BLENDER ASSEMBLY

• US 20150117137A1
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: HANEY, EDWARD, WOLTERS, JEREMY T., MOCK, BRANDON T., LOWNDS, ZACHARY A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,555,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 366/142
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 19/027 Centrifugal extractors
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2203/00 Devices having filling level indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/40 Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4407 Lids, covers or knobs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0465 with magnetic drive
• 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 2101/1805 Kitchen, household equipment for mixing
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1125 with vanes or blades extending parallel or oblique to the stirrer axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/808 with stirrers driven from the bottom of the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/22 Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2205 Controlling the mixing process from a remote server, e.g. by sending commands using radio, telephone, internet, local network, GPS or other means
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2206 Use of stored recipes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or composition in mixing plants B01F33/846 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/31 Couplings
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/3204 Motor driven, i.e. by means of an electric or IC motor
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/6052 with locking, blocking or interlocking mechanisms for preventing operation of the actuation mechanism of the mixing device
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7173 using gravity, e.g. from a hopper

Abstract

A blending appliance includes a housing with a jar receiving area defined between an upper housing and a support base. A blender jar includes a base portion and a receptacle portion, and is configured to be laterally received within the jar receiving area of the housing. A magnetic coupling system includes an upper magnetic coupler disposed in the base portion of the blender jar and a lower magnetic coupler disposed in the support base of the housing. The upper and lower magnetic couplers are magnetically coupled to one another for driving a blade assembly disposed in the receptacle portion of the blender jar. A brake mechanism is disposed on the upper magnetic coupler and is configured to stop rotation of the upper magnetic coupler when the blender jar is removed from the jar receiving area.

Claims

1. A blending appliance, comprising:

an upper housing spaced vertically from a support base to define a jar receiving area therebetween;

a blender jar configured for lateral reception in the jar receiving area, the blender jar including a receptacle portion and an open top; and

a feed chute assembly removeably received through the upper housing at a housing aperture, the feed chute assembly aligned with the receptacle portion of the blender jar when the blender jar is received in the jar receiving area, wherein the feed chute assembly includes a funnel member having a cup assembly removeably received therein, wherein the cup assembly is configured to engage the upper housing to selectively retain the funnel member and cup assembly within the upper housing, wherein the cup assembly further includes a cap to close the housing aperture.

2. The blending appliance of claim 1, wherein the cup assembly includes a body portion having at least one channel that substantially runs a length of the body portion.

3. The blending appliance of claim 2, wherein the funnel member includes a body portion, and further wherein the at least one channel disposed on the body portion of the cup assembly define at least one vent between the cup assembly and the body portion of the funnel member.

4. The blending appliance of claim 3, wherein a gap is defined between the body portion of the funnel member and the body portion of the cup assembly, and further wherein the gap opens into one or more clearance apertures disposed on the cap.

5. The blending appliance of claim 4, wherein the at least one vent defined by the at least one channel of the cup assembly is substantially vertical.

6. The blending appliance of claim 5, wherein a non-linear venting path through the feed chute assembly includes a substantially vertical portion through the at least one vent and a lateral portion through the gap and one or more clearance apertures.

7. The blending appliance of claim 1, wherein the housing aperture includes one or more locking features to engage the cup assembly.

8. The blending appliance of claim 1, wherein the open top of the blender jar is configured to receive a removable lid having a central aperture, and further wherein the central aperture aligns with the feed chute assembly when the blender jar is received in the jar receiving area.

9. The blending appliance of claim 2, wherein the body portion of the cup assembly includes volume indicators for measuring ingredients.

10. A blending appliance, comprising:

an upper housing spaced vertically from a support base to define a jar receiving area therebetween;

a blender jar configured for lateral reception in the jar receiving area, the blender jar including a receptacle portion and an open top;

an interlock switch assembly disposed within the upper housing and configured to selectively provide power to the blending appliance, the interlock switch assembly including a switch housing having a switch mounted thereto, the switch configured to be activated by a rocker lever, wherein the rocker lever is operable between on and off positions as mounted to the switch housing; and

wherein the rocker lever is moved from the off position to the on position by engagement with the blender jar as the blender jar is received in the jar receiving area.

11. The blending appliance of claim 10, wherein the rocker lever is biased towards the off position by a torsion spring coupled to the rocker lever and the switch housing.

12. The blending appliance of claim 11, wherein a contact surface of the rocker lever is disposed in the jar receiving area through an aperture disposed through a lower portion of the upper housing.

13. The blending appliance of claim 12, including:

a lid having a central aperture removeably received on the open top of the blender jar, wherein the lid engages the contact surface of the rocker lever as the blender jar is received in the jar receiving area.

14. A blending appliance, comprising:

a housing having an upper housing portion spaced vertically from a support base to define a jar receiving area therebetween;

a blender jar configured for lateral reception in the jar receiving area and having a blade assembly powered by a motor disposed within the housing;

a controller disposed within the housing, wherein the controller includes one or more preprogrammed blending sequences for controlling the motor; and

a user interface disposed on the upper housing and electronically coupled to the controller, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of function settings for selection by a user.

15. The blending appliance of claim 14, wherein the user interface includes a rotatable dial having the plurality of function settings disposed thereon and a progressive speed indicator scale for adjusting a speed of the motor of the blending appliance.

16. The blending appliance of claim 15, wherein the plurality of function settings correlate to the preprogrammed blending sequences stored in the controller.

17. The blending appliance of claim 14, including:

a speaker electronically coupled to the controller for playing select audio files stored in the controller.

18. The blending appliance of claim 17, wherein the select audio files stored in the controller are selected from the group consisting of a user manual, a recipe, a care and maintenance manual and a function status indication.

19. The blending appliance of claim 18, including:

a wireless receiver coupled to the controller for wirelessly loading remote files to the controller.

20. The blending appliance of claim 18, including:

a USB port electronically coupled to the controller for loading files to the controller from a portable electronic device.