BLENDING JAR WITH SCRAPER APPARATUS AND METHODS

• US 20120294108A1
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blendtec Incorporated
• Original Assignee: K-Tel Corporation
• Inventors: Dickson, Thomas D. Jr., Throckmorton, David J., Kingdon, Sterling O., McLane, Mark W., Robins, Kory B., Galbraith, Richard C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,770,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/205
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0716 for machines with tools driven from the lower side A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0727 Mixing bowls
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1123 sickle-shaped, i.e. curved in at least one direction
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/808 with stirrers driven from the bottom of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/123 using scrapers for cleaning mixers

Abstract

A blending apparatus includes a blending jar and a lid. The blending jar has an internal surface defining an internal volume, and a mixing blade positioned within the internal volume. The lid is releasably mounted to the blending jar and includes at least one scraper extending into the internal volume. The at least one scraper is adjacent to the internal surface of the blending jar and is arranged and configured to disrupt rotational flow of food particles within the internal volume and/or scrape food particles from an inner surface of the blending jar.

Claims

1. A blending apparatus, comprising:

a blending jar having an internal surface defining an internal volume, and a mixing blade positioned within the internal volume;

a lid releasably mounted to the blending jar, the lid including at least one scraper extending into the internal volume adjacent to the internal surface, the at least one scraper being arranged and configured to disrupt rotational flow of food particles within the internal volume.

2. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lid includes a pass-through bore.

3. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lid includes at least two scrapers.

4. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one scraper has a contoured shape along a length of the at least one scraper.

5. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one scraper has an elongate shape that tapers at a free distal end of the at least one scraper.

6. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one scraper is in contact with the internal surface along substantially an entire length of the at least one scraper.

7. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lid includes a graspable portion accessible outside the blending jar, the graspable portion extending in a direction opposite the at least one scraper.

8. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the internal surface of the blending jar extends circumferentially, and rotating the lid moves the at least one scraper in a circular direction along the internal surface to move food particles into the rotational flow.

9. The blending apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least two scrapers are equally spaced apart circumferentially around the lid.

10. The blending apparatus of claim 7, wherein the graspable portion extends outside of the blending jar and the at least one scraper extends within the blending jar.

11. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one scraper includes a beveled edge

12. The blending apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lid is rotatable in opposite directions relative to the blending jar.

16. The blender apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one scraper is contoured along its length.

17. The blender apparatus of claim 12, wherein the lid includes a graspable portion extending opposite from the at least one scraper.

13. A blender apparatus, comprising:

a stationary base;

a motor mounted within the stationary base;

a mixing container having a blade configured to blend food particles held within the mixing container, the mixing container being removably securable to the stationary base for operable connection of the blade to the motor;

a lid removably securable to the mixing container and rotatable relative to the mixing container, the lid including at least one scraper having an elongate shape that extends into the mixing container, wherein rotation of the lid dislodges food particles from an internal surface of the mixing container with the at least one scraper.

14. The blender apparatus of claim 13, wherein the lid includes first and second scrapers.

15. The blender apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first and second scrapers are equally spaced apart from each other.

18. A method of moving food particles in a blending apparatus, the method comprising;

providing a blending jar and a lid, the lid including at least one scraper;

blending food particles within the blending jar;

removably mounting the lid to the blending jar with the at least one scraper inserted into the blending jar;

rotating the lid relative to the blending jar to remove food particles from an internal surface of the blending jar with the at least one scraper.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the lid includes a graspable portion that extends opposite the at least one scraper, and rotating the lid includes applying a rotation force to the graspable portion.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the blending apparatus includes a blending blade positioned within the blending jar, wherein rotating the lid in a first rotational direction moves the food particles axially toward the blending blade, and rotating the lid in a second rotational direction moves the food particles axially away from the blending blade.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising interrupting rotational flow of food particles within the blending jar with the at least one scraper.

22. A method of altering flow in a blending apparatus, comprising:

providing a blending jar having a blending blade positioned therein, and a lid having a base portion and at least one scraper extending from the base portion;

operating the blending blade to create a rotational flow of food particles in the blending jar;

releasably mounting the lid to the blending jar with the at least one scraper positioned in the rotational flow of food particles;

altering the rotational flow of food particles with the at least one scraper.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one scraper contacts an inner surface of the blending jar, the method including rotating the lid to move the at least one scraper along the inner surface.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one scraper includes a beveled surface facing into the rotational flow of food particles, and the beveled surface forces the rotational flow of food particles toward a central axis of the blending jar.

25. A blending apparatus, comprising:

a blending jar having an internal surface defining an internal volume, and a mixing blade positioned within the internal volume;

at least one scraper member extending into the internal volume adjacent to the internal surface, the at least one scraper member being arranged and configured to disrupt rotational flow of food particles within the internal volume.

26. The blending apparatus of claim 25, further comprising a lid releasably mounted to the blending jar, the lid including the at least one scraper member.

27. The blending apparatus of claim 26, wherein the at least one scraper member extends vertically downward from the lid into the internal volume.

28. The blending apparatus of claim 25, wherein the mixing blade includes the at least one scraper member.

29. The blending apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one scraper member extends vertically upward from the mixing blade into the internal volume.