Blender Frothing Apparatus and Method

• US 20190328171A1
• Filed: 04/17/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Leppert, Kevin L.
• Application Number:
  US16/386,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20190328171A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4496 Means to produce beverage with a layer on top, e.g. of cream, foam or froth
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0722 Mixing, whipping or cutting tools

Abstract

A frothing accessory for a blender comprises a main body having a sidewall and a bottom wall. The sidewall has at least a first portion having a frustoconical shape. The bottom wall is at a wider end of the main body. The frothing accessory is adapted to be attachable to a blender jar to enable the frothing accessory to be selectively rotated about a longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A frothing accessory for a blender comprises:

a main body having a sidewall and a bottom wall, the sidewall having at least a first portion having a frustoconical shape, the bottom wall being at a wider end of the main body;

wherein the frothing accessory is adapted to be attachable to a blender jar to enable the frothing accessory to be selectively rotated about a longitudinal axis.

2. The frothing accessory of claim 1, wherein the sidewall further has a second portion, the second portion having a concave-frustoconical shape, the second portion of the sidewall being further from the bottom wall than the first portion of the sidewall.

3. The frothing accessory of claim 1, wherein an angle of the first portion of the sidewall relative to the longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory is between 40 and 50 degrees.

4. The frothing accessory of claim 3, wherein an angle of the first portion of the sidewall relative to the longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory is 45 degrees.

5. The frothing accessory of claim 1, wherein a center hole is defined in the bottom wall, the center hole providing an opening to a central cavity within the main body adapted for receiving a rotatable post of the blender jar for attaching the frothing accessory to the blender jar.

6. The frothing accessory of claim 1, further comprising a center core extending longitudinally through the main body, the center core being constructed of a different material than the main body, a center hole being defined in a bottom end of the center core, the center hole providing an opening to a central cavity within the center core for receiving a rotatable post of the blender jar for attaching the frothing accessory to the blender jar.

7. The frothing accessory of claim 1, further comprising a grasping portion projecting upwardly from a top end of the frothing accessory.

8. A blender jar comprising:

a container portion having a floor;

a selectively rotatable post extending upward from the floor; and

a frothing accessory selectively attachable to the rotatable post such that the frothing accessory selectively rotates about a longitudinal axis when the rotatable post selectively rotates, the frothing accessory comprising a main body having a sidewall and a bottom wall, the sidewall having at least a first portion having a frustoconical shape, the bottom wall being at a wider end of the main body.

9. The blender jar of claim 8, wherein the sidewall of the frothing accessory further has a second portion, the second portion having a concave-frustoconical shape, the second portion of the sidewall being further from the bottom wall than the first portion of the sidewall.

10. The blender jar of claim 8, wherein an angle of the first portion of the sidewall of the frothing accessory relative to the longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory is between 40 and 50 degrees.

11. The blender jar of claim 10, wherein an angle of the first portion of the sidewall of the frothing accessory relative to the longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory is 45 degrees.

12. The blender jar of claim 8, wherein a center hole is defined in the bottom wall of the frothing accessory, the center hole providing an opening to a central cavity within the main body of the frothing accessory for receiving a rotatable post of the blender jar for selectively attaching the frothing accessory to the blender jar.

13. The blender jar of claim 8, further comprising a center core extending longitudinally through the main body, the center core being constructed of a different material than the main body, a center hole being defined in a bottom end of the center core, the center hole providing an opening to a central cavity within the center core for receiving the rotatable post of the blender jar for attaching the frothing accessory to the blender jar.

14. The blender jar of claim 8, wherein the frothing accessory further comprises a grasping portion projecting upwardly from a top end of the frothing accessory.

15. A method of frothing a liquid in a blender having a blender jar, the method comprising:

attaching a frothing accessory to a selectively rotatable post extending upward from a floor of a container portion of the blender jar, the frothing accessory comprising a main body having a sidewall and a bottom wall, the sidewall having at least a first portion having a frustoconical shape, the bottom wall being at a wider end of the main body;

placing the liquid to be frothed into the blender jar;

securing a lid onto an open top end of the blender jar; and

activating the blender to selectively rotate the rotatable post such that the attached frothing accessory in turn rotates about a longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sidewall of the frothing accessory further has a second portion, the second portion having a concave-frustoconical shape, the second portion of the sidewall being further from the bottom wall than the first portion of the sidewall.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein an angle of the first portion of the sidewall of the frothing accessory relative to the longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory is between 40 and 50 degrees.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein an angle of the first portion of the sidewall of the frothing accessory relative to the longitudinal axis of the frothing accessory is 45 degrees.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein a center hole is defined in the bottom wall of the frothing accessory, the center hole providing an opening to a central cavity within the main body of the frothing accessory for receiving a rotatable post of the blender jar for attaching the frothing accessory to the blender jar.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising a center core extending longitudinally through the main body, the center core being constructed of a different material than the main body, a center hole being defined in a bottom end of the center core, the center hole providing an opening to a central cavity within the center core for receiving the rotatable post of the blender jar for attaching the frothing accessory to the blender jar.