Electric food processing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10219645-B2
Application number	US-201515126107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2014
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

An electric food processor is of the type in which the user applies pressure to the food item against a rotary processing member (4) against during processing. A pressure indicator (10) is provided for displaying a signal at least representing the user-applied pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric food processor comprising:
an input opening for receiving a food item to be processed;
a pressure applicator enabling pressure to be applied by a user to the food item in the input opening during processing;
a rotary processing member against which the food item is to be pressed during the processing;
a motor for driving the rotary processing member; and
a pressure indicator for outputting a signal to the user in response to the user-applied pressure.

2. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure indicator comprises an output which indicates when the user-applied pressure is too high.

3. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure indicator comprises a set of outputs for indicating that the user-applied pressure is too high, or too low, or at a suitable level.

4. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure indicator comprises one or more lights.

5. An electric food processor, comprising:
an input opening for receiving a food item to be processed;
a pressure applicator enabling pressure to be applied by a user to the food item in the input opening during processing;
a rotary processing member against which the food item is to he pressed during the processing;
a motor for driving the rotary processing member;
a pressure indicator for providing a signal representing the user-applied pressure; and
a current sensor for sensing a drive current of the motor, wherein the drive current is representative of the user-applied pressure.

6. The food processor as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the current sensor comprises a current sensing resistor and voltage measurement unit.

7. The food processor as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the current sensor comprises a current sensing transformer and voltage measurement unit.

8. The food processor as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a circuit for generating the signal representing the user-applied pressure from the sensed current.

9. The food processor as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the current sensing is of an AC current or a DC current.

10. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the food processor is a juicer, and the rotary processing member comprises a juicing member for extracting juice.

11. The food processor as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
an outlet to which the extracted juice is provided during juicing;
a pulp container for storing pulp separated from the extracted juice; and
an indicator for indicating when the pulp container is full.

12. The food processor as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a current sensor for sensing a drive current of the motor, wherein the pulp container is determined as full based on the current sensed.

13. The food processor as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the pulp container is determined as full based on a minimum value of the current sensed.

14. The food processor as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising an indicator to indicate when the pulp container is determined as full and/or an interrupt to halt operation of the motor when the pulp container is determined as full.

15. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the food processor is one of:
a masticating juicer; or
a rasping plate juicer; or
a mincer; or
a fruit press; or
a grinder; or
a blender; or
a slicer.

16. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure indicator comprises one or more sounds.

17. The food processor as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure indicator comprises a tactile output.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Maier Dieter Johann
• Schlug Thomas

Classifications

• A47J19/02 Primary

  Citrus fruit squeezers; Other fruit juice extracting devices · CPC title

• A47J43/0716

  for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/0727 - A47J43/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47J43/255

  with grating discs or drums · CPC title

• A47J43/085

  for machines with tools driven from the lower side (A47J43/087, A47J43/09 take precedence) · CPC title

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title