Electric-Motor Kitchen Appliance Comprising an Electric or Electronic Control

• US 20090213685A1
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerã¤Te GmbH (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Sedovsek, Aleksander, Ogrizek, Darko, Mak, Marjan, Semeja, Uros
• Granted Patent: US 8,757,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/129
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/38 Parts or details
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/44 Automatic starting or stopping devices bag clamps with means for actuating switches A47J42/40; Warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/56 Safety devices for food processors A47J43/075
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/075 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0755 for machines with tools driven from the upper side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/08 Driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/082 for machines with tools driven from the upper side A47J43/087, A47J43/09 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23D 51/10 for hand-held or hand-operated devices
• CPC Class Codes: B26B 27/00 Hand cutting tools not provided for in the preceding groups, e.g. finger rings for cutting string, devices for cutting by means of wires

Abstract

An electric-motor kitchen appliance, in particular an electric-motor handheld device, preferably a hand mixer, includes a switch. The invention also relates to a finger-actuated electric control for the switch, and to a method for switching on/off a kitchen appliance. The switch is unlocked when the safety switch is actuated by the finger of a user. The safety switch is electronically switched. The possibility of unintentionally operating the electric-motor of the kitchen appliance is reduced due to the manual operation of the two separate switches. As a result, the safety of the electric-motor kitchen appliance in the household is significantly increased.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. An electric-motor handheld kitchen appliance, comprising:

an on/off switch; and

a finger-actuatable electric control for the on/off switch.

16. The appliance of claim 15, further comprising a mixer.

17. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the control includes a safety switch which is separate from the on/off switch and which is in a recess.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein an actuation-effective distance between the on/off switch and the safety switch is at least 0.5 cm.

19. The appliance of claim 17, wherein an actuation-effective distance between the on/off switch and the safety switch is at least 0.8 cm

20. The appliance of claim 17, wherein an actuation-effective distance between the on/off switch and the safety switch is at least 1.2 cm

21. The appliance of claim 17, wherein an actuation-effective distance between the on/off switch and the safety switch is less than 4 cm.

22. The appliance of claim 17, wherein an actuation-effective distance between the on/off switch and the safety switch is less than 3 cm.

23. The appliance of claim 17, wherein an actuation-effective distance between the on/off switch and the safety switch is less than 2.5 cm.

24. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the control includes a time-integration circuit unlocks the on/off switch only after prolonged uninterrupted actuation of the safety switch.

25. The appliance of claim 24, wherein the time delay of the time-integration circuit has a duration of at least 0.1 seconds.

26. The appliance of claim 24, wherein the time delay of the time-integration circuit has a duration of at least 0.2 seconds.

27. The appliance of claim 24, wherein the time delay of the time-integration circuit has a duration of at least 0.3 seconds.

28. The appliance of claim 24, wherein the time-integration circuit unlocks the on/off switch on after prolonged uninterrupted actuation of the safety switch for a preset time window.

29. The appliance of claim 28, wherein the duration of the time window is about 0.3 seconds to about 2 seconds.

30. The appliance of claim 28, wherein the duration of the time window is about 0.5 seconds to about one second.

31. The appliance of claim 15, further including an electric step switch that sets an electric power stage of the kitchen appliance.

32. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the safety switch only remains switched on while it is pressed.

33. A method for switching on/off a hand mixer, the method comprising activating a safety switch to enable operation of an on/off switch;

and activating the on/off switch.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein operation of the on/off switch is only enabled after the safety switch is activated for at least 0.1 seconds.