FOOD PROCESSOR HAVING INDEXING STORAGE CONTAINERS

• US 20170215647A1
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conair LLC (Conair Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Conair Corporation
• Inventors: Zakowski, Joseph W., Naples, Matthew, Hotaling, Bryan, MACNEILL, John
• Granted Patent: US 10,694,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

Abstract

A food processor includes a base, a motor disposed within the base, a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor and extending outwardly from the base, the output shaft being rotatable upon actuation of the motor, a bowl mounted on the base for containing food items, a lid for covering the bowl and having an opening therein, at least one storage container receivable within said bowl, and an indexing mechanism engageable with the at least one storage container and being operable to selectively index the storage container within the bowl.

Claims

1. A food processor, comprising:

a base;

a motor disposed within said base;

a drive shaft operatively connected to said motor and extending outwardly from said base, said output shaft being rotatable upon actuation of said motor;

a bowl mounted on said base for containing food items;

a lid for covering said bowl and having an opening therein; and

at least one storage container receivable within said bowl; and

an indexing mechanism engageable with said at least one storage container and being operable to selectively index said storage container within said bowl.

2. The food processor of claim 1, wherein:

said indexing mechanism includes a rotatable knob, a drive gear operatively attached to the rotatable knob, a first annulus configured to be rotatably driven by said drive gear and a second annulus engageable with said first annulus.

3. The food processor of claim 2, wherein:

said knob, said drive gear and said first annulus form a part of said lid.

4. The food processor of claim 3, wherein:

said at least one storage container is three storage containers

5. The food processor of claim 3, wherein:

said lid includes a retaining plate that retains said drive gear and said first annulus within said lid.

6. The food processor of claim 4, wherein:

said drive gear has a plurality of teeth that project radially outward from a periphery thereof and mesh with a first plurality of that project radially inward from the first annulus.

7. The food processor of claim 6, wherein:

said first annulus has a second plurality of teeth that project substantially downward therefrom and are configured to mesh with a third plurality of teeth that project substantially upward from the second annulus when said lid is engaged with said bowl.

8. The food processor of claim 4, wherein:

said storage containers cooperate to define a central passageway axially aligned with said drive shaft.

9. The food processor of claim 4, wherein:

said storage containers are nestable with one another.

10. The food processor of claim 4, wherein:

each said storage container includes a lid receivable atop said storage container.

11. The food processor of claim 2, further comprising:

at least one wiper blade attached to said second annulus and configured to contact said interior sidewall of the bowl to scrape said interior sidewall.

12. An indexing storage container system for a food processor, comprising:

an actuator;

a drive gear operatively attached to said actuator;

a first annulus configured to be rotatably driven by said drive gear;

a second annulus engageable with said first annulus; and

at least one storage container receivable within a bowl of said food processor and engageable with said second annulus, said actuator being operable to selectively index said at least one storage container within said bowl.

13. The indexing storage container system of claim 12, wherein:

said actuator is a rotatable knob protruding from an upper surface of a lid of said food processor.

14. The indexing storage container system of claim 13, wherein:

said knob, said drive gear and said first annulus form a part of said lid.

15. The indexing storage container system of claim 14, wherein:

said second annulus includes said at least one wiper blade are received within said bowl.

16. The indexing storage container system of claim 14, wherein:

said lid includes a retaining plate that retains said drive gear and said first annulus within said lid.

17. The indexing storage container system of claim 15, wherein:

said drive gear has a plurality of teeth that project radially outward from a periphery thereof and mesh with a first plurality of that project radially inward from the first annulus.

18. The indexing storage container system of claim 17, wherein:

said first annulus has a second plurality of teeth that project substantially downward therefrom and are configured to mesh with a third plurality of teeth that project substantially upward from the second annulus when said lid is engaged with said bowl.

19. The indexing storage container system of claim 12, wherein:

said at least one storage container is three storage containers;

wherein said three storage containers define an central passageway axially aligned with a drive shaft of said food processor when said storage containers are inserted into said bowl.

20. The indexing storage container system of claim 13, wherein:

said three storage containers are nestable with one another.