Patent Description:
Food processors, such as blenders 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.

<CIT> discloses a household cooking appliance comprising a housing supporting a mixing bowl that can hold a breaking tool. <CIT> discloses a blender.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a grinder attachment for a food processing system, as defined in claim <NUM>. The dependent claims define optional features.

According to one embodiment, a grinder attachment for a food processing system is provided including a grinder base and a grinder cup defining a grinder chamber and a grinder opening. The grinder cup is mounted to the grinder base at a closed end of the grinder cup. The closed end is opposite the grinder opening. A rotatable blade assembly includes at least one blade positioned within the chamber of the grinder cup.

Said rotatable blade assembly is driven by a said food processing system.

A cover is configured to surround said grinder cup to seal the grinder opening.

Said cover is configured to removably couple to said grinder base.

Optionally, said grinder base includes at least one pathway formed therein and said cover includes at least one protrusion receivable within said pathway.

Optionally, said cover includes at least one tab configured to couple said grinder attachment to said food processing system.

According to another embodiment, a food processing system is provided including a food processor having a rotary component. The grinder attachment is configured for removable association with the food processor. The grinder attachment includes the grinder cup defining the grinder chamber that opens at a distal end of the grinder cup relative to the food processor. The rotatable blade assembly includes the rotary coupling and the at least one blade. The at least one blade is positioned within the chamber of the grinder cup. The coupling being associable with the rotary component of the food processor.

Rotation of said at least one blade is driven by said rotary component.

Said rotary component is configured to engage and drive said rotary coupling of said rotatable blade assembly.

The grinder attachment further comprises the cover configured to surround said grinder cup to prevent food from leaving said grinder chamber when said food processing system is in use.

Optionally, at least one of said rotary coupling and said cover removably affix said grinder attachment to said food processor.

Optionally, said cover includes at least one protrusion configured to engage a portion of said food processing system to limit movement of said grinder attachment relative to said food processing system.

Said grinder attachment further comprises the grinder base, said grinder cup being mounted to said grinder base at a closed end.

Optionally, said grinder base includes at least one pathway formed therein and said cover includes at least one tab configured to engage said pathway to couple said cover to said grinder base.

Optionally, a mounting disc is positioned within said grinder chamber adjacent said closed end.

Optionally, the food processing system is a personal blender system.

The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification embodies several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serves to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:.

Referring now to the <FIG>, an example of a multi-functional food processing system <NUM> is illustrated in more detail. In general, the food processing system <NUM> 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 illustrated and described herein is a personal blender system, other food processing systems are within the scope of the present disclosure. The food processing <NUM> system includes a base <NUM> having a body or housing <NUM> within which a motorized unit (not shown) and at least one controller (not shown) are located. The base <NUM> includes at least one rotary component, such as a drive coupler <NUM> (see <FIG>) for example, driven by the motorized unit within the body <NUM>. The base <NUM> additionally includes a control panel or user interface <NUM> with options 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 <NUM> is configured to engage a portion of an attachment <NUM> coupled to the base <NUM> for the processing of food products located within an interior of the attachment <NUM>. This will become more apparent in subsequent FIGS. and discussion.

A plurality of interchangeable attachments <NUM> varying in size and/or functionality may be configured for use with the base <NUM>. For example, in <FIG>, the attachment <NUM> connected to the food processor base <NUM> is a generally hollow container. In the non-limiting embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, the attachment <NUM> is a grinder, such as for grinding spices or coffee for example. The grinder attachment <NUM> includes a grinder base <NUM> having a grinder cup <NUM> installed thereon. The grinder cup <NUM> may, but need not be formed from a metal material, such as stainless steel for example. The grinder cup <NUM> generally includes a top <NUM>, a bottom <NUM> and one or more walls <NUM> extending there between to define an interior chamber <NUM> within which food products are placed. As best shown in <FIG>, the top <NUM> of the grinder cup <NUM> includes an opening <NUM> that provides access for the one or more food items into the chamber <NUM>. The bottom <NUM> is closed, such as by contact with the grinder base <NUM> for example, such that food products contained within the chamber <NUM> are unable to escape through the bottom <NUM>. In one embodiment, one or more markings are formed in wall <NUM> within the chamber <NUM> to identify to a user various volumes.

The grinder attachment <NUM> further includes a rotatable blade assembly <NUM> to facilitate the processing and/or blending of the food products located therein. As shown, the rotatable blade assembly <NUM> includes a coupling <NUM>, complementary to the at least one drive coupler <NUM> of the base <NUM>, disposed at the underside of the grinder base <NUM> (<FIG>). A spindle <NUM> is attached to the coupling <NUM> and extends through the grinder base <NUM> and the bottom <NUM> of the grinder cup <NUM>. The spindle <NUM> is configured to rotate about an axis A and has at least one blade <NUM> mounted thereto. The at least one blade <NUM> is disposed within the chamber <NUM> of the grinder cup <NUM> such that rotation thereof about axis A is adapted to facilitate processing and/or blending of the food products arranged therein. In one embodiment, a mounting disc <NUM> (<FIG>) is positioned within the chamber <NUM> adjacent the bottom <NUM> of the grinder cup <NUM> to form a seal therein.

A cover <NUM> configured to surround the grinder cup <NUM> is removably coupled to the grinder base <NUM> to prevent movement of one or more food items from the chamber <NUM>. In the illustrated, non-limiting embodiment, the cover <NUM> is formed from a durable, transparent material, for example plastic, to allow a user to determine whether the food products within the chamber <NUM> of the grinder cup <NUM> are sufficiently processed. As shown in the FIGS, the cover <NUM> may be formed with a plurality of tabs <NUM> protruding inwardly from a surface <NUM> of the cover <NUM>. To install the cover <NUM> onto the grinder base <NUM>, each of the plurality of tabs <NUM> engages a complementary pathway <NUM> formed in the grinder base <NUM>. In one embodiment, the pathways <NUM> extend about a portion of the circumference of the grinder base <NUM> such that the cover <NUM> is configured to rotate relative to the grinder base <NUM>. In one embodiment, an obstruction <NUM> is formed within a portion of the pathway <NUM> to prevent unintended rotation of the cover <NUM> relative to the grinder base <NUM>. Although a specific connection between the cover <NUM> and the grinder base <NUM> is illustrated and described herein, other types of connections are within the scope of the disclosure.

The grinder attachment <NUM>, and possibly any of the other attachments configured for use with the base <NUM>, may be configured to slidably connect thereto. Alternatively or in addition, the attachment <NUM> may be configured to rotatably connect to the base <NUM> such that the attachment <NUM> is locked relative to the base <NUM>. In one embodiment, a plurality of tabs <NUM> extending outwardly from the cover <NUM> are configured to align with a plurality of complementary openings formed in the base <NUM>. Rotation of the attachment <NUM> causes the tabs <NUM> to engage adjacent channels, thereby preventing unintended separation of the attachment <NUM> from the base <NUM> during operation of the food processing system <NUM>.

When the attachment <NUM> is mounted to the base <NUM>, at least a portion of the grinder base <NUM> is received within the base <NUM>. The coupling <NUM> of the grinder attachment <NUM> is positioned adjacent to and in contact with the at least one drive coupler <NUM> of the base <NUM> such that the motorized unit and the rotatable blade assembly <NUM> within the attachment are mechanically coupled. As a result, the motorized unit can be adapted to drive rotation of the rotatable blade assembly <NUM> about axis A to perform one or more food processing and/or blending operations when one or more buttons <NUM> of a user interface <NUM> on the base <NUM> are actuated.

The grinding attachment <NUM> disclosed herein expands on the functionality of a food processing system. As a result, the need for a separate grinding apparatus, for example to grind coffee, spices, and other foods, is eliminated.

Claim 1:
A grinder attachment (<NUM>) for a food processing system (<NUM>), the food processing system (<NUM>) comprising a food processor base (<NUM>) comprising a rotary component (<NUM>) and a motorized unit, the grinder attachment (<NUM>) comprising:
a grinder base (<NUM>);
a grinder cup (<NUM>) defining a grinder chamber (<NUM>) and a grinder opening (<NUM>), said grinder cup (<NUM>) being mounted to said grinder base (<NUM>) at a closed end (<NUM>) of said grinder cup (<NUM>), said closed end (<NUM>) being opposite said grinder opening (<NUM>);
a rotatable blade assembly (<NUM>) including at least one blade (<NUM>) positioned within said grinder chamber (<NUM>) of said grinder cup (<NUM>); and
a cover (<NUM>) configured to surround said grinder cup (<NUM>) to seal said grinder opening (<NUM>), wherein said cover (<NUM>) is configured to removably couple to said grinder base (<NUM>);
wherein at least a portion of the grinder base (<NUM>) is receivable within the food processor base (<NUM>);
wherein said rotatable blade assembly (<NUM>) of the grinder attachment (<NUM>) includes a rotary coupling (<NUM>), said coupling (<NUM>) being associable with the rotary component (<NUM>) of the food processor base (<NUM>).