Blender base with food processor capabilities Number:7,520,659 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent

Title: Blender base with food processor capabilities

Abstract: A blender base that may be used with a food processor container, a blender container, and a single use beverage container. The blender container includes a novel blade unit having a food processor-style blade and blender type blades. Programs with preprogrammed motor commands for desired operations are stored in memory and may be selected by a user on a user interface. The user interface may include a liquid crystal display, or function switches and light emitting diodes. Upon selection of a particular pre-defined function, the microcontroller retrieves the appropriate program from the read only memory and specifies the preprogrammed motor commands to accomplish the selected function.

Patent Number: 7,520,659 Issued on 04/21/2009 to Wulf,   et al.

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Inventors:	Wulf; John Douglas (Boca Raton, FL), Lozinski; Gerald J (Portland, FL), Denton; Matthew Craig (Hattiesburg, MS), McColgin; Jerry Lee (Westfield, IN), Morton; Michael (Boca Raton, FL), Soultanian; Daniel S. (Hattiesburg, MS)
Assignee:	Sunbeam Products, Inc. (Boca Raton, FL)
Appl. No.:	11/657,948
Filed:	January 24, 2007

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Related U.S. Patent Documents

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	Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
	10438437	May., 2003
	09835118	Apr., 2001	6609821

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Current U.S. Class:	366/198 ; 366/205; 366/314; 366/348; 99/348
Current International Class:	B01F 7/00 (20060101)
Field of Search:	366/144,197-199,204-207,314,348 241/199.12,282.1,282.2 99/348

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Anonymous, Vita-Mix.RTM. Touch and Go.TM. Blending Station.RTM.: Owners's Manual, Vita-Mix.RTM. Corporation, pp. 1-27ff (1999). cited by other . Mark Beesley of Back To Basics' Feb. 18, 2005 letter to Larry Shurupoff in which the Sunbeam Products, Inc. Mini-Blend.RTM. container is referenced as prior art along with 2 photos provided by applicant. cited by other.

Primary Examiner: Drodge; Joseph W
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Blum; Seth

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Parent Case Text

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This application is a divisional application of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 10/438,437 filed on May 15 , 2003 now abandoned, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and which is a divisional application of U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 09/835,118, entitled. "BLENDER BASE WITH FOOD PROCESSOR CAPABILITIES" filed on Apr. 13, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,821, and which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The priority of application Ser. Nos. 09/835,119 and 10/438,437 is claimed.

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Claims

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What is claimed is:

1. A blender assembly comprising: a blender base; a collar removably mountable on said blender base and having a first interface; a blender jar removably mountable to said collar and having a second interface configured to mate with said first interface; a beverage container removably mountable to said collar and having a third interface configured to mate with said first interface; and a drinking cap removably mountable to said beverage container and having a fourth interface configured to mate with said third interface.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said collar further comprises an agitator.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first, second, third and fourth interfaces each comprises a screw thread.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said third interface comprises a male thread.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said second interface comprises a male thread.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said blender jar comprises a handle and a spout.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first interface comprises internal threads at an upper inside portion of said agitator collar.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said drinking cap comprises a drinking hole and a closure tab to avoid spilling.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said collar comprises an outer sidewall and wherein said first interface is formed on an inner portion of said outer sidewall.

10. A method of blending, comprising: providing a blender assembly comprising a blender base having a motor, a collar having an agitator, a container, and a cap configured for mounting on and drinking from the container; placing ingredients in the container and closing the container with the collar; inverting the container and collar and placing the container and collar on the motorized base; blending the ingredients in the container with the motorized base; removing the container and collar from the base; positioning the container and collar in a generally upright position; removing the collar from the container; and placing the cap on the container so that the blended ingredients can be consumed by drinking through the cap.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said blender assembly comprises a threaded interconnection between said container and said cap and wherein placing the cap on the container further comprises covering the threaded interconnection with the cap.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising drinking the ingredients through the cap.

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Description

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FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to household appliances, and more particularly to blenders and food processors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Blenders are household devices often used to blend or mix drinks or liquids. On the other hand, food processors are household devices commonly used to chop, cut, slice, and/or mix various solid foods such as vegetables, fruits, or meats. Different blade designs and rotation speeds are used in a blender or a food processor in order to accomplish the mixing or cutting actions desired.

Conventional household blenders typically have a motor connected to a blade assembly, and the speed of the rotating blade or motor may be varied based on selections made by the user.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,288 to Swanke et al. describes a blender having seven speed selection push buttons. The push-buttons drive slider elements that close switches so as to selectively energize various combinations of fields in a drive motor having multiple fields. Field selection provides seven speeds in a high range. Seven speeds in a low range are obtained by applying only half cycles of the AC energizing voltage to the motor when certain combinations of the switches are actuated. Once a speed selection push button is depressed, the motor is energized until an OFF switch is actuated. The device also has a jogger or pulse mode pushbutton that energizes the motor at one speed only as long as the pushbutton is depressed. Pulsing the motor on/off or at high and then low speeds permits the material being blended to fall back to the region of the cutting knives thereby improving the blending or mixing of the material.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,351 to Ernster et al. describes a blender having a rotary switch for selecting a high or low range of speeds and five pushbutton switches for selecting a speed within the selected range. The pushbutton switches connect various segments of the motor field winding in the energizing circuit. This device also includes a pulse mode pushbutton that causes energization of the motor only as long as the pushbutton is depressed. The motor may be energized in the pulse mode at any selected speed.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,280 to Cockroft describes a blender provided with 10 speed selection switches. A SCR is connected in series with the motor and has a control electrode connected to resistances that are brought into the electrode circuit by actuation of the speed selection switches to control the angle of firing of the SCR and thus the speed of the motor. This device also has a mode selection switch for selecting the manual mode or a cycling or pulse mode in which the motor is alternately energized and deenergized over a plurality of cycles, the number of cycles being set by a potentiometer controlled by a rotatable knob. In a preferred embodiment, the on and off intervals are set during manufacture but two potentiometers may be provided to enable an operator to vary the on and off times.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,205 to Piland describes a blender with a microcontroller for controlling energization of the blender drive motor. The speed of the motor is determined by a manual selection of N speed range selection switches, M speed selection switches, and a pulse mode switch.

Typically, the blade attachment in conventional blenders consists of two generally U-shaped blades, a top blade and a bottom blade, joined together at a central point with their respective ends oriented in opposite directions. Because of this blender blade design, conventional blenders usually are not able to successfully chop, slice, or cut solid food because solid food does not flow into the U-shaped blades without adding liquid. Although the solids may make some contact with the blades, typically at least some liquid must be added to the blender in order to successfully liquefy or cut the solid food into very small pieces.

Another drawback with blenders is the number of different operations that must be performed to successfully blend a mixture. Typically, to blend or mix items in a blender, a user will press a sequence of buttons on the blender. For example, to chop ice, a user may hit a slow button, wait a while, hit a faster speed, wait, hit yet a faster speed, etc. The user may have to stop the blending process to dislodge ice or to assure the ice is coming into contact with the blades. This process can be very frustrating, and with conventional blenders may still result in an unsatisfactory chopping or blending of the items in the blender.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a blender is provided that is programmed to accomplish predetermined functions and routines. The routines are preprogrammed into a microcontroller of the blender and include motor commands that are automatically accessed and implemented upon selection of a desired function. For example, the blender may be preprogrammed with a plurality of routines designed for particular food or drink items, such as by taking a particular sequence of motor commands (e.g., direction of rotation, speed, duration or time of rotation, etc.) which are automatically implemented based on the function (e.g., end result) selected by the user.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a blender includes a blender base, a container, and a blade base having a blade unit mounted thereon. The blender base includes a motor, a microcontroller, a sensor, and a user interface. The microcontroller is in communication with the motor, and user interface, and can include read only memory, nonvolatile memory, and a central processing unit. The programs with preprogrammed motor commands are stored in the read only memory.

The motor is preferably operable to rotate the blade unit in forward and reverse directions, and to oscillate the blade unit as desired. In a preferred embodiment, the motor is a dual wound motor, but other configurations may be used.

The connection between a shaft for the motor and the blade base may be implemented in a number of ways, but preferably is formed by a male to female connection. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, both the female and male connection pieces are made of metal. This connection permits a close tolerance fit, as well as a low wear connection. To prevent shock to a user, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an insulating bushing is used to isolate the outer surface of the male drive from the metal shaft of the motor. Preferably, the insulating bushing is captured within the male drive member, adding stability and limiting shear stresses in the bushing.

The blender base may be utilized with a number of different components, including a jar having an integral collar, a threaded jar, a single serving beverage container, and a food processor. The jars may include a nonstick coating, such as Teflon. One or more sensors may be present on the blender base to detect the presence of and type of container in which the mixing or processing will take place.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a novel blade unit is provided for a blender. The blade unit enables improved food processing and chopping capabilities. The blade unit is mounted on a blade base, and includes a generally U-shaped blade assembly such as is used in contemporary blenders. In addition, the blade unit includes a second blade assembly that extends substantially radially to the driving axis of the blade unit. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a third blade assembly is provided that is also generally U-shaped. In this exemplary embodiment, the first blade assembly is arranged so that its blades extend upward, and the third blade assembly is arranged so that its blades extend downward. The second, radially-extending blade assembly is sandwiched between the first and third blade assemblies.

A detachment mechanism may be provided that permits a user to easily detach the blade unit from its base. In addition, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a cap for the jar is configured so that it fits into the blade base and can be used to remove the blade base from the jar.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a sensor is provided that is arranged and configured to determine strain on the motor. For some routines that are executed by the blender base, if the strain exceeds a threshold, then the microcontroller instructs the motor to reverse directions, permitting dislodging of blocking particles.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front, left, perspective view of a blender base and container incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a number of components that may be attached to the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the blender base and blender container of FIG. 1, showing a blade base that connects to the blender base;

FIG. 4 is a back, left perspective view of the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cutaway view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a jar for the blender container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a lid and cap assembly for use with blender container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the blade base and blade unit shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the top blade for the blade unit shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a side view of the bottom blade for the blade unit shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the middle blade for the blade unit shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a blade unit utilizing an extraction mechanism in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a cutaway view of the extraction mechanism of FIG. 12, with the extraction mechanism shown in a released position;

FIG. 14 is a cutaway view of the extraction mechanism of FIG. 12, with the extraction mechanism shown in a locked position;

FIG. 15 is a bottom exploded perspective view of the blender container of FIG. 1, with the cap of FIG. 7 shown aligned with the blade base;

FIG. 16 is a partial cutaway of the bottom of the blender jar of FIG. 1, showing a beginning step of inserting the blade base with the cap;

FIG. 17 is a partial cutaway, similar to FIG. 16, showing a further step of inserting the blade base with the cap;

FIG. 18 is a partial cutaway, similar to FIGS. 16 and 17, showing full insertion of the blade base with the cap;

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view showing how a single serving beverage container attaches to a collar and fits onto the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 20 is a side perspective view showing attachment of a food processor to the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing components that may be used to implement the features of the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is a simplified circuit diagram for a motor that may be used with the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 23 is a simplified circuit diagram for another motor that may be used with the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 24 is a simplified circuit diagram for yet another motor that may be used with the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 25 shows a routine that may be implemented by the blender base of FIG. 1 to mix powdered drinks;

FIG. 26 shows a routine that may be implemented by the blender base of FIG. 1 to make batter;

FIG. 27 shows a routine that may be implemented by the blender base of FIG. 1 to form a milkshake;

FIG. 28 shows an example of a user interface that may be used on the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 29 shows a second example of a user interface that may be used on the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 30 shows a third example of a user interface that may be used on the blender base of FIG. 1;

FIG. 31 shows a method of operating the blender base of FIG. 1 with the user interface of FIG. 28 in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 32 shows a method of operating the blender base of FIG. 1 with the user interface of FIG. 29 or 30 in accordance with another aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 33-37 show displays of some functions that may be presented by the user interface of FIG. 29; and

FIG. 38 shows a method of enabling functions for a blender base in accordance with a particular container sensed the blender base in accordance with one aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, various aspects of the present invention will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a blender 30 incorporating many features of the present invention. Briefly described, in accordance with one aspect of the invention and as is best shown in FIG. 2, the blender 30 includes a blender base 32 that may be utilized with a number of different components, including a jar 34 having an integral collar (hereinafter "collared jar 34"), a threaded jar 36, a single serving beverage container 38, and a food processor 40. As subsequently described, the blender base 32 is preprogrammed with a plurality of routines designed for particular food or drink items, for example, by taking a particular sequence of motor commands (e.g., direction of rotation, speed, duration or time of rotation, etc.) which are automatically implemented based on the function (e.g., end result) selected by the user. Additionally, sensors may be present on the apparatus of the present invention to detect the presence of and type of container in which the mixing or processing will take place. Other novel features of the present invention will become apparent below.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the blender base 32 includes four feet 42 for placing the blender base on a surface such as a table. Rounded, tapered sides 43 lead to an attachment base 44. An attachment protrusion 46 is mounted on the top of the attachment base 44, and includes tapered sides having alternating triangular-shaped concave surfaces 48 and convex surfaces 50 (detail is further shown in FIG. 4). The upper outer shell of the blender base 32 may be extruded as a single piece of plastic, or alternatively may be cast as several pieces and assembled. In addition, the blender base may be formed of other suitable materials, such as metal, for example.

The concave surfaces 48 are configured so that their bases are at the top of the attachment protrusion, whereas the convex surfaces 50 are configured so that their bases are at the bottom. The top 52 of the attachment protrusion 46 is flat, and includes a rotation lock 54 and a male drive element 56. The rotation lock 54 is preferably a male protrusion shaped like a fin. The male drive element 56 is shaped like a gear and includes a number of teeth 58 (FIG. 4). In the embodiment shown, there are 16 teeth, but the male drive element 56 may be designed to have any number of teeth as appropriate.

The male drive element 56 is preferably formed of metal, and, as is subsequently described, a corresponding female drive element for containers that are attached to the blender base is also preferably metal. The metal-to-metal contact ensures limited wear, a close tolerance fitting, and reduces the likelihood of broken parts. However, one problem that may be encountered with a metal-to-metal connection is that, if an electrical motor is used, a user may experience shock from voltage flowing through the male drive element 56. To alleviate this problem, as can be seen in FIG. 5, the present invention utilizes an insulating bushing 60 to insulate the male drive element 56 from a motor shaft 64. To do so, the male drive element includes an outer ring 62 and an inner metal attachment 63. The teeth 58 are mounted on the outside of the outer ring 62. The inner metal attachment 63 fits onto the motor shaft 64. The insulating bushing 60 is preferably formed of rubber, although any insulating material may be used.

The insulating bushing 60 is designed and arranged so that it fits fully inside the outer ring 62. In addition, the metal attachment 63 is preferably designed and configured so that the metal attachment fits fully within the bushing 60. This structure offers maximal stability, in that most shear stresses applied by the motor shaft 64 may be uniformly transferred to the outer ring 62 through the bushing 60. Thus, a shear along the length of the bushing (i.e., top to bottom in FIG. 5) does not occur. Although variations of this structure may be used, it is preferred that the metal attachment 64 be at least partially surrounded by the outer ring 62, so that the outer ring and metal attachment's stiff structures may provide stability for the bushing 60, and so that shear forces in the bushing may be minimized.

A pair of first and second sensor switches 66, 67 (FIG. 4) are included at the junction of the top 52 and the convex and concave surfaces 48, 50, the function of which is subsequently described. In the embodiment of the blender base 32 shown in the drawings, the first and second sensor switches 66, 67 are mounted on opposite side of the apex of one of the convex surfaces 50.

A user interface panel 68 is mounted on the front of the rounded, tapered sides 43. As described below, various user interfaces may be displayed on the user interface panel 68.

The blender base 32 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 with the collared jar 34. However, as described above, the blender base 32 may be used with any number of different blending or processing units that may serve different or overlapping functions. In general, each blending or processing unit that is to be used with the blender base 32 includes a container and a blade assembly of some kind. The blender base 32 includes a drive mechanism and attachment method that allows the blender to be used with the different containers. As described subsequently, this container flexibility even allows the blender base 32 to operate purely as a food processor, if desired.

The collared jar 34 is one example of a container that may be used with the blender base 32. The collared jar 34 is preferably generally cylindrical in shape, and includes a handle 70 and a pouring spout 72. The cylindrical shape promotes better mixing and minimizes accumulation of food or materials that may occur in containers having cross sectional areas with edges or corners. However, other shapes for the container may be used.

The collared jar 34 can be made from glass, plastic, metal, or any other suitable, nontoxic material which can resist high stress. Additionally, the inside of collared jar 34 may be coated with non-stick coating such as Teflon.RTM. and the like to allow for better mixing or easier cleaning.

The sides of the collared jar 34 taper outward from a location just below the bottom juncture of the handle 70 and the sides, to both the open top of the collared jar and the open bottom. The upper, tapered, shape promotes good blending and processing of items in the collared jar 34, because it promotes flow of the items downward to the bottom of the collared jar.

The bottom end of the collared jar 34 is opened so that it fits over the attachment protrusion 46 of the blender base 32. In this manner, the bottom end of the collared jar 34 serves as a collar that fits over the attachment protrusion 46 of the blender base 32. As can be seen in FIG. 6, the lower inside of the collared jar 34 includes a scalloped surface. The scalloped surface includes a series of concave triangular sections 74 connected at their bases, with the bases extending along the bottom edge of the collared jar 34. Flat surfaces 76 extend between the areas defined between the concave triangular sections 74. The concave triangular sections 74 and the flat surfaces 76 are arranged and configured so that when the collared jar 34 is fitted onto the attachment protrusion 46 of the blender base 32, the concave triangular sections 74 fit over and against the convex surfaces 50 of the rectangular protrusion, and the flat surfaces 76 fit against the concave surfaces 48 of the attachment protrusion. In this manner, the collared jar 34 does not rotate when placed on the attachment protrusion 46 of the blender base 32.

Markings 78 (FIG. 6 only) indicating various ingredient levels for recipes may be placed onto the collared jar 34 to assist the user. For example, there may be markings 78 on the collared jar 34 to illustrate the proper amounts of ice and liquid to use for making a particular drink (e.g., a frozen margarita). Such markings 78 can be a permanent, such as by etching or embossing the markings on the collared jar 78. Alternatively, the markings 78 may be removable (e.g., removable stickers) that are included with the collared jar 34, or that are supplied separately to a user (e.g., with a recipe mix or the like).

A series of switch activators 80 (FIG. 6) are included on the inside surface of the collared jar 34. The switch activators 80 are male protrusions that are located just to one side