Blender base with food processor capabilities
First Claim
1. A blender base, comprising:
- an attachment configured to receive at least two different types of containers; and
a sensor system on the blender base, the sensor system for detecting the type of container on the attachment.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
89 Citations
104 Claims
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1. A blender base, comprising:
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an attachment configured to receive at least two different types of containers; and
a sensor system on the blender base, the sensor system for detecting the type of container on the attachment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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12. An attachment for placing on a blender base, comprising:
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a base for fitting onto a blender base that is configured to receive at least two different types of containers, the blender base comprising a sensor system, the sensor system for detecting the type of container on the blender base; and
an actuator for actuating the sensor system.
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19. A blade unit for use with a blender, comprising:
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a first blade assembly having a generally U-shaped configuration with first and second blades on distal ends of U-shaped configuration, and wherein the first and second blades on the first blade assembly extend at an angle to a radial axis of the blade unit; and
a second blade assembly having a first and second blades that extend substantially radially to the radial axis.
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34. A blade base and unit for a blender comprising:
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a blade unit;
a blade base; and
an extraction mechanism for releasing the blade unit from the blade base.
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37. A blender base comprising:
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a reversible motor;
a user interface; and
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including preprogrammed motor routines associated with a plurality of predetermined functions, at least one of the motor routines including both forward and reverse functions of the motor;
wherein the microcontroller is operative to retrieve the at least one preprogrammed motor routine from the memory in response to user selection of an input associated with the at least one of the preprogrammed motor routines, and operates the motor in both the reverse and forward directions based on the preprogrammed motor routines.
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53. A blender base, comprising:
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a drive for rotating a blade unit; and
a dual-wound motor configured to rotate the blade unit in reverse and forward directions. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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56. A blender base comprising:
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a motor;
a user interface;
a display; and
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including preprogrammed motor routines associated with a plurality of predetermined functions, the microcontroller being operative to retrieve the at least one preprogrammed motor routine from the memory in response to user selection of an input associated with the at least one of the preprogrammed motor routines.
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63. A blender base comprising:
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a motor;
a user interface;
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including preprogrammed motor routines associated with a plurality of predetermined functions, the microcontroller being operative to retrieve the at least one preprogrammed motor routine from the memory in response to user selection of an input on the user interface associated with the at least one of the preprogrammed motor routines; and
a pause switch on the user interface, the microcontroller being operative to pause the program and resume the program in response to activation of the pause switch.
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64. A blender base comprising:
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a motor;
a user interface;
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including preprogrammed motor routines associated with a plurality of predetermined functions, the microcontroller being operative to retrieve the at least one preprogrammed motor routine from the memory in response to user selection of an input on the user interface associated with the at least one of the preprogrammed motor routines; and
a pulse switch on the user interface, wherein the microcontroller is operative to operate the motor in a continuation function for a routine in response to activation of the pulse switch after the routine has been completed. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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68. A blender base comprising:
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a motor;
a user interface;
a display; and
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including information regarding a number of recipes, the microcontroller being operative to retrieve a recipe from the memory in response to user selection of an input associated with the recipe and to display the recipe on the display.
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73. A blender base comprising:
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a reversible motor;
a sensor associated with the motor; and
a microcontroller in communication with the sensor and the motor, the microcontroller being operative to reverse the direction of the motor in response to the sensor sensing a predetermined strain in the motor. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76)
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77. A container for use with a blender, comprising:
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a jar;
a blade base removably attachable to the jar;
a lid with an opening therethrough, the lid adapted to fit over the jar; and
a cap configured to fit into the opening, the cap being capable of forming a connection with the blade unit to disengage the blade unit from the jar. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79)
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- 80. A container for use with a blender comprising ingredient markings that represent fill lines for particular ingredients that are to added for a recipe that is to be mixed in the blender.
- 84. A container for use with a blender, comprising a jar having a interior non-stick surface.
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86. A blender comprising:
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a blender base have a drive unit and a male drive member that is driven by the drive unit, the male drive member comprising metal; and
a blade base comprising a blade unit and a female driven member, the female driven member configured to rotate with the blade unit and to fit over the male drive member, the female drive member comprising metal. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90)
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91. A container for use with a blade base, comprising:
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a drinking container having a first interface at its top;
a blade base having a blade unit thereon and a second interface thereon, the second interface configured to mate with the first interface, the blade base and the drinking container forming a sealed container; and
a drinking cap having a drinking hole and a third interface, the third interface configured to mate with the first interface. - View Dependent Claims (92)
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93. A method of mixing ingredients in a drinking container, comprising:
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placing ingredients in a drinking container;
attaching a blade base to the drinking container;
inverting the blade base and drinking cup;
placing the blade base on a blender base and operating the blender base to mix the ingredients in the drinking cup;
removing the blade base and drinking cup from the blender base;
inverting the blade base and drinking cup; and
removing the blade base from the drinking cup. - View Dependent Claims (94)
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95. A blender and food processor system, comprising:
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a blender base comprising a drive unit;
a blender container comprising a blade base for attaching to the blender base and having a blender blade unit, wherein operation of the blender base when the blade base is on the blender base causes operation of the blender blade unit;
a food processor container having a food processor base for attaching to the blender base, and including a food processor blade unit, wherein operation of the blender base when the food processor base is on the blender base causes operation of the food processor blade unit. - View Dependent Claims (96)
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97. A blender base, comprising:
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a blender base configured to receive at least two different types of containers;
a sensor system on the blender base, the sensor system for detecting the type of container on the blender base;
a motor associated with the blender base for operating the blender;
a microcontroller associated with the sensor system and the motor, wherein the microcontroller is configured such that the motor is capable of operation within a first specified range if a first container is detected by the sensor system to be on the blender base, and is capable of operation within a second specified range is a second container is detected by the sensor system to be on the blender base. - View Dependent Claims (98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. A blender base comprising:
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a reversible motor;
a user interface having a manual speed selector;
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including preprogrammed motor routines associated with a plurality of predetermined functions;
wherein the microcontroller is operative to retrieve the at least one preprogrammed motor routine from the memory in response to user selection of an input associated with the at least one of the preprogrammed motor routines, and operates the motor based on the preprogrammed motor routines; and
wherein the microcontroller is operative to increment each of the functions in a routine responsive to a user actuating the manual speed selector during operation of the routine.
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104. A blender base comprising:
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a reversible motor;
a user interface; and
a microcontroller in communication with the motor and the user interface, and comprising memory, the memory including preprogrammed motor routines associated with a plurality of predetermined functions;
wherein the microcontroller is operative to retrieve the at least one preprogrammed motor routine from the memory in response to user selection of an input associated with the at least one of the preprogrammed motor routines, and operates the motor based on the preprogrammed motor routines; and
wherein the microcontroller is configured to generate an audible tone upon completion of the at least one preprogrammed motor routine.
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Specification