Food processor assembly for a blender base

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11266270-B2
Application number	US-201715789321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2017
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A food processor assembly is provided with a bowl with a substrate sized to be supported upon a blender base, and a sidewall to collectively define a bowl cavity to receive food products. A planetary gear transmission is supported upon the bowl substrate with a rotary input sized to receive a blender rotary output. A first transmission rotary output extends into the bowl cavity to provide a reduced rotation from the rotary input. A blade is connected to the first transmission rotary output for rotation relative to the bowl substrate to perform a cutting operation to a food product. The blade has a first cutting edge formed adjacent the first transmission rotary output to perform a continuous cutting operation to the food products. The blade has a second cutting edge spaced radially from the first transmission rotary output to perform a sequential cutting operation to the food products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food processor assembly comprising:
a bowl with a substrate, and a sidewall to collectively define a bowl cavity to receive food products;
a planetary gear transmission supported upon the bowl substrate with a rotary input shaft, a first transmission rotary output extending into the bowl cavity to provide a first reduced rotation from the rotary input shaft, and a second transmission rotary output extending into the bowl cavity to provide a second reduced rotation from the rotary input shaft, the planetary gear transmission further comprising:
a sun gear formed on a proximal end of the rotary input shaft,
a stationary ring gear,
a first plurality of planet gears in engagement with the sun gear and an inner circumference of the stationary ring gear,
a planet carrier coupled to each of the first plurality of planet gears to support the rotation of the planet carrier relative the stationary ring gear, the first transmission rotary output being driven by the planet carrier,
a second plurality of planet gears each connected to and coaxial with one of the first plurality of planet gears,
a rotating ring gear, an inner circumference of the rotating ring gear in engagement with the second plurality of planet gears, the second transmission rotary output being driven by the rotating ring gear; and

a blade connected to the first transmission rotary output or the second transmission rotary output for rotation relative to the bowl substrate to perform a cutting operation to a food product.

2. The food processor assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a blender base sized to support the bowl substrate; and
a blender rotary output shaft with a splined receptacle sized to receive the rotary input shaft.

3. The food processor assembly of claim 2 further comprising:
a near-field communication sensor for detecting an identification and installment orientation of the blade; and
a controller in communication with the sensor and programmed to:
receive input indicative of the identification and installment orientation of the blade, and
select the blender a blender rotary output rotation associated with a cutting operation in response to the receipt of the input indicative of the identification and installment orientations of the blade.

4. The food processor assembly of claim 1 wherein the first transmission rotary output further comprises an output shaft extending from the planet carrier.

5. The food processor assembly of claim 1 wherein the bowl is further defined as a primary bowl; and
wherein the food processor assembly further comprises a secondary bowl sized to be received within the primary bowl and connected to the first transmission rotary output to rotate relative to the primary bowl, along with the blade.

6. The food processor assembly of claim 1 wherein the blade has a first cutting edge formed adjacent the first transmission rotary output to perform a continuous cutting operation to the food products; and
wherein the blade has a second cutting edge spaced radially from the first transmission rotary output to perform a sequential cutting operation to the food products.

7. The food processor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first transmission rotary output shaft is rotated concurrently with the second transmission rotary output shaft.

8. A food processor assembly comprising:
a bowl with a substrate, and a sidewall to collectively define a bowl cavity to receive food products;
a planetary gear transmission supported upon the bowl substrate with an input shaft, a fixed ring gear fixed relative to the bowl substrate, a rotary ring gear rotatable relative to the bowl substrate, a first transmission rotary output shaft extending into the bowl cavity to provide a first reduced rotation from the input shaft based on the fixed ring gear, and a second transmission rotary output shaft extending into the bowl cavity to provide a second reduced rotation from the input shaft that is different from the first reduced rotation based on the rotary ring gear, wherein the first transmission rotary output shaft has a distal end with a first interface, and wherein the second transmission rotary output shaft has a distal end that with a second interface that is different from the first interface;
a first blade with a first interface to only connect to the first interface of the first transmission rotary output shaft for rotation relative to the bowl substrate at the first reduced rotation to perform a first cutting operation to a first food product; and
a second blade with a second interface to only connect to the second interface of the second transmission rotary output shaft for rotation relative to the bowl substrate at the second reduced rotation to perform a second cutting operation to a second food product.

9. The food processor assembly of claim 8 wherein the transmission further comprises:
a sun gear formed on a proximal end of the input shaft;
a first plurality of planet gears in engagement with the sun gear and the fixed ring gear;
a planet carrier supported for rotation in the transmission, the planet carrier supporting the first plurality of planet gears for rotation relative to the planet carrier, wherein the first transmission rotary output shaft extends from the planet carrier, and is driven by the planet carrier; and
a second plurality of planet gears each coaxial with and connected to one of the first plurality of planet gears, the second plurality of planet gears in engagement with the rotary ring gear, the second transmission rotary output shaft extending from the rotary ring gear, and being driven by the rotary ring gear.

10. The food processor assembly of claim 8 , wherein the second transmission rotary output shaft is coaxial with the first transmission rotary output shaft.

11. The food processor assembly of claim 8 wherein the first interface of the first transmission rotary output shaft is a splined distal end; and
wherein the second interface of the second transmission rotary output shaft is a splined distal end with a diameter that is different than the splined distal end of the first rotary output shaft.

Assignees

• Vita Mix Man Corp

Inventors

• Hammond Rebecca
• Kolar David

Classifications

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J43/06

  with a plurality of interchangeable working units {, e.g. with a single driving-unit} · CPC title

• A47J43/085

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

• A47J43/07

  Parts or details, e.g. mixing tools, whipping tools · CPC title