Patent ID: 7192267

Claim:
A hand-held motorized apparatus to press food product, comprising: a housing that houses a motor; a handle that projects from the housing; an elongated barrel to hold the food product; a threaded rod configured for advancement along the elongated barrel as the threaded rod is turned; an extrusion member at an end of the elongated barrel; a plunger coupled to the rod and movable therewith along the elongated barrel to press the food product out the extrusion member; and a coupling mechanism coupling the rotation of the motor to turn the rod, wherein the threaded rod includes a helical thread formed therein and the coupling mechanism includes a stationary mating thread, wherein the helical thread of the rod engages the stationary mating thread, thereby advancing the threaded rod along the elongated barrel as the threaded rod is turned wherein the coupling mechanism is configured such that the helical thread of the rod may be disengaged from the stationary mating thread, thereby inhibiting rotation of the motor from causing the threaded rod to be further advanced along the elongated barrel, wherein the coupling mechanism can be operated by a member having two extensions that extend from either side of the housing to nominally force the stationary mating thread to be engaged with the helical thread of the threaded rod or disengage the stationary mating thread from the helical thread of the threaded rod.