Durability monitoring and improvement of a blender

• US 8,042,990 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Pryor, Ernest B. Jr., Ashworth, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Soohoo; Tony G
• Application Number:
  US12/795,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20100246319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 366/206, 366/604, 366197-205, 366/601
• US Class Current: 366/197
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 43/0766 activated by the proper positioning of the mixing bowl
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 366/601 Motor control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 388/936 Food preparation equipment

Abstract

A blender for blending foodstuff includes a base enclosing a motor and a jar sensor secured to the base. The base has an upper mounting surface and the motor is mounted beneath the upper mounting surface. The jar sensor is secured to the base proximate the upper mounting surface. A jar is removably mountable to the base on the mounting surface. The jar includes a closed end and an actuator is mounted proximate the lower jar surface. The jar sensor detects the presence of the actuator when the jar is mounted to the base in an operating position. The motor is powered when the jar sensor detects the presence of the actuator in the operating position.

Claims

1. A blender for blending foodstuff, the blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor and having an upper mounting surface, the motor mounted beneath the upper mounting surface;

a jar sensor secured to the base proximate the upper mounting surface;

a jar removably mountable to the base on the mounting surface, the jar including a closed end, the jar mounted to the base in a plurality of operating positions; and

a plurality of actuators mounted proximate the closed end, the jar sensor detecting the presence of at least one of the plurality of actuators when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the plurality of operating positions, the motor being powered when the jar sensor detects the presence of at least one actuator when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions.

2. The blender of claim 1 wherein the jar includes four hollow feet at the closed end and the base includes four protrusions extending from the upper mounting surface, at least a portion of each of the protrusions positioned within one of the feet when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions.

3. The blender of claim 2 wherein each actuator is comprised of a magnet mounted between two of the feet and the jar sensor is secured to the base between two of the protrusions.

4. The blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a jar pad constructed of a polymeric material, the jar pad removably mountable to the upper mounting surface.

5. The blender of claim 4 wherein the polymeric material is an elastomeric material and the jar pad includes four receiving extensions, the jar pad mounted between the jar and the base when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions.

6. The blender of claim 1 wherein the base includes a control panel having a jar presence indicator thereon, the jar sensor providing a signal to the jar presence indicator and the jar presence indicator providing an indication to a user when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions.

7. The blender of claim 6 wherein the jar presence indicator is a light emitting diode (LED).

8. The blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a motor shaft driven by the motor;

a male drive coupling mounted to an exposed end of the motor shaft;

a jar shaft rotatably mounted to the closed end of the jar;

a blender blade mounted to a first end of the jar shaft; and

a female drive coupling mounted to a second end of the jar shaft, the female drive coupling receiving the male drive coupling when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions.

9. The blender of claim 8 wherein the jar shaft is rotatably mounted to the closed end by a first bearing and a second bearing.

10. The blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a motor shaft driven by the motor and extending through the upper mounting surface; and

a seal ring providing a seal between the upper mounting surface and the motor shaft to limit flow of liquid into the base where the motor shaft extends through the upper mounting surface.

11. The blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a motor shaft driven by the motor and extending through the upper mounting surface;

a drain channel on the upper mounting surface extending from a position proximate the motor shaft and a peripheral edge of the upper mounting surface that directs fluid away from the motor shaft.

12. The blender of claim 1 further comprising:

a rectifier positioned between a power source and the motor that rectifies alternating current to direct current before the current flows to the motor.

13. A blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor and having an upper mounting surface, the motor mounted beneath the upper mounting surface;

a plurality of jar sensors secured to the base proximate the upper mounting surface;

a jar removably mountable to the base on the mounting surface, the jar including a closed end, the jar mounted to the base in a plurality of operating positions;

an actuator mounted proximate the closed end, the jar sensor detecting the presence of the actuator when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the plurality of operating positions;

a controller receiving a signal from at least one of the jar sensors indicating that the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions; and

a jar presence indicator that is visible to a user, the controller permitting power to flow to the motor and activating the jar presence indicator when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions.

14. The blender of claim 13 further comprising:

a jar pad constructed of a polymeric material, the jar pad removably mountable to the upper mounting surface.

15. The blender of claim 13, wherein the jar presence indicator is a light emitting diode (LED).

16. The blender of claim 13 further comprising:

a motor shaft driven by the motor and extending through the upper mounting surface;

a seal ring providing a seal between the upper mounting surface and the motor shaft to limit flow of liquid into the base where the motor shaft extends through the upper mounting surface.

17. A method of operating a blender, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a base enclosing a motor, the base having an upper mounting surface, the motor mounted beneath the upper mounting surface, the base including a jar sensor secured to the base proximate to the upper mounting surface;

removably mounting a jar to the base in any one of a plurality of operating positions, the jar including a closed end,

detecting at least one of a plurality of actuators mounted to the jar proximate the closed end via the jar sensor;

upon detecting at least one of the plurality of actuators, generating a signal from the jar sensor; and

receiving the signal from the jar sensor at a controller.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of indicating to a user that the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the operating positions by the step of activating a jar presence indicator.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of the controller permitting the motor to be energized in response to the controller receiving the signal from the jar sensor.

20. A blender for blending foodstuff, the blender comprising:

a base enclosing a motor and having an upper mounting surface, the motor mounted beneath the upper mounting surface;

a single Hall Effect jar sensor secured to the base proximate the upper mounting surface;

a jar removably mountable to the base on the mounting surface, the jar including a closed end, the jar mounted to the base in a plurality of operating positions;

a plurality of magnets mounted proximate the closed end, the Hall Effect jar sensor detecting the presence of at least one of the plurality of magnets when the jar is mounted to the base in any one of the plurality of operating positions;

a signal generated by the Hall Effect jar sensor when the presence of at least one of the plurality of magnets is detected; and

a controller operable to receive the signal from the jar sensor.