Food preparation appliance for use with a remote communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11864692-B2
Application number	US-202217592580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2022
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

One example food preparation appliance includes a base having a motor and an adaptor, a weight sensor coupled to the adaptor, and a communication component. The adaptor is configured to support a food preparation accessory. The weight sensor is configured to detect a weight applied to the adaptor. The communication component is configured to transmit data associated with a weight detected by the weight sensor. An example remote communication device includes a display device, a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor. The remote communication device is configured to display a first instruction on the display device, the first instruction including a first target weight of a first substance; receive a measurement from a food preparation appliance indicative of a weight applied to an adaptor of the food preparation appliance; and display a second instruction when the weight is substantially equal to the first target weight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A food preparation appliance comprising:
a base comprising:
a housing with a top portion; and
a motor contained within the housing;

a food preparation accessory operably connected to the motor;
an adaptor having:
a bottom portion configured to be removably attached to the top portion of the base of the food preparation appliance; and
a top portion configured to receive and support the food preparation accessory thereon, wherein the food preparation accessory is removable from the top portion of the adaptor; and

a weight sensor mechanically coupled to the bottom portion of the adaptor, the weight sensor configured to detect a weight applied to the adaptor by the food preparation accessory and to generate a weight signal proportional to the weight applied to the adaptor by the food preparation accessory.

2. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , wherein the food preparation accessory comprises multiple blades therein, the multiple blades of the food preparation accessory being configured to be rotated by the motor at various speeds.

3. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processer configured to:
receive the weight signal from the weight sensor; and
determine the weight applied to the adaptor by the food preparation appliance based, at least in part, on the weight signal.

4. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication component configured to receive weight data associated with the weight detected by the weight sensor and to transmit the weight data to a display device and a remote communication device.

5. The food preparation appliance of claim 4 , wherein the communication component is further configured to receive data, wherein the data comprises at least one of a control signal for controlling operation of the food preparation appliance and recipe data.

6. The food preparation appliance of claim 5 , wherein the recipe data comprises at least one instruction to add a specific amount of an ingredient to the food preparation appliance at a specific time, and the food preparation appliance is configured to display the instruction based on the specific time.

7. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display device configured to:
display the weight based on the weight data; and
display a speed of the motor when the food preparation appliance is operating.

8. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , wherein the food preparation appliance is configured to generate an audible signal based on the weight detected by the weight sensor.

9. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , wherein the food preparation appliance is a blender, a food processor, or a mixer.

10. The food preparation appliance of claim 1 , wherein the communication component includes at least one of a radio frequency transceiver, a short-range communication device, a Wi-Fi transceiver, a near field communication (NFC) transceiver, and an infrared (IR) transceiver.

11. A food preparation system comprising:
a food preparation appliance comprising:
a base having a housing with a top portion;
a plurality of food preparation accessories;
an adaptor having:
a bottom portion configured to be removably attached to the top portion of the base; and
a top portion configured to receive and support one of the plurality of food preparation accessories thereon, wherein the one food preparation accessory thereon is removable from the top portion of the adaptor;

a weight sensor coupled to the bottom portion of the adaptor and configured to detect a weight applied to the one food preparation accessory; and
a communication component configured to transmit data associated with a weight detected by the weight sensor to a remote communication device.

12. The food preparation system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of food preparation accessories are containers capable of chopping, dicing, cutting, weighing, storing, heating, cooling, and/or maintaining a temperature of a food item placed therein.

13. The food preparation system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of food preparation accessories comprise two or more blender containers, each blender container comprising multiple blades therein, the multiple blades of the blender container being configured to be rotated by a motor of the food preparation appliance at various speeds.

14. The food preparation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a remote communication device comprising:
a display device;
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processer, the memory configured to store instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the remote computing device to:
display a first food preparation instruction comprising a first target weight of a first substance;
receive a measurement from the food preparation appliance indicative of a weight of the first substance applied to the adaptor;
determine when the weight of the first substance applied to the adaptor is substantially equal to the first target weight; and
display a second food preparation instruction associated with the first food preparation instruction on the display device when the weight applied to the adaptor is substantially equal to the first target weight.

15. The food preparation system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to receive recipe data from a data store.

16. The food preparation system of claim 14 , further comprising a data store that stores at least one of measurements, weight data, weights, recipes, types of food preparation accessories, type of food items, types of liquids, error messages, and maintenance data.

17. A method for food preparation, the method comprising:
adding food to a food preparation accessary of a food preparation appliance, wherein the preparation appliance comprises:
a base having a housing with a top portion;
a food preparation accessory;
an adaptor having:
a bottom portion configured to be removably attached to the top portion of the base; and
a top portion configured to receive and support one of the at least one food preparation accessories thereon, wherein the one food preparation accessory thereon is removable from the top portion of the adaptor;

a weight sensor coupled to the bottom portion of the adaptor; and
a communication component;

receiving a weight signal proportional to a weight applied to the adaptor;
determining the weight applied to the adaptor based, at least in part, on the weight signal detected by the weight sensor; and
transmitting, by the communication component, an indication of the weight to a display device of the food preparation appliance, or a remote communication device, or both.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
displaying an first instruction on a remote communication device, wherein the first instruction includes a first target weight of a first substance.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
receiving a measurement from the food preparation appliance indicative of a weight of the first substance applied to the adaptor; and
determining when the weight of the first substance applied to the adaptor is substantially equal to the first target weight.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
displaying a second instruction associated with the first instruction, wherein the second instruction includes a second target weight of a second food substance.

Assignees

• Spectrum Brands Inc

Inventors

• Jimenez Rolando Antonio Cavazos
• Krebs Joseph V
• Saunders James Stuart
• Van Haren Emily

Classifications

• A47J43/046 Primary

  with tools driven from the bottom side · CPC title

• A47J36/321

  the electronic control being performed over a network, e.g. by means of a handheld device · CPC title

• A47J43/07

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

• A47J43/0716

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

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title