Food waste recycling appliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801484-B2
Application number	US-202117563335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2021
Priority date	Nov 13, 2018
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A food recycler can include a mixing bin defining a mixing chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet. A stirrer has a stirrer drive shaft and at least one blade coupled to the stirrer drive shaft and located within the mixing chamber. An output bin defines an output chamber having a second inlet operably coupled to the first outlet and a second outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food recycler comprising:
a mixing bin defining a mixing chamber having a first inlet and a first outlet;
a stirrer having a stirrer drive shaft and at least one blade coupled to the stirrer drive shaft and located within the mixing chamber;
an output bin defining an output chamber having a second inlet operably coupled to the first outlet and a second outlet;
a chute operably coupling the first outlet to the second inlet; and
a mechanical mover movable relative to the chute and operably coupled to the chute to mechanically move recycled food waste or compost from the first outlet toward the second inlet as the mechanical mover moves relative to the chute.

2. The food recycler of claim 1 wherein the mechanical mover comprises a scraper operably coupled to the chute.

3. The food recycler of claim 2 wherein the scraper is movable between a raised position and a lowered position relative to the chute.

4. The food recycler of claim 3 wherein the scraper is configured to contact the chute such that the scraper slides downwardly along the chute from the raised position to the lowered position.

5. The food recycler of claim 4 further comprising an outlet door coupled to the first outlet to selectively open and close the first outlet.

6. The food recycler of claim 5 wherein the mechanical mover is further operably coupled to the outlet door.

7. The food recycler of claim 6 wherein the mechanical mover moves between an opened position, where the outlet door opens the first outlet and the scraper is in the raised position, and a closed position, where the outlet door closes the first outlet and the scraper is in the lowered position.

8. The food recycler of claim 1 wherein the at least one blade comprises a helical blade extending from the stirrer drive shaft.

9. The food recycler of claim 1 wherein the second inlet is in an upper portion of the output bin.

10. The food recycler of claim 1 wherein the second outlet is in a side portion of the output bin.

11. The food recycler of claim 1 further comprising a wiper assembly comprising a wiper drive shaft and at least one wiper coupled to the wiper drive shaft, with the wiper drive shaft operably coupled to the stirrer drive shaft.

12. The food recycler of claim 11 wherein the wiper drive shaft and the stirrer drive shaft form a common drive shaft.

13. The food recycler of claim 12 further comprising a motor rotatably driving the common drive shaft.

14. The food recycler of claim 13 further comprising a drive train operably coupling the motor to the common drive shaft.

15. The food recycler of claim 14 wherein the drive train comprises a drive gear associated with the motor and a driven gear associated with the common drive shaft.

16. The food recycler of claim 15 further comprising a chain operably coupling the drive gear and the driven gear.

17. The food recycler of claim 15 wherein the mechanical mover comprises a mechanical vibrator coupled to the chute.

18. The food recycler of claim 17 wherein the mechanical vibrator is operably coupled to at least one of the driven gear, the common drive shaft, the stirrer drive shaft, or the wiper drive shaft for rotational movement.

19. The food recycler of claim 18 wherein the mechanical vibrator defines a plurality of protruding teeth, and further wherein the chute comprises a protruding element that can bear resiliently against the protruding teeth.

20. The food recycler of claim 19 wherein the rotational movement of the mechanical vibrator brings the protruding element to selectively bear against the protruding teeth to move the chute away from and back toward the mechanical vibrator, the movement of the chute causing vibration of the chute to dislodge or vibrate loose residual recycled food waste or compost remaining in the chute.

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Atkinson Wade
• Attar Mohsin Mahamadshafi
• Buzruk Abhishek Pradeep
• Deshmukh Rajwardhan
• Maghas Rachel
• Patil Bhushan Vijay

Classifications

• B01F33/8305 Primary

  Devices with one shaft, provided with mixing and milling tools, e.g. using balls or rollers as working tools; Devices with two or more tools rotating about the same axis · CPC title

• B02C18/0092 Primary

  for waste water or for garbage · CPC title

• B01F27/091

  with elements co-operating with receptacle wall or bottom, e.g. for scraping the receptacle wall · CPC title

• B01F27/921

  with helices centrally mounted in the receptacle · CPC title

• B01F33/83611

  by cutting · CPC title