Patent ID: 6974244

Claim:
A hand-held wand mixer, comprising: (a) a motor assembly, comprising: a housing; a motor substantially enclosed in said housing and having a motor shaft; and a first drive connection mounted to an output end of said motor shaft; and (b) a detachable wand assembly, comprising: an elongate, shaft tube having upper and lower ends; an elongate drive shaft substantially enclosed in said shaft tube and having upper and lower ends, said lower end of said drive shaft being configured for attachment of a mixer tool thereto; a seal member mounted around said lower end of said drive shaft so as to seal said shaft tube against entry of fluids and debris; upper and lower bearing members mounted proximate said upper and lower ends of said shaft tube so as to support said upper and lower ends of said drive shaft axially therein; a second drive connection mounted to said upper end of said drive shaft for detachably engaging said first drive connection on said motor shaft; means for detachably mounting said upper end of said shaft tube to said housing of said motor assembly so that said wand assembly is mounted to said motor assembly and so that said first and second drive connections are maintained in drive engagement; a concentric recess proximate said upper end of said shaft tube that receives said upper bearing member therein, said recess having a lower wall that engages a lower surface of an outer race of said upper bearing member; a lower surface on said second drive connection that engages an upper surface of an inner race of said upper bearing member; and an upper surface on said drive shaft that engages a lower surface of said inner race of said upper bearing member, so that said surfaces in said recess and on said drive shaft and second drive connection cooperate with said upper bearing member to hold said shaft against axial movement within said shaft tube.