Foods and beverages: apparatus – Means to treat food – Automatic control or time means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-30
2003-11-04
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Means to treat food
Automatic control or time means
C099S348000, C099S511000, C241S037500, C241S092000, C366S314000, C366S601000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06640698
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a food processor having two coupling points for processing appliances disposed in a three-dimensionally spaced manner on the processor housing, a output shaft, driven by the drive motor of the food processor, being provided at each coupling point, in which food processor, moreover, an actuating element coupled to a switch located in the electrical circuit of the drive motor is provided on the housing thereof.
In a commercially available food processor, a coupling point for a mixing bowl is provided on a horizontal base part of the housing of the food processor and a further coupling point, lying axially above the drive motor, is provided on a vertically extending housing part containing the drive motor. In such a configuration, the end of an output shaft for coupling the working tool of the processing appliance currently in use is freely accessible at each coupling point. If a processing appliance is placed on only one coupling point, or on neither of the coupling points, there is a high risk of injury if the drive motor of the food processor is switched on.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a food processor that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that cannot be operated if one of the coupling points is not covered.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a food processor, including a housing having two coupling points for receiving attachments thereat, the attachments including a cover part and different appliances, the two coupling points three-dimensionally spaced apart from one another, a drive motor disposed in the housing, the drive motor having an electrical circuit with a switch and at least two switching contacts connected in series and each having an open position and a closed position, a first of the at least two switching contacts being switched into the closed position one of directly and indirectly dependent upon a placement of one of the cover part and an appliance at a first of the two coupling points, a second of the at least two switching contacts being switched into the closed position one of directly and indirectly by a placement of another of the cover part and an appliance at a second of the two coupling points, two output shafts each connected to and driven by the drive motor, the two output shafts respectively disposed at each of the two coupling points for connection to a respective one of the cover part and the appliances, and an actuating element coupled to the switch and disposed on the housing for actuating the switch.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, in addition to the switch in the electrical circuit of the drive motor, two switching contacts, connected in series, are provided, one of which can be switched into its closed position directly or indirectly by the placing of a processing appliance or cover part on one coupling point and the other can be switched into its closed position directly or indirectly by the placing of a processing appliance or a cover part on the other coupling point. The electrical circuit of the drive motor can, thus, be closed by the switch only if either a processing appliance or a cover part is placed on both coupling points. Thus, in the switched-on state of the food processor, neither of the output shafts is still freely accessible and no risk of injury exists.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, as a result of the fact that the two switching contacts are disposed on a pivotable circuit board (which is retained in a rest position by the action of force thereon), a pivoting movement causing the switching-over of one or the other switching contact is exerted when a processing appliance or cover part is placed on one or the other coupling point. The switching contact in question does not need to be directly actuated by a processing appliance or cover part to be placed in position. As a result, greater construction freedom exists.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the switching-over of whichever switching contact is not actuated by the pivoting of the circuit board takes place as the result of the fact that the two switching contacts are coupled to a switching rod, which is fixed by one of its ends to the circuit board and, on the other end of which, a switching movement is exerted when a processing appliance or cover part is placed on one or the other coupling point.
In a food processor with a mixing bowl that can be placed in position, in accordance with an additional feature of the invention, it is advantageous if a radially outward-projecting tab is formed on the lid of the mixing bowl as an adjusting member that can be pivoted, by a corresponding rotational movement of the lid, into a slit provided on a vertically extending housing part of the food processor, which tab acts directly or indirectly on the switching rod of the two switching contacts so as to cause switching-over of one switching contact.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, as a result of the fact that a locking member, including at least one lever arm and pivotable by the tab, is disposed in the interior of the housing adjacent to the slit, its lever arm acting on the switching rod, even relatively large distances between the tab and the switching rod, caused by configuration circumstances, can be bridged.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the pivoting of the circuit board necessary for switching over the other switching contact is provided, expediently, when a processing appliance or cover part is placed on the other coupling point. When such placement occurs, the pivoting of the circuit board is achieved in a simple manner in that an approach slope is provided directly on the circuit board or on a part connected thereto, on which approach slope a pivoting force is exerted when a processing appliance or cover part is placed in position.
Relatively large, configuration-induced distances between the approach slope and the processing appliance or cover part interacting therewith can be bridged by providing an intermediate member resting on the approach slope that is depressed when the processing appliance or cover part is placed in position.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the circuit board is expediently retained in or restored to its position of rest by a spring as soon as the restoring path is freed by removal of the processing appliance or cover part from the coupling point in question. As a result of the automatic restoration of the circuit board, the switching contact in question is switched back into its open position and the electrical circuit of the drive motor is, thus, interrupted. The interruption ensures that the output shaft in question no longer rotates after the removal of the processing appliance or cover part.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, an additional mechanical safeguard against switching-on of the drive motor is provided by having at least one further lever arm on the locking member, which lies in the adjustment path of a locking block that can be adjusted by a movement switching the switch actuating element on and off in the position of rest of the locking member and leaves the adjustment path free when the locking member is pivoted.
Other features that are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a food processor, it is, nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown because various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood
Pavlovic Henrik
Pesec Jurij
Zibret Igor
BSH Bosch und Siemens Haus-geraete GmbH
Greenberg Laurence A.
Locher Ralph E.
Simone Timothy F.
Stemer Werner H.
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