Food processor

Details Food processor Food processor

1998-09-16

2001-07-03

Ortega, Allen (Department: 3725)

Solid material comminution or disintegration

Apparatus

With independent removable or detachable material receiver...

C241S199900, C241S199110, C241S199120, C241S282100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06254019

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND—CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable; omitted.
BACKGROUND—Field of Invention
This invention is in the area of food processors, specifically a food processor with a blade that moves up and down while rotating, to improve the comminuting action of the processor. An additional, more general field of this invention is in the area of transmission mechanisms, specifically a mechanism that adds up-and-down motion to rotational motion.
BACKGROUND—Discussion of Prior Art
Food processors are well known in the art, an early example being U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,188 to Belinkoff. Most of these devices employ a motor-driven blade, which rotates to comminute the material.
A major problem with these devices, however, is that the rotating action of the blade pushes the material being comminuted up above the blade path. Often, the material remains stuck there, held up above the blade as the blade rotates. To achieve satisfactory comminution, the user is forced to shut off the processor, remove the cover of the comminuting chamber, manually push the uncomminuted material back down into the blade path, and then restart the processor. This procedure is time-consuming and tedious.
Various approaches have been taken to address this problem. Multiple blades at different vertical levels, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,627 to Otto, constitute one approach. However, the multiply-bladed shaft protrudes obtrusively through the center of the comminuting chamber, and takes up significant room in the chamber.
Devices that allow the blade to move up and down within the comminuting chamber, simultaneous with manual or motor-driven rotation, are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,980 to Hartmann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,489 to Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,050 to Herbert, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,007 to Caviezel. However, all of these devices require a manual input to deliver the up-and-down motion. They are not “automatic”, and so are not convenient to use.
Devices that deliver motor-driven up-and-down motion along with motor-driven rotational motion are not common. An example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,159 to Akesson, but the mechanism employed therein is complex, bulky, and more suitable for industrial applications than for kitchen food processors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,346 to Thuna discloses a blender that employs a waveform ramp to add up-and-down motion to rotational motion. However, this device has some key disadvantages. First, the amount of up-and-down motion delivered is not very great. It is limited to the amplitude of the wave in the waveform ramp, and is more of an oscillation than a significant up-and-down motion. Unless the diameter of the waveform ramp is quite large, or the ramp quite steep, the amount of up-and-down motion delivered will not be large enough to address the problem mentioned at the beginning of this section.
Further, the mechanism employed is complex and has a large number of separate parts. For example, a set of reduction gears is necessary to slow down the oscillation; otherwise, the blade would vertically oscillate twice during every rotation. A spring is also necessary in the preferred embodiment, to force the guide to follow the descending portion of the waveform ramp.
Last, the mechanism employed is not very compact. The amount of additional height needed for the mechanism is significantly greater than the amount of vertical oscillation generated. Compactness is an important consideration in most kitchen appliances, and this mechanism would not make for a very compact food processor.
In sum, a food processor with a blade having a significant amount of motor-driven up-and-down motion, delivered simultaneously with motor-driven rotational motion via a compact mechanism, would be a great improvement over prior art processors.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are:
It has improved comminuting action, yielding a more uniform mix and producing pieces with a more consistent size.
It makes for faster comminuting—the material being comminuted does not remain stuck above the blade path; thus the user doesn't have to open the comminuting chamber every so often to push material back down into the blade path.
The basic elements of the invention can be implemented in blenders, grinders, etc., and can be used not just in food preparation, but in any device having comminuting, mixing, or blending action.
The mechanism that adds up-and-down motion to rotational motion is of simple construction, and is easy to manufacture. It may be made from several different materials, depending on whether it will be used for light or heavy duty operation. Its threaded cylinder construction is flexible-the number of up-and-down motions per blade rotation can be varied simply by varying the thread pitch on the threaded cylinder.
The mechanism that adds up-and-down motion to rotational motion may also be contained within a separate, free-standing assembly, to facilitate installation into food processors or other devices.
It is much easier and faster to use than prior art processors requiring a manual input to deliver up-and-down motion.
It delivers a greater amount of up-and-down motion than the prior art blender employing a waveform ramp.
It is simpler and more compact than the prior art blender employing a waveform ramp. The amount of additional height needed for the mechanism is about the same as the amount of up-and-down motion generated.
Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4113188 (1978-09-01), Belinkoff
patent: 4117980 (1978-10-01), Hartmann
patent: 4600159 (1986-07-01), Akesson
patent: 4708489 (1987-11-01), Carlson
patent: 4878627 (1989-11-01), Otto
patent: 5104050 (1992-04-01), Herbert
patent: 5580007 (1996-12-01), Caviezel
patent: 5645346 (1997-07-01), Thuna
patent: 6012660 (2000-01-01), Colman

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