Rotatable tray for food processor

• US 6,971,597 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach/Proctor-Silex Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Starr, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Francis, Faye
• Application Number:
  US10/782,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20050194484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 241/92, 241/278.1, 241/282.1, 241/282.2
• US Class Current: 241/92
• 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 for processing foodstuffs having a base housing, a motor, a drive shaft, a tool, a bowl, a lid and a tray. The tool is rotatably securable to the drive shaft and rotatable by the motor. The bowl is removably securable to the base housing and includes an inner surface area. The lid has an inner surface area. The lid is removably securable to the bowl to create a processing chamber between the inner surface areas of the bowl and lid in an assembled position. The tray is removably securable within the processing chamber and is manually rotatable relative to the bowl and lid, independently of the drive shaft and tool, in the assembled position.

Claims

1. A food processor for processing foodstuffs comprising:

a base housing;

a motor disposed within the base housing;

a drive shaft operatively engaged with the motor and protruding from the base housing, the motor causing rotation of the drive shaft;

a tool rotatably securable to the drive shaft;

a bowl removably securable to the base housing and including an inner surface area;

a lid having an inner surface area, the lid being removably securable to the bowl to create a processing chamber between the inner surface areas of the bowl and lid in an assembled position; and

a tray removably securable within the processing chamber, the tray being manually rotatable relative to the bowl and lid independent of the drive shaft and tool in the assembled position.

2. The food processor of claim 1 wherein the lid includes at least one opening that exposes a portion of the tray when in the assembled position.

3. The food processor of claim 2 wherein the tray includes a rim, a portion of the rim being exposed through the at least one opening.

4. The food processor of claim 3 wherein the rim is knurled.

5. The food processor of claim 2 wherein the exposed portion of the tray is graspable such that the tray is manually rotatable relative to the lid and bowl when in the assembled position.

6. The food processor of claim 2 wherein the lid includes two openings.

7. The food processor of claim 1 wherein in the tray includes a peripheral wall, a base wall, a central hub, and a plurality of interior walls, the interior walls extending radially from the hub to the peripheral wall to create a plurality of cavities.

8. The food processor of claim 7 wherein the plurality of interior walls is comprised of a first interior wall, a second interior wall, and a third interior wall, the first, second, and third interior walls creating first, second, and third cavities within the tray.

9. The food processor of claim 7 wherein the hub includes a bore therethrough, the drive shaft extending through the bore and extending from a hole at an apex of the hub when in the assembled position.

10. The food processor of claim 7 wherein the bowl includes a central tube, the hub of the tray fitting over the central tube when in the assembled position, the tray being slidably engaged with the bowl to allow for rotation of the tray relative the bowl.

11. The food processor of claim 1 wherein the lid includes a feed tube extending from an outer surface of the lid.

12. The food processor of claim 11 wherein the tray includes a plurality of cavities, the tray being manually rotatable relative to the bowl and lid when in the assembled position such that at least one of the cavities is aligned with a mouth of the feed tube.

13. The food processor of claim 12 wherein the tray and at least one of the bowl and the lid have alignment markings, the alignment markings of the tray corresponding to each of the plurality of cavities, whereby the alignment markings of the tray and at least one of the bowl and the lid are aligned with each other to align the cavity with the mouth of the feed tube.

14. The food processor of claim 1 wherein the tool is rotatably secured to a terminal end of the drive shaft.

15. The food processor of claim 14 wherein the tool is positioned between the tray and the inner surface area of the lid in the assembled position.