a cut-away view of the clamping jaw lever lock mechanism <NUM>. The purpose of the clamping jaw lever lock mechanism <NUM> is to hold the upper <NUM> and lower <NUM> clamping jaws together as they are raising and lowering the cupholder <NUM> during blending while allowing the lower clamping jaw <NUM> to release from the upper clamping jaw <NUM> when the blending process is finished so that the user can easily remove the cupholder <NUM> from the blender <NUM> to enjoy the blended food or beverage product. The lever lock mechanism <NUM> accomplishes this objective through the interaction of lever lock mechanism biasing spring <NUM> with lever <NUM> and upper locking tube <NUM>. During the blending process (see, <FIG>), the biasing spring <NUM> presses down on the lever <NUM> to wedge the upper locking tube <NUM> and, thereby, the lower clamping jaw <NUM> into a locked position. When the upper locking tube <NUM> is so wedged, the upper <NUM> and lower <NUM> clamping jaws travel up and down together as one piece, thereby firmly holding the cupholder <NUM> in place during blending. When the blending has been completed and the upper clamping jaw <NUM> drops down to its lowest position (see, <FIG>), a shelf <NUM> (<FIG>) built into the upper housing <NUM> will push the lever <NUM> upward to overcome the force of the biasing spring <NUM> and thereby allow the upper locking tube <NUM> to move freely. In this release position, the lower clamping jaw <NUM> can vertically separate from upper clamping jaw <NUM>. In addition, when the lever <NUM> is pushed up into the horizontal release position, the lever <NUM> holds the upper clamping jaw <NUM> stationary while the lower clamping jaw <NUM> travels downward to the "home position. " This vertical separation allows the cupholder <NUM> to be freely removed and reinserted. At the beginning of the next blending process after the cupholder <NUM> has been reinserted, the dual lead screws <NUM> will raise the lower clamping jaw <NUM> until it reconnects with the upper clamping jaw <NUM> and continues its upward movement to the point where biasing spring <NUM> again presses the lever <NUM> into its downward locking position so that the upper <NUM> and lower <NUM> clamping jaws are locked together during blending.

<FIG> and <FIG> show alternative elevator assembly embodiments that do not rely on a clamping jaw <NUM> to hold the cupholder during blending. In the <FIG> embodiment, a permanently affixed cupholder <NUM> is part of an elevator bracket assembly <NUM> which connects the cupholder <NUM> to lead screw nuts <NUM> through bracket arms <NUM>. To blend food or beverage using this alternative embodiment, one places the cup <NUM> with the food or beverage into the top of the permanently affixed cupholder <NUM>. The interaction of the dual lead screws <NUM> with the lead screw nuts <NUM> can then raise and lower the elevator bracket assembly <NUM> during the blending process. <FIG> illustrates how the permanently affixed cupholder <NUM> might appear in the context of the blender <NUM> as a whole. In this <FIG> embodiment, the elevator bracket assembly is incorporated into the blender housing so that the brackets <NUM> remain visible but the dual lead screws <NUM> are hidden from view. As in the preferred embodiment, the spindle assembly (not shown) in these permanently fixed cupholder <NUM> embodiments remains in a fixed position while the food or beverage cup <NUM> is moved up and down. As compared with the preferred embodiment, these alternative embodiments are simpler to manufacture. Nonetheless, these alternative embodiments have the disadvantage of requiring more space because, as in the F'real commercial blenders, the cup <NUM> must be inserted into the cupholder <NUM> from above. This means that the alternative embodiment blenders must be large enough to provide room for the cup <NUM> to be inserted into the cupholder <NUM> from above.

<FIG> illustrates how a permanently affixed cupholder <NUM> can be raised and lowered by an elevator assembly in a balanced linear motion without the use of dual lead screws <NUM>. In the <FIG> embodiment, a belt drive assembly <NUM> is used in place of the dual lead screws <NUM>. In this embodiment, the belt drive assembly <NUM> includes dual drive belts <NUM> with inwardly facing teeth <NUM>. The dual drive belts <NUM> are each wrapped around pulleys <NUM> with complementary teeth (not shown) which, in the preferred embodiment, are both driven by a single drive belt motor <NUM>. By simultaneously rotating the drive belts <NUM>, the drive belt motor <NUM> is able to move the cupholder <NUM> up and down during the blending process. A drive belt housing <NUM> is preferably used to retain the drive belts <NUM> in their proper position and prevent a user's fingers from touching moving drive belts <NUM>. While the use of drive belts <NUM> is illustrated in <FIG> in connection with a permanently fixed cupholder <NUM> embodiment, those of skill in the art will recognize that such drive belts <NUM> could also be used in place of lead screw <NUM> for operating the clamping jaw <NUM> illustrated in the earlier preferred embodiments.

<FIG> and <FIG> are cut-away top and rear views, respectively, of the blender <NUM> of the present invention illustrating the preferred location and operation of the spindle motor <NUM> and the dual lead screw motor <NUM> (<FIG>). A spindle belt or chain <NUM> preferably connects a pulley <NUM> on top of the spindle motor <NUM> with a pulley <NUM> coupled to the spindle assembly <NUM>. It is through this spindle belt or chain <NUM> that rotational energy from the spindle motor <NUM> translates into turning the rotating shaft <NUM> and rotating cutting blades <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM>. In the preferred embodiment, associated with the spindle motor <NUM> is a spindle motor encoder <NUM> which detects and helps control the speed of the spindle motor <NUM>. As previously noted, the dual lead screw belt or chain <NUM> connects the dual lead screw motor <NUM> to the dual lead screws <NUM> through their respective pulleys <NUM>, <NUM>. Like the spindle motor <NUM>, the dual lead screw motor <NUM> also has a dual lead screw motor encoder <NUM> to detect and help control the operation of the dual lead screw motor <NUM>. By detecting the angular position of the dual lead screw motor, the dual lead screw motor encoder <NUM> can, in conjunction with microcontroller <NUM> (<FIG>), calculate the vertical position of the clamping jaw <NUM>. To overcome the potential cumulative effect of occasional missed encoder counts, a "home" sensor <NUM> (<FIG>) is preferably used with the encoder <NUM> to ensure that the clamping jaw <NUM> always returns to the same starting "home position" at the end of the blending cycle. In alternative embodiments, the position of the clamping jaw <NUM> can be determined through, for example, a combination of "high position", "low position" and "home position" sensors that are positioned along the travel path of the clamping jaw <NUM>. Where multiple sensors are used in these positions, the microcontroller would not need to rely upon a dual lead screw motor encoder <NUM>. These sensors could, for example, be electrical or electro-mechanical devices, such as magnets activating "Hall Effect" sensors or switches.

<FIG> is an electrical block diagram for the blender <NUM> of the present invention. The blender of the present invention preferably receives its power from an alternating voltage source, such as a household electrical outlet. Those of skill in the art will recognize, though, that other electrical sources could be used, such as batteries. A switch, such as an "on/off" switch (not shown) may be present on the blender <NUM> to shut off power to the blender <NUM> when the blender is not in use. The start button <NUM> on the front door housing <NUM>, in some embodiments, can serve as such an "on/off" switch. For the reasons previously noted, the blender is prevented from operating if the front housing door <NUM> is in an open position. In the preferred embodiment, the front door latch <NUM> acts as a switch <NUM> to prevent electricity from reaching the motorized parts of the blender <NUM> if the front door latch <NUM> is open. Rectifiers <NUM>, <NUM> are preferably used to convert alternating current into direct current for the spindle motor <NUM>/spindle motor control 121A as well as dual lead screw motor <NUM>/dual lead screw motor control 127A. Transformer <NUM>/ Logic Power Circuit <NUM> are preferably used to step down the voltage to more usable levels, particularly for the microcontroller <NUM>. The microcontroller <NUM> receives numerous inputs to allow it to safely operate the blender <NUM> of the present invention, including inputs from cupholder sensor <NUM>, the start button <NUM>, clamping jaw "home" sensor <NUM> (<FIG>), the dual lead screw motor encoder <NUM>, the spindle motor encoder <NUM> and a vibration detection transducer <NUM>. For example, the cupholder <NUM> must be sensed in the proper position by cupholder sensor <NUM> before blending can take place. Assuming that the latch <NUM> is properly closed and the cupholder is sensed to be in the correct position, the microcontroller <NUM> preferably lights up, at least temporarily, the start button <NUM> and/or an LED display <NUM> near the start button <NUM> to tell the user that the blender is ready for operation. The microcontroller <NUM> then waits until the user presses the start button <NUM> to begin blending. The vibration detection transducer <NUM> senses whether the blender is undergoing excessive vibration indicative of improper use. For example, if the user fails to add liquid to a frozen beverage before blending, the frozen beverage can form a thick slurry which adheres to the rotating cutting blades <NUM> of the spindle assembly <NUM> during blending and, in some instances, causes excessive vibration of the blender. If excessive vibration is sensed by the vibration detection transducer <NUM>, the spindle motor <NUM> will preferably be stopped and the clamping jaw <NUM> will be returned to its "home position" (i.e., so that the rotating cutting blades <NUM> will be disengaged from the food or beverage in the cup). After a period of time, the microcontroller <NUM> can reset to allow continued operation of the blender. The vibration detection transducer <NUM> can take a number of forms, including an accelerometer, a switch or a microphone.

To perform the blending process, the microcontroller <NUM> sends signals to the dual lead screw motor control 127A to have the dual lead screw motor <NUM> turn the dual lead screws <NUM> to raise and lower the cupholder <NUM>. Simultaneously, the microcontroller <NUM> will have the spindle motor control 121A operate the spindle motor <NUM> so that the food or beverage is being blended as the cupholder <NUM> is moved up and down. During the blending process, the microcontroller <NUM> can receive inputs from, in the preferred embodiment, the dual lead screw motor encoder <NUM> and the "home position" sensor <NUM> so that the microcontroller <NUM> can tell the dual lead screw control 127A to have the dual lead screw motor <NUM> initiate movement, reverse movement or stop movement, as appropriate.

<FIG> illustrates the steps a user would typically go through to prepare smoothies and milkshakes using the blender <NUM> of the present invention when the blender is first used. First, the user will plug in the blender [<NUM>]. Preferably, after the blender is plugged in, an "on/off" switch or the start button <NUM> will light up, at least temporarily, to show the user that the blender <NUM> is ready for operation. As a safety feature, the blender will not operate if the front door is open [<NUM>, <NUM>]. If the spindle assembly <NUM> has not yet been installed, the user will need to open the front housing door [<NUM>] to install the spindle assembly <NUM> into the quick release coupling [<NUM>]. After the spindle assembly has been properly installed, the user closes the front housing door [<NUM>]. The user can then remove the cupholder from the cupholder receiving area [<NUM>] so that a cup with frozen food or beverage can be placed in the cupholder [<NUM>-<NUM>]. To prevent contamination, the cup with frozen food or beverage preferably has a tear off seal that must be removed to expose the frozen food or beverage [<NUM>]. In the preferred embodiment, the user then adds liquid, such as water or milk, to the frozen food or beverage up to a recommended level to facilitate the blending process [<NUM>]. At this point, the user may also add mix-ins, such as fresh fruit or protein powder. The cup should then be placed into the cupholder so that the anti-rotational surfaces of the cup and cupholder can engage with one another [<NUM>]. After the anti-rotational surfaces have engaged, the cup/cupholder are slid horizontally into the cupholder receiving area so that cupholder lip <NUM> is between the upper and lower clamping jaws [<NUM>]. In the preferred embodiment, the start button or an LED display will tell the user if the cupholder has been properly inserted [<NUM>]. After proper insertion, the user can press a start button <NUM> to initiate the blending routine [<NUM>], which then takes place automatically [<NUM>] without any further work by the user. When the blending process has been completed, the clamping jaws will release the cupholder so that the user can remove the cupholder from the blender [<NUM>] and enjoy the blended food/beverage in the cup after the cup is removed from the cupholder [<NUM>].

<FIG> summarizes the blending process of the present invention from the perspective of the blender <NUM> and, particularly, its microcontroller <NUM>. Before blending takes place, the microcontroller <NUM> preferably uses the "home position" sensor <NUM> to sense whether the clamping jaw <NUM> is in the proper starting or "home position" [<NUM>]. If not [<NUM>], the dual lead screw motor will be activated to move the lower clamping jaw down to the proper "home position" [<NUM>]. Once the lower clamping jaw <NUM> is confirmed to be in the "home position" and the microcontroller confirms that the cupholder is properly inserted between the upper and lower clamping jaws [<NUM>], the blender can be activated by pressing the start button <NUM>. After the start button <NUM> is then pushed, the microcontroller <NUM> activates the dual lead screw motor <NUM> to start raising the lower clamping jaw <NUM> of the elevator assembly [<NUM>]. The ramped geometry on the underside of the front door <NUM> and cupholder lip <NUM> urge the cupholder <NUM> into the correct position, if it is not already there [<NUM>]. The lower clamping jaw <NUM> is then raised from its "home position" until it locks with the upper clamping jaw <NUM> and, in the process, firmly clamps the cupholder lip <NUM> as well as presses the cup cover <NUM> against the cup lip [<NUM>]. At this point, in the preferred embodiment, the microcontroller <NUM> uses information received from the dual lead screw motor encoder <NUM> to calculate when the clamping jaw <NUM> reaches the "low position" [<NUM>]. When the clamping jaw <NUM> is in the "low position", the microcontroller <NUM> can start the blending process through activation of the spindle motor [<NUM>].

The spindle motor <NUM> continues to blend the food or beverage in the cup or cupholder as the elevator assembly lifts the cupholder upward [<NUM>]. Since the rotating cutting blades of the spindle assembly are in a fixed position, those rotating cutting blades will blend progressively lower levels of the food or beverage as the cup and/or cupholder are raised by the elevator assembly [<NUM>]. As the clamping jaw <NUM> of the elevator assembly reaches its highest position, the microcontroller <NUM> determines that the "high position" has been reached using its dual lead screw encoder <NUM> or, in some embodiments, it receives a signal from a "high position" sensor [<NUM>]. This determination causes the microcontroller <NUM> to stop the dual lead screw motor from continuing to raise the clamping jaw [<NUM>]. After a brief pause, the microcontroller <NUM> directs the dual lead screw motor <NUM> to begin lowering the clamping jaw and cupholder [<NUM>]. As the clamping jaw and cupholder are lowered between the "high" and "low" positions, the rotating cutting blades will blend progressively higher levels of food or beverage in the cup and/or cupholder. The dual lead screw motor continues lowering the clamping jaw and cupholder until the microcontroller <NUM> determines that the clamping jaw <NUM> has reached the "low position" [<NUM>]. After reaching the "low position", the microcontroller <NUM> instructs the dual lead screw motor <NUM> to stop lowering the clamping jaw and cupholder if further blending is desired [<NUM>]. During the raising and/or lowering process as blending takes place, the microcontroller <NUM> can monitor the amount of current used to make sure it does not exceed predetermined limits [<NUM>, <NUM>]. If the pre-determined current limit is exceeded, the microcontroller will temporarily slow travel or reverse the direction of travel [<NUM>, <NUM>].

In the preferred embodiment, the rotating cutting blades pass through the food or beverage multiple times before the blending is complete (see <FIG>). For example, if two complete cycles are desired, the microcontroller <NUM> will direct the dual lead screw motor to raise the clamping jaw and cupholder for a second time [<NUM>] until the microcontroller determines that the clamping jaw has again reached the "high position" [<NUM>]. At that point, the dual lead screw motor <NUM> will lower the clamping jaw and cupholder for a second time [<NUM>] until the microcontroller determines that the "low position" has again been reached [<NUM>]. In this two cycle embodiment, the blending will now be complete so that the microcontroller can turn off the spindle motor [<NUM>]. To allow the user to access the blended food or beverage, the dual lead screw motor <NUM> will further lower the clamping jaw from the "low position" to the "home position" [<NUM>] which will simultaneously separate the upper clamping jaw <NUM> from the lower clamping jaw <NUM> and remove the cup cover <NUM> from the cup lip <NUM>. As the "home position" is reached, the microcontroller <NUM> will stop the dual lead screw motor [<NUM>] so that the user can remove the cupholder with the blended food or beverage product while none of the blender motors are operating.

Claim 1:
A blender capable of blending contents inside of a container, the blender comprising:
said container;
a spindle (<NUM>) with a blending tool (<NUM>); and,
an elevator assembly (<NUM>);
characterized in that said elevator assembly (<NUM>) comprises a clamping jaw (<NUM>), is capable of securing said container using said clamping jaw (<NUM>) and is capable of raising and/or lowering said container while said blending tool (<NUM>) blends any contents inside said container.