Dispensing blender

• US 7,422,361 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Larsen, Atle, Bohannon, John Robert Jr., Williams, Brian Paul, Branson, Benjamin Henry III, Stamper, George William III, Pryor, Ernest B. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SOOHOO, TONY GLEN
• Application Number:
  US11/051,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20060176765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 366197-207, 366/192, 222/185.1, 222/146.6, 995/10, 995/13, 993/06, 994/84
• US Class Current: 366/197
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/046 with tools driven from the bottom side

Abstract

A dispensing blender for blending foodstuff and dispensing foodstuff therefrom. The dispensing blender includes a base enclosing a motor, a jar removably mountable to the base, a collar removably mountable between the base and the jar and a dispensing spout mounted to the collar. At least a portion of the dispensing spout is movable to an open position wherein foodstuff within the jar is able to flow from the jar, through the collar and out of the dispensing spout and a closed position wherein the foodstuff is blocked from flowing out of the dispensing spout.

Claims

1. A dispensing blender for blending foodstuff and dispensing foodstuff therefrom, the dispensing blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor;

a jar removably mountable to the base;

a collar removably mountable between the base and the jar;

a cup actuation lever pivotably and removably mounted to the base, the cup actuation lever is pivotable between a resting position and a dispensing position; and

a dispensing spout mounted to the collar, at least a portion of the dispensing spout being movable to an open position when the cup actuation lever is in the dispensing position wherein foodstuff within the jar is able to flow from the jar, through the collar and out of the dispensing spout and a closed position when the cup actuation lever is in the resting position wherein the foodstuff is blocked from flowing out of the dispensing spout.

2. The dispensing blender of claim 1 wherein the motor includes a drive shaft that extends out of the base, the collar including a clutch that releasably engages the drive shaft and a tool extending into the jar in a working position, the tool being drivingly connected to the clutch such that rotation of the drive shaft results in rotation of the tool.

3. The dispensing blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a first actuation lever mounted to the dispensing spout, the first actuation lever being movable to a dispensing position wherein the first actuation lever urges the dispensing spout to the open position and a resting position wherein the first actuation lever urges the dispensing spout to the closed position.

4. The dispensing blender of claim 3 wherein the dispensing spout is biased toward the closed position and the first actuation lever is biased toward the resting position.

5. The dispensing blender of claim 3 wherein the first actuation lever is pivotally mounted to the dispensing spout.

6. The dispensing blender of claim 3 wherein the dispensing spout includes a hub, the first actuation lever including an actuation shaft that is removably mounted to the hub through a snap-fit engagement between the hub and the actuation shaft.

7. The dispensing blender of claim 1 wherein the cup actuation lever is in sliding engagement with the first actuation lever in a working position such that pivoting of the cup actuation lever causes an associated pivoting of the first actuation lever.

8. The dispensing blender of claim 7 wherein the base includes a yoke, the cup actuation lever including a pair of pivot nubs, the cup actuation lever being removably mounted to the base through a snap-fit engagement between the pivot nubs and the yoke.

9. The dispensing blender of claim 1 wherein the dispensing spout includes a movable plug that selectively seals a hole in the collar, the plug being mounted to a first actuation lever.

10. The dispensing blender of claim 1 wherein the collar includes a first end and a second end, the collar including a first coupling mechanism at the first end and a second coupling mechanism at the second end, the first coupling mechanism removably mounting the collar to the jar at ajar base and the second coupling mechanism removably mounting the collar to the base adjacent the drive shaft.

11. The dispensing blender of claim 1 wherein the dispensing spout is removable from the collar.

12. The dispensing blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a spout cap removably mountable to the collar, the spout cap being mounted to the collar exclusively when the spout is removed from the collar, the spout cap preventing foodstuff from flowing out of the collar and jar when the spout cap is mounted to the collar.

13. A dispensing blender for blending foodstuff and dispensing foodstuff therefrom, the dispensing blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor;

a container removably mountable to the base;

a dispensing spout mounted to the container, the dispensing spout being actuable to an open position wherein foodstuff within the container is able to flow out of the dispensing spout and a closed position wherein the foodstuff is blocked from flowing out of the dispensing spout; and

a cup actuation lever mounted to the base, the cup actuation lever being movable to a dispensing position wherein the dispensing spout is urged to the open position and a resting position wherein the dispensing spout is urged to the closed position.

14. The dispensing blender of claim 13 wherein the cup actuation lever is pivotally mounted to the base.

15. The dispensing blender of claim 13 wherein the container is comprised of a jar and a collar, the jar and collar being removably mountable to each other, the collar being removably mounted between the jar and base in a working position.

16. The dispensing blender of claim 15 wherein the spout is mounted to the collar.

17. The dispensing blender of claim 16 wherein the spout includes a generally cylindrically-shaped spout housing and a plug, the plug being slideable within a channel in the spout housing.

18. The dispensing blender of claim 17 wherein the plug completely blocks the channel when the spout is in the closed position, the plug being biased to block the channel by a spout spring.

19. The dispensing blender of claim 17 wherein the plug is moved to a position in the channel that does not completely block the channel when the spout is in the open position.

20. A dispensing blender for blending foodstuff and dispensing foodstuff therefrom, the dispensing blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor;

a container removably mountable to the base;

a dispensing spout mounted to the container, the dispensing spout being movable to an open position wherein foodstuff within the container is able to flow out of the dispensing spout and a closed position wherein the foodstuff is blocked from flowing out of the dispensing spout;

a first actuation lever mounted to the container, the first actuation lever being movable between a dispensing position and a resting position; and

a second actuation lever mounted to the container, the second actuation lever being movable between an activated position and a blocking position, the spout being urged to the open position when one of the first actuation lever is in the dispensing position and the second actuation lever is in the activated position.

21. The dispensing blender of claim 20 wherein the container is comprised of a jar and a collar, the collar being removably mountable to the jar.

22. The dispensing blender of claim 21 wherein the first and second actuation levers are pivotally mounted to the dispensing spout.

23. The dispensing blender of claim 21 wherein the collar includes a central basin in an upper surface, a hole in the collar opening into the central basin, the hole being in fluid communication with a channel, the foodstuff flowing through the hole and channel when the dispensing spout is in the open position.

24. The dispensing blender of claim 23 wherein the central basin includes a pitched surface, the pitched surface urging the foodstuff toward the hole and channel through the force of gravity.

25. The dispensing blender of claim 24 wherein the collar includes a collar shaft and the motor includes a drive shaft, the collar shaft and the drive shaft extend coaxially along a drive axis in the working position, the drive axis located generally perpendicularly with respect to the pitched surface.

26. The dispensing blender of claim 23 further comprising:

a blending blade rotatably mounted to the collar and being driven by the motor when the collar is mounted to the base, at least a portion of the blending blade extending below a generally horizontal plane of an upper edge of the hole such that the blending blade urges foodstuff into the hole and channel when the blending blade is driven.

27. The dispensing blender of claim 20 wherein the base includes a cup relief section in a side surface, the cup relief section accommodating a pivotal movement of a cup actuation lever, the cup actuation lever being in sliding contact with the first actuation lever.

28. The dispensing blender of claim 27 wherein the cup relief section has a generally concave shape that accommodates at least a portion of the generally cylindrical shape of a cup.

29. A dispensing blender for blending foodstuff and dispensing foodstuff therefrom, the dispensing blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor, the base being aligned along a vertical axis, the vertical axis being generally perpendicular to a support surface, the motor including a drive shaft that extends along a drive axis, the drive axis being pitched relative to the vertical axis at a basin angle;

a container removably mountable to the base; and

a dispensing spout mounted to a collar.

30. The dispensing blender of claim 29 wherein the basin angle is approximately five to fifteen degrees (50°

-15°

).

31. The dispensing blender of claim 29 wherein the container is comprised of a jar and a collar, the collar including a central basin with a pitched surface, the pitched surface oriented generally perpendicular relative to the drive axis, the collar including a hole that opens into the central basin, a channel being in fluid communication with the hole, gravity urging foodstuff on the pitched surface toward the hole and into the channel, the channel being in fluid communication with a mouth of the dispensing spout.

32. The dispensing blender of claim 31 further comprising:

a tool including at least one blending blade mounted to a collar shaft, the collar shaft being coaxial with the drive shaft in an assembled configuration, at least a portion of the at least a portion of one blending blade extending below a horizontal plane of an upper edge of the hole, the horizontal plane oriented generally parallel to the support surface.

33. The dispensing blender of claim 32 wherein the at least one blending blade includes a blade tip, the blade tip extending to a position below the horizontal plane proximate a mid-point of the hole as the blade rotates about the drive axis.

34. The dispensing blender of claim 31 wherein the hole is located at a low point in the central basin.

35. The dispensing blender of claim 29 further comprising:

a collar shaft rotatably mounted to the container;

a tool secured to the collar shaft; and

at least one bump extending from an internal surface of the container, the at least one bump extending radially inwardly from the internal surface toward the vertical axis.

36. The dispensing blender of claim 35 wherein the at least one bump is comprised of a first bump and a second bump, the first and second bumps spaced at a bump angle from each other with respect to the vertical axis.

37. The dispensing blender of claim 36 wherein the bump angle is approximately one hundred twenty degrees (120°

).

38. A dispensing blender for blending foodstuff and dispensing foodstuff therefrom, the dispensing blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor;

a container removably mountable to the base, the container comprised of an outer jar, an inner jar and a collar, the outer jar and inner jar defining an insulating cavity; and

a dispensing spout removably mounted to the container,

wherein the outer jar is removably mountable to the inner jar, the insulating cavity formed between the outer jar and inner jar when the outer jar is mounted to the inner jar.

39. The dispensing blender of claim 38 wherein the outer jar includes an upper end and the inner jar includes a locating ridge, the upper end being in facing engagement with the locating ridge when the outer jar is mounted to the inner jar.

40. The dispensing blender of claim 39 wherein the outer jar is removably mounted to the inner jar by a mounting mechanism adjacent the upper end of the outer jar and the locating ridge of the inner jar.

41. The dispensing blender of claim 38 wherein the inner jar is removably mountable to the collar, the collar including an upper, peripheral rim, the outer jar including a lower end that is in facing engagement with the peripheral rim when the outer jar is mounted to the inner jar and the inner jar is mounted to the collar.

42. The dispensing blender of claim 41 wherein the outer jar includes a tab extending radially inwardly from the lower end, the tab including a terminal rim end that is in facing engagement with the inner jar proximate a mounting end when the outer jar is mounted to the inner jar.

43. The dispensing blender of claim 38 wherein the inner jar includes first and second bumps extending radially inwardly from an interior surface, the first and second bumps extending toward a vertical axis of the dispensing blender in an assembled configuration.

44. A blender for blending foodstuff comprising:

a base enclosing a motor, the motor including a drive shaft located on a drive axis;

a jar removably mountable to the base, an internal surface of the jar being concentric with a vertical axis in an assembled configuration, the base being aligned on an axis parallel to the vertical axis, the drive axis oriented substantially non-parallel to the vertical axis; and

a dispensing spout removably mounted to the jar.