Food processor

• US 6,550,372 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chiaphua Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Chiaphua Industries Limited
• Inventors: Sharples, James Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Simone, Timothy F.
• Application Number:
  US10/189,765
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 993/30--33, 993/37, 993/38, 993/48, 994/10--17, 994/92, 994/83, 366/144-149, 366/288, 366/287, 366/297-301, 366/309-313, 241/37.5, 241/92, 241/101.1, 241/101.2
• US Class Current: 99/331
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/13 Mashed potato products
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/13 using water or steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 19/04 Household implements for mashing potatoes or other foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/04 for cooking food in steam; Devices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam ; Vacuum cooking vessels steam-heated vessels for hotels, restaurants or canteens A47J27/16
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 27/086 with built-in heating means adaptations of automatic switches for the heating means A47J27/62
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/18 Boilers or utensils with sieves inserted therein, e.g. potato-cookers

Abstract

A food processing appliance includes a reservoir to receive water, a heater to produce steam from any water in the reservoir and a food-containing vessel positioned to receive steam from the heater. The vessel has a number of apertures that are sized to allow ingress of the steam to the vessel, yet curtail egress of any pureed food in the vessel therethrough. A carrier is mounted movably with respect to the vessel and a motor causes relative movement between the carrier and the vessel. A beater extends into the vessel from the carrier.

Claims

1. A food processing appliance comprising:

a reservoir to receive water,

a heater to produce steam from any water in the reservoir,

a vessel for containing food and being positioned to receive said steam, the vessel having a plurality of apertures therethrough, the apertures being sized to allow ingress of said steam to the vessel, yet curtail egress of any pureed food in the vessel therethrough,

a carrier mounted movably with respect to the vessel,

a drive means causing relative movement between the carrier and the vessel, and

a beater extending into the vessel from the carrier.

2. The appliance of claim 1, further including a base in which the reservoir is located, and wherein the drive means includes a motor situated in the base.

3. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the reservoir includes a central, vertically oriented tube through which a vertical drive shaft extends to transmit output from the motor to the carrier.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the vessel also includes a central tube through which said vertical drive shaft extends for transmitting output of the motor to the carrier.

5. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the central tube of the vessel has affixed to an upper end thereof a stationary gear, and wherein the beater includes a gear that meshes with the stationary gear.

6. The appliance of claim 5, including another beater mounted to the carrier and having a gear meshing with the gear of the first said beater.

7. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the heater has associated therewith a switch to deactivate the heater upon overheating as would occur, should all water from the reservoir the depleted.

8. The appliance of claim 1 further including control means governing operation of the motor and/or heater.

9. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a condensate collection chamber positioned between the vessel and the reservoir.

10. The appliance of claim 9, further comprising a steam tube extending from the heater through the condensate collection chamber.

11. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a scraper blade extending from the carrier and co-operating with the vessel to prevent accumulation of pureed vegetables on walls of the vessel.

12. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the scraper blade causes the vegetables to be fed toward the beater.

13. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the vessel also includes a central tube through which another vertical drive shaft extends for transferring output of the motor to the carrier.