Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120024993 | FOOD PROCESSOR - A food processor is provided which includes a container, a blade assembly, and a base arranged such that the container is coupleable to the base. The base includes a housing and a motor configured to drive the blade assembly. The food processor further includes an actuator included with the container moveable between a first position and a second, extended position. When the container is coupled to the base and the actuator is in the second, extended position, the actuator is configured to actuate a switch to permit activation of the motor, and the base is constructed such that the container can be coupled to the base when the actuator is in the second, extended position. | 02-02-2012 |
20120024995 | FOOD PROCESSOR AND ATTACHMENT - A blending apparatus is provided which includes a container, a lid for covering the container, and an attachment within the container. The attachment includes a central shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being configured to engage the lid, and the second end being configured to engage a drive member of the container. The attachment further includes blades extending outwardly from the central shaft, the blades being operable to engage food products in the container. The attachment rotates within the container body (i) while the attachment is captured between a bushing of the lid and the drive member of the container, the first end of the central shaft engaging the bushing and the second end of the central shaft engaging the drive member of the container and (ii) while the second end of the attachment receives torque from the drive member of the container. | 02-02-2012 |
20120026827 | FOOD PROCESSOR WITH ATTACHMENT - A blending apparatus is provided which includes a container defining a cavity having a center axis and a substantially rectangular cross section through the center axis. The blending apparatus further includes a lid to cover the cavity defined by the container, and an attachment to fit within the cavity and rotate about the center axis of the cavity. In some arrangements, a set of sides of the container defines (i) a substantially octagonal interior cross section through the center axis at a location adjacent a bottom of the container to prevent lodging of food products at the bottom of the container when the attachment rotates within the cavity; and (ii) a substantially square interior cross section through the center axis at a location further from the bottom of the container. | 02-02-2012 |
20120027902 | FOOD PROCESSOR - A food processor is provided which includes a container, a blade assembly, a lid configured to cover the top of the container, and a handle attached to the lid. The handle may be movable between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the lid, where when the handle is in the first position, the lid is capable of being coupled to the container, and when the handle is in the second position, the lid is locked to the container. When the handle is in the first position, the motor may be prevented from being activated, and when the handle is in the second position activation of the motor may be permitted. A release button on the lid may be configured to move the handle out of the second position. | 02-02-2012 |
20130264401 | FOOD PROCESSOR - A food processor includes at least two different types of blades to process foods. A processing assembly includes a shaft, a set of pureeing blades attached to the shaft, and a set of substantially horizontal blades attached to the shaft. Each substantially horizontal blade may have a rearwardly curved leading cutting edge. The substantially horizontal blades are positioned higher with a food processing container than the pureeing blades. In some embodiments, upwardly angled blades may be included to induce vertical circulation and/or vorticial flow of the processed food. | 10-10-2013 |
20130264404 | FOOD PROCESSOR - Food processing assemblies for rotating two processing tools inside a container at two different speeds and/or directions and methods for using such a processing assembly are disclosed. The two processing tools are vertically spaced along the longitudinal axis of the processing assembly. A motor drives the first processing tool and a transmission system, and the transmission system drives the second processing tool. The transmission system outputs a rotation speed and/or direction is different from that of the motor to drive the second processing tool. The transmission system may be located between the two processing tools within the food-containing volume of the container. | 10-10-2013 |
20130264405 | FOOD PROCESSOR - Food processing assemblies for rotating processing tools inside a container are disclosed. A portion of the processing assembly is rotationally fixed relative to the container in at least one rotational direction while the processing assembly is driven. In some embodiments, one end of the food processing assembly may be rotationally fixed to a container lid in at least one rotational direction. The processing tool may include a transmission system, where a portion of the transmission is rotationally fixed to the container in at least one rotational direction. | 10-10-2013 |
20140217216 | FOOD PROCESSOR WITH ATTACHMENT - A blending apparatus is provided which includes a container defining a cavity having a center axis and a substantially rectangular cross section through the center axis. The blending apparatus further includes a lid to cover the cavity defined by the container, and an attachment to fit within the cavity and rotate about the center axis of the cavity. In some arrangements, a set of sides of the container defines (i) a substantially octagonal interior cross section through the center axis at a location adjacent a bottom of the container to prevent lodging of food products at the bottom of the container when the attachment rotates within the cavity; and (ii) a substantially square interior cross section through the center axis at a location further from the bottom of the container. | 08-07-2014 |
20140231562 | BLENDER SYSTEM WITH ROTATABLE BLADE ASSEMBLY - A blender system includes a container having a rotatable blade assembly therein, a lid covering an open end of the container, and a base with a motorized unit. When the container is coupled with the base, the motorized unit is adapted to drive rotation of the rotatable blade assembly. The lid includes a hinged actuator lever adapted to actuate the motorized unit. A detent extends from the hinged actuator lever and passes through a series of apertures and presses against a slidable actuator shaft disposed in the container and maintained in its position by a spring force, thereby depressing a switch for the motorized unit. A rotatable blade system includes cutting blade(s) and crushing blade(s). The crushing blade extends longitudinally outwardly from a hub. When the hub rotates in a first direction or second direction opposite the first direction, a face of the crushing blade is leading or trailing, respectively. | 08-21-2014 |
20140238182 | HANDLE LOCKING AND RELEASE MECHANISM FOR A FOOD PROCESSOR - Food processing devices with attached handles are disclosed. The handle may be locked to prohibit movement of the handle relative to the food processing device and unlocked to permit movement of the handle relative to the food processing device. The mechanism for unlocking the handle may include a cam-type arrangement. The handle may function as part of a safety system which controls actuation of a motor. | 08-28-2014 |
20140252146 | BLENDER - A blender is adapted to process and heat food products. The blender includes a base and a container coupled with the base. Disposed in the container is a work area and a processor component adapted to process food products. Disposed within the processor component is a fluid conduit through which steam may pass. The fluid conduit includes at least one outer wall and an interior lumen. The outer wall of the fluid conduit is separated from an inner wall of the processor component by a gap. The gap is in fluid communication with the work chamber. Disposed in the base is a reservoir (adapted to hold one or more fluids, e.g., water), which is in fluid communication with the interior lumen of the fluid conduit of the container. Steam formed in the reservoir passes from the reservoir into the work chamber by way of the interior lumen and the gap. | 09-11-2014 |
20140263340 | CONTAINER LID RELEASE APPARATUS AND METHOD - A lid release mechanism and a lid locking mechanism for a food processing apparatus are disclosed. The lid release mechanism facilitates removal of a lid from a container via a camming surface in some embodiments. For removal, the lid may be initially tilted to break the seal between the lid and the container. A lid locking mechanism may be included, and in some embodiments, the motion to unlock the lid (e.g., pivoting an arm) also starts lid removal. | 09-18-2014 |
20140346262 | FOOD PROCESSOR - A food processor is provided which includes a container, a blade assembly, and a base arranged such that the container is coupleable to the base. The base includes a housing and a motor configured to drive the blade assembly. The food processor further includes an actuator included with the container moveable between a first position and a second, extended position. When the container is coupled to the base and the actuator is in the second, extended position, the actuator is configured to actuate a switch to permit activation of the motor, and the base is constructed such that the container can be coupled to the base when the actuator is in the second, extended position. | 11-27-2014 |
20150020693 | COOKING SYSTEM - A cooking system includes a housing and a liner with a bottom heating element and a side circumferential heating element in a plurality of segments electrically connected. A control subsystem includes a selector for the user switchable between slow cook and stove top modes. Both the bottom heating element and the side circumferential heating element are energized and in the stove top mode. Only the side circumferential heating element is energized in the slow cook mode. | 01-22-2015 |