Mixing Device Configured to Blend Food
A mixing device configured to blend food. The mixing device includes a base enclosing a motor. The base includes a recessed area and a projection extends from the recessed area. A jar is removably mounted to the base for containing food. A collar is removably mounted between the base and the jar. The collar has a blending tool that is operatively engaged with the motor when the collar is positioned on the base. Further, a splash guard is removably mounted to the base. The splash guard covers said recessed area. A space defined by the recessed area of the base and the splash guard provides storage for a cap. The cap is releasably mounted to the projection.
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This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/581,725, filed Oct. 16, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present application is directed to a mixing device configured to blend food and, more particularly, to a mixing device or blender that includes a removably mounted dispensing spout and a removably mounted splash guard that encloses a storage space.
Mixing devices or blenders are a relatively common household or kitchen appliance that are used to blend foodstuff, typically drinks or other foodstuff that is blended into a semi-fluid state. A typical blender includes a base that encloses a motor housing and a container comprised of a jar and a mixing assembly. The base includes a blending tool rotatably mounted thereto. The blending tool is rotatably engageable with a drive shaft of the motor in an operating configuration. More recently it has become popular to provide the blending jar or collar with a spout having a valve. The spout is used to dispense “smoothie” type products. That is, foodstuff is placed into the container and the container is engaged with the base. The foodstuff is blended and a handle of the spout is positioned to raise the valve to dispense or pour the blended foodstuff from base of the container.
When dispensing blended foodstuff through a spout, the foodstuff inside the spout can leave quit a mess. It would be desirable to remove the spout from the blender after blending the foodstuff. This would allow a user to more easily clean the spout before either using the blender for other foodstuff or storing the blender. In the same sense, it would be desirable to remove the valve housed inside the spout so that the valve can be properly cleaned before either storage or its next use.
When using a conventional mixing device or blender, blended foodstuff often escapes from inside the container either through the top of the jar or through the spout and splashes on the exterior of the mixing device. It would be desirable to include a removably mounted splash guard on the front of the base of the blender to prevent the front of the blender from accumulating splashed or spilled foodstuff. The splash guard may be positioned on the front of the base of the blender under the spout such that spilled or splashed blended foodstuff does not collect on the base of the blender. It would be desirable if the splash guard was removably mounted to the base so that the splash guard could be cleaned separately from the dispensing blender.
Further, blenders often come with various small parts, components or accessories that enhance a user's experience of the blender. Typically, such small parts are stored loosely with the blender and are often lost as a result. It would be desirable to further provide a self-storage space inside the blender, separate from the areas used to blend the foodstuff. This storage space would allow a user to keep small, ancillary components of the blender in a place that is easily assessable but not obstructive to the normal use of the blender. For example, it would be desirable to provide a space and a structure inside the blender to secure a cap which is used to prevent foodstuff from escaping from the blender.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly stated, the present invention is directed to a mixing device configured to blend food. The device includes a base housing a motor. A jar is removably mounted to the base for containing food. A collar is removably mounted between the base and the jar. The collar includes a blending tool operatively engaged with the motor when positioned on the base. A dispensing spout is removably mounted to one of the collar and the jar. The dispensing spout includes a plunger valve positioned therein. The plunger valve is movable between a first position wherein food flows through the dispensing spout and a second position where food is prevented from flowing through the dispensing spout. The plunger valve is removably mounted to the dispensing spout.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a mixing device configured to blend food. The mixing device includes a base enclosing a motor. The base includes a recessed area and a projection extends from the recessed area. A jar is removably mounted to the base for containing food. A collar is removably mounted between the base and the jar. The collar has a blending tool that is operatively engaged with the motor when the collar is positioned on the base. Further, a splash guard is removably mounted to the base. The splash guard covers the recessed area. A space defined by the recessed area of the base and the splash guard provides storage for a cap. The cap is releasably mounted to the projection.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention described in the present application, there is shown in the drawings, an embodiment which is presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right”, “left”, “lower” and “upper” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the dispensing blender and designated parts thereof. The terminology includes the above-listed words, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals are used to indicate like elements throughout, there is shown in
In reference to
In the preferred embodiment, a jar 28 is removably mounted to the base 12. The jar 28 is open at the top and shaped to contain food for blending. The jar 28 is preferably formed of high strength, light weight material, such as a polymeric material. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the jar 28 could be formed of a variety of materials, such as glass or other similar material. The jar 28 has a lid 92 to enclose the open end of the jar 28 and keep blended foodstuff in the jar 28. A blending tool 94 in the interior of the base 12 is operatively connected to the motor 14 to blend the foodstuff. The blending tool 94 is preferably in the form of a series of sharp blades 94a which are driven by the clutch 64. The jar 28 includes a handle 30 which allows the jar to be easily removed from the base 12. The handle 30 of the jar 28 is preferably permanently attached to the jar 28 or pivotally attached to the jar 28. The handle 30 allows the jar 28 to be easily removed from the base 12. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the jar 28 is not required to have a handle 30. For instance, the user could merely grab the jar 28 with the palm of their hand and remove the jar 28 from the base 12.
Referring now to
In reference to
The gate valve 38 includes a generally cylindrical seat 41 sized to complimentary fit within the valve bore 54. The seat 41 includes O-rings 41a positioned at opposite ends of the seat 41 to sealingly position the seat 41 within the valve bore 54. The dispensing handle 40 is located at one end of the seat 41. A hub 42 is located on a side of the seat 41 opposite the handle 40. As described in more detail hereinafter, the gate valve 38 is removably retained in the dispensing spout 36 with a key and slot arrangement. That is, an alignment key 44 extends from a peripheral edge of the hub 42. The seat 41 also includes a dispensing groove 46 in one side thereof to control the flow of blended foodstuff through the dispensing valve 36.
To assemble the gate valve 38 in the dispensing spout 36, the user would align the alignment key 44 of the gate valve 38 with the key slot 58 of the dispensing spout 36. The gate valve 38 then slides into the valve bore 54 of the dispensing spout 36. A user then grasps the handle 40 connected to the gate valve 38 and moves the handle 40 upwards towards the jar 28. During this motion of the handle 40, the alignment key 44 moves in a circular path along the exterior side of the dispensing spout 36 until the alignment key 44 comes into abutting contact with the stopper rib 56. In this position as seen in
To remove the gate valve 38 from the dispensing spout 36, the user moves the handle 40 of the gate valve 38 away from the jar 28 as shown in
In reference to
The dispensing spout 36 of the second preferred embodiment includes a base 116, the stopper 118, the plunger valve 112 having the spring 124, a lid 120 and the handle 114. As shown in
To assemble the second embodiment of the dispensing spout 36, a user places the plunger valve 112 inside the spring 124. Next, the user inserts the plunger valve 112 and the spring 124 inside the stopper 118 such that a lower portion of the plunger valve 112 grips an interior portion of the stopper 118. A user then places the assembled plunger valve 112, spring 124 and stopper 118 into the opening of the base 116. Next a user threadingly engages the lid 120 to the base to enclose the plunger valve 112, spring 124 and the stopper 118. The handle 114 is then operatively connected to an upper portion of the plunger valve 112. Preferably the handle 114 includes projections (not shown) that engage slots 122 in the upper portion of the plunger valve 112. However, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the connection between the upper portion of the plunger valve 112 and the handle 114 can be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the handle 114 can be friction-fitted to the plunger valve 112 or a detent could be used. The spring 124 of the plunger valve 112 biases the stopper 118 in the closed position such that the stopper 118 prevents blended foodstuff from flowing out of the dispensing spout 36. To allow blended foodstuff to flow out of the dispensing spout 36, a user would lift the handle 114 to pull the plunger valve 112 in an upward direction, which in turn pulls the stopper 118 upward against the force of the spring 124.
To remove the plunger valve 112 from the dispensing spout 36 of the second preferred embodiment, the user disengages the handle 114 from the upper portion of the plunger valve 112. The user then unscrews the lid 120 from the base 116 which exposes the plunger valve 112, the spring 124 and the stopper 118. The plunger valve 112, spring 124 and stopper 118 can then be lifted from the base 116. Each of these components can be hand washed or machine washed to clean the dispensing spout 36.
Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 13-15, the dispensing tube 48 is generally hollow and is in communication with the interior of the collar 32. The dispensing spout 36 is preferably removably mounted on the dispensing tube 48 of the collar 32. The dispensing spout 36 preferably includes threads 106 that mate the threads 104 on the exterior periphery of the dispensing tube 48 which extends from the collar 32 (
Referring to
In operation the splash guard 60 is configured to lock or snap-fit onto the front 12a and top 12b of the base 12. To mount the splash guard 60 to the base 12, a user aligns the vertical alignment slots 70 on the exterior surface 72 of the splash guard 60 with the vertical alignment ridges 74 on the interior surface 76 of the base 12 the splash guard 60. The user then moves the splash guard 60 downward until it is flush with the front 12a and top 12b of the base 12. The splash guard 60 is snap-fitted to the base 12 when an outer perimeter of the splash guard 60 interferingly fits with the aligning groove 90 of the base 12. Further, slots 98, preferably provided on a lower end of the front 12a of the base 12, engage hooks (not shown) that protrude from a lower inside surface of the splash guard 60 when the splash guard 60 is mounted to the base 12. Those skilled in the art would recognize that other snap-fitting means, such as clips or prongs, can be used to snap-fit the splash guard 60 to the base 12. The splash guard 60 is locked to the base 12 when the latch 80 of the base 12 locks to the lock groove 78 of the splash guard 60. The latch 80 locks onto the lock groove 78 when a tongue 80a of the latch 80 slides over a shoulder 78a of the lock groove 78. Once the tongue 80a has slid over the shoulder 78a, the tongue 80a snaps downward onto a far edge of the shoulder 78a and resists motion to remove the latch 80 from the lock groove 78. Those skilled in the art would recognize that the splash guard 60 is not required to be locked to the base 12. The snap-fitting of the splash guard 60 to the base 12 provides an adequately secure connection between the two structures. The locking action of the splash guard 60 to the base 12 merely provides further assurance to the user that the two structures will not become separated until so desired by the user.
In reference to
In operation, when a user desires to removably mount the collar 32 and jar 28 on the splash guard 60, the user aligns the vertical alignment grooves 82 on the exterior surface 84 of the collar 32 with the vertical alignment ribs 86 on the interior surface 88 of the splash guard 60. The collar 32 then slides downward towards the splash guard 60 until coming into abutting contact with the splash guard 60, where the clutch 64 becomes drivingly engaged with the blending tool 94.
Referring now to
Referring to
In operation, when a user desires to operate the mixing device 10 to blend food, the user takes the base 12 and places it on a countertop or tabletop (not shown). The user should make sure that the feet 24 of the mixing device 10 are flush against the top of the countertop or tabletop. The user then takes the splash guard 60, making sure to align the vertical alignment slots 70 with the vertical alignment ridges 74, and removably mounts the splash guard 60 onto the front 12a and top 12b of the base 12 so that the storage area 66 is completely enclosed. When mounting the splash guard 60 to the base 12, the user should make sure that the aligning groove 90 of the base 12 is flush against the exterior perimeter of the splash guard 60. Also, the user should ensure that the hole 62 of the splash guard 60 is directly aligned with the clutch 64 of the base 12. Next, the user pivots the latch 80 located on a back surface 12c of the base 12 upwards to couple with the lock groove 78 of the splash guard 60. The splash guard 60 is now locked into place. When the splash guard 60 has been mounted to the base 12, the configuration will appear as shown in
The user then mounts the jar 28 to the top of the collar 32. At this point, the user attaches the dispensing spout 36 to the dispensing tube 48 of the collar 32. As previously described, the dispensing spout 36 either threadingly engages the dispensing tube or removably locks onto the locking keys 50 of the dispensing tube 48 of the collar 32 via the fastening mechanism (not shown) with a one-quarter twist engagement. Next, either the plunger valve 112 is inserted into the dispensing spout 36 or the gate valve 38 is inserted into the dispensing spout 36 as previously mentioned. Before beginning to blend foodstuff, the user should ensure that the handle 40, 114 is in the upper most position (as shown in
It is understood by those skilled in the art that the cap 68 located in the recessed area 26 of the base 12 can be used to cover the end of the dispensing tube 48 of the collar 32. The cap 68 can engage or disengage the dispensing tube 48 in a similar manner in which the dispensing spout 36 is attached to the end of the dispensing tube 48. To attach the cap 68 to the dispensing tube 48, a user either mates the threads 108 of the cap 68 with the threads 104 of the dispensing tube 48 (
When a user has completed blending food in the mixing device 10, the user can dispense the blended food via the dispensing spout 36. During this operation, the blended food flows from the jar 28 down through the collar 32, through the dispensing tube 48 into the first end of the dispensing spout 36 through the gate valve 38 or below the stopper 118 and out the second end of the dispensing spout 36. To prevent food from flowing through this process, a user can take the handle 40 of the gate valve 38 or the handle 114 of the plunger valve 112 and move it in an upward direction. In this configuration, the dispensing groove 46 is not aligned with the dispensing tube 48 of the collar 32 in the first preferred embodiment and the stopper 118 blocks the flow of foodstuff in the dispensing spout 36 in the second preferred embodiment.
When the user is finished using the mixing device 10, and is ready to begin clean up and preparation for storage of the mixing device 10, the various components of the mixing device 10 can be easily separated and removed to assist the user in clean up. First, the user would remove the jar 28 from the top of the collar 32. Next, the collar 32 is removed from the splash guard 60 in a vertical direction. The splash guard 60 is then removed from the front 12a and top 12b of the base 12 in a vertical direction. The splash guard 60 can now be easily cleaned separate from the other parts of the mixing device 10. Further, because the jar 28, collar 32 and splash guard 60 are separable and constructed of durable, lightweight material, all three items are capable of being cleaned in a dishwasher. In normal use, the base 12 of the mixing device 10 should not need extensive cleaning because the splash guard 60 will accumulate most of the errant blended food.
To clean the gate valve 38 of the first preferred embodiment, the user moves the handle 40 of the gate valve 38 away from the jar 28 as shown in
To clean the plunger valve 112 of the second preferred embodiment, the user disengages the handle 114 from the upper portion of the plunger valve 112. Next, the user unscrews the lid 120 from the base 116 to expose the plunger valve 112, spring 124 and stopper 118. The plunger valve 112, spring 124 and stopper 118 can then be removed from the base 116. Each component can now be individually cleaned or placed in a dishwasher to remove any residual blended foodstuff in preparation for storage or blending other foodstuff.
To clean the dispensing spout 36, the user removes the dispensing spout 36 from the dispensing tube 48 of the collar 32. This is accomplished by rotating the dispensing spout 36 so that the threads 104, 106 no longer matingly engage (
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A mixing device configured to blend food, the device comprising:
- a) a base housing a motor;
- b) a jar removably mounted to said base for containing food;
- c) a collar removably mounted between said base and said jar, said collar including a blending tool operatively engaged with said motor when positioned on said base; and
- d) a dispensing spout removably mounted to one of said collar and said jar, said dispensing spout including a plunger valve positioned therein and movable between a first position wherein food flows through said dispensing spout and a second position wherein food is prevented from flowing through said dispensing spout, said plunger valve being removable from said dispensing spout.
2. A device in accordance with claim 1, further including a dispensing handle secured to said plunger valve for moving said plunger valve between said first and second positions.
3. A device in accordance with claim 2, further including a dispensing tube projecting from a side of said collar, said dispensing spout being removably mounted to said dispensing tube.
4. A device in accordance with claim 3, said dispensing spout further including a handle, a lid, a spring, a stopper and a base.
5. A device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said lid is removably retained on said base of said dispensing spout with a threaded engagement to enclose said plunger valve, said spring and said stopper therein.
6. A mixing device configured to blend food, the device comprising:
- a) a base housing a motor, said base having a recessed area, a projection extends from said recessed area;
- b) a jar removably mounted to said base for containing food;
- c) a collar removably mounted between said base and said jar, said collar including a blending tool operatively engaged with said motor when positioned on said base; and
- d) a splash guard removably mounted to said base, said splash guard covers said recessed area, wherein a space defined by said recessed area of said base and said splash guard provides storage for a cap, said cap is releasably mounted to said projection.
7. A device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said recessed area extends from one side of said base to a top of said base.
8. A device in accordance with claim 7, wherein said base includes a pivot arm on a top of said base, said pivot arm is movable between a first arrangement wherein said pivot arm engages a lock groove on said splash guard to lock said splash guard onto said base and a second arrangement wherein said pivot arm pivots away from said top of said base to disengage said lock groove of said splash guard to allow for the removal of said splash guard from said base.
9. A device in accordance with claim 7, further including an aligning groove along a perimeter of said recessed area of said base to allow proper positioning of said splash guard.
10. A device in accordance with claim 6, wherein said splash guard is configured to snap-fit onto a front and an upper surface of said base.
11. A device in accordance with claim 6, further including a dispensing tube projecting from a side of said collar, said dispensing spout being removably mounted to said dispensing tube.
12. A device in accordance with claim 11, wherein said cap releasably engages said dispensing tube when said dispensing spout is not in use and said cap releasably engages said projection of said recessed area when said dispensing spout is in use.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 7, 2007
Publication Date: Apr 17, 2008
Applicant: HAMILTON BEACH/PROCTOR-SILEX, INC. (Glen Allen, VA)
Inventors: Atle Larsen (Richmond, VA), Ernest B. Pryor (Glen Allen, VA), Mark C. Steiner (Midlothian, VA)
Application Number: 11/683,091
International Classification: B01F 7/00 (20060101); B01F 15/00 (20060101);