Caddy for appliance

• US 5,979,850 A
• Filed: 04/10/1998
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HP Intellectual Corp.
• Original Assignee: HP Intellectual Corp.
• Inventors: Schubert-Belle, Angelika I., Holbrook, Paul, Lucaci, Iulius, Hippen, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Tan
• Application Number:
  US09/058,225
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 248/310, 248/309.1, 248/309.2, 366/249, 366/129, 366/130, 366/241, 366/244, 366/246, 366/285, 366/286, 241/199.12, 241/199.11, 241/101.1, 241/101.2, D 7/412, D 7/379, D 7/376, D 7/386
• US Class Current: 248/309.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0705 for machines with tools driven from the upper side A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence

Abstract

A caddy 30 for a hand mixer 32 includes a base 38 and a cover 40 which are joined to form a housing 36. The housing 36 is formed with a nest 74 having a pair of mounting posts 44 extending upward from a floor wall 76 of the nest. The mounting posts 44 are formed with a stem 54, an annular groove 56 and a head 58 which cooperate with accommodating biased fingers 116 and radially inward nubs 118 of the fingers to retain the mixer 32 with the caddy 30 upon assembly therewith. Openings 98 are formed in the caddy 30 to receive implement mounts 104, which are held with the caddy by biased fingers 63 and nubs 64 located within the openings. The caddy 30, with the hand mixer 32 and the implements 34, is transportable and may be stored when the mixer and implements are not in use.

Claims

1. A caddy for supporting an appliance having a portion with a prescribed shape, which comprises:

a housing,

a nest formed on the housing in a shape which is complementary to the prescribed shape of the portion of the appliance, said nest receiving the supported shaped portion of the appliance; and

means formed in the nest for removably and securely attaching the appliance thereto.

2. A caddy for supporting an appliance and at least one work implement including a stern structure, the appliance including a portion having a prescribed shape and a stem receiving portion to hold the work implement, the caddy comprises:

a housing;

a nest formed on the housing in a shape which is complementary to the prescribed shape of the portion of the appliance which is to be placed into the nest; and

means formed in the nest, having structure generally the same as the stem structure, for being assembled with the stem receiving portion of the appliance to removably and securely attach the appliance with the caddy for transport and handling therewith.

3. A caddy for supporting an appliance having a first portion comprising a prescribed shape and a second portion, for receiving and holding a stem of a work implement having structure complementary to the second portion, the caddy comprises:

a housing;

a nest formed on the housing in a shape which is complementary to the shape of the prescribed shape of the portion of the appliance which is to be placed into the nest; and

a post formed in the nest having a post structure, which is generally the same as the stem structure, for being assembled with the second portion of the appliance lo removably and securely attach the appliance with the caddy for transport and handling with the caddy.

4. The caddy as set forth in claim 3, which further comprises:

the post being formed generally in a cylindrical shape and with an annular groove near the upper end thereof.

5. The caddy as set forth in claim 3, wherein the post is a first post and which further comprises:

a second post having the same shape as the first post and spaced therefrom.

6. The caddy as set forth in claim 3, which further comprises;

the housing formed with at least one opening having structure therein generally similar to the stem portion for receiving and supporting therein the stem of the work implement for transport and handling with the caddy.

7. The caddy as set forth in claim 6, wherein the structure in the opening comprises:

a wall having an upper end and a lower end;

a plurality of fingers having upper ends and lower ends, with the upper ends attached to the wall near the upper end of the wall;

the plurality of fingers extending within the opening toward the lower end of the wall, with the lower ends of the fingers being unattached; and

the unattached ends of the plurality of fingers being biased toward each other for applying a retention force against the stem of the work implement received in the opening.

8. The caddy as set forth in claim 7, which further comprises:

a nub formed inward on each of the plurality of fingers near the bottom of each of the fingers.

9. The caddy as set forth in claim 3, wherein the housing comprises:

a base;

a cover mounted on the base;

the post formed on the base and extending therefrom; and

the cover formed with an opening through which the post is located when the cover is mounted on the base.

10. The caddy as set forth in claim 9, which further comprises:

the nest formed in the cover; and

the opening through which the post is located is formed through the nest of the cover such that the post extends from the nest.

11. The caddy as set forth in claim 3, wherein the housing comprises:

a base;

a cover mounted on the base; and

the base being recessed within the cover to conceal an edge of the base.

12. The caddy as set forth in claim 11, wherein the cover comprises:

an apron formed around the cover; and

a lower portion of the apron conceals the edge of the base.