TOOL DETECTION FOR KITCHEN APPLIANCES

• US 20180168401A1
• Filed: 02/21/2016
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: WEISS, SASCHA, SIGOT, THOMAS LEONHARD
• Application Number:
  US15/125,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20180168401A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 2043/04418 with housing extending perpendicular, e.g. horizontally, from the tool axis
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/06 with a plurality of interchangeable working units , e.g. with a single driving-unit
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0711 mixing, whipping or cutting tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/082 for machines with tools driven from the upper side A47J43/087, A47J43/09 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/288 Spatulas; Scrapers; Multi-purpose hand implements

Abstract

A kitchen appliance has a power unit 2 and a removable tool 4 connected through a mechanical interface 12. A controller 16 controls an electric motor 14 driving the tool 4 through the mechanical interface. A vibration sensor 18 identifies the vibrations of the tool and feeds the vibration data to the controller 16. The controller may use the vibration data to identify the tool and/or to select an appropriate drive pattern based on the sensed vibration.

Claims

1. A power unit of a kitchen appliance, comprising:

a mechanical interface for connecting a tool;

a motor for rotating the mechanical interface to drive the tool;

a controller for controlling the motor; and

a vibration sensor arranged to sense vibrations of a tool connected to the mechanical interface, the vibration sensor being connected to the controller for feeding vibration information representing the sensed vibration to the controller;

wherein, the controller is arranged to identify which of a plurality of classes of tools is connected to the power unit from the sensed vibration information.

2. The power unit according to claim 1, wherein the controller contains a memory storing information regarding a plurality of classes of tools and corresponding drive patterns, the controller being arranged to drive the motor in a drive pattern selected from a plurality of drive patterns on the basis of the identified class of tool.

3. The power unit according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to adapt the drive of the motor dynamically based on the vibration information.

4. The power unit according to claim 1, wherein the power unit comprises a housing, the mechanical interface extends through the housing and the vibration sensor is arranged in the housing adjacent to the mechanical interface.

5. The power unit of according to claim 1, wherein the motor is a brushless motor.

6. A kitchen appliance kit comprising:

a power unit comprising;

a mechanical interface for connecting a tool;

an electric motor for rotating the mechanical interface to drive the tool;

a controller for controlling the electric motor; and

a vibration sensor arranged to sense mechanical vibrations of a tool connected to the mechanical interface, the vibration sensor being connected to the controller for feeding information representing the sensed vibration to the controller; and

a plurality of tools for connection to the mechanical interface;

wherein;

each tool vibrates when connected to the power unit; and

the controller is arranged to identify which of a plurality of classes of tools is connected to the power unit from the sensed vibration information.

7. The kit according to claim 6, wherein the controller is arranged to select a drive pattern for the electric motor on the basis of the identified class of tool among the plurality of classes of tool.

8. The kit according to claim 6, wherein each of the tools is arranged to have a characteristic vibration axially or radially with respect to the rotation axis of the mechanical interface when the tool is connected to the power unit and driven by the motor.

9. The kit according to any of claim 6, wherein each tool is adapted to vibrate at a characteristic frequency corresponding to the class of tool, wherein each class of tool has a different characteristic frequency.

10. The kit according to claim 6, wherein the vibration sensor is arranged in the power unit adjacent to the mechanical interface.

11. A method of operation of a kitchen appliance having a power unit with a motor and at least one tool, the tool being detachable, the method comprising:

connecting a tool to the power unit;

driving the motor to drive the tool;

sensing the vibrations of the tool with a vibration sensor in the power unit; and

identifying the class of tool from the vibrations.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a drive pattern from a plurality of drive patterns based on the identified class of tool; and

driving the motor according to the selected drive pattern.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of driving the motor according to the selected drive pattern includes adapting the drive of the motor dynamically based on the sensed vibrations.