阅读说明：本技术 具有螺旋加工配件的食品加工机 (Food processor with screw processing accessory ) 是由 本杰明·H·布兰森三世 于 2020-02-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及食物加工机,包括：基座,该基座具有安装在其中的马达；安装在所述基座上的容器；传动系,该传动系联接到所述马达并延伸到所述容器中；盖在所述容器上的盖子,该盖子包括大致水平的上表面和通到所述容器中的食物滑槽,该食物滑槽在所述盖子的上表面上方和下方延伸；以及螺旋加工器配件。所述螺旋加工器配件包括安装在所述容器上的基座和具有螺旋加工刀片的螺旋加工器构件,螺旋加工器锥体位于所述基座中的凹部中并且接合所述传动系,以致所述传动系的旋转使所述螺旋加工器构件旋转。所述螺旋加工器构件的上边缘延伸到所述食物滑槽中。(The invention relates to a food processor comprising: a base having a motor mounted therein; a container mounted on the base; a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container; a lid to overlie the container, the lid including a generally horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container extending above and below the upper surface of the lid; and a screw processor assembly. The screw processor assembly includes a base mounted on the container and a screw processor member having a screw processing blade, a screw processor cone located in a recess in the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the screw processor member. An upper edge of the screw processor member extends into the food chute.)

1. A food processor, comprising:

a base having a motor mounted therein;

a container mounted on the base;

a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container;

a lid to cover the container, the lid including a generally horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container, the food chute extending above and below the upper surface of the lid; and

a screw processor assembly including a base mounted on the container and a rotating screw processor member having a screw processing blade, the screw processor member being located in a recess in the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the screw processor member;

wherein an upper edge of the screw processor member extends into the food chute.

2. The food processor of claim 1, wherein the drive train includes a toothed portion adjacent an upper end thereof, and the auger member includes a plurality of teeth on an outer peripheral edge thereof that engage the toothed portion of the drive train.

3. The food processor of claim 2, wherein an upper edge of the auger member extends above the toothed portion of the drive train.

4. The food processor of claim 1, wherein an upper edge of the auger member extends above a substantially horizontal upper surface of the base of the auger accessory.

5. The food processor of claim 4, wherein the auger member includes an auger cone having a tapered surface.

6. The food processor of claim 5, wherein the tapered surface extends below an upper surface of the base of the screw processor accessory.

7. The food processor of claim 1, further comprising a food pusher inserted into the food chute, the food pusher comprising a sloped lower surface.

8. The food processor of claim 7, wherein the food pusher further comprises a blade having a beveled edge extending from the lower surface.

9. A food processor, comprising:

a base having a motor mounted therein;

a container mounted on the base;

a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container;

a lid to cover the container, the lid including a substantially horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container; and

an auger assembly including a base mounted on the container and a rotating auger member having an auger blade, the auger member being located in a recess in the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the auger member.

Wherein the drive train includes a toothed portion adjacent its upper end and the auger member includes a plurality of teeth on its peripheral edge that engage the toothed portion of the drive train; and is

Wherein an upper edge of the auger member extends above a toothed portion of the drive train.

10. The food processor of claim 9, wherein an upper edge of the auger member extends into the food chute.

11. The food processor of claim 10, wherein an upper edge of the auger member extends above a substantially horizontal upper surface of the base of the auger accessory.

12. The food processor of claim 11, wherein a lower edge of the auger member extends below an upper surface of the auger accessory.

13. The food processor of claim 12, wherein the auger member includes an auger cone having a tapered surface.

14. The food processor of claim 9, further comprising a food pusher inserted into the food chute, the food pusher comprising a sloped lower surface.

15. The food processor of claim 14, wherein the food pusher further comprises a blade having a beveled edge extending from the lower surface.

16. A food processor, comprising:

a base having a motor mounted therein;

a container mounted on the base;

a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container;

a lid to cover the container, the lid including a substantially horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container; and

a screw processor fitting including a base having a horizontal upper surface mounted on the container and a screw processor cone having a tapered surface and a screw processing blade, the screw processor cone located in a recess in the horizontal surface of the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the screw processor cone,

wherein an upper edge of the screw machine cone extends above an upper surface of the screw machine fitting base and a lowermost end of the screw machine cone extends below the upper surface of the screw machine fitting base.

17. The food processor of claim 16, wherein an upper edge of the auger cone extends into the food chute.

18. The food processor of claim 16, wherein the tapered surface defines an angle between about 25 degrees and 65 degrees relative to an axis of rotation defined by the drive train.

19. The food processor of claim 16, further comprising a food pusher inserted into the food chute, the food pusher comprising a sloped lower surface.

20. The food processor of claim 19, wherein the food pusher further comprises a blade having a beveled edge extending from the lower surface.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to processing foodstuffs, and more particularly to a food processor having a screw processing capability.

Background

Food processors or other such appliances have become popular and are commonly used in residential and/or commercial kitchens or other places where food is prepared. A typical food processor includes: a container; a lid having a food chute extending generally vertically from a top surface of the lid; a food pusher extendable within the food chute to push the food into the container; a machining disk and a rotating blade. The container is typically mounted on a motor base, and one or more buttons in the motor base allow a user to activate the electric motor to rotate the blade.

In addition, some food processors include other functions. For example, some food processors may include "spiral processing" disks that allow certain foods, such as carrots, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables, to form a "spiral" arrangement. The helical processing disk may have a tapered profile (with a narrower end extending down into the receptacle) that urges the food toward the center of the disk for proper helical processing.

Due to the overall configuration of the lid and due to the length of the food chute, it is often difficult to store all of the components of the food processor in an efficient and compact manner. For example, many consumers commonly store the rotary blade and the container together and separately store the lid, the food pusher, and any other tray together. As a result, storage of the food processor often takes up a lot of space in the consumer's drawer, cabinet, etc. Spiral processing disks typically require additional food pushers for optimal operation, which adds additional (and relatively large) parts that must be stored.

In view of the foregoing, it may be desirable to provide an improved food processor configuration that can provide desired functionality while minimizing storage space.

Disclosure of Invention

As a first aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a food processor comprising: a base having a motor mounted therein; a container mounted on the base; a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container; a lid to cover the container, the lid including a generally horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container, the food chute extending above and below the upper surface of the lid; and a screw processor assembly. The screw processor assembly includes a base mounted on the container and a rotating screw processor member having a screw processing blade, the screw processor member being located in a recess in the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the screw processor member. An upper edge of the screw processor member extends into the food chute.

As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a food processor comprising: a base having a motor mounted therein; a container mounted on the base; a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container; a lid to cover the container, the lid including a generally horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container; and a screw processor assembly. The screw processor assembly includes a base mounted on the container and a screw processor member having a screw processing blade, the screw processor member being located in a recess in the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the screw processor member. The drive train includes a toothed portion adjacent its upper end, and the auger member includes a plurality of teeth on its peripheral edge that engage the toothed portion of the drive train. The upper edge of the auger member extends above the toothed portion of the drive train.

As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a food processor comprising: a base having a motor mounted therein; a container mounted on the base; a drive train coupled to the motor and extending into the container; a lid to cover the container, the lid including a substantially horizontal upper surface and a food chute opening into the container; and a screw processor assembly. The screw machine accessory includes a base having a horizontal upper surface mounted on the container and a screw machine cone having a tapered surface and a screw machine blade, the screw machine cone being located in a recess in the horizontal surface of the base and engaging the drive train such that rotation of the drive train rotates the screw machine cone. The upper edge of the screw machine cone extends above the upper surface of the screw machine fitting base and the lowermost end of the screw machine cone extends below the upper surface of the screw machine fitting base.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food processor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage bin for the attachment of the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bowl of the food processor shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective top view of a lid of the food processor of FIG. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective bottom view of the lid shown in fig. 5.

FIG. 7A is a perspective top view in phantom of the food processor of FIG. 1 with the screw processor accessory in place and the cover removed.

FIG. 7B is an upside down perspective top view of the food processor of FIG. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective side view of the screw processor assembly shown in fig. 7A.

FIG. 9 is a perspective top cross-sectional view of a portion of the screw processor accessory and drive train of the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective top view of the screw processor assembly of FIG. 9 with the cover shown in phantom.

FIG. 11 is a perspective side plan view of the screw processor accessory of FIG. 9 and a food pusher with a cover shown in phantom.

FIG. 12 is a perspective cut-away view of a portion of the screw processor accessory and drive train of the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13A is a perspective view of a typical dough blade for use with the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 13B is a perspective view of a typical S-shaped blade for use with the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a typical shredder plate for use with the food processor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15A is a perspective top view of a typical slicing tray for the food processor of FIG. 1.

Fig. 15B is a perspective bottom view of the chipper plate shown in fig. 15A.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a food pusher for use with the food processor of FIG. 1.

Detailed Description

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

In the drawings, certain layers, components or features may be exaggerated for clarity, and broken lines illustrate optional features or operations, unless specified otherwise. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the sequence of operations (or steps) is not limited to the order presented in the claims or figures.

Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and relevant art and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. Well-known functions and constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The expression "and/or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as "between about X and Y" mean "between about X and about Y. As used herein, phrases such as "from about X to Y" mean "from about X to about Y".

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a food processor generally designated 20. The food processor 20 includes a base 22, a bowl 24, a lid 26, and a drive train 28 attached to a motor 30 that drives various blades and accessories that may be used with the food processor 20. These components are described in more detail below.

The base 22 provides a base for the food processor 20. The motor 30 is housed within the base 22 (see fig. 3) and may be controlled by a dial 32 and one or more activation switches 34. The motor 30 is coupled to a drive train 28 that extends upwardly from the upper surface of the base 22. The bundle lock 36 is pivotally attached to the side wall of the base 22 and may be pivoted to an upright position that holds the cover 26 in place.

Referring now to fig. 3 and 4, the bowl 24 is generally cylindrical and rests atop the base 22. The bowl 24 includes a lower skirt 40 that overlies the upper outer edge of the base 22. Skirt 40 may be sized to fit closely over base 22 and/or may include snaps, latches, or the like to enhance stability of the fit. A boss 42 extends upwardly from a lower surface 44 of the bowl 24. The drive train 28 extends upwardly from the base 22 and through the boss 42. At its upper end, the bowl 24 has a radially flared lip 46 with an inwardly extending ridge 48. A plurality of bumps 47 are located on the lower surface of the lip 46 to assist in the correct positioning/alignment of the fitting. And the handle 50 extends radially outward from one side of the bowl 24. A handle 50 (fig. 1) extends from one side for ease of operation.

Referring now to fig. 5 and 6, the lid 26 has a lower rim 60 with two outwardly extending lips 61. The lip 61 captures the ridge 48 of the lip 46 of the bowl 24 to hold the lid 26 in place on the bowl 24 with the rim 60 radially inward of the lip 46. A shoulder 62 extends outwardly from the upper edge of rim 60. The cover 26 also has a generally horizontal upper surface 64. A locator boss 66 extends downwardly from the center of the upper surface 64. A hollow cylindrical food chute 68 extends upwardly from the upper surface 64; the food chute 68 is eccentrically positioned and spans a majority of the distance between the center of the upper surface 64 and the shoulder 62. A lower end 69 of the food chute 68 extends below the upper surface 64; the lower end 69 of the food chute 68 has a recess 70 adjacent the retainer boss 66. Two locking projections 72 with recesses 73 extend upwardly from the upper surface 64 to provide locking positions for the bundle lock 36. Tabs 74 extend radially outward from shoulder 62 opposite food chute 68 to facilitate attachment and removal of lid 26 from bowl 24.

Referring now to fig. 3, 7A, 7B and 9, a drive train 28 is used to transfer rotational motion from the motor 30 to the various blades and accessories of the food processor 20. The drive train 28 includes a bearing 80 received in and fixed relative to the base 22. Another bearing 82 is mounted above the bearing 80. A drive shaft 84 extends upwardly from the motor 30 through the bearings 80, 82 and is rotatable relative thereto. A blade coupler 86 is secured to the drive shaft 84. The blade coupler 86 has a hex face 88 that is rotated approximately 30 degrees from top to bottom relative to the drive shaft 84. The toothed portion 90 of the drive shaft 84 is positioned above the blade coupler 86. A cap 92 fits over the upper end of the drive shaft 84 and is received in the locator boss 66 of the cover 26. The bearings 80, 82 and cap 92 (retained within the locator boss 66) help to keep the drive shaft 84 upright and stable during operation.

Fig. 16 shows a food pusher 250. The pusher 250 is generally cylindrical but has an inclined surface 254 at its lower end 252. And the pusher 250 includes a plurality of blades 256 extending downwardly from the lower end 252. The blade 256 has a beveled edge 258. The pusher 250 has a wider (i.e., larger diameter) circular flange 260 at its upper end than the food chute 68 so that the lower end 252 of the pusher 250 is properly positioned for the various operations in which it is used.

The food processor 20 may utilize a plurality of blades and accessories. For example, an "S-shaped" blade 200 having a hollow hub 202 and two blades 204 (fig. 13B) may be fitted over the drive shaft 84, with the "hexagonal" inner surface of the hub 202 mating with the blade coupler 86. Rotation of the motor 30 drives the drive shaft 84, and thus the S-shaped blade 200. The foodstuff is introduced into the bowl 24 (either directly, before the lid 26 is attached, or through the food chute 68 via the pusher 230), and may be processed as the S-shaped blade 200 is rotated. Typically, the S-shaped blade 200 is used for chopping, dicing and the like. Alternatively, a "dough blade" 200' (see fig. 13A) of generally similar construction but with a thicker blade having a duller edge may be used for mixing and kneading of bread and pastry doughs.

Alternatively, a cutting disk 220 (fig. 14) may be used. The disc 220 has cutting holes 222 with sharpened half-blades 224 in a main panel 226 of sufficient diameter to span most, if not all, of the space surrounded by the rim 60 of the lid 26. A toothed attachment 228 is located in the center of the main panel 226. The teeth of the attachment 228 are configured to mesh with the teeth of the toothed portion 90 of the drive shaft 84. Once in place, the wire cutting disc 220 is located at a height approximately equal to the height of the ridge 48 of the bowl 24. Thus, rotation of the drive shaft 84 rotates the filament cutting disc 220.

For a shred cutting operation, foodstuff is introduced into the bowl 24 via the food chute 68. Generally, food items are placed in the food chute 68 and pushed downward by the pusher 250 as the shredder plate 220 rotates. As it descends, the flange 260 of the pusher 250 eventually contacts the upper edge of the food chute 68 and holds the lower end 252 of the pusher 250 slightly above (typically 1-2mm) the shredder plate 220. The food is shredded and pushed through the apertures 222 as it engages the half blades 224.

Alternatively, a slicer tray 230 (fig. 15A and 15B) may be substituted for the shredder tray 220. The slicer tray 230 is similar to the shredder tray 220 except that the slicer tray 230 has a single blade 232 that extends substantially the full radius of a main panel 234 of the slicer tray 230. The blade 232 is offset slightly upward on the main panel 234. As the food is pushed through the food chute 68 by the pusher 250, the rotation of the slicing disk 230 slices the food into separate slices.

7A-12, the food processor 20 may also employ a screw processor accessory 100. The screw processor assembly 100 includes a generally semi-circular base 102 having a downwardly depending peripheral edge 104. Three discrete ribs 106 extend radially outward from the rim 104. A circular recess 108 is present in the upper surface 107 of the seat 102. The recess 108 has two slot cavities 110. The opening 112 is located near the diameter of the seat 102.

The screw machine cone 120 is located in the recess 108. The screw flight cone 120 includes a tapered surface 122 that tapers to a narrower end 124 having an aperture 126. The tapered surface 122 generally defines an angle of between about 25 degrees and 65 degrees relative to vertical (i.e., relative to the rotational axis of the drive train 28). The blades 128 extend radially from the bore 126 to the edge of the tapered surface 122. The tapered surface 122 merges at its edge with a rounded vertical wall 130. The lower edge of the vertical wall 130 intersects a base 132 which extends slightly radially outwardly therefrom. The base has teeth 134 sized to engage the teeth of the toothed portion 90 of the drive shaft 84 extending through the opening 112. The screw machine cone 120 is supported by the base 102 but is free to rotate within the groove 108.

As shown in fig. 7A and 9, the screw processor fitting 100 may be positioned in the bowl 24 for use. The ribs 106 rest atop the lower surface of the lip 46 and are positioned between the nubs 47 to properly orient the base 102. The lid 26 fits over the screw processor fitting 100 with the rim 60 fitting between the edge 104 of the base 102 and the lip 46 of the bowl 24. Notably and as shown in fig. 9 and 12, the augur fitting 100 is configured such that the tapered surface 122 of the augur cone 120 is located largely above the upper surface 107 of the base 102. And the upper edge of the vertical wall 130 extends into the lower end of the food chute 68.

The screw processor accessory 100 is used by first placing the food to be screw processed into the food chute 68. The motor 30 is activated, which causes the drive shaft 84 to rotate. Rotation of the teeth 90 of the drive shaft 84 causes the helical cutter cone 120 to rotate within the recess 108. The tooth ratio of the toothed portion 90 to the helical processor cone 120 is about 8: 1, which produces a relatively slow angular velocity of the helical processor cone 120. The food item is then pushed down onto the tapered surface 122 and blade 124 with the pusher 250. Because the speed of the spiral cone 120 is relatively slow, the food can be spiral processed rather than chopped or sliced. Notably, the angled cutting edge 258 of the blade 256 of the pusher 250 is disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the pusher 250 such that the cutting edge 258 of the blade 256 is substantially parallel to the tapered surface 122 of the auger cone 120 when the pusher 250 is inserted into the food chute 68.

As described above and as seen in fig. 9 and 12, the screw processor fitting 100 is configured such that the tapered surface 122 of the screw processor cone 120 is located mostly above the upper surface 107 of the base 102, and the upper edge of the vertical wall 130 extends into the lower end of the food chute 68. At this height, the pusher 250 for shredding and slicing operations may also be used for helical processing as well, as it may reach within a desired distance (typically 1-2mm) of the tapered surface 122 of the auger cone 120. This ability is also enhanced by the presence of the beveled edge 258 of the blade 256, which is substantially parallel to the angle defined by the tapered surface 120. The ability of a single pusher 250 to perform all of these tasks means that the manufacturer can save the cost of manufacturing two different pushers and also save the storage space of the consumer (since pushers 250 are typically stored in food chutes 68). Thus, smaller storage bins 280 may be used for the screw processor assembly 100, the shredder plate 220, and the slicer plate 230 (see FIG. 2).

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other configurations may also be employed. For example, the helical machining cone may be another form of rotating helical machining member (e.g., the tapered surface may be replaced by a tapered circular surface, a stepped surface, or the like). As another example, the base of the screw processor assembly may cover the entire extension of the bowl. The heights of the auger cone, shredder plate, and slicer plate may vary, with the length of the pusher varying. The drive shaft may take on different configurations; for example, the screw processor assembly may be driven by friction generating wheels rather than gears. The interaction and interengagement of the edges/rims of the bowl and lid may vary in different embodiments. Other trays, blades, and accessories may be included.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.