Patent ID: 12256865

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring toFIG.1, a food processor10according to the present invention is shown. The food processor10includes base housing12having a motor (not shown) disposed within. The motor is preferably a conventional electric motor that is reversible and has a variable speed between approximately 500-3,500 RPM. The motor is operatively engaged with a drive shaft16to cause the drive shaft16to rotate. The motor is oriented such that the drive shaft16extends upwardly from the motor, extending outwardly and/or protruding from a top surface of the base housing12. The base housing12may include a user interface electrically connected to the motor to enable a user to control the speed of the motor. As is known in the art, the user interface may include one or more knobs, dials, buttons, toggle switches or the like. A terminal end of the drive shaft16extends outwardly from the base housing and has a plastic adapter shaft18engageable and rotatable therewith. A distal end of the adapter shaft18includes a blade coupling configured to engage a cutting blade or other attachment, as discussed hereinafter.

Referring toFIGS.1-2, the food processor10also includes a bowl20removably securable on the base housing12. Preferably, the bowl20has a plurality of protrusions that slidingly engage within corresponding slots in the base housing to retain the bowl20on the base housing12. For example, the bowl20may be retained on the base12via a bayonet style coupling, as is known in the art, that resists forces in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Extending upwardly from the center of the bottom wall of the bowl20is a generally cylindrical central tube sized to accommodate the drive shaft16therethrough when the bowl20is secured to the base housing12in an assembled position. A handle22is integrally molded to the sidewall of the bowl and extends outwardly therefrom, to provide the user with a gripping surface with which to pick up, carry, and otherwise handle the bowl20. In an embodiment, the bowl20may also be provided with a slicing disc adjustment mechanism24configured to mate with the lower end of the adapter shaft18and operable from outside the bowl20by a user to vary the slice thickness of food items. In addition, the bowl20may be provided with a wiper element26having a plurality of scraper blades that contact the inner sidewall of the bowl20. The wiper element26is selectively rotatable by a user about the inner periphery of the bowl20, via rotation of a knob29accessible above the bowl20, to scrape the sides of the bowl20during processing of food items.

As shown inFIG.2, a smaller capacity bowl27may be mounted to the base12in lieu of the larger capacity bowl20, such as when a smaller volume of food is to be processed. In an embodiment, the bowl20has a 16-cup capacity and the smaller bowl27has a 4-8 cup capacity.

As best shown inFIG.2, the bowl20may also include an optical channel31on the periphery thereof. The optical channel31is configured to receive an optical signal generated by the control unit within the base12to ensure the bowl20is properly seated on the base12, and a lid is properly seated on the bowl20. For example, when an optical signal sent from the base is reflected and received back at the base by an optical sensor, this indicates that the base, bowl and lid are in proper position for food processing. This “optical interlock” ensures that the motor will not operate, and the processing tool will not rotate, unless the bowl and lid are in proper position.

Although the base housing12is shown as being generally square-shaped, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the base housing12be of a different shape as long as the base housing12can still perform its intended functions, as described herein. Additionally, although the bowl20is shown as being removably retained at the top of the base housing12, it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention that the base housing12be generally L-shaped when viewed from the side, such that the motor is disposed within the vertically-oriented portion and the bowl20is disposed on top of the horizontally-oriented portion.

As further shown inFIGS.1and2, a cutting tool28is rotatably securable to the drive shaft16. In particular, the cutting tool28is rotatably fixed to the adapter shaft18proximate the terminal end of the drive shaft16and is positioned within the bowl20above the top edge of the central tube, when in the assembled position. In an embodiment, the cutting tool28is a generally circular metallic disk having at least one slicing blade30formed therein as is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

Alternatively, a dicing mechanism including a dicing blade32and a dicing plate34may be utilized in place of the cutting tool28in order to dice food items. In connection with the dicing mechanism, a plurality of indexing storage containers36may be inserted into the bowl20in nested position with the wiper element26, below the dicing plate34. The wiper element26may be selectively rotated by a user to index the storage containers36to a desired position beneath the dicing plate34to collect diced food items therein. In yet another embodiment, a spiral cutting blade assembly38may be utilized in place of the cutting tool28in order to cut food items into spiral shapes.

The food processor10further includes a lid40that is removably securable to a top of the bowl20. The lid40defines a substantially circular body sized and dimensioned to cover the bowl20, and has an opening42formed therein configured to receive one of a flat cover44, a large feed tube46or a spiral feed tube48, as best shown inFIGS.3-8. The opening42in the lid may be generally oval or kidney shaped, although other shapes and dimensions are envisioned. As illustrated inFIGS.1-8, and as discussed hereinafter, the flat cover44, large feed tube46and spiral feed tube48each include a lower portion sized and shaped to be received in the opening42, and a peripheral flange limiting the insertion depth of the respective flat cover44, large feed tube46or spiral feed tube48into the opening42and preventing such components from falling into the bowl20.

Turning now toFIGS.3and4, the modular lid40is shown in use with the flat cover44. As alluded to above, the flat cover44has a lower portion50sized and shaped to be received in the opening42, and a peripheral flange52that contacts the top surface of the lid40to prevent the flat cover44from falling into the bowl20. The flat cover44also includes an optical channel54that is configured to align with the optical channel31on the periphery of the bowl20when the flat cover is in place on the lid40and the lid40is in place atop the bowl20. As alluded to above, alignment between the optical channel54, optical channel31and the base12creates an “optical interlock,” ensuring that the cover44, lid40and bowl20are all in proper position for safe operation.

With reference toFIGS.5and6, the modular lid40is shown in use with the large feed tube46. As alluded to above, the large feed tube46has a lower portion56sized and shaped to be received in the opening42, and a peripheral flange58that contacts the top surface of the lid40to prevent the large feed tube46from falling into the bowl20. A generally oval shaped opening extends through the feed tube46to allow for the insertion of food items to be processed. The large feed tube46similarly includes an optical channel60that is configured to align with the optical channel31on the periphery of the bowl20to establish the “optical interlock” in the manner discussed above.

As further illustrated inFIGS.1,2,5and6, the large feed tube46includes a pusher assembly having a first pusher62, a second pusher64, and a third pusher66. The first pusher62is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by the feed tube56and may be utilized to push large food items through the feed tube46and into the cutting tool28or other processing implement within the bowl20. The second pusher64is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by an aperture in the first pusher62that defines a smaller feed tube opening. The second pusher64may be utilized when somewhat smaller food items are to be processed. For example, when processing somewhat smaller food items, the first pusher62may be inserted into the feed tube46. In this position, the smaller aperture through the first pusher62defines the passageway into the bowl20. The second pusher64may then be utilized to push the smaller food items through the aperture in the first pusher62and into the cutting tool28or other processing implement within the bowl20.

Similarly, the third pusher66is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by an aperture in the second pusher64that defines an even smaller feed tube opening. The third pusher66may be utilized when even smaller food items are to be processed. For example, when processing very small food items, the first pusher62may be inserted into the feed tube46and the second pusher64may then be inserted into the aperture in the first pusher62. In this position, the small aperture through the second pusher64defines the passageway into the bowl20. The third pusher66may then be utilized to push the small food items through the aperture in the second pusher64and into the cutting tool28or other processing implement within the bowl20.

In this manner, a user may configure the feed tube46and pusher assembly to provide a feed tube opening that best matches the size of the food items to be processed. In particular, when processing food items with a small cross-sectional area such as celery or carrots, a large feed tube opening (having a cross sectional area much greater than that of the food items) is not ideal and can adversely impact processing performance. With the configurable feed tube46, however, a user can easily vary the area of the feed tube opening to better match the thickness of the food items to be processed. More specifically, matching the feed tube opening area to the thickness of food items to be processed results in greater stability as the food items are pushed into the cutting tool. As a result, improved processing performance may be realized.

Importantly, each of the first, second and third pushers have a flange at the top thereof that prevents the pushers from falling through one another and into the bowl when in the nested configuration. Indeed, in the nested configuration shown inFIG.5, the bottom of each pusher is generally coplanar. Preferably, the opening in the feed tube46, first pusher62and second pusher64are generally the same shape but have decreasing cross-sectional areas. In the preferred embodiment, the openings are generally oval in shape.

Referring now toFIGS.7and8, the modular lid40is shown in use with the spiral feed tube48. Like the flat cover44and large feed tube46, the spiral feed tube48has a lower portion68sized and shaped to be received in the opening42in the lid40, and a peripheral flange70that contacts the top surface of the lid40to prevent the spiral feed tube48from falling into the bowl20. A generally cylindrical opening extends through the spiral feed tube48to allow for the insertion of food items to be processed. The spiral feed tube48similarly includes an optical channel72that is configured to align with the optical channel31on the periphery of the bowl20to establish the “optical interlock” in the manner discussed above.

In connection with the optical interlock feature described above, the optical sensor that receives the optical signal indicating that the components are all in locked and proper position may be positioned either in the base (in which case the optical signal is reflected by the lid attachment/cover/feed tube), or in the lid attachment/cover/feed tube itself.

As illustrated inFIGS.1,2,7and8, the spiral feed tube48includes a pusher74that is sized and shaped so as to be slidably received by the cylindrical opening in the feed tube48and may be utilized to push food items through the feed tube48and into the spiral cutter38within the bowl20. Like the pushers of the large feed tube, pusher74has a flange at the top thereof that prevents the pusher from falling through the opening in the spiral feed tube48and into the bowl20.

In an embodiment, the lid40may include a pushbutton release that may be activated by a user to release the flat cover44, large feed tube46or spiral feed tube48from engagement with the lid40.

The modular lid40of the present invention therefore allows a user to configure the lid40in dependence upon the particular processing operation to be carried out as well as the size of the food items to be processed. For example, for blending operations the lid40may be fully closed off by utilizing the flat cover44. When spiral cutting, the spiral feed tube48may be utilized. In addition, during standard food processing operations, the large feed tube46may be attached to the lid40. In connection with such standard processing, the feed tube opening may be selectively varied by a user by using one or more of the nestable pushers, in order to more closely match the size of food items to be processed. The ability to tailor the size of the feed tube opening to the size of food items to be processed improves processing performance, as a whole.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to the detailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.