Food mill including a removable blade assembly

• US 7,744,026 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Original Assignee: Helen of Troy Limited
• Inventors: McNamara, Conor, Gregory, Paul, Hennen, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BENA B
• Application Number:
  US11/429,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20070257143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 241/199.12, 241/168, 241/169.1, 241/95, 241/92, 241/37.5
• US Class Current: 241/92
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 19/005 Hand devices for straining foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 3/26 specially adapted for cutting fruit or vegetables, e.g. for onions
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/00 Details of apparatus for cutting, cutting-out, stamping-out, punching, perforating, or severing by means other than cutting cutters B26D1/00; arrangements for guiding hand cutting tools B26B29/06; punching tools or dies, cutting-out knives or dies B26F
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 7/26 Means for mounting or adjusting the cutting member; Means for adjusting the stroke of the cutting member

Abstract

A food mill including a container having a first flange and an opposing second flange, and a blade assembly removably connected to the container. The blade assembly includes a support arm having a first end defining a slot engageable with the first flange, and a second end including a latch. The latch is movable between a first condition, where the latch is disengaged from the second flange, and a second condition, where the latch is engaged with the second flange.

Claims

1. A food mill comprising:

a container having an inner wall;

a first flange and an opposing second flange disposed on the inner wall; and

a blade assembly removably coupled to the container, the blade assembly including a support arm having a first end defining a slot engageable with the first flange, and a second end including a latch, the latch being movable between a first condition, wherein the latch is disengaged from the second flange, and a second condition, wherein the latch is engaged with the second flange;

wherein the support arm is configured to pivot about the first end when the slot is engaged with the first flange and the latch in the first condition is configured to permit the second end to pass below the second flange.

2. The food mill of claim 1, wherein the latch includes a base movably coupled to the support arm, a lever movably coupled to the base and a bias member connected to the base, the bias member adapted to bias the base towards the lever, wherein when the latch is moved to the first condition, the base pivots to disengage from the second flange, wherein when the latch is moved to the second condition, the base pivots to engage the second flange, wherein the lever moves away from the second flange when the latch is moved to the first condition, and wherein the lever moves toward the second flange when the latch is moved to the second condition.

3. The food mill of claim 1, which includes a handle rotatably connected to the support arm, the handle including a first end and a second end, the first end including a knob and the second end including a pressure plate and a bias member, wherein the bias member biases the pressure plate away from the support arm.

4. The food mill of claim 3, wherein the bias member is a spring positioned between the pressure plate and the support arm.

5. The food mill of claim 1, which includes an interchangeable cutting member seated in the container.

6. The food mill of claim 1, which includes a handle connected to the container.

7. The food mill of claim 1, which includes a pair of legs pivotably connected to the container, wherein each of the legs pivots between a first position adjacent to the container and a second position away from the container.

8. A food mill comprising:

a container having an inner wall;

a first flange and an opposing second flange disposed on the inner wall; and

a blade assembly removably connected to the container, the blade assembly including a support arm having a first end defining a slot engageable with the first flange, and a second end including a latch, the latch being movable between a first condition, wherein the latch is disengaged from the second flange, and a second condition, wherein the latch is engaged with the second flange;

wherein the latch in the first condition retracts a disengagement distance such that the support arm is configured to clear the second flange when pivoted about the first end, and the latch in the second condition extends to engage the second flange.

9. The food mill of claim 8, which includes a handle rotatably connected to the support arm, the handle including a first end and a second end, the first end including a knob and the second end including a pressure plate and a bias member, wherein the bias member biases the pressure plate away from the support arm.

10. The food mill of claim 9, wherein the bias member is a spring positioned between the pressure plate and the support arm.

11. The food mill of claim 8, which includes an interchangeable cutting member seated in the container.

12. The food mill of claim 8, which includes a handle connected to the container.

13. The food mill of claim 8, which includes a pair of legs pivotably connected to the container, wherein each of the legs pivots between a first position adjacent to the container and a second position away from the container.

14. A blade assembly attachable to a food mill, wherein the food mill has an inner wall and a first flange and an opposing second flange disposed on the inner wall, the blade assembly comprising:

a support arm having a first end and an opposing second end, the first end defining a first slot and the second end defining a second slot, the first slot being removably connected to the first flange, the second slot being removably connected to the second flange; and

a latch movably connected to at least the first end of the support arm, the latch being movable between a first condition, wherein the latch is dis-engaged from the first flange, and a second condition, wherein the latch is engaged with the first flange to secure the blade assembly to the food mill;

wherein the support arm further includes an engagement extension for engaging the first flange when the latch is in the second condition.

15. The blade assembly of claim 14, which includes a handle rotatably connected to the support arm, the handle including a first end and a second end, the first end including a knob and the second end including a pressure plate and a bias member, wherein the bias member biases the pressure plate away from the support arm.

16. The blade assembly of claim 15, wherein the bias member is a spring positioned between the pressure plate and the support arm.