FOOD-PROCESSING TOOLS AND FOOD-PROCESSING APPLIANCES INCORPORATING SAME

• US 20160278578A1
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenwood Corporation (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kenwood Corporation (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: SHANMUGAM, Sivaprakash
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0722 Mixing, whipping or cutting tools
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 15/004 Shape or construction of rollers or balls

Abstract

A tool for a food processor has a first member driven in rotation and a second stationary member which have complementary working surfaces for rolling engagement formed of a stone-like material for working ingredients into a thin paste-like form, the surfaces being conical or cylindrical.

Claims

1. A tool for attachment to a food-processing appliance provided with an electric motor and configured to provide a rotary drive for said tool;

the tool comprising a first food-processing tool member adapted to be driven in rotation by said rotary drive and a second food-processing tool member adapted to remain stationary within said vessel during a food-processing operation;

said first and second food-processing tool members having complementary working surfaces adapted for rolling inter-engagement during relative rotational movement between said food-processing tool members, and wherein at least said complementary working surfaces of said first and second food-processing tool members are each formed of material capable of working ingredients into a thin paste-like form, and wherein said complementary working surfaces are conical or cylindrical in form.

2. The tool according to claim 1, wherein said complementary working surfaces are conical in form.

3. The tool according to claim 2, wherein the second food-processing tool member comprises an annular member disposed to surround said rotary drive and presenting a frusto-conical working surface which tapers from its inner diameter towards its outer diameter which is disposed closely adjacent an upright wall of said vessel.

4. The tool according to claim 3, wherein the first food-processing tool member comprises a plurality of conical members supported to depend from a yoke member driven in rotation by means of said rotary drive and each adapted to roll on said frusto-conical working surface of said second food-processing tool member during rotation of said yoke member.

5. The tool according to claim 24, wherein the said first food-processing member comprises a pair of conical members disposed in diametrically opposed relationship to the rotational axis of said rotary drive.

6. The tool according to claim 1, wherein said complementary working surfaces are cylindrical in form.

7. The tool according to claim 6, wherein said second food-processing tool member comprises a hollow, substantially cylindrical member disposed along the rotational axis of said rotary drive.

8. The tool according to claim 7, wherein said first food-processing member comprises a plurality of cylindrical members supported to depend from a yoke member driven in rotation by means of said rotary drive and each adapted to roll around the cylindrical working surface of said second food-processing tool member during rotation of said yoke member.

9. The tool according to claim 8, wherein the second food-processing tool member is provided with suspension suspending it from a lid of the vessel so as to pass through an aperture formed in the yoke member and provided with a bearing surface.

10. The tool according to claim 8, wherein the second food-processing member comprises an annular member disposed to surround said rotary drive and adapted to be held in place during a processing operation by fitment about a stationary part of said vessel surrounding said rotary drive.

11. The tool according to claim 10, wherein the yoke member is driven by an extension from said rotary drive passing through the second food-processing member.

12. The tool according to claim 6, wherein said first food-processing tool member comprises a substantially cylindrical member disposed along the rotational axis of and driven by said rotary drive and said second food-processing member comprises a plurality of cylindrical members supported to depend from a yoke member held stationary during a processing operation by means of a base fitment engaging with a stationary part of said vessel surrounding said rotary drive and with the lower ends of said cylindrical members of said second food-processing tool member;

the arrangement being such that each of said cylindrical members of said second food-processing tool member is caused to roll around its own axis by frictional contact with the cylindrical working surface of said first food-processing tool member during rotation of said first food-processing tool.

13. The tool according to claim 6, wherein one of said food-processing members comprises a pair of cylindrical members disposed in diametrically opposed relationship to the rotational axis of said drive member.

14. The tool according to claim 4, wherein the yoke member further comprises resilient means adapted to permit relative movement of said first food-processing tool member towards and away from said second food-processing tool member to thereby accommodate inclusion of foodstuffs between the opposed working surfaces.

16. The food-processing appliance, such as a food processor or a food mixer, provided with a processing tool according to claim 1 for attachment thereto.

17. The tool according to claim 1, wherein at least said complementary surfaces of said first and second tool members are each formed of a stone-like material.

15. (canceled)