阅读说明：本技术 用于烹饪器具盖子的定中心垫圈 (Centering washer for a lid of a cooking appliance ) 是由 大卫·伯努瓦 斯特凡·普利尚 于 2020-09-17 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于设置在烹饪器具的盖子(2)和碗(10)之间的环形定中心垫圈(1),该垫圈包括垂直于垫圈平面的中心轴线A、内壁(4)、相对于中心轴线A径向设置的至少一个定中心翼(5)和相对于中心轴线A径向设置的至少一个止动件(6)。(A ring-shaped centering gasket (1) for arrangement between a lid (2) and a bowl (10) of a cooking appliance, the gasket comprising a central axis a perpendicular to the gasket plane, an inner wall (4), at least one centering wing (5) arranged radially with respect to the central axis a and at least one stop (6) arranged radially with respect to the central axis a.)

1. Annular centering gasket (1) for arrangement between a lid (2) and a bowl (10), characterized in that it comprises a central axis a perpendicular to the gasket plane, an inner wall (4), at least one centering wing (5) arranged radially with respect to the central axis a, and at least one stop member (6) arranged radially with respect to the central axis a and projecting from the inner wall (4), the stop member (6) extending towards the outside of the gasket (1) with respect to the central axis a.

2. The gasket (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said one or more wings (5) and said one or more stops (6) are provided on said inner wall (4).

3. The gasket (1) according to any of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the one or more wings (5) and the stop (6) are arranged radially in the plane of the gasket (1) with respect to the central axis A.

4. The gasket (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that in the case of a plurality of centering fins (5), the fins are spaced apart and form the same or different angles a.

5. The washer (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the angle a is provided in the plane of the washer (1) or in a plane parallel to the plane of the washer (1) and that the angle a is centred on the central axis A.

6. The gasket (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said one or more centering fins (5) extend in a plane oriented towards the outside of the gasket (1) with respect to said central axis A.

7. Gasket (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in the case of a plurality of stops (6), the stops (6) are spaced apart and form an angle β, all angles β being identical to one another.

8. The gasket (1) according to any of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the gasket (1) has an L-shaped cross-section in whole or in part.

9. Gasket (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it further comprises an upper edge (7) arranged projecting from the gasket (1), so that the gasket has a U-shaped section in whole or in part of its section.

10. The gasket (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that said upper edge (7) and said one or more centering fins (5) are each comprised in two different parallel planes.

11. The gasket (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that said upper edge (7) and said one or more centering fins (5) are arranged opposite each other so as to form a groove with said inner wall (4).

12. Gasket (1) according to any of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it further comprises means for positioning the gasket on the lid.

13. Gasket (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that said positioning means are ribs (8) or notches (9), said ribs (8) or notches (9) cooperating with oppositely arranged notches (9) or ribs (8) on said cover.

14. Lid for a cooking appliance, characterized in that it comprises a gasket (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A cooking appliance, characterized in that it comprises a lid according to claim 14.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of cooking, and more particularly to the field of cooking appliances comprising a manually operated rope drive and a glass bowl forming a container, such as a meat grinder, a food processor, a juice extractor, a lettuce dehydrator or a blender. These appliances are manually operated and therefore non-powered, allowing movement to be transmitted from one part to another by pulling a string or cord.

Note that in this document, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "vertical," "parallel," "rotational," "horizontal," "vertical," "down," "upper," "above," "below," "intersecting," "coaxial," "convex," "concave," and "planar" used to describe a device refer to the device when it is used when placed on a horizontal surface.

Background

It is known that cooking appliances with compressible silicone gaskets can reduce the space between the glass bowl and the lid. Thus, the larger the clearance required for assembly, the greater the compressibility the silicone gasket should be. The term "gap" in the sense of the present invention generally refers to an element that is easy to move due to the space between two parts or two surfaces.

A first disadvantage of these cooking appliances with glass bowls or containers is that the mass production process of glass involves greater manufacturing tolerances than the plastic injection or metal stamping process. Thus, during the manufacturing process, the size of the glass bowl may vary by several millimeters between each sample of the bowl. When it is desired to place a plastic lid on a glass bowl, assembly becomes difficult due to these differences in bowl size, which can be relatively light. To ensure that the lid fits or fits over the glass bowl, the necessary clearance must be provided (i.e., a minimum space must be ensured between the bowl and the lid). This necessary clearance is noticeable and can give a poor quality feel to the product as the lid can move over the bowl. In addition, since such a large gap is required at the time of assembly, noise and vibration are generated when the plastic cover or the metal cover comes into contact with the glass bowl. The fact that the cover moves and generates noise also causes the appliance to be perceived as being of poor construction quality.

Another disadvantage of these cooking appliances with glass bowls or containers is the difficulty in aligning the lid axis with the central guide axis of the glass bowl. In practice, these appliances have a manually operated cord-type drive which transmits the rotary movement along the axis of the cover to the working unit, which is the food processing area, by pulling a cord or rope with a drive wheel. The cutting blade and the drive shaft are usually located in the working unit. The cable-type drive is mounted in the cover of the appliance. The working unit is arranged in the bowl and is positioned in the center of the guide axis of the glass bowl. In an ideal design, the axis of rotation of the lid and the central guide axis of the glass bowl should coincide. The clearance required to mount the lid on the bowl results in more or less misalignment of the two axes. Normally the working units should operate in alignment on coincident axes, but in practice, working units off-axis on non-coincident axes can result in axis misalignment.

Furthermore, during the processing of the food in the bowl, the pressure exerted by the food on the working unit tends to cause the axis of rotation of the lid to deviate, causing misalignment with respect to the guide axis of the glass bowl. The pressure of the food is not continuous and pressure is generated each time the cord is pulled.

A third disadvantage is that pulling the cord to operate the food processing arm exerts a force on the lid in the direction of the cord pull. The force applied in this manner tends to regularly (each time the cord is pulled) displace the cover and its axis in the direction in which the cord is pulled.

A fourth disadvantage of these cooking appliances with glass bowls or containers is that when the lid is assembled on the working arm and in the bowl, the large clearance can cause assembly difficulties and force the user to actuate the lid with a working arm that is barely visible.

All the above drawbacks lead to abnormal stresses and wear of the driving parts, such as the pinions and gears present in the cover, which considerably reduce the service life of the appliance.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the above drawbacks and improve the assembly of the bowl and the lid of a cooking appliance by forming a gasket to compensate for the gap between the lid and the bowl and to center the axis of the lid and the glass bowl guide axis so that they coincide. The gasket cooperates with the lid and its flexibility and structural design enables it to compress, neither too much nor too little, to compensate for the actual gap between the lid and the bowl.

Advantageously, the combination of the centering wing and the stop provides a solution to compensate for assembly clearances, effectively centering the lid on the bowl, and maintaining the lid axis coincident with the bowl axis. The term "centering" in the sense of the present invention means positioning one shape inside the other, placed in its center.

An advantage of the gasket according to the invention is that it can be easily adapted to all different shapes of lids and bowls and can be manufactured independently of the rest of the lid of the cooking appliance.

Advantageously, the gasket according to the invention allows centering of the cap and limits the decentering of the cap that occurs during its use. In fact, the lid has a tendency to deflect, while the design of the gasket makes it possible to limit the deflection of the lid in all directions.

Disclosure of Invention

The subject of the invention is firstly an annular centering washer for arrangement between a lid and a bowl, characterized in that the washer comprises a central axis perpendicular to the washer plane, an inner wall, at least one centering wing arranged radially with respect to the central axis and at least one stop arranged radially with respect to the central axis.

A gasket may be disposed on the lid and in contact with the bowl during the docking stage. At this stage, the lid gasket is placed side by side with the upper portion of the bowl. The gasket is engageable with the cap and is deformable and compressible to compensate for a set of undesired movements primarily in a direction generally perpendicular to the central axis. Thus, the washer can act as a centering mechanism, always bringing the lid back to the center.

The annular centering washer may be in the form of a circular or rectangular ring.

According to another feature of the invention, the wing or wings and the stop or stops may be provided on the inner wall, preferably in the same plane. Preferably, one or more wings may be provided at the end of the inner wall. The centering wing has a foot at its inner wall side end and a leading edge at its other end. The foot is the connection point of the inner wall and the leading edge is the free end. It is foreseen that the section of the centering fins has thinned portions, wherein the thickest portion will be at the foot position, on the inner wall side of the gasket, and the thinnest portion will be at the outer side of the gasket, at the front edge position. The profile of the central airfoil body may have a progressive section tapering from the foot to the leading edge of the airfoil. Advantageously, this particular wing shape allows the wings to act as shock absorbers or springs to dampen unwanted movements, in particular movements of the lid. The wings act as a suspension for the bowl cover assembly.

According to another feature of the invention, the wings and the stop member may be arranged radially in the plane of the washer with respect to the central axis. One or more stops may cooperate with the rim of the bowl to compensate for a set of undesirable movements primarily in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

According to another feature of the invention, the one or more wings and the stop may be arranged radially in the same plane with respect to the central axis.

Preferably, the one or more wings and the inner wall may form a right angle at rest when the gasket is not subjected to any compression. In this way, the bowl is maintained at a constant distance from the lid.

According to another characteristic of the invention, in the case of a plurality of centering fins, the fins may be spaced apart and form the same or different angles α. Preferably, all angles α are identical to each other, but it is conceivable that the centering fins are arranged asymmetrically on the inner wall. It is also conceivable that the centering wings are arranged in an abutting manner, i.e. juxtaposed and in contact with each other.

According to another feature of the invention, the angle α is arranged in the washer plane or in a plane parallel to the washer plane and the center of the angle α is on the central axis. Advantageously, the angle α lies in a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the angle α is absent when there is only one centering wing. In this case, the centering wing is provided on the entire periphery of the inner wall.

According to another characteristic of the invention, when there are two centering wings, the centering wings are disposed opposite each other, the angle α being 180 °.

According to another characteristic of the invention, when there are three centering fins, the angle α is 120 °.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the angle α is 90 ° when there are four centering fins. Thus, by varying the number of centering wings and the value of angle α, optimum clearance elimination and lid re-centering performance can be tailored to differently shaped bowls and lids. Advantageously, this flexibility in the distribution of the centering fins allows great flexibility.

According to another feature of the invention, one or more centering fins may extend in a plane oriented towards the outside of the gasket at the periphery of the gasket with respect to the central axis. It will be appreciated that the outside of the gasket is the portion of the gasket on the side of the glass bowl and the inside of the gasket is the portion on the side of the central axis of the gasket.

According to another feature of the invention, the gasket may comprise at least one stop extending towards the outside of the gasket with respect to the central axis. Advantageously, the stop of the gasket according to the invention makes it possible to centre the lid and to limit the decentering of the lid that occurs during its use. In fact, the lid tends to shift, and the stop prevents the lid from shifting excessively in all directions, typically in a direction perpendicular to the central axis.

According to another feature of the invention, the washer may include a stop member projecting from an inner wall of the washer and extending outwardly of the washer relative to the central axis to compensate for a set of undesired movements primarily in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

According to another feature of the invention, in the case of a plurality of stops, the stops may be spaced apart and form an angle β, all angles β being identical to each other. Advantageously, the angle β lies in a plane perpendicular to the central axis. The action of the stop therefore generally makes it possible to keep the axis of the food processing arm in a plane perpendicular to its pivot point in the lower part of the glass bowl and its drive point in the lid, without damaging the pinion and/or the gear in the lid.

Advantageously, the action of the centering wing and of the stop combine to enable the cap to be self-centered, i.e. without the aid of the user. The centering wing applies force to the bowl wall to enable the cover to be centered automatically. If a force is applied to the cap, the cap will be off-centre, but due to the action of the stop or stops, the cap can accept a limited amount of off-centre. The centering wing then brings the lid back to the center as the force decreases or in the absence of force. After pulling the rope, self-centering is preferably performed when the pulling rope is returned when there is no more force transmitted to the drive shaft by pulling the rope.

According to another feature of the invention, the angle β may be in the plane of the washer and the angle β is centered on the central axis.

According to another feature of the invention, the angle β may be 360 ° when there is a stop.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the angle β may be 180 ° when there are two stops.

According to another feature of the invention, the angle β may be 120 ° when there are three stops.

According to another feature of the invention, the angle β may be 90 ° when there are four stops.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the centering wings and the stops are arranged alternately on the inner wall of the gasket, preferably regularly alternating on the inner wall, i.e. one stop then one centering wing then one stop.

According to another characteristic of the invention, at least one stop of the washer is intended to be positioned on the rope pulling axis. Thus, the offset distance from the lid axis will be controlled, and the offset may be greater if the cord pull axis is between two stops.

According to another feature of the invention, the gasket may have an L-shaped section in whole or in part of its cross-section.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the gasket may also comprise an upper edge arranged projecting from the gasket, so that the gasket has a U-shaped section in whole or in part of its section. The presence of the upper edge therefore increases the adhesion of the gasket on the lid, so that it is fixed to the lid without slipping. This increases the damping and guiding capacity of the washer.

According to another feature of the invention, the upper edge may extend in a plane oriented towards the outside of the gasket with respect to the central axis, at the periphery of the gasket. Thus, the edges form a crown.

According to another feature of the invention, the upper edge and the centering wing or wings may each be contained in two independent parallel planes. Preferably, the width of the rim is less than the width of the centering wing or wings, which increases the contact surface with the bowl and facilitates the support of the centering wing or wings on the bowl and the guidance of the lid. Preferably, the width of the centering wing or wings is greater than the width of the edges.

According to another feature of the invention, the upper edge and the centering wing or wings may be disposed opposite each other so as to form a groove with the inner wall.

According to another feature of the invention, the gasket is flexible. It is made of a deformable material. Preferably, it is made in one piece by moulding.

According to another feature of the invention, the gasket can be ideally manufactured with a shore hardness of 40 to 80 shore a, preferably 60 to 80 shore a.

According to another feature of the invention, the gasket may desirably be made of a flexible material, such as silicone or a thermoplastic elastomer.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the gasket may also comprise means for positioning the gasket on the lid.

According to another feature of the invention, the locating means may be a rib or notch which cooperates with an oppositely disposed notch or rib on the lid. The positioning means thus make it easy to center the gasket with respect to the cap. In fact, since the gasket is removable to facilitate cleaning, it is important to correctly reposition the gasket to optimize its operation. Preferably, the locating means comprises one or more recesses provided on the gasket and one or more ribs provided on the lid in opposition. It should be noted that the ribs on one element mate with the notches on the other element.

According to another feature of the invention, markings may be added to the lid and/or gasket to make it easier to see the recesses of the gasket opposite the lid ribs. The indicia may serve as a positioning indicator to facilitate use of the gasket by a user. Preferably, the mark may be a geometric symbol, such as a triangle. According to another feature of the invention, the at least one marker may be aligned on the cord pulling axis.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the gasket according to the invention comprises a stop element for limiting the travel of the centering wing, thus ensuring the proper functioning of the gasket. The stop element prevents the centering wing from being in a position in which it can no longer function as a shock absorber. Preferably, the stop element limits the leading edge travel of the centering wing. Preferably, the stop element is a stop element of the centering wing, in particular a stop element of the leading edge of the centering wing.

Another subject of the invention is a lid for a cooking appliance comprising a gasket according to the invention.

Another subject of the invention is a cooking appliance comprising a lid according to the invention. Preferably, the cooking appliance is a non-powered appliance comprising a manually operated cord drive and a glass bowl forming a container, such as a meat grinder, a food processor, a juicer, a salad spinner or a blender.

Drawings

The objects, aspects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a top cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a gasket having a U-shaped cross-section according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the right profile of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the left profile of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the front profile of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the back profile of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a bottom perspective view of a lid according to the present invention without a gasket.

Fig. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the lid shown in fig. 9, including the gasket shown in fig. 1, and implemented in the appliance of fig. 11 and 12.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a meat grinder type cooking appliance including the lid of fig. 10 mounted on a bowl.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the cooking appliance shown in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the profile of a portion of a second embodiment of a washer according to the present invention having a stop member and a U-shaped cross-section.

Fig. 14 is a top perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a side perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the profile of a portion of a third embodiment of a washer having another example of a stop element and a U-shaped cross-section in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a top perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a side perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 16.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows a ring-shaped centering washer 1 according to the present invention. The gasket 1 is made in a single piece, circular and comprises three centering fins 5 and a central axis a. The centering fins 5 extend away from the central axis a towards the outside of the gasket 1. The central axis a is arranged in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the washer 1 and a point on this axis passes through the geometric centre of the washer 1. The gasket 1 comprises three recesses 9 arranged on the inner wall 4 outside the gasket 1. The gasket 1 has an upper edge 7. The width of the wings 5 is greater than the width of the upper edge 7, the wings protruding from the gasket. The gasket 1 is made of a soft elastic material.

Figure 2 shows the same ring-shaped centering washer 1 as in figure 1. The gasket 1 comprises three centring wings 5 arranged on the periphery of the inner wall 4 and at an angle a of 120. The angle a is formed in the plane of the washer or in a plane parallel to the plane of the washer and is centred on the central axis a. The gasket 1 includes indicia 14 in the form of triangles and serves as a locating indicator, the indicia being located opposite the same triangles visible on the lid of figure 9. The gasket 1 comprises three stops 6 projecting from the inner wall 4 and arranged alternately between the wings 5 at an angle β of 120 °. The angle β is formed in the washer plane or in a plane parallel to the washer plane and is centered on the central axis a. The angle alpha and the angle beta are in the same plane.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the gasket shown in fig. 1. The wings 5 protrude from the upper edge 7 and the width of the wings 5 is greater than the width of the upper edge 7.

Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the gasket shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the front profile of the gasket shown in fig. 1. The centering wing 5 is mounted between the two stops 6, equidistant from the geometric centre of each stop 6.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the back profile of the gasket shown in fig. 1. The stop member 6 is mounted between the two centering fins 5, equidistant from the ends of each centering fin 5.

Fig. 7 is a top perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 1. The visible face of the upper edge 7 rests on the lid 2. Its surface is smooth and flat to provide maximum adhesion with the lid. The gasket has three recesses 9 which are spaces to fit the ribs 8 of the lid 2.

Fig. 8 is a bottom perspective view of the gasket shown in fig. 1. The washer has three triangular markings 14 as positioning indicators.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the cap 2 without the gasket. The lid 2 has three triangular marks 14 which serve as positioning indicators, positioned opposite the same triangle visible on the gasket 1. The lid 2 has three ribs 8 which cooperate with three recesses 9 of the gasket 1. Only two ribs are visible in fig. 9. The lid 2 has a protruding edge adapted to receive a gasket.

Fig. 10 shows the same annular centering washer 1 as in fig. 1, arranged on a lid of a cooking appliance, the washer 1 being in direct contact with the surface of the lid 2. This is the cover comprising the rope drive. The lid 2 has a protruding rim on which the elastic gasket 1 is arranged. The diameter of the gasket 1 is dimensioned slightly smaller than the diameter of the protruding rim of the lid, so that the gasket 1 is tightened and held on the lid by elastic pressure. When the lid 2 with the gasket 1 is positioned on the bowl 10 of the appliance, the wings 5 are deformed, which prevents a gap from forming between the bowl 10 and the lid 2. The wings 5 are bent and compensate for the gap between the lid 2 and the bowl 10 and also center the lid axis and the guide axis of the glass bowl 10 so that they coincide.

Fig. 11 shows a meat grinder type cooking appliance 3 with the lid shown in fig. 9. The cooking appliance 3 comprises a glass bowl 10 forming a container, a working unit for cutting food and a manually operated cord-type drive device mounted in the lid 2. The appliance 3 has a food processing arm 11. The glass bowl 10 has a pivot point 12. The cover 2 has a drive point 13 for the working unit. The gasket 1 is in position for eliminating play and re-centering the cap.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the cooking appliance 3 in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a part of a second embodiment of a gasket 1 according to the invention, having a substantially U-shaped cross-section. The gasket 1 comprises an upper edge 7, an inner wall 4, a centering wing 5 and a stop element 15. The centering fins 5 have a substantially cylindrical profile inclined with respect to the inner wall 4. The centering wing 5 has a foot 16 and a leading edge 17. Advantageously, this particular shape of the wings 5 makes them flexible, enabling them to bend when the lid is placed on the bowl and enabling the lid to find its optimal operating position. The feet 16 have a lesser flexibility than the leading edge 17 so that the leading edge can act as a shock absorber or spring to dampen unwanted movements, particularly of the lid. The wings 5 act as a suspension for the bowl cover assembly. When the lid 2 is docked on the bowl 10, the centering wing 5 can tilt and approach the stop element 15. The stop element 15 serves to limit the travel of the centering wing 5 and to prevent the centering wing 5 from reaching a position in which it is no longer able to perform its function as a shock absorber.

Fig. 14 and 15 are top and side perspective views of the gasket shown in fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the profile of a portion of a third embodiment of a washer according to the present invention, with a modification of the stop element. The gasket 1 has a stop element 15 of rectangular section, an upper edge 7, an inner wall 4, a centering wing 5. The centering fins 5 have a substantially cylindrical profile inclined with respect to the inner wall 4. The centering wing 5 has a foot 16 and a leading edge 17.

Fig. 17 and 18 are top and side perspective views of the gasket shown in fig. 16.