Patent ID: 7384187

Claim:
A mixing machine, comprising: a mixer body including a head portion that extends over a bowl receiving location, the head portion including a magnetically actuatable bowl guard sensor thereon for providing a guard fault output; an output member extending downward from the head portion toward the bowl receiving location; a drive system including a motor mechanically linked to the output member for effecting planetary rotation of the output member, the drive system connected with the bowl guard sensor, the drive system and bowl guard sensor operate together such that in a first state of the bowl guard sensor planetary rotation of the output member can be effected by the drive system and in a second state of the bowl guard sensor planetary rotation of the output member cannot be effected by the drive system; a bowl guard assembly including a first portion and a second portion, at least the second portion is movable to enable the bowl guard assembly to be arranged in both a bowl guarding orientation and a bowl access orientation, the second portion includes one of a magnet and a magnetically conductive path that moves with the second portion, the first portion includes the other of the magnet and the magnetically conductive path, wherein when the bowl guard assembly is in the bowl guarding orientation the magnet is positioned at a distance from the bowl guard sensor so that the magnetically conductive path is necessary in order for a magnetic field from the magnet to reach the bowl guard sensor and place the bowl guard sensor in its first state.